Now is the time of year when many riders across the nation will be taking riding workouts into the indoor arena; that means limited riding space with a lot more horses and people.
To be a considerate and safe rider, two common rules to follow are a) pass left shoulder to left shoulder, and b) faster gait gets the rail. However, this assumes equal control over horses. If you are an advanced rider sharing the arena with an inexperienced one, it is your obligation to keep a safe situation and not assume the other rider knows to abide by these rules or has the ability and control to do so.
When I taught at a large riding school, I ensured that my riders learned to look out for each other. They always called ahead if passing inside or outside or going up the diagonal. I taught them that, much like driving a car, they must be aware of what is going on around them at all times. As a result, the more advanced students became coaches for the less experienced ones, offering bits of their knowledge and understanding. This made for a less competitive, more team-like and, most importantly, more safe environment.
Many riding schools and farms have posted rules about what can or cannot go on in arenas. For example, some ride schools prohibit longeing horses while lessons are ongoing. As a matter of safety, this rule takes into consideration that a young or inexperienced rider can lose control of his or her mount, and if a horse is being longed in the same arena, the two can become entangled. Likewise, the rule exists for situations when a horse might get away from its handler while longeing. If you’re using an indoor arena, find out from the owners first if longeing is prohibited while riders are present.
For example, Joan brought her horse to the farm during the winter to use the indoor arena. She was accustomed to riding alone at home. While another horseperson was longeing her horse, Joan circled her mount directly in front of the longeing horse, causing that horse to stop short with a snort. Thankfully, the incident was uneventful except for a peeved horse, but it had potential to be very dangerous.
Additionally, when longeing or riding, be aware of how you might cause other riders’ horses to react. I’ve seen people longeing quiet, lazy horses and crack their longe whips or holler and carry on, all the while clueless to the fact that they were spooking other riders’ sensitive horses. If you need to crack your longe whip in the presence of other riders, check with them first if their horses are reactive.
Also, be aware that you may be riding a sensible, seasoned horse, but the other riders in the arena could be on horses that are green or that have never been in an indoor arena before. Things that are everyday to you and your horse, like being in the reflection of the indoor arena’s mirror, might be enough to startle that horse.
Unfortunately for Joan, the longe incident wasn’t the only problem she caused and she became known as a DQ (dressage queen) and a ring hog. She cut riders off, ran up too close behind them and practically brushed them with her dressage whip when she passed. She looked down constantly, so it was impossible for other riders to predict what direction she was heading for. The day she left the indoor arena door wide open as she led her horse out was the final straw.
“It’s common courtesy to close the door when you leave!” one of the riders yelled after her.
Common courtesy is often seen as something that’s being lost in our culture today, but when it’s lost among fellow riders, it can create dangerous situations. In multi-discipline riding facilities, during this time of year you’ll have hunters going over jumps, dressage riders practicing tests and western riders performing reining maneuvers, among many others. Like my young students had done for years, riders need to keep their eyes up and call their next movement, whether it’s riding a line of fences (“Heads up! Yellow line!”) or performing half pass (“Heads up! Quarter line to rail!”). A little common courtesy and awareness will go far in keeping you and your fellow barnmates safe.
