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  Discussion on Riding In Arena With Loose Horses
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Member:
lhenning

Posted on Tuesday, May 15, 2007 - 2:12 pm:

The indoor arena at our boarding stable has doors all around it which open into various paddocks and pastures. I normally ride my horse in the evening after work during which time the staff has to bring in all horses for their evening feeding. While I am riding, they open the paddock doors and one by one, lead each horse to its stall. This does not present any problems except on the occasion when one horse breaks through and runs into the arena on its own. Most of these horses are the dominant, pushy types. Many are in dire need of training, if you ask me.

My horse immediately reacts to these loose horses. I try to stay relaxed and give him something to do, but his attention is focused on the escapee. I hate to turn my back on the offender because I don't want them coming up behind me and challenging us. If I stand and face them, I feel like I am giving them more attention than I should and sending the message to my horse that we should be on alert. I also don't know what these horses will do if we challenge them. If we started walking toward them, do you think they would move away from us or would they try to challenge us? Can you give me some ideas on how I should handle this situation while I am mounted?

I know the obvious one is to train these horses to behave, but that is not an option. I only recently got the staff to quit putting them right into their stalls and feeding them, and thus rewarding the misbehavior! This is a fairly large stable and very few horses are this unruly, but there are always one or two bad guys.

I appreciate any ideas.
Linda
Member:
erika

Posted on Tuesday, May 15, 2007 - 2:58 pm:

Sounds like a staff problem, rather than a horse problem. Someone is being a bit lazy about catching before opening gates?

I can see why it would bother you.
Member:
dtranch

Posted on Tuesday, May 15, 2007 - 3:06 pm:

I think if you are paying board which includes use of the arena it is not too much to ask to keep the "mavericks" out. Someone should be tending the doors or gates ... before someone gets hurt.
DT
Member:
mrose

Posted on Tuesday, May 15, 2007 - 4:02 pm:

I agree totally with Dennis. Your mare is very well trained if she is listening to you with a loose horse running around her! And, if the other horses are bigger, more aggressive, poorly behaved, they won't always respect the fact your horse has a rider on her back. Both you and your horse could get injured. Are the arena stall doors the only doors the stalls have? Or are there doors on the paddock sides as well and the arena doors are just less hassle for the staff to use? If there are other doors, the staff should be using them.

Until you can get the barn manager to change the way the horses are brought in, I think if it were me I would carry a dressage whip just in case I needed it, and keep my horse in the corner of the arena as far away as possible from the other horses. If the situation wasn't changed, I'd be inclined to deduct a few dollars from my monthly board because I wasn't able to use the arena for "x" amount of time. Money is usually a good way to get someone's attention.
Member:
lhenning

Posted on Tuesday, May 15, 2007 - 5:02 pm:

I realize the situation is difficult. The staff has a job to do and usually only one person doing it. So yes, there are problems there. However, it isn't the whole herd that runs in, and most of the horses are well behaved. It's only that one or two that cause me this grief. The staff person cares about my safety, always says they are sorry and catches the escapee. The problem is that this is the only way to bring the horses in from pasture. So they could just as easily tell me I can't ride during those hours too. Instead, we try to work things out between us.

So I am looking for suggestions on how to handle my horse. He is six, and I am training him so I need to ride at this time of day. We both need work on handling our nervousness. I want to look at this situation as a way to practice riding more confidently. In other words, I look at it as an opportunity to be a leader and build confidence.

I do carry a dressage whip and I have waved it toward the rouge horse, which does back them off us. Do you think it better if I just sit my horse a distance away, facing the other horse and wait? Or is it better to put my guy to work and try to distract him? In some respects, this is similar to a dog on the trail or some other animal encounter, except we are in an indoor arena.

Linda
Member:
skye

Posted on Tuesday, May 15, 2007 - 6:09 pm:

I know of one trainer who starts young horses in the arena with border collies running all over the place and even other horses being ridden or worked. Her statement is, "He has to learn it's not about him." So she keeps the horse she is working on attentive and responsive to her requests. When you see it work, you think all horses should be taught that. It's wonderful.
Member:
cgby1

Posted on Tuesday, May 15, 2007 - 6:15 pm:

Good for you on looking at it as an opportunity and good thinking for carrying the dressage whip. I think you should keep working him but also be aware of what the other horse is doing. If you were out on trail a dog could come out or you might come upon a deer. You would want to keep moving and have his attention on you. Cynthia
Member:
dtranch

Posted on Tuesday, May 15, 2007 - 7:03 pm:

Sorry Linda .. I misread the purpose of your post. It is a good training opportunity indeed .. in another discussion, I mentioned that I often work horses with several others in the arena 1.) because it is a good training exercise and 2.) because it allows me to work more horses in a short period of time.

