10 signs your dressage test needs work

Fuzznugget

Fuzznugget

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10 Signs Your Dressage Test Needs Some Work
by Emily Sorenson and Meghan Jackson


1. Under judges remarks she writes only: "Nice braid job."

2. Horse confuses dressage arena rail for a cavaletti; exits at K

3. Your circles shape reminds the judge that he should pick up eggs on the way home.

4. Your serpentine was perfect, except that it was supposed to be a straight centerline.

5. Sitting trot has caused some fillings to be loosened in lower molars.

6. Your horse believes "free walk" means leaving the arena and heading towards the nearest patch of grass.

7. Your working trot had you working harder then your horse.

8. In your salute, your inadvertently use your whip hand causing your horse to perform airs above the ground.

9. Your walk seems to be more "rare" than "medium."

10. Impulsion improves only after the horse sees monsters in the decorative shrubbery near letters.



Here are another 10 from others ....

1. Your horse's response to the canter aid is "Can't, er, what?"

2. Your twenty meter circle involved jumping the rail twice.

3. Your halt took place in the judge's lap, instead of at X.

4. Your thoroughbred interpreted elasticity to involve trying to kick himself in the head with his back feet during the working canter

5. Your horse entered the arena at A, and M, and H, and B...

6. Judge's comments include words like "unusual, dramatic, explosive, and tragic"

7. Leg-yields involve your leg yielding before the horse does.

8. Free walk was interpreted by your Arab to involve prancing, a rear, and a few bucks.

9. The judge asks you take the broken letters with you when you leave.

10. Voodoo dolls of your horse were found in the possession of the show's grounds manager.



Feel free to add your own! :D
 
I've had 2 tests that actually went along these lines!

First one was a baby, first time seeing dressage markers, comments at bottom went something like 'couldn't really make out any places as all feet were rarely on the ground, nice looking pony though' and the other was an anglo arab, who's dressage arena was next to the showjumping comments 'when you went down the centre line, I thought your horse was going to jump my car' Was good fun ;)

bexcy-bee x
 
Oh they are brilliant! and have also had a few "similar" moments!! Thank you for the giggle! Think i will print the first one out and take it with me to next test then hopefully my test sheet will look ok lol!
 
My first test with Andy went like this.
Here's another one:

Enter at A exit at C.

This actually happened in our first dressage test together as he spooked at something and shot off in a canter down the centre line straight out the arena. Luckily the judge had a sense of humour and let us start again. :o :)
 
Here's a few to add, these are genuine quotes:

Airs above ground not required

Nice tail

Nice horse, shame about the rider....
 
When the first comment is ditto'd all the way down and the comment in the rider section is tactfully ridden.

Pirouette not required at this level as horse spins at the sight of the judges car.

Horse needs to go forward more! - as it has just left the arena in reverse.

Leapt into canter - over the corner of the arena

Give the reins over X, pull up in arena 6.
 
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Oh those comments made me laugh, I won't bore anyone with the comments I get at every test with my present horse but several years ago I had a TB mare and did 2 tests in the same day, the 1st comment was "What a lovely little horse trying to please the rider all the time" 2nd test an hour later was "What a lovely looking horse shame she wasn't really paying attention to riders not unreasonable aids"!! Same judge, the sad thing was I totally agreed with her both times, the 2nd test the mare was an absolute b***h!! :mad:
 
My coloureds first dressage test was rather interesting as I had no brakes! Comments included; Test a little rushed
10m canter circles not required at this level (prelim), (only way I could get him to stop!)
Halt not at X, because it was right infront of the judges car as it took me that long to stop him.

Generally my comments start with, a lovely horse but...
 
Love all of the above. Some of my 'favourite' test comments have been:-

1) Not on your side today - shame.
2) Spooked - pity
3) Disobedient (once had this 6 times on the same dressage sheet...oops!!)
4) Did well to continue.

But we do sometimes get it right and even won our first dressage class a few weeks ago. That's the joy of owning a TB!!
 
Evelyn said:
Give the reins over X, pull up in arena 6.
Click to expand...

you've got OH worried now.. He has to give and retake reins in canter in his next test, and was already very worried about this being the case! :D:D

RuthnMeg said:
'Dressage is not really your horses forté, bet he would enjoy jumping'!
Click to expand...

had this already.

fallenangel123 said:
'Not an easy ride'
Click to expand...

and had this.

also had things like "obedient but not working properly" in other words... did as he was told but that's about it.
 
"what a clever mare - but counter canter is not required at this level":rolleyes:
& then there wa s the time we nearly took out the caller with a somewhat enthusistic canter tranistion at B - whoops
 
Lol these made me laugh. Shame i cant remember any comments ive had. its been a while since i did dressage. But i do remember that i was glad the judge was safe in a car. My pony LOVED to run over the judge, especially in WH lol.
 
One I've had - "explosive canter transition" followed by "slightly out of control medium canter". Em, no, I asked for canter, got a bouncing horse, put leg on slightly for medium canter and got tanked off for. We got 3s and 4s for these movements :p
 
With my previous boy "poor shaped circle" this was because he was trying to jump the markers at every point.

Also "beautiful half pass" when we were doing a loop he just thought it was easier to canter the whole width of the arena sideways!
 
I've had "explosive transition to canter" quite a number of times. Also "naughty in canter" (pony had just spun 180 degrees and galloped sideways out of the arena at E). The odd "tactfully ridden". "Sweet pony" (when words just fail the judge, I'm guessing :o ).
 
Erm,

- trotting down the centre line to the point where OH asks if the "little angel" has eaten too many fermented apples for being so "wobbly":o
- if on grass, stopping whilst demonstrating free walk on a long rein to have a quick snack, and maybe a scratch :mad:
- riding a 10m blob in canter as opposed to a 20m circle
- completely evading ALL contact to the point where you have to be careful not to be blinded by a pair of ears going in your eyes (ok slight exaggeration!):eek:
- piaffe... enough said!

think I'll give up now!! :confused:
 
I don't think I will ever beat my classic. It was the final turn on the left rein, at A, down the centre line. Comment:

"turn lacking bend (rider falling off)" .... :o

Little round 13.1hh pony had decided to suddenly breathe in. The saddle which had been cranked up as much as it would go, just slid straight round her side on the turn. Meant on our final turn I was hanging off the edge :o I came off just as we hit the centre line! Not sure how the judge thought the mare would make a lovely tun though, seeing as I was doing a damn fine impression of a Cossack rider.
Although the earlier parts of the test the comments had been "nice turn", "lovely circle" ... so at least it proved it was me making the turns and keeping the bend, not a school master pony ;)

Lesson learnt - fat round ponies do not need to be able to breathe!! And if in doubt, wear a crupper ;)
 
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Bravely ridden, he's a little naughty... - B had bucked, tanked, stormed and stropped his way around the test.

Nice horse, just a little inattentive today - describes the 20 metre sideways dash from E to B as the horse in the ring beside ours canters towards us.
 
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