Kate asked about an indoor arena and THAT is a whole other issue.
Last winter we were at a different barn and Nina was ridden in a heated indoor arena nearly every day. There were lots of distractions, doors, windows to the aisle and she might spook a little when someone appeared in a doorway, but overall she was fine. It was a solid old pole barn and you really couldn't tell what the weather was doing when it was closed up tight. Here she is indoors last winter.
The indoor arena at my current barn is a different story. For one thing it isn't heated so it is at least as cold indoors as out. It is an old metal building so it is a bit of a refrigerator. When the wind blows the roof rattles and the doors slam and the wind howls, much worse than outside. A lot of people going in and out do not bother to close the door behind them so the doors swings and slam. All the noise and echos and the building itself rattling drive Nina crazy and it is just one spook after another. About the time she starts to settle down somebody slams a door hard enough to deafen you and off she goes again. She needs to get over it and I will do some riding indoors with that in mind, but all in all I don't consider this a good place to work, regardless of the weather.
That's certainly not much fun. It can be difficult to find a good place to school green/young/nervous horses when you're trying to retrain them. Its even more difficult when you have lots of inexperienced/border line dangerous riders sharing the ring with you. I have some experience with that, as I get to put up with someone running a schooling barn out of our small, private boarding barn. Still, I suppose I shouldn't rant and complain.
ReplyDeleteAnyhow, I'd have given just about anything for a heated indoor arena today... possibly even some fingers and toes, since I may be giving those up to the cold anyways! Brrrrr.
Foot warmers are my best friend, I buy them by the pile. :-)
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