|
Post by Sami Shoaib on Jul 24, 2005 19:56:15 GMT -4
I have been told that rope/chain arenas are no longer allowed in straight dressage, is there going to be a change in eventing too?
I personally have always found them to be a danger to horse and rider and think that we should follow straight dressage and bring in the white pole arenas. At least you can see them and they are a bit softer to land on than metal stakes.
|
|
|
Post by vince roche on Jul 24, 2005 22:45:36 GMT -4
There have been two documented serious accidents in Australia involving rope arenas. The transition to alternative arenas has cost Australian Dressage Clubs hundreds of thousands of dollars and has even put a few out of business, as they could not afford alternative arenas. In addition, it tales 3 times a long to build an arena and twice as long to put them away. Theye also need considerable more space for storage and usually a purpose built trailer to carry them. Also bear in mind that Eventing clubs usually need to set up more arenas than the local dressage club has, due to our need to get through other phases (eg our Berrima Dressage Club puts up 6 arenas at their normal event with 50-60 horses and two sets of Judges per day, Berrima Horse Trials needs 13 arenas for 30 horses in a day as they all have to Show Jump as well). So it is not just a case for getting arenas from the local dressage club! If eventing clubs need to purchase pipe arenas, they will be spending much less money on XC courses, or ... entry fees will need to go up.
White pole arenas also are difficult in windy conditions, and I know of one horse injury where a pipe blew off and caused a horse to trip.
the National Eventing Committee of the EFA considered the issue last year and reccommended that rope arenas ideally should not be used after 2008. They also approved the use of alternate arena constructions .. you may have seen the white poles on the ground at Goulburn last year. How do you feel about those? Is that progress?
The current EFA Rules for Eventing: "Construction of Arenas: Arenas must be as safe as possible. If rope and steel pegs are used, the rope should be kept taut, at least 30cm above the ground, and any sharp elements of pegs should be covered to protect horses. Alternative arena construction is encouraged. Examples of alternatives are plastic chain, plastic pipes, ground markings, and painted 10cm x 2.5cm wooden boards placed on the ground at corners and markers."
My personal view is that the change is not worth the considerable expense, that will ultimately have to be born by competitors.
Vince
|
|
|
Post by Sami Shoaib on Jul 24, 2005 23:01:03 GMT -4
Fair enough, What about removing sharp metal stakes and brown invisible rope and bringing in plastic cones or something to hold white chain?
|
|
|
Post by Linda on Jul 25, 2005 7:13:43 GMT -4
Personally, I like white wooden poles on the ground - what disadvantages do they have (apart from looks)?
|
|
|
Post by vince roche on Jul 25, 2005 22:34:38 GMT -4
They may be hard to see in longer grass, horses may tread on them, and it is harder to drive a horse into a corner (to balance and collect them). However, this is the standard arena in British eventing, outside the fancy 3DEs. And the horses and riders there are used to them. Vince. PS a bit like 20m x 40m arenas .. standard in UK at Novice and below. Use them here .. for good reasons ... and hear the competitors scream!!!
|
|
|
Post by april on Jul 25, 2005 23:58:18 GMT -4
the poles on the ground are a good idea and they aren't dangerous to the horse i gotta say i do get worried about the ropes but i have never seen or heard of an accident so i wouldn't no but im new to see and don't no to much i really like siec's arenas there very nice anyways hope it all works out for the best
|
|
|
Post by Sami Shoaib on Jul 26, 2005 0:00:37 GMT -4
I dont think that 20 x 40 makes a difference at the lower levels as it only really makes the horse collected and the diagonals shorter, and since there is no lengthening involved you dont really notice it.
I have a full sized arena at home and it feels a hell of a lot wider than the ones at comps, i always question whether they are actually 20m wide.
