Safety Guidelines for Equine College Sports Facilities

Safety Guidelines

Ensuring safety at the Equine College's sports facilities, trails, and indoor arenas is of utmost importance. The area is frequently visited by inexperienced riders, drivers, and young or inexperienced horses. Therefore, all users are required to be considerate of others.

All users of the Equine College facilities must adhere to the safety guidelines associated with the area's usage rights. Additionally, proper payments must be made in advance for using the facilities. By using Equine College's areas, you are committed to following these guidelines. The Equine College reserves the right to deny access to those who violate safety guidelines.

Supervise and monitor individuals with less experience in handling horses, whether they are children, youths, or adults.

The Equine College operates on over 300 hectares of land with no single address. It's crucial to know the address of the specific arena or route you're using to guide assistance to the right place if needed. If you're heading out alone, always inform someone of your destination, the route you're taking, and when you plan to return. This makes it easier to locate you in case of an accident.

General Instructions:

• • Users of Equine College facilities must practice good horsemanship skills when handling horses.
  • Avoid unnecessary driving within the area. When driving, be cautious and mindful of horse traffic.
    

    • • Driving onto the centre of the trotting track is prohibited except for maintenance purposes! Cars should be parked in the parking area.
      • Parking is prohibited at the end of the Equine Hospital building

• • Always wear a helmet when riding, driving, lunging, or in situations where wearing a helmet enhances safety.

• • Wear reflectors when riding or driving in dark or low-light conditions.

• • Use the underpass tunnel and designated horse trails, not the pedestrian pathway. Crossing the car road is not allowed at stable I!

• • Move around the stables and the sports facilities in walk, and be cautious of other horses!

• • Pass horses you meet in walk, even on forest trails and roads.

• • Keep dogs leashed throughout the area, including stables and halls.
    

    • • Letting dogs run alongside a horse or trotter is prohibited.

• • Smoking is prohibited throughout the Equine College area.

• • Dispose of trash in designated containers.

• • Using a mobile phone while riding or driving poses a safety risk; focus on the horse and surroundings!

• • Horses must be led and lunged with a bridle on.

• • Riding without a saddle and/or bridle is prohibited on the Equine College premises.

Trotting and training track

• • Pay the usage fee before arriving at the venue.

• • The trotting track is intended for fast training of trotters and should be travelled counterclockwise. Note that horses are allowed to travel in the opposite direction along the Kartanonkyläntie section of the training track. In this section, use the right-hand traffic and exercise caution when passing in walk.

• • The training track's return track is one-way.

• • On weekdays, the racing and training tracks are primarily reserved for trotters from 8 am to 2 pm.

• • Trotters do not need to slow down when overtaking riding horses on the trotting track, except in exceptional circumstances.

• • When driving on the racing track, use the inner lanes of the track. The direction of driving is the same as in competitions.

• • Driving slowly on the racing track, use the outer lanes of the track. The direction of driving is counterclockwise.

• • Riding on the racing track is prohibited (except for monté). Cross the track to the riding arenas along the outer edge of the harness racing track and perpendicular to the track.

• • Helmets are mandatory for driving on Equine College premises.

• • For safety reasons, horse transports should be parked at Sujuva. It's prohibited to park at the sand area near the derby field, through which the training track passes.

Outdoor and Indoor Arenas

• • The riding facilities must be reserved and paid for in advance. Failure to pay will result in a penalty fee of €50 + area fee of €25 + invoicing fee of €10.

• • Always wear a helmet when riding on Equine College premises.

• • Riding should be on the right-hand side.

• • Lesson groups have priority for using the facilities (ask the instructor for permission if you come to the same arena)

• • Riding on the trotting racing track is prohibited. Move to the arenas in the middle along the outer edge of the harness racing track and perpendicular to the track – when moving through the section of the track used by trotting horses, preferably multiple riders at a time.

• • Passing a rider approaching you from the right and at a safe distance.

• • Do not stop on the track of the arena.

• • Mount and dismount in the centre of the arena, not on the track.

• • The arena's outer track is for the faster gaits and the inner track is for the slower gaits.

• • Yield riders on the track when coming from the centre of the arena to the track.

• • Keep the jumps in order. If you dismantle a jump, reassemble it when you finish your practice.

• • If a jump breaks, move the broken part outside the field to prevent accidents and notify the riding instructor or reception immediately.

• • Always collect additional brackets to the jump standards under the poles or move them outside the arena.

• • Inform others when you plan to jump.

• • Manure must be collected immediately.

• • Leave jackets and blankets in their designated areas.

• • Keep the doors of the indoor arenas closed.

• • The last person leaving the arena must turn off the lights.

• • Lunging is allowed if there is not a lot of traffic in the arena. Permission must be obtained from all those present in the arena. Lunging should not disrupt riding, with at most one person lunging at a time. Lunging should not disturb or pose a danger to others.

Cross-Country Course:

• • Always reserve and pay for the use of the cross-country course in advance.

• • For safety reasons, a coach must accompany the rider at all times!

• • The cross-country course is closed one week before competitions for maintenance. The closure dates can be found on the Equine College website.

• • If any obstacle is broken, immediately report it by email: reception@hevosopisto.fi.

Horse Trails:

• • Do not ride or drive through Alapaja's courtyard. The route passes from the heating center past the C-barn to the Alatie (Karrinmäentie).

Exceptions for Events at the Equine Sports Area:

• • Arrangements are often event-specific, so please check the instructions for each event.

• • The equine sports area may occasionally be closed for other uses due to events and related arrangements. Information about these situations will be provided on our website and WhatsApp group.

• • Some events require the area to be closed for preparation and dismantling before and after the event.

• • When the equine sports area is reserved, trotters can usually use the training track by driving through the upper edge of the stallion pasture. In this case, trotters access the training track from the Equine College stables via the Nelikkolampi route or the Rantanen route.

• • The training track is completely closed during cross-country tests in eventing competitions if the movement of trotting horses cannot be arranged safely!

• • Please note that not all events at the equine sports area are organized by Equine College.

RED training track, the direction of travel counterclockwise.
GREEN, Horse trail
YELLOW return trail