Cross Breeds

How many horses should be in an indoor arena?

My barn is very busy and allows up to 8 horses in the indoor arena at any time. This includes 3 trainers/lessons. Is that too crowded? Or is it just me. I would say the arena is larger than a standard arena but not enormous.

Public Comments

1. it depends on how big your arena is. If it is huge, it probably doesn't matter. 8 is a lot but that's not ridiculous. consider yourself lucky, there has been 14 horses in the arena I ride in, including multiple lessons and its ridiculous! I'd recommend finding a time when there is less people in the arena to ride. That way, itll be much less crouded!
2. I say that's too many. If it's a standard indoor, I think that there should be a maximum of 5 horses in at once. 3 lessons going on, and 8 horses is ridiculous. No one will have their space to focus on what they are trying to do.
3. It defiantly depends ont he size of the arena but it does make it more dangerous especially if there are younger horse in the arena. My arena is smaller 80' x 125' and one day there was 10 people all in there it was defiantly crowded but you just need to watch where your going!!!
4. its a bit crowded but its not overcrowded also this would be a great practice for shows, your horse would be use to the amount of horses.
5. Yeah I agree with the first answer totally! But we have an Olyimic sized arena supposedally, and we can have 8 in comfotably but we have had 21 horses in with riders when they are getting there prizes.
6. woahh .. yeah i'd say that's alot of lessons but not really alot of horses .. i used to be at a riding school with a large school and sometimes 7 horses at one time which was fine, now i work at a livery yard with a tiny indoor arena and sometimes we have about 5 cantering/jumping at the same time, it gets manic but it's manageable so long as the slower horses are at the back and the faster ones at the front (: but yeah, thats alot for little individual group lessons xD x
7. Well I think personally that is too many people in the ring. At the barn where I board my horse they have a small ring and 5 people go in there sometimes , everyone always gets in my way whether im jumping or doing a circle. Its too hard to concentrate with that many people in there. Some people dont mind the other horses in the ring, because it does help when you go to a show, then you know what it feels like when you have a lot of people in a ring. But I definitely mind, it throws me and my horse off balance. I would try and talk to your trainer and see what she thinks. But now when Im training and getting a lesson it's just me in the ring, people respect that everyone whos getting a lesson needs there space for once. :) try talking to other people at the barn and see if you can work out a schedule or something. Good luck with riding ! :)
8. Regulations Rules for a standard size dressage ring is 10 riders and horses at one time. Now the fact that you have 3 trainers in there moving you in 3 different directions is a tad careless. One trainer could be telling a group to jump up a line and another trainer could tell a group to jump down a line ... not safe :- /
9. i think 8 is about average if the arena is bigger than a standard arena, i have trained many times with 12 or more in a standard sized arena
10. NO more than six
11. Depends on the size of the ring. I agree that multiple lessons would be confusing..I would lose track of which trainer I should be listening too. =) At my old barn we just had a standard size ring and for some show classes we would have upwards of 20 horses in the ring. They would usually either split the class in two, or have the whole class walk/trot and split it up for cantering.
12. In a good sized arena it is to busy especially if theres a lesson going on. At my barn we have an oversized arena and at 4 in a lesson we have to take turns to do things. So 8 really musn't be fun.
13. It really depends on the size of the ring. Small ones should have at most 4 horses.Larger ones can have around 7 or 8. Our ring is Olympic sized and around 11 horse can fit in there comfortably and 15 when its crowded.
14. I ride some where in the summer where we have about 6 horses and it is a crowed as ever!I think 8 horses is a little too much!My trainer keeps it to 4 in a huge arena.I don't think you are over worrying!BUT 8 HORSES!