General Information

general information

The following information is supplied as a guide only. Please use at your discretion.

warm up arena etiquette

There are usually many horses warming up in a restricted area at shows, so it is important that all riders have a clear knowledge of arena etiquette when riding in a group. This ensures safe riding and harmony is busy areas. In general, the following rules should be applied:

Safety is paramount and a collision should be avoided at all times
Before entering the warm-up area make sure the gateway and immediate track are clear
Riders should pass left shoulder to left shoulder when on the track
When not on the outside track, e.g. on a diagonal line, riders should give way to horses on their left
The more progressive gait has priority on the track
Halt should not be on the track
Walk should not be on the track and does not have right of way
Trot has priority over walk
Canter has priority over trot
Lateral work has priority over all paces
When circling, anticipate your return to the track so as to not stop the flow of other riders
Mounting, dismounting and gear adjustment should be done off the track
Consideration should be given to behavior of other horses in the arena that may upset your horse
It may be necessary if your horse is upsetting others to leave the area
If a horse is upsetting the majority, an Official should be sought to request that horse’s removal for safety reasons
Horses are to be lunged in the designated lunging arena
Lower level riders should not disturb the warm up of higher level riders

As all organisers would know, one of the hardest parts of organising a show is getting enough volunteers. If you are willing to look at paying for helpers, there is a great page on Facebook called Helper Duty Help where you can put a callout for paid helpers for your show. To assist, there is a direct link to this page below.

Helper Duty Help - Facebook