Becoming a dressage addict

Wimbles

Wimbles

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As posted in the Weekend thread we were out doing Team Quest with two of my ex racers on Sunday and had a really lovely day out but that obviously wasn't enough as I went to another more local competition last night with another two (well, Brian went to both).

Firstly I did an Intro on my horseball horse Sam. He's 17.2 of leggy thoroughbred who raced for 10 years so dressage doesn't come overly naturally to him. I haven't done a test on him for a good few years so was really thrilled with how hard he tried. It wasn't foot perfect and he was a little perturbed to in the arena on his own instead of being surrounded by lots of galloping friends but on the whole he looked the part and was rewarded with a 4th place frilly with 65%

Next was Dangerous Brian in the Prelim who had been fantastic on Sunday. Last time at this venue he very nearly dropped me on a plastic cactus and last Tuesday he managed to deck me in spectacular fashion in the field so I was slightly apprehensive. We started warming up and I was pleased to feel that he was not in spook mode, in fact he was pretty dead to the leg which was an interesting concept! Anyway we went in to do our test and although he was still pretty worried about the cactus and the newly planted flower pots he was a lot different than last time. He wasn't particularly co-operative in places and decided that the spectators needed a bit of tongue action so he went across the diagonal in canter merrily flapping it about which didn't exactly present a picture of serenity and togetherness when I asked for the transition to trot after X!

Overall though it wasn't too bad, he did pretty much the right thing in the right place and it "probably" looked better than it felt. Still, I was dumbfounded to be presented with a 3rd place rosette!

Dressage isn't something that I've really ever enjoyed but right now I'm loving it! It's doing wonders for helping with not only my general riding confidence but also my competition nerves. I'm really hoping that when the time comes that I start jumping again that these dressage experiences will stand me in good stead. I'm certainly hoping that the extra schooling effort will be reflected in Sam and I's performance at the first Horseball National League week on Saturday and Sunday!
 
Slippery slope I'm telling you ;).

Be bling, white breeches, shiny impossibly high boots and more matchy than you know what to do with before you know it :lol:.

Though I know what you mean, I did a good four years of jumping and galloping about on Topaz before we went splat and I tried some dressage to improve the canter. I think the scales of training make it really fascinating to work through the levels and despite what people moan, breed of horse tends not to come into it at the lower levels, if you train them well you will score well.

Good luck for horseball, I'd love to give it a go so super jealous :).
 
yup, welcome to the dark side.
Bling and white breeches are optional though you know, people would tell you otherwise but I can attest that patent bridles and cream breeches are just fine :lol:

I'm another who hooned around eventing for years, scrabbling through the dressage to get to the fun bit, who has since learned to love it. Addictive is the word- each tiny improvement leaves you desperately chasing the next.... I've suddenly realised that I've found my holy grail, the thing I never thought I'd ever teach a horse... tempi changes (!) they snuck up on me without me realising and now I'm having a silly daydream about what might have been. Love it.

Don't get me wrong, I miss the adrenalin rush of XC and if I ever get the right horse for it I'd love to do it again. Novice was about my limit as it's still fun at that level :D Enjoy horseball, the variety is good for them :D
 
Alex, I did wonder last night how Brian would look in a blingy browband!!! Yikes!

Milliepops that's exactly it! I get a real buzz from getting a better percentage, using the constructive criticism to work on things at home and feeling that each time, it seems slightly more fluid. Don't get me wrong, we're still rubbish but things can only get better!

Looking forward to getting some instruction and seeing what we can do!
 
You are doomed sorry :lol:!

Bling looks amazing on all horses, (whisper's they are not actually too hard to make yourself either for about half the price...). Brian will def stop decking you if you get him bling ;), well that's what I tell Topaz anyway not sure she listens :o.
 
Welcome, welcome! Dressage really is a slippery slope as you never actually get there and the journey is what it's all about. I don't compete any more, but it is still a thrill to feel the horses learning and gaining balance, confidence, strength, and the ability to carry my carcass around with the least possible inconvenience.
 
I came from a showjumping background and did my upmost to avoid white boards and letters for about 20 years!

It became apparent last year that the diva regarded showjumps as not worth her while and her attempt at showing was met with equal disdain, but she really enjoyed the concept of turning up at a venue, doing a test and going home again (although I rather think the pace of the proceedings has a lot to do with it!). I am now totally obsessed with dressage! Who would have thought it!
 