First, just work on getting your horse to face the other horses from a safe distance. Work a little, then face again. When your horse is comfortable with this, let him begin to approach the other horses. If your horse gets a little jiggy, work some more then face again.
Just keep a safe distance, I got kicked in the foot the other day moving up on a green filly in the arena. A good lesson for me, not the filly.
DT
Member:
hwood

Posted on Tuesday, May 15, 2007 - 7:11 pm:

I agree with Sara W. about the dressage whip . . . I agree with Ellie to keep your horse focused on you. One of the ways I have found helpful when working at Lyons's clinics in which several horses and riders are working separately together is to make sure I'm focused on my horse and not on the other horses. If I am focused on my horse, my horse will be focused, and if I'm asking specific tasks of my horse and not letting my attention wander and not taking "no" for an answer, then my horse will become focused on what I'm asking, and the other horses will evaporate. I would try to keep my distance from the rogue horse as I kept my horse doing small circles, widening the circles in response to inside leg and rein pressure . . . reversing the direction of the small circles . . . and keep my horse busy even after the other horse is caught an taken away. Then transition into another task as if nothing abnormal happened.
If there is an agressive horse charging you, then you have a responsbility to yourself first, and then to your horse to keep yourself safe . . . whatever that means. I picture myself hollering and charging the other horse, dressage whip (or lead rope) waving . . . and scare the beejeepers out of him.

It really is a liability for the barn to have folks riding among loose horses, so they may want to figure a different way. Some places allow boarders to ride in the pastures where there are multiple horses grazing. If the riders are experienced in keeping their horses with them, it's not such a problem, but I have witnessed, at another farm, the herd of horses suddenly bolt and gallop off, and the rider on her green horse was bucked off as her horse tried to join the herd. Experienced or not, it's a liability for someone in the horse business.
Doesn't sound like you are dealing with a herd, and it sounds as if you are handling it very well. Be safe. If you have any doubt in your mind that you should ride in the arena during that time, then postpone it, until all the horses are brought in. Safety first.
Member:
mrose

Posted on Tuesday, May 15, 2007 - 8:07 pm:

Like Holly, I was thinking "safety first." I was in an arena working a horse and had a big TB gelding come charging at me and my horse with his teeth bared and ears back. Certainly got my heart rate up, to say the least! What worked for me was to turn my horse towards the charging horse, stand up in my stirrups, scream the meanest scream I've ever screamed, and brandish my whip. This was enough to at least befuddle the charging horse until I could get out of the arena...thus my suggesting carrying the whip!

If it's just a horse or two trotting around and distracting your horse, then yes, you are right, it is a good training opportunity, and you've received some good advice along that line. Just keep your eyes open!
Member:
kthorse

Posted on Tuesday, May 15, 2007 - 8:38 pm:

This is a hard situation. Mine is a little different I have to ride my horse through a paddock full of horses to get to the trails. He is bottom of the pack, Fortunatly he lives with them but there is one new horse that attacks and I mean attacks all the horses. This not your situation but I try to act like what my horse would do and ride away from her if she keeps comming i yell like a maniac and wave my crop around. i dont think it fazes her. She is pretty scary. However that and getting out of her way which is what my horse would do if I wernt on him works. The other horses I just say ahh and shake the crop and off they go. With the others I can ride around them and they are fine once warned but with this new one I got to get out of the way if I charged her I know she would go at me. Its her personalality, plus my horse runs from her in the pasture she is not going to take notice of me.I think you need to know the horse or horses involved. wish I could be of more help.
Member:
sonoita

Posted on Wednesday, May 16, 2007 - 9:40 am:

I think this is a accident waiting to happen. You might know where your horse is going but you do not know where a loose horse is going. I too in my younger years rode in a pasture with other horses and it did not go so good. Even if they love the grass they will stop to investigate or charge. They are flight animals. I also think this is a terrible way to teach a horse.
Happy Trails
Member:
lhenning

Posted on Wednesday, May 16, 2007 - 11:14 am:

This really is just a horse or two trotting around. Once or twice they have tried approaching us but I waved my whip and they retreated immediately. They are usually caught within a few minutes.

Katrina, your situation sounds harder to me! My horse also ranks pretty low on the pole but most of the horses that do this are kept in separate paddocks and are not a part of his herd. So maybe they are more curious than threatening?

Sara, that is exactly the "experience" I needed help with. I kept wondering what to do if one really did try charging at us. That has never happened, but I like to feel ready if it did.

Dennis, I will try the idea of working a little, then face the horse, then work a little more.

Holly, it is hardest for me to focus on my horse while this is happening. That will be the challenge. I have a feeling if I can stop giving so much attention to the incident, it would help my horse tremendously. That is why I like Dennis' suggestion to do some of both, so I can still keep an eye on the intruder without making such a big deal out of it.

IMO, the new owners of this barn have some serious safety issues that are not addressed. This is only one of them. I do feel I need to be most concerned with my own safety and with my horse's safety. I guess I feel if I am armed with knowledge that will give me an edge on the situation, but I realize it is not a real solution. I will also talk to the barn owner about this.

Thanks,
Linda
Member:
dwinans

Posted on Wednesday, May 16, 2007 - 7:41 pm:

I know that the minute somebody yells "LOOSE HORSE" everybody is to dismount immediately. This includes horses in the arena whose rider has been unseated or horses outside the arena who broke loose and are running around like maniacs. I definitely would not feel safe sitting on my horse with a loose horse in the arena.
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