BD - When to try next level up ?

N

Notimetoride

Well-Known Member
Joined
30 August 2014
Messages
1,093
Visit site
We are consistently getting between 62% and 68% at prelim. Im just getting slightly bored at prelim but saying that, its pretty safe and we usually do fairly well. Obviously there is always room for improvement, and at affiliated we haven't hit the magic 70 yet.
 
Notimetoride said:
We are consistently getting between 62% and 68% at prelim. Im just getting slightly bored at prelim but saying that, its pretty safe and we usually do fairly well. Obviously there is always room for improvement, and at affiliated we haven't hit the magic 70 yet.
Click to expand...

Crack on. If you're consistent at a level, and happy with your results, it's time to do more fun stuff!
My lovely boy was a mid 60's horse throughout his dressage career - didn't stop him going up to PSG/Inter 1 level without embarassing himself or his (then) owner/rider
 
Move up. There is no rule saying you have to get 70% before you move up a level. Like Auslander one of my horses is a consistent mid-60s horse with the odd higher score and he has scored at the same sort of level from Prelim through to Advanced Medium.
 
eggs said:
Move up. There is no rule saying you have to get 70% before you move up a level. Like Auslander one of my horses is a consistent mid-60s horse with the odd higher score and he has scored at the same sort of level from Prelim through to Advanced Medium.
Click to expand...

That's good to hear, and encouraging. Think we may get our area festival qualification under our belt at prelim then move up to novice.
Have you taken your horse from prelim to AM yourself ? How long has it taken ?
 
I know nothing really about dressage but am a keen supporter of my friends and they have noticed that when they move up a level they sometimes end up with higher scores in the harder tests because the horse is more focused on the different movements which come up faster... in short - go for it !
 
Notimetoride said:
That's good to hear, and encouraging. Think we may get our area festival qualification under our belt at prelim then move up to novice.
Click to expand...

Sounds like a good idea, just have a good read through the rule book in case you want to do novice AFs as well, can't remember if you can do that ;) (ignore me, it's fine) Might it be worth aiming for prelim regionals?

My section D started prelim in summer 2015 and we are looking at her first AM this summer :) But it's horses for courses - don't apply a timescale to yours, you have to go at the right pace for you and your horse. This one has been fairly quick to learn and progress, I was much slower with the other horse as she kept injuring herself at critical moments, plus I was learning with her along the way :(
 
Last edited:
milliepops said:
Sounds like a good idea, just have a good read through the rule book in case you want to do novice AFs as well, can't remember if you can do that ;) Might it be worth aiming for prelim regionals?

My section D started prelim in summer 2015 and we are looking at her first AM this summer :) But it's horses for courses - don't apply a timescale to yours, you have to go at the right pace for you and your horse. This one has been fairly quick to learn and progress, I was much slower with the other horse as she kept injuring herself at critical moments, plus I was learning with her along the way :(
Click to expand...

Good Lord that's quite an achievement. I'm new to BD so we're learning together. Lots of work to do but I'm optimistic we can go up steadily through the levels (maybe not as fast as you though) 😊
 
Notimetoride said:
Good Lord that's quite an achievement. I'm new to BD so we're learning together. Lots of work to do but I'm optimistic we can go up steadily through the levels (maybe not as fast as you though) ��
Click to expand...

she's a quick learner and it's easier when you've already been through it once :wink3:

Enjoy the ride :) I think you've got the right approach - when you are becoming bored by a level and getting consistent good scores, it's time to move on up unless you want to chase qualification after qualification... which you will probably pick up along the way anyway if you are going out and about often enough. Pop back and do some show reports (with piccies!)
 
milliepops said:
she's a quick learner and it's easier when you've already been through it once :wink3:

Enjoy the ride :) I think you've got the right approach - when you are becoming bored by a level and getting consistent good scores, it's time to move on up unless you want to chase qualification after qualification... which you will probably pick up along the way anyway if you are going out and about often enough. Pop back and do some show reports (with piccies!)
Click to expand...

Ah I'm not sure anyone would be overly interested in my show reports. We're nothing special and our competitions are fairly run of the mill. But IF we ever reach your sort of level (though I'd be absolutely over the moon the reach elementary one day) I'll maybe post our story from prelim to whatever. We'll see 😊
 
Notimetoride said:
Ah I'm not sure anyone would be overly interested in my show reports. We're nothing special and our competitions are fairly run of the mill. But IF we ever reach your sort of level (though I'd be absolutely over the moon the reach elementary one day) I'll maybe post our story from prelim to whatever. We'll see ��
Click to expand...

ahh don't be so hard on yourself, we all love show reports on here :)
 
Notimetoride said:
That's good to hear, and encouraging. Think we may get our area festival qualification under our belt at prelim then move up to novice.
Have you taken your horse from prelim to AM yourself ? How long has it taken ?
Click to expand...

Yes, he is a homebred who is out and out bred to jump but I am now too chicken to jump. I had previously ridden mainly at prelim and novice and had one elementary test under my belt. I've had a lot of help and a trainer (list 1 judge) whose view is to just go for it and keep on moving up the levels. It has taken me much longer than milliepops (6 years) but he has been a rather injury prone horse! My most exciting moment was being able to ride half pass to a flying change - still brings a smile to my face. We are now trying to crack the tempis and have pretty much nailed the 3s and 4s although I have to admit I am still not entirely sure what I am doing but we seem to muddle through together.
 
