That’s true.
I think Pony Club and 4H both teach pass to the inside. IMO, this isn’t a matter of this-way or that-way arena etiquette, but more of a matter of her LOOKING UP and actually riding.
I have already spoken to the BO about needing some written arena rules (ie, don’t lunge your horse when there’s 3 people already riding, etc), I’ll push him a little more. In this case, I will try and speak to the girl.
Yes!
She may not be a rank beginner, but she may never have been taught any sort of arena etiquette.
If BO doesn’t agree to written Rules, maybe boarders could agree & post for yourselves.
Everyone on the same page could make sharing the arena more pleasant.
It’s been a looooong time since I boarded, but I still have to share the occasional warmup ring at shows.
Fair can be the biggest trial, as Driving horses (me & mini) are forced to share the same small space with riders.
“Rules” say otherwise, but are not enforced.
Sometimes driving on the fairground paths is safer than the warm-up… If cars know to pass wide & slow 
I had an experience too with someone who won’t get off the rail or look up. She comes in the arena and immediately puts her horse in a lope on the rail. Never mind there are people using the rail for schooling like a shoulder in or turn on the forehand, she just keeps coming and clearly has no idea about passing left to left. She lopes for a good 20 minutes most of the time without a break and stays on the rail. I refused to get off the rail when I was riding and she was coming at me, she got annoyed that she had to turn off the rail to go around me instead of me trying to avoid her.
Goodhors - in one instance, I did tell her that you pass left to left in an arena and not expect people to ride around you. Plus, you hogging the rail is not cool, others have the right to use it too. She’s a teen and took it with good grace but things didn’t change.
A lot of people follow this rule, but I’ve never liked it. I think the easiest place to be out of the way is on the rail. If you’re just walking on the rail, it is very easy for someone to pass you, or to do circles, or to do other higher level movements around you because they know exactly where you’re going to be. And there’s very rarely a real reason you need to be on the rail to school anything - in fact it’s a very valuable exercise to work on your straightness off the rail.
I personally hate trying to school around someone walking to the inside. I never know exactly how far inside they’re going to go around a corner; if they’re walking on a loose rein, their horse will often drift back to the rail; sometimes they’re not quite far enough the rail for you to feel comfortable going between them and the rail at a faster gait; etc.
Sorry I have not followed your previous difficulties at this facility.
I still think you need a face-to-face with this person, tell them they are being arena rude, need to look out, avoid others using parts of the rail at times.
You can try meeting her in the aisle, on foot, do the polite thing. Explain left-to-left, who gets the rail in if slower or faster. NOT cutting into another rider’s circles. Hope that works for you. Just complaining to us, muttering as you “give up”, won’t change a thing. She obviously hasn’t a clue about being in the wrong.
If no change, no help from BO, then you have to step up your game. Guess I am not willing to put up with other people’s BS, which is causing problems. I will yell ahead of passing, warn of my path, so they can get out of the way or be aware that I AM going to be close to them so they can do “whatever” while I get my planned ride done. Might also be rude at times, but some folks just won’t change without being pushed to do it.
But I am not a shrinking violet. Though I have never boarded, when using arenas at clinics, warmup arenas at shows, public arenas, I have had to deal with “stupid” and her friends also using them. I try polite first, but such unsafe conditions will quickly make me “do something” to improve things. Your comfort levels may not be like mine in getting her attention, changes made. You can lay down and take it or work for change. MAYBE she will start to ride at another time to avoid you! Ha ha Good luck.
Well, I will weigh in here and state that I think that if you are riding in an arena with someone else you should be paying attention. Same with driving - what am I supposed to? Drive over the curb or into oncoming traffic to avoid your sorry ass? That’s gonna be a hard no. That girl needs to wake up. What happens when she runs into someone less tolerant than you or a horse that kicks?
