Legging up w/ grass arena

[chelzee22]

Hi all,

I’m needing to get 2 OTTBs going for the season. I do not have an arena…I plan to trailer once a week (if I’m that lucky) to use a friend’s:yes:.

I have 2.5 acres of pasture total and unfortunately the roads by me are NOT safe for road hacking. We just moved to this property so I don’t have the funds to add an arena right now. I work 830-5 and am not going to be able to haul out every day.

Located in central ky. Hoping to go Starter on one and BN on the other. Trying to make lemonade out of lemons…

Suggestions? Tips? Advice?

[LadyB]

Many ride without arenas. The best work is done out on different terrain. It builds the horses up better.

I don’t have an arena, I only board out 3 months of the year, other than that, I am at home, rain or shine, outside.

You can do just as much work in your 2.5 acre pasture. If you read most riders in the UK they do outside work, on hills, on grass terrain. It teaches the horses to handle different terrains better.

You’re more than capable of getting them out for Starter and BN and EVEN Novice with what you have to work with. Getting off property and schooling xc will be beneficial for their brains, but doesn’t need to be often, once a month is good enough.

[chelzee22]

LadyB, how do you do this and not tear up your pasture? That is my main concern since I don’t have much We’ve also had a lot of heavy mud here recently (booooo…hissssss)

[LadyB]

Unfortunately… you’re going to, if you only have one pasture… thats going to happen With the limited options, thats just what you have to work with.

[chelzee22]

If you were me, would you section an ‘arena’ space to protect the footing in it? I’m just trying to get this all figured out haha. I JUST moved my horses home for the first time in my life so I’m a bit anxious about not having an arena!

[LadyB]

100% depending on your turn out numbers.

I would break it off, make one spot just for riding, the other side turn out area only. This way is becomes a ‘work area’ and then its not so sad when it becomes destroyed

[yellowbritches]

I think I would be more inclined to move around and keep the traffic from getting to dense in one spot. As long as the whole field is pretty rideable. Also, if you’re tearing it up in one spot, you’re making it sketchy for riding, as well. On days it’s really muddy, either don’t ride or keep it to walking only (long slow miles, even if it is just around and around the field) will protect it, as well.

[beowulf]

[QUOTE=yellowbritches;8549167]
I think I would be more inclined to move around and keep the traffic from getting to dense in one spot. As long as the whole field is pretty rideable. Also, if you’re tearing it up in one spot, you’re making it sketchy for riding, as well. On days it’s really muddy, either don’t ride or keep it to walking only (long slow miles, even if it is just around and around the field) will protect it, as well.[/QUOTE]

this is what i do.

there are weeks that go by, especially in the winter, where i cannot ride in my pasture without scoring or poaching the landscape. so i hack - around the house, behind the house, around the barn, up and down the driveway, down the neighbor farmer’s field, etc.

it’s great but it’s not because winter is almost always the time i MOST want to work on dressage. between the rocks (and there are a LOT OF THEM), ledge, mud, and terrain i think it’s too unfair to expect a horse to have a good dressage ride so i pretty much don’t work on anything beyond contact @ the walk from november to march…

next year i think i’m going to board at an indoor.

a good summer project would be to make a bridle path around the property. that’s one of my biggest saving grace[s].

[merrygoround]

At Starter and BN you won’t need a lot of legging up, but you need to be in the saddle regularly. I am with yellowbritches, in that if you mark off one area only for an arena, it will quickly become dangerous riding.

Days are getting longer, and daylight hangs around way longer in KY than the east, so your riding time will be extended. And DST will be here in 2 weeks.

[Hunterkid]

I’m not sure how long your driveway is, but when it’s too muddy here I do a lot of walking up and down the drive. And ours is short

If it’s just kinda muddy I ride in our small backyard. Our whole property is very hilly, so I can get a lot out of walk work. We currently show at training level and school prelim and I haven’t had any trouble with pony fitness.

[Hilary]

Yes - your driveway is your friend in the winter and early spring. is it boring? You bet, but it’s safe and it saves the places where you want the footing to be saved. This time of year is one big exercise in delayed gratification. If I ride now, I risk wrecking the footing for the rest of the summer so I have to make myself wait.

A friend of mine has a small property and her ring is her main turnout. She has 2 smaller ones with grass, but she uses her biggest space for both. I know you said you cannot afford to put in an arena at the moment but it might be worthwhile at some point.

I have fields and pastures and a ring and a road that is tolerable and I still trailer out in the winter to better footing. The worst is a lovely warm day and you cannot ride at home because you have no good surfaces.