Sorry to hear you've also been plagued by injuries, eggs :( It's the reason I've cracked on with this horse, Millie stalled at Medium for a few years because she kept injuring herself in the field and needing another year off to recover... I'm not hanging around like that ever again as you never know what's round the corner.
Huge achievement to train your own horse up though, I hope mine will be ready to start tempis this year... so exciting! Just have to keep all the legs working :wink3:
 
Dressage is funny though. Just when you think you're getting somewhere, you realise how much further you have to go. I can't believe this little pony of mine is doing BD as she pretty much had no education. But then I look further ahead and see there's a long road ahead.
I work full time, an hour away from the yard and a husband to consider. I ride 2 to 3 times during the week and spend 30 to 45 mins schooling, and at weekend go for a trundle round the lanes. We compete about once a month and have a lesson from a dressage trainer once a month. I always see other people working so much harder at it (or so if seems) but i just don't have and more time (or money) to give. I'm sure we'll get there as my horse tries so very hard for me, it just may take us a little while .
 
What level is he working at home? Years back the dressage yard I was on moved horses up a competition level when they were working well at the next level. Eg, Moving from Prelim to Novice when working well at Elimentary at home.
 
Everyone is on their own path, with their own goals so when you move up is entirely up to you.
It depends if you want to aim at area festivals or regionals, or just to progess up the levels.

There are options, you can go out at novice unaffiliated (particularly if there is a place near you that uses listed judges for their unaffiliated classes) to get some feedback, or do some online dressage tests again for the feedback. If you are aiming at area festivals prelim, then maybe get your qualification sheets for that (however many you are aiming for) and then start at novice bronze and see how that goes, you could end up being able to do both prelim and novice at AF. Or you could see if you can get your prelim regional qualification and then look at bronze novice AF sheets.

Or you could train at home and not compete again till you are ready to go medium...

It also depends a lot on what your aims are, whether this is your hobby or your job (and thus whether it effects your CV).

Plenty of people wait until they are getting high 60s on a regular basis before they move up, some will wait until they have got a top ten placing at area festival, or regionals, or nationals before they move up, some will move up when they want a new challenge or feel that the horse is ready for the next level regardless of the marks they are getting. There is no right or wrong answer, its whatever feels good for you.
 
Leaping said:
Everyone is on their own path, with their own goals so when you move up is entirely up to you.
It depends if you want to aim at area festivals or regionals, or just to progess up the levels.

There are options, you can go out at novice unaffiliated (particularly if there is a place near you that uses listed judges for their unaffiliated classes) to get some feedback, or do some online dressage tests again for the feedback. If you are aiming at area festivals prelim, then maybe get your qualification sheets for that (however many you are aiming for) and then start at novice bronze and see how that goes, you could end up being able to do both prelim and novice at AF. Or you could see if you can get your prelim regional qualification and then look at bronze novice AF sheets.

Or you could train at home and not compete again till you are ready to go medium...

It also depends a lot on what your aims are, whether this is your hobby or your job (and thus whether it effects your CV).

Plenty of people wait until they are getting high 60s on a regular basis before they move up, some will wait until they have got a top ten placing at area festival, or regionals, or nationals before they move up, some will move up when they want a new challenge or feel that the horse is ready for the next level regardless of the marks they are getting. There is no right or wrong answer, its whatever feels good for you.
Click to expand...

We've done some unaff Novice tests and not disgraced ourselves - think we were achieving low to mid 60's. We'll prob give aff novice a bash this year
 
I say crack on. It's about the journey and so long as they're not struggling (mid 60s is good!!) I would much rather move on up.

If your horses paces are only a 6, it's much harder to reach 70 than if you are starting on an 8. I think we get so brainwashed by the flashy movers that we forget mid sixties is pretty damn good, and a well trained 'ordinary' horse is a beautiful thing!!
 
Pigeon said:
I say crack on. It's about the journey and so long as they're not struggling (mid 60s is good!!) I would much rather move on up.

If your horses paces are only a 6, it's much harder to reach 70 than if you are starting on an 8. I think we get so brainwashed by the flashy movers that we forget mid sixties is pretty damn good, and a well trained 'ordinary' horse is a beautiful thing!!
Click to expand...

Couldn't agree more!

Your average amateur allrounder may be between a 6 or a 7 horse when it is going at its best because it just doesn't have the biomechanics to produce anything flashier or take more weight behind. So, even if its training and way of going is correct, at its best it will get a score of around 65%. A flashy pro horse may have a way of going that's an 8 in which case they could be going less correctly (relatively speaking) dropping each movement down from an 8 to a 7 and win on 70%. I think this is why so many pros can get away with taking out a relatively inexperienced but beautifully bred warmblood, wobbling round novice and elementary and still getting pretty good scores.

It seems pointless to me to keep pushing at novice and elementary level until you get consistent 70%+ scores because I don't always think this is achievable (although obviously depends on the combination). Some horses don't suit the lower levels anyway and can really come into their own as they go up the levels ie. will be getting low-mid 60s until they reach medium or above and then be getting 70s.

As others have said - go with whatever your goals are :) as long as you're enjoying yourself, it doesn't really matter how quickly or slowly you move up the levels. It's not like jumping where you could overface a horse and lose confidence in quite the same way.
 
Also just to add - some people will be working more than one level above the level they are competing at (especially if they are chasing regionals qualifications etc) so bear this in mind too
 
I'm pleased I read this. I don't have any BD points and have only done one unaff prelim and one novice on my horse but I'm hoping to start at medium this year.
I have problems with my lungs and struggle to get through a test without running out of breath. The walk work in mediums is longer so gives me more recovery time during the test. The elementary AF test has the walk af the end and I know I won't be able to last that long so it's better for me to aim for medium as it's a better layout for me.
I'm daunted to say the least but as I wasted a whole year's membership last year as I wasn't well enough to ride through a full test I've decided to just go for the tests that work for me rather than a specific level.
 
When you feel you and your horse aren't being pushed and are consistently doing well , which it sounds like you are! I do BS and don't know much about dressage but I believe it's the same for every discipline
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top