I had an idea of making the arena letters a bit bigger and heavier (like boxes) and then using them as the holders for the chain maybe with a small hook on the inside, this would mean no banging in of pegs into hard ground and would be a hell of a lot safer and more visible for horses, it would allow the chain to be held more taut as well.
|
|
|
Post by Linda on Jul 26, 2005 1:52:36 GMT -4
I don't mind using a 40m arena, so long as I notice it before the test, not halfway through the test like last time ...
|
|
|
Post by nessy on Jul 28, 2005 6:53:19 GMT -4
hmmmmm im not a big fan of the plastic pole arena's they blow away really really easy and i have seen them simply blow away in the middle of a test and the horses totally freak, but i suppose they are better then the rope ones. maybe they should make the plastic ones a little heavier, although that would make it harder for the people setting up. hmmm i dunno why do arenas have to be so difficult!!! lol
|
|
|
Post by Morgan on Jul 28, 2005 8:35:17 GMT -4
hey how about we scrap dressage all together!!!! heheheh...just kidding. Rode at SIlver HIlls with the boards on the ground, I think people will get use to those?
|
|
|
Post by Sami Shoaib on Jul 28, 2005 20:48:05 GMT -4
The pole ones I think are supposed to be pegged down which would stop the cones from moving and hopefully that would keep the poles from dropping out too.
|
|
|
Post by Keira on Jul 29, 2005 7:14:50 GMT -4
hmm personally having a really spooky horse that will use any excuse to do a bad test i am a big fan of the rope arenas!!!!!! white ones with poles = spook.. poles=spook chain=spook... yes, rope is definately good!! hahaha na but i agree about the safety stuff.. even if it means i will never do a good dressage test again!! As for chain.. i dont think it's any better than rope.. i had the wonderful experience of someone falling off in front of me in a group lesson in a chain arena and landing on the chain.. so the whole arena edge moved and every horse freaked out with the sound (and the movement)... also made a noise every time the wind blew!
|
|
|
Post by Sami Shoaib on Jul 31, 2005 18:58:22 GMT -4
Just an update on how "SAFE" rope arenas are. At Camden a girl was chucked off in the SJ and her horse took off through the arena and the rope did not break, he managed to pull out about 150-200 m of rope fence with star pickets attached and drag it until he got untangled, this resulted in another horse throwing its rider, an few horses rearing and luckily all the spectators ran away before getting jousted by a flying star picket.
The rope used was very hard to see, it was nylon and so would not break and I do not know if the horse suffered rope burns or worse form the encounter but I presume it had some marks.
I talked to a few other riders that witnessed this episode and thought that bunting would have been a better idea, the plastic would break with much less force and at least the horses can see it.
Spooky it may be, but i have a very spooky horse myself and after you show them the bunting they pretty much dont care anymore. I would rather my horse spook at the edgeing than hit it one day get tangled up in it and get seriously hurt.
|
|
|
Post by freezing on Aug 27, 2005 23:00:52 GMT -4
I don't think poles on the ground are a very good idea as horses would just tread over them especially in eventing. I have enough trouble keeping my dressage tests dressage test instead of show jumping rounds!!! Also say a horse did step out judges may not notice where as if they step out of rope, pipe etc your going to know.
I like the arenas at SIEC they're (very) easy to see, look good and are non spooky (as much as they can be). I'd have to say i like white chain with perhaps blocks holding it up instead of pickets.
|
|
|
Post by --- MeL--> on Sept 1, 2005 4:33:28 GMT -4
Pony Club, in our zone at least (but I'd also imagine in others), have banned the use of rope dressage arenas for zone events as it is seen as unsafe. Our pony club has invested in the white pole arenas also so it would seem that open eventing is perhaps just a step behind at the moment. However I think that we all do appreciate how lucky we are to have such amazing events running so efficiently by many hard-working people, changing the arenas would be very costly and I think that we are lucky to have as much as we do. Having said that I'm not a very large fan of the rope arenas as I have one horse who has had terrible balance in the past and is still really learning to balance properly. He's had a couple of incidents where he's thrown his hinds out a little and caught the rope. The first time he hopped along as if lame for three strides before stepping back onto the leg he'd hit, not exactly the kind of unsettling thing you want at the start of a dressage test. The second time he caught his leg and brought down one end of the arena halfway through, so apart from becoming rather unsettled we also had to complete the rest with the rope lying on the ground. So obviously when incidents like that occur you tend not to be such a major fan, although having said that it's made me much more aware of keeping my horse balanced and to hold him better with the outside and prevent him from falling out. So I suppose it has its good and bad, like most things... although the safety issue is quite concerning. Whatever happens I'm just content to be able to compete in such great events, rope or no rope. Bye-bye.
|
|