You're already on the slippery slope to loving shiny stuff and being wild about the little details and changes you can make so those all important 5 mins in the white boards are the best you can be!

I wanted to do SJ/Event shame after a long spell of box rest le horse decided to be spooky/tricky about jumping so we started our outings with dressage as it felt a bit safer not having to leave the ground with a daft twonk. Never looked back after a friend got me into and LOVE it :D We do jump but mostly for fun and do the odd little ODE (unaff), we also hunt in the winter as this greatly helped with forward (also an exracer)

Enjoy its fab, people are friendly, it helps with any other discpline (although you might get swayed away from them...) Our theory is a bling might detract from the wobbly bits :D I only ever wanted to get 62% in a prelim, now we've started Novice and getting around 64% (done 2), prelim 66-70% and we're starting the journey into dressage to music, we've done all sorts of comps I never dreamed of too! You never stop learning and you never seem to want to not get better and learn more, enjoy and post pics :D
 
The slope is steeper and much more slippery than you might think.
I was a staunch show jumper for years then added eventing to the comp schedule. Like a lot of eventers, the dreaded dressage test was something to be suffered to get to the fun bits. Sure I understood dressage having groomed for my dressage diva wife for many years at BD and reasonable flatwork was something I insisted on even for SJ.
Then I started riding a horse for someone that wasn't ready to SJ so I took it to a dressage comp (BD Prelim), did well so carried on and qualified for regionals. Placed 9th. Did resist bling though.
Now I no longer have a horse to compete but if offered two horses, one a jumper and one a dressage horse I would (head in hands) take the dressage horse.
The slope is one way, ever steepening and more slippery than the slippyest thing from planet slippy.
 
Hello! Here speaking is another dressage convert who previously had eventing dreams. Welcome to the world of BLING. BLING BLING AND BLING. My confidence jumping went kapoot and I didn't enjoy it any more. A friend gave me a dressage saddle on indefinite loan and really it was a slippery slope from there...
Jelous of the horseball-your horses must enjoy the variety. Chilli likes dressage as she feels very clever when she learns something new, but I make sure she gets to shake it up with big cross country speed gallops out hacking as she loves going F A S T. I think that if I get another horse who wants to go eventing I'll definitely have another go but right now I'm just enjoying having fun with Chilli and learning so many new things

GOOD LUCK!
 
:D :D :D

I can already feel the drag of the slippery slope! Having harbored eventing dreams since my early teens, dressage was the means to an end and having horses who were not keen in the school and would much rather run and jump than dance about did not help things! However since buying Ruby very green and barely backed I've put a lot of work in on the flat, had a lot of lessons and really enjoyed it and been really well rewarded for it too. Eventing is still my main aim and focus, but i am a bit of a wimp at heart so feel novice might be the height of this ambition, at which point we may well retire to the white boards!
 
Another here who used to SJ and now only own dressage saddles! It gets addictive, aiming to improve on percentages and learning new movements etc
 
I fell off the eventing tightrope and landed in the luxurious feather mattress of dressage 3 years ago! I love it, the training becomes consuming. I'm finding I dont need to go and compete anywhere near as much, because the training at home yields so much, both everyday and at the next outing. Chasing percentages is also incredibly alluring, it becomes about personal bests rather than slogging through a whole weekend and three phases, in the desperate hope for a frilly to show something for all the effort! I am loving watching the changes in my young horse, how he's strengthened and become so clever!
 
It would seem I'm the only one who doesn't really care too much about percentages (except for qualifying) as long as I win.
Guess there's still some showjumper mentality left in me :)
 
PaddyMonty said:
It would seem I'm the only one who doesn't really care too much about percentages (except for qualifying) as long as I win.
Guess there's still some showjumper mentality left in me :)
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To be honest, I'm still at the "Woohoo! I stayed on" stage with Brian! After the decking I got last week, this in itself seems like a win!!

Looking forward to getting some dressage practice in during the warm up for my horseball games this weekend, when you don't have your own school to use then you need to take every opportunity! ;)

From everyone's stories it's looking like this is going to be come rather addictive!
 
Haha! Yes... I was only into anything fast and over jumps and I got into dressage about 15 years ago and it's been a bit of journey to say the least... I'm all about lightness and classic principles which is a far cry from what I used to do and yes I do look back and cringe but I still jump now - just a little bit better than I used to :)
 
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