EEEK! Girls have suggested going to a dressage test!

sjp1

sjp1

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Sep 14, 2009
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Two of the girls at the yard are off to Pontispool beginning Feb for a little dressage competition and have suggested I go too.

Not because they think I am a fantastic rider and we are the next pupils for Carl Hester (!), but because it might be fun :help:

I suggested today that Tobes may nap and not enter the arena, he may buck me off, and we are unable complete a circuit on a consistent rein, and because we are so unbalanced and probably all due to my cr**p riding, we seem unable to canter a)on the correct leg and b) often not at all in the school.

One of the girls said she has a) fallen off in a dressage test and because her friend was holding the paper test in her hand and trying to hold her horse for her to get back on again, he flipped out because he was worried about the flapping piece of paper and b) he has napped severely and had huge problems getting him into the arena as well.

But as she said, if you never take them anywhere, they will never get any better. Which struck a chord with me really, perhaps you do narrow their worlds too much? So I am thinking about it. Does it really matter if we are dreadful, it isn't as though we are expecting to get a faultless test. Just as long as he behaves, gets into the arena, and semi does as I ask him, I would be as happy as winning Badminton!
 
Go for it!!!!

Your friend does have a really good point, it's great practice taking them out to different places!
 
Give it a go! My first ever dressage test (which also happened to be Henry's!) we came last, utterly dead set last place, when we got him off the lorry he JUMPED off the ramp and had to be tacked up at a trot, I was legged up and told to 'sit like a sack of **** and not touch his mouth in case he goes up'.

BUT, actually it was the best day EVER! He soon settled down and pottered about on a loose rein, we stayed in the grass arena (in the middle of a huge windy field), remembered the test AND cantered on the correct legs... not bad considering I'd never cantered him on grass before and he'd only been out of racing a few months.

We've not improved much since then but I'm pleased every time I take him out!
 
We still attempt dressage tests, even though we can't guarantee picking up correct leg in canter and our canter is MESSY! We come last in prelims all the time...but you have to start somewhere!

If you could do a walk trot test that might be a better start? We always do walk trot test before the prelims and often come highly placed in the walk trots! Although I dislike doing the prelims I make myself do them everytime otherwise we won't ever improve!
 
If even I was considering it last year on flipo before he went lame then I think you'd have no trouble. And poppy cosh to your worries. Toby will surprise you and I think it'll be fab - from what I've seen, dressage comps are a slightly different experience to traditional shows, not as mind blowing for horses? Maybe I'm wrong but I think it's a good plan and can't wait to hear how you get on....with pics of course!
 
I came dead last in my first ever test too! There was only 5 in the class so I still got a pretty rosette :giggle:
Star was a real monkey, thought the letter F was very scary and did a 180 spin and sodded off! When I got my test sheet back I had some lovely comments from the judge and still managed to get a few 7s and an 8 for the movements in between his little sh!t antics!
Best of all I still remember that day and being very proud of myself!

So definitely give it a go!!!!
 
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Go for it! Definatly!! :tongue:

You'll only regret it if you dont!!

I reeaally want a go at dressage but struggling to find anything near by :frown:
 
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