Riding schedules at h/j barns?

[Rel6]

I can’t speak for anyone else, but I am incredibly competitive and that burns away the nerves once I’m actually in the ring. Things that make me nervous at home also make me nervous at shows, but my desire to win trumps the nerves.

I did a horse in a puissance-esqe type class this summer that got up to 1.4m before we dropped the rail to tie for the win. Had I just been schooling the horse, I would have never had any desire to take it higher than 1.15m. But I wanted to win, so we kept going (with owner’s blessing). I still get show nerves, but once I’m in the ring the competitive nature just takes over.

[Tha_Ridge]

Yep, I’m the same and I wasn’t really like that until I started riding in the jumpers! My trainer gives me the hardest time because I hear a little rub in the jump-off, I’m the one turning my head to see if it’s still in the cups or constantly checking the clock—although my little horse usually gives everyone else someone to chase.

[Greysallday]

Thanks, everyone, for sharing your experiences and advice. I used the very helpful script from fivestrideline and got a little bit of clarification from my trainer/BM. Apparently during covid they moved to a stricter format of scheduling all rides to keep things quiet, so I simply need to schedule my rides (and adhere to that schedule). For those worried, someone is always there during business hours, and I also usually drag along my SO who is surprisingly game. In other words, I’m not riding alone and that was never the question. There are some other things that indicate this may not be the best fit for us long term, but I’m approaching with an open mind and will feel more confident now asking for clarification in the future

[MHM]

Yay. Glad it worked out. Thanks for the update!

[wanderlust]

Gotta love when they don’t tell you things like this up front, and then act like you are the a**hole.

Good luck OP!

[Words_of_Wisdom]

I don’t think there’s anything uncommon about this-- it allows them to make sure that the ring isn’t overrun at times, and, in what sounds like a full-care situation, have the horse ready to go at the correct time. If nothing else, it’s courteous to the staff. In every environment I’ve been in, whether a full-care or entirely self-managed, I’ve let those helping out know when to expect me.