Getting very nervous about dressage now..

[MrA]

Its only a few days away and after our Interdressage score everyone has told me they are expecting great things from us.

Haha well I'm not too bothered about that, we will either do well or we won't at the end of the day. But the weather doesn't look great and the usual fears of ale running away with me or bucking me off have started to surface. Also I'm more nervous about the hack there this time as we are going alone (although my mum is walking for moral support) he has been there now once so he should be slightly calmer shouldn't he? Or will he be worse as he knows what is coming?!

I need to stop worrying and to just try and enjoy it but I get so stressed. Any tips to relax or just try to forget about it until Sunday!?

 

[LokiSofi]

Lots of deep breathes and rather than focussing on the things you think could go wrong think instead of Ale behaving perfectly and scoring perfectly and hacking like a donkey all the way there in brilliant sunshine.
It's all about changing your mindset.
So repeat after me: Ale is a very good boy with lots of talent. I am a talented rider. Between us we WILL hack quietly to the show and perform our best ever test. Ale has been there before so he will be calmer in his surroundings.

The more you think of what could happen the more you convince yourself it will happen. ale will then pick up on it all. So just breathe, think positive and turn your thoughts of panic into positives. And get yourself some rescue remedy lol
And I know all this because I'm the worlds worst worrier with huge anxiety. My last dressage comp I spent throwing up in the corner of the show ground and shaking so much I have no idea how I gave my wonderful pony the right aids. She had never done a test in her life ad was 20 and had only been practicing for the couple of weeks before the show.......we went on to win the class out of 14

 

[MrA]

That's great advice thankyou. I am riding for the last practice tonight and was worrying about all the things which we are not very good at and haven't practiced. Instead I will try and just think positive and end on a good note. I know he can do it!

That's a very impressive result well done for overcoming your nerves. Id like to say I'm not fussed if I don't get placed but of course I would love to. But mainly I just want him to behave and be slightly calmer than last time

 

[LokiSofi]

Focus on what you know your both good at rather than what you need to work on. As long as he behaves and you ride to the best of your ability that's all that matters. And I don't know which test you're doing but if you can get someone to call your test for you just takes the pressure off that little bit as you can focus on riding to best of your ability and keep him straight etc without trying to remember where to go next. As you both get more experienced etc then you can start memorising tests etc but for your first few get someone to call it. Just to take the pressure off a bit more x

 

[Trewsers]

Sending huge good luck vibes. I think you will both be amazing. If your mum is walking with you for moral support that's great, it's always nice to have company and it will help chill you, you can natter away and relax. And anyway, I think it's fab just taking part - so whatever happens you remember that, and think about all the people like me that never even pluck up courage to go - you tried and took part! You WILL be BRILLIANT - everything crossed for you

 

[joosie]

Its only a few days away and after our Interdressage score everyone has told me they are expecting great things from us.

Aaaarrrgh! WHY do people do that?! There is nothing worse for competition nerves than feeling the weight of other people's expectations. I know people think they are being nice when they say it, but it really doesn't help! I feel it quite a lot because there's a group of liveries and other people that my boss also coaches and we go to shows together as a team. Although the camaraderie and support is fantastic it can also pile on the pressure and people's well-meant compliments often just make things worse. This year Jam and I had a great start to our SJ season with some great placings and even our first win, and suddenly I had a bunch of people saying what a good year I was having and how I was going to be in the prizes every weekend Oh, ok, no pressure then Just forget about what other people are saying or expecting of you and just focus on riding to your best ability and enjoying your lovely horse.

 

[MrA]

Unfortunately my ride today did not go a planned, last ride before Sunday. It is peeing down with rain and the school is horribly deep so kept to a very slow walk and trot and just ran through it twice. First time was awful, second time was okay and I remembered it all so thats good. Lets just hope for slightly better conditions on Sunday otherwise I may get a comment about slower than a snail.

Thanks for all the advice and good luck vibes, I will report back after Sunday! Will keep thinking positive until then and sure all will be fine.

Oh and just as I got off today someone said to me, "you're going to win you know" which whilst lovely I know I will not and now feel likw I'm almost expected too haha

All the good luck vibes available needed!

 

[Trewsers]

Sending millions of good luck vibes. And if you don't win - we don't care, Storm, Chloe and me think you and Ale are a great combo, make it look easy and we like seeing your photos. So there I hope you enjoy it and have a positive experience.

 

[joosie]

You will be fine. Don't be put off by a bad practise session - put it out of your mind right now so that there's no chance it will affect you on competition day. I have had truly awful jumping lessons before shows and then been so much better on the day!

For me competing is about bettering myself and putting my skills to the test. I aim to ride my best and get the best I can out of the horse - if that means I get placed then that's great, but I would rather ride a nice round and have 8 faults than go clear and feel I rode badly. On more than one occasion I have come out of the ring with a clear round feeling like a complete fraud as I rode like an idiot and Jam for some reason decided to help me out when I didn't deserve it! It doesn't matter to me what the spectators think as it has no bearing on how I ride or what the outcome will be, and I'm not concerned about the other competitors either as what they do is totally out of my control - if they are all better than me on the day then so be it. When you're at the show just try to imagine it's just you and the horse and a bunch of letters, there's no spectators or judges or other competitors and the only person who has any aims or expectations of you is YOU.

 

[OwnedbyChanter]

Good luck and enjoy it.

I get it a lot from my yard as I go out most weekends but depending were I go depends how I do. If we go to Addington which is a huge venue with a lot of excellent horses I rarely get in the ribbons and score mid 60's, if i go to my local down the road or even at my own yard we get 70's but still never win lol. So people expect us to do well and seem shocked when we come home with nothing but a huge smile.

So just go and enjoy

 

[MrA]

Sending millions of good luck vibes. And if you don't win - we don't care, Storm, Chloe and me think you and Ale are a great combo, make it look easy and we like seeing your photos. So there I hope you enjoy it and have a positive experience.

 

[MrA]

Whoops sorry trewsers ment to write a reply as well. Thankyou for the vibes, will think of you all of Sunday as will help to calm my nerves

 

[MrA]

Thankyou too joosie and obc. I am looking forward to it more than I was last time. Its just I wish it was 2.18pm on Sunday right now so I could get it over with. I know that Ale is more than capable last time my nerves showed and he rushed quite a lot so any improvement on that and I will be happy! But we will see what happens, I will try and smile at least!

 

[MrA]

I'm as ready as I can be, tack and boots all nice and shiny. Its ment to rain overnight and in the morning so I will have to work on Ale tomorrow. Fingers crossed all goes well