Dressage - entering as non competitive or special allowances?

popularfurball

popularfurball

Learning all the time
Jul 18, 2005
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I want to do an intro test with madam at local level. I'm not doing it to compete, but for us as I've decided we are going to achieve things.

What I don know is if we will be able to?

I am hoping to get a treed saddle to fit her, but whether she is happy in it is another thing - treeless aggregates her skin less.

Likewise her bridle is synthetic because of her skin sensitivity - will this be a problem?

The skin thing also makes her intermittently bald and vvv mildly lame (like an arthritis)... Can this be ignored? I obviously wouldn't do it if she is lame but the above lameness (slightly short behind) is best when she is more mobile.

And finally I am strongly suspicious no matte how hard we practice she will have a tantrum and refuse to move from the gate.

Is it feasible to enter non competitively or to request we have the exemptions made for the skin related issues? I really want to achieve things having had this scare but I know it means allowances will need to be made...?
 
From my experience it costs just the same to enter non-competitively, so you may as well just enter! Not sure if you need a treed saddle. I would ask the organisers about this or google the rules. I thought the only requirement was a dressage legal bit. As far as I know the test is just marked on how your horse performs and not on any blemishes. I would go just aiming to have some fun. My granddaughter had a go at a dressage test on my mare, who loathes doing showing/dressage classes as she is a bit of a go-getter (as one judge said!) and prefers jumping and hunting. She wanted to canter rather than trot and because of this she did some superb extended trots.:giggle::giggle: Supposed to be in working trot but it did show her paces. Everything considered, head flinging because she wanted to go faster etc she got a decent score! I would definately give it a go.
 
If they run to BD rules, as most do, treeless is permitted as long as the basic design is 'English'. Bridle just has to be a simple snaffle with the bit being a permitted design. Doesn't have to be leather. If she is bilaterally stiff then you would get penalised for the stiffness, if it is one-sided you may get stopped if it is very obvious or may just get penalised for uneven steps otherwise if it is slight. In affiliated dressage you can only stop the rider if the horse is blatantly lame and even then you could only draw their attention to it and mark them down if they insist on continuing.
 
Why not contact the show organisers and explain your situation. I did this recently about taking Rhia in something and they were really helpful at one but not at all at another.
 
I would ask if your not sure claire, as long as it isnt a "posh show" as rob would call it (aka affiliated) i wouldnt worry about it, i used to know someone who did dressage in a treeless that did competed upto medium level.
A synthetic bridle shouldnt be a problem as long as the bit is legal as previoustly mentioned. Just take her and have fun!!!
 
Quite agree, my riding club would welcome you with open arms and be nice to madam. The first class I entered with Ziggy (and only one so far) we were one of 6 and a couple of them were very nappy but they still had a go at the test!
 
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