Let’s face it: Sometimes having an arena to ride in is a luxury. Not every boarding facility has a ring, and lots of kids who have their horses at home make do without one, too. While it can be discouraging to see others riding in perfectly manicured rings with fancy footing every day, riding outside of the ring as your usual riding space actually has many perks! Try these tips for riding your horse or pony without an arena.
Make a Barrier
Riding in an open space can seem intimidating, but just because you have a massive field to ride in doesn’t mean that you can’t mentally section off an area as your primary riding space. Pick a tree, or other landmark as the corners of your space. Mentally staying in a smaller area will help you feel more in control of the space, and therefore safer working without physical boundaries.
If you want to make a more physical barrier, you can get four cones, ground poles, or even milk jugs filled with sand to mark the corners of your riding space. While there is no physical wall, these markers will help you stay focused in your riding.
Geometry
When riding in an enclosed dressage ring, it is fairly easy to practice correct geometry. For a 20-meter circle in a large dressage court (20 x 60 meters), you just need to split the ring into three equal parts. Out of the ring, this can be more challenging.
Try placing two cones just over 20 meters apart and work on making a circle between the two cones. You don’t need an arena wall to work on accuracy!
Once you figure out what a 20-meter circle feels like using markers, you can try to replicate the circle without the boundaries. As a benefit, when you get to a show and riders who only ride in a ring are struggling to practice a 20-meter circle in warmup, you will have it mastered, thanks to your field riding practice!
Riding Both Sides
Have you ever noticed how your horse tends to naturally drift toward the wall when riding in a ring? This makes movements like leg-yielding away from the wall trickier. It also makes it easy for you to get a bit lazy with your outside aids, since the wall is there as a physical guardrail.
When riding in a field, you don’t have this crutch. You must ride both sides of your horse. This keeps both you and your horse accountable for both sides of his body in order to keep him properly balanced, adding strength and symmetry to his way of going. And it will give you a massive advantage in the show ring!
In a way, you are creating the arena wall with your outside aids. Around a turn, do you feel your horse falling out and dropping his shoulder? That is a telltale sign that you aren’t using enough of your outside aids.
Morgan Kastner placed 2nd in the trail division at the Retired Racehorse Project Thoroughbred Makeover in 2022. She was also competitive in the dressage division. Most of her Makeover prep with her mare, Poppin Tops, took place outside of the ring. Morgan says that riding out of the ring as your primary riding space is a great way to figure out holes in your training.
“When you ride outside of a ring, you will quickly learn if your horse is listening to your cues, able to relax, and working through a changing environment and scary objects,” she says.
Morgan also used a grassy area behind the barns at a racetrack to try her mare before bringing her home.
“I figured if she could keep her mind together, focus, and listen during the ride in that atmosphere, she would be an easy project.”
Morgan’s strategy worked, and she ended up with a very well-rounded and responsive partner!
Use Your Surroundings
You’ve spent all week doing flatwork on the same section of the field, and both you and your horse want to mix it up, but there are trees scattered all over the other half of the field—what can you do?
Instead of looking at the trees as an impassible obstacle, think about how you can use them to your benefit. How tight can you make a circle around a tree without losing balance? What happens if you figure-8 around a group of trees, or to add to the challenge, leg-yield between them?
If the trees are close together, you can work on these details at the walk. If they are further apart, you can add in some trot and canter. You can even work on your flying changes looping around the trees!
Additionally, getting out of your typical riding space exposes your horse to more of his surroundings, building his confidence.
Building Strength
Riders who primarily ride in a ring often seek out opportunities to ride on slight hills to increase their horse’s fitness. Working outside the ring on a slight slope can have big benefits.
Your horse will naturally get stronger without you even trying while working on a slight hill, and both his and your balance will improve while figuring out how to stay at a consistent tempo and way of going while going up and down the hills.
Staying Safe
One of the perks of having a ring is knowing that the footing is mostly consistent and being in a contained area, should something go wrong.
Before you go ride in an open space, let someone know where you are headed. It’s also a good idea to have a cell phone with you, and consider a device like EquineTrac, a GPS tracking device made specifically with riders in mind, for extra safety. When possible, find a friend to ride with, too!
Also, being aware of footing is crucial. If the ground is extra hard, it’s best to keep impact work (heavy jumping or lots of trotting and cantering) to a minimum. The same goes for if the ground is extra muddy.
Use caution with horses who aren’t used to varying footing conditions, and carefully inspect legs and consider icing them when you are done riding. Riding in different kinds of footing will also prepare your horse, both physically and mentally, for the different kinds of footing he will see at horse shows or on the trail.
You’ll need to keep an eye out for sticks, big rocks, and holes. It’s unlikely for a random hole to appear in the middle of a ring, but outdoor riding spaces must be shared with critters who love to dig tunnels.
Building Confidence
Riding outside can do wonders for you and your horse’s confidence and partnership. A lot of trust is needed to canter through a big, open field. Take advantage of all the natural creeks, ditches, and terrain to challenge your horse and help him become more confident.
“Horses have a tendency to lock onto ‘scary’ objects and want to rush by what is making them nervous,” Morgan cautions. “Sometimes the best way for them to feel more comfortable and stay in tune with you is to trot off for a bit, and then come back to the scary object when switching directions, or doing circles around [the object] your horse is nervous about.”
She adds that it’s important not to forget your groundwork.
“Make sure you do your homework on the ground,” she says. “Learn how your horse is going to react to scary situations and build the confidence and respect between you.”
If you are also nervous, your horse might pick up on your anxiety. Morgan suggests taking a few deep breaths and being mindful of your own mindset.
“As riders, we have a tendency to tense up when we put our horses in new situations we aren’t completely confident in,” she says. “When we tense up, the horse is going to feed off of that energy and is going to start looking for a reason to speed up or spook.”
Growing your horse’s confidence will carry over when it’s time to go to a show or on a large group trail ride, since he will have learned that being in new situations with his favorite partner (you!) is nothing to worry about.
Riding Without an Arena: Key Takeaways
While riding outside of the arena may first seem a bit daunting, it offers countless benefits for both you and your horse. From building strength and confidence to improving balance and responsiveness, riding in an open space encourages growth in areas that are often overlooked in a traditional arena. Plus, the experience of riding in diverse conditions prepares both you and your horse for the unpredictability of the show ring or the trail. So, next time you find yourself without an arena, embrace the opportunity to think outside the box (or arena, in this case) and turn your outdoor space into a valuable training ground.
This article about riding without an arena appeared in the September/October 2023 issue of Young Rider magazine. Click here to subscribe!