My last horse had some idiosyncrasies. You could literally run into him from behind and he would not react. But come AT him too close and he would lose it, to the point of leaping out of the arena. I was working with him one day in the arena and there were several of us there, most of them beginners and the BM who who was quite experienced. I asked everyone to not come at my horse and I would do my best to avoid them so we could al work together and BM decided to test us. We are all riding clockwise, she is going counter-clockwise and coming closer and closer to my horse despite my asking her to please stop. Horse finally lost it, shied sideways into low dressage court fence made of pvc, snaps pvc pipe, gets it tangled up in his legs, flips out more, is now having a fit of hysterics bucking, shying, spinning, etc all while BM goggles at me. I get him to stop, marched his happy ass back into the arena through the break and put him to work but not before shouting at BM “NOW do you believe me?!”
It’s me again.
Colonel Pugsly.
His name isn’t really pugsly, but I couldn’t talk today.
head desk
How’s this all going? I hope both are doing okay.
Little old lady with questionable driving habits bought a car.
It was a smart-car, didn’t let her in. 
Ah, not really. First off the way I read that the other rider was coming up BEHIND the poster. Not sure about you, but I do not have eyes on the back of my head (anymore - I had them removed after I retired from teaching). ANd if someone is doing a specific exercise (like 15M circles) common courtesty says dont ride through her exercise. THis is nto to say run the kid off - I have been on that end of the circumstance and that I not what I am implying
Am simply raising my hand to say that in my neck of the woods, and in my very limited experience, walkers stay on the rail, out of the way. Those going faster are in the passing lane to the left, just like on the highway.
But yes, I’d talk to the kiddo directly if possible. I totally understand your exasperation with her running into the back of your horse and generally being in the way of what you were doing. (or trying to do)
Agreed. Why would you want to pass on the rail. Seems to set yourself up for getting kicked at with nowhere to go. At least if you’re on the inside you have lots of room to get away.
It sounds to me like we are talking about different size arenas. The one with walking on the inside is 40m x 20 m. Inside means further from the track than a horse can kick.
If you’re responding to my post, size of arena isn’t the issue, but where the slower horse is. I’d rather pass on the inside of the ring, as opposed to between the slower horse and the rail. Gives you both more room and escape options if the horse being passed gets cranky.
Well, it’s as ok as it can be.
The owner is taking riding lessons up the road on his friend’s horse. I think the friend knew right away that getting on an ottb for your first rides is a crappy idea.
The owner also texted me asking for a vet reference to get the horses legs checked out, so somehow he got wind that the horses legs are really effed up. I didn’t have the heart to tell him, and I don’t know him well enough either.
He comes out regularly and the horse remains an old-soul type, outside of winging a kick or two when being groomed in areas he doesn’t like. Pretty normal for his stage of training, really.
That does sound about as well as it can go. Glad his friend has stepped up to help with the riding and hopefully the vet is able to help them a little more.
The agistment where I kept my horses had a lot of novice teenage girls with non horsey parents who often ended up with off the track TBs and STBs. Was normally not a great situation to watch but it was great when they had a win.
I was SURPRISED when i saw a “seasoned hauler” doing that when the mare refused to load, he literally yank the horse onto the trailer, wtf.
One of the new folk. Horse is loose in arena, saddled and bridled. Reins are dragging on the ground, horse is walking around.
Me: Uhh… you want me to grab your horse?
Her, sitting on the other end of the arena chatting with friend: No, he’s fine!
Say what? He’s got a damn bridle on, and you’re letting him drag the reins around?
Oooooookay!
Did you mention the possibility that the horse could step on the reins and hurt himself in a panic, for the horse’s sake? Perhaps the rider hadn’t thought it through.
There is a certain “cowboy culture” to some of the new boarders. They lunge with loose horses in the arena, tie solid with rope halters (and the horses aren’t dead broke types), and ride abruptly with little to no finesse.
When asked what they do with the horses the answer is “rodeo”. I honestly don’t know what that means exactly.
I wanted to ask if she wouldn’t mind a broken jaw on her horse (the reins were continuous and nylon, just begging for a serious accident) but couldn’t figure out how to word it without sounding like an A-hole.
By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. You may also receive promotional emails from The Chronicle of the Horse. You can opt out at any time.
For Customers
Company
Terms of Use
