Big leap from Elem to Medium?

[Cample19]

Has anyone else struggled to move from elementary to medium? I feel like i have been doing the same few tests for ages! I have the medium tests sheets and i do practise them but i cant seem to get a smooth run all the way through them i can do all the bits individually just not all together - it seems so so much more demanding than elem. Can an average hobby rider move up to those higher levels? Most the people i know that compete higher are instructors /trainers etc - is there any hope for me? Does anyone else work full time and still compete higher?

 

[Prince33Sp4rkle]

yep of course you can.

ok i train people, but i work full time in a *normal 9-5* job to fund the horse/competing so in that sense am still very much an amateur.

iv taken 2horses to med, one to adv med and hope to take new boy to GP.

make the most of the time you have, if you cant ride as often as you would like can you get a sharer/sibling/child/friend to hack the horse twice a week so its at least fit and ready to go when you can get on and school?

have as many lessons as you can afford, read everything you can get your hands on and use the internet-watch as many videos of cmpetitions, clinics etc as you can.

 

[Cample19]

Out of interest do you compete regularly in any other field? I do a bit of everything - perhaps i need to concentrate my efforts more into dressage to be able to move on? I ride 2 horses 5 days a week and have dressage lessons i just feel stuck! I watched a clinic today with a super dressage rider whos horse was at med/adv med and they seemed sooo much more advanced than me it just feels like a distant dream even though we are doing so well at elem! Maybe its a mental block i feel with it now aswell - i booked into a medium recently and bottled it when i found out my instructor was judging thinking she would laugh at the idea i was even trying it. Tbh i think she knocks my confidence a little and i think she may have put these thoughts into my mind. Mmm even typing this has made me think clearer maybe time for a new more encouraging instructor.

 

[Prince33Sp4rkle]

sounds like it....

we all have to be realistic but there is no harm at all in you doing a medium in the training sec to dip a toe in the water. will give you and idea of what you need to concentrate on at home, and then you'll be ready to enter your normal section.

i only compete at BD dressage. i jump at home, and sometimes take one xc schooling but competion wise its dressage only.

i do think its hard to combine jumping and dressage once you reach medium. for jumping you want the horse to take you to the fence (not pull, but to definately take you) and to have a 5th leg/work on its own initiative a bit, but for dressage it needs to be soft in the bridle and waiting for your every command.
yes for jumping the canter has to come from behind and be over the back but i do think that if you are competing above 1.05m or medium dressage, the 2 canters are TOTALLY different (i did used to jump to 1.30m level so im not waffling lol, just talking from my experince).

 

[FrodoBeutlin]

Yes, I really think it is viable! I think any horse can get to Medium level with good training. (In fact, here in Germany they often say that any horse can get to Advanced with proper training, though I am not so sure about that because there are horses --like mine

-- who find tempi changes v. difficult and so on)

I think there is a bigger gap between Medium and Advanced Medium for example (unless I am mistaken, there are no flying changes in Medium tests etc). In fact in some countries there is no distinction between elementary and medium, precisely because the gap between them is not so huge

And yes, you can definitely compete at high level (or high-ish level) and work

 

[Santa_Claus]

You can definitely do it keep perservering. Most find it hard as they were never truely collected in the Elementary work so find the greater amount of collection required for medium a big step. Also a true medium trot across a 20x60 diagonal can be a big ask!

I took my old lad who people originally laughed at me doing dressage full stop on to medium unaffiliated with us starting changes at home. We only ever did a few BD elementarys on tickets because I could only afford to affiliate in one discipline and we were far more BSJA (up to 1m30!)

I found the higher level dressage helped his showjumping no end because he was a big lanky horse who needed to learn to sit on his hocks rather than run on.

We were never world beaters at medium but we could produce a test that would happily get us 60%+, it didn't help that most mediums unafil at the time round me were in a 20x40 on grass, the long side of which he could cover in about 4 strides he was that big

I suggest you find yourself a more encouraging instructor, you need to have belief in what you are doing not doubts. I find watching warm ups at competitions even more educational then the actual tests themselves as well because you can see the exercises riders use to help various issues the horse may have.

Watching lessons is also highly educational, its always worth looking out to see if any top riders are running clinics locally that you can go watch.

 

[sarahdante]

definitely think about a new instructor- i was totally stuck and doubting me and the horse to the point I put him up for sale and was about to give up. that week a girl on my yard suggested a new instructor and we have never looked back- out competing and working up to elementary at the moment...would never have dreamed it this time last year> good luck...aim high is all I can say xx (oh and I work, have a 4 year old and 2 dogs and a husband to look after too!)

 

[Cample19]

Cheers guys its nice to hear others are doing it successfully - the more i think about it the more i think my instructor holds me back - she makes me feel stupid about everything - even when i try to explain something im feeling she doesnt want to hear it she just says i speak and you listen! She has a really superior attitude but because she is so respected i just take it. I think i get on her nerves tbh - i think i will try another instructor - i watched Roland Tong today and he seemed so nice and encouraging to the people having lessons (even the lower level ones) and i really thought wow i would love to have someone so encouraging teaching me.

 

[FrodoBeutlin]

[ QUOTE ]
she just says i speak and you listen!

[/ QUOTE ]

I could never work with anybody with that attitude! Is there any chance of you getting some lessons with Roland Tong? Or is he too far away?

 

[Cample19]

He isnt too far away at all i think i will try his lesson the next time the clinic is on and will update accordingly!

 

[Prince33Sp4rkle]

sounds like a good plan, let us know how you get on!

 

[Booboos]

Just to say, I have managed to do two Mediums and although they were far from perfect it was really good fun to have a go and I felt really good afterwards, so give it a go, what's the worst thing that can happen?!

 

[PaddyMonty]

My OH has taken her happy hack welsh D to medium and is about to do her first adv.med. This is the pony (14.1) that we bought for £1800 just to hack. Pony had spent most of her time as a brood mare. OH works full time and we have 2 kids so yes it is very do-able.
There seem to be 2 major requirements to succeed.
1) Commitment.
2) A good trainer. OH was trained by Partoo from this forum.

Pony now has approx 270BD points.

 

[Stoxx]

Cample19, what area are you from? Perhaps people on here maybe able to recommend you a good trainer they have experience with?

 

[CSYMolly]

I found the jump from ele to med much harder than from novice to ele which most people find difficult. I think with med any little problems you may have papered over a little do come back to bite you so you find yourself going back a few steps every now and then to fix things. Well for me anyway. I wizzed through ele but have been doing med for a year now and like you I get quite frustrated at times but I know once we get our canter sorted we'll be on our way. I work full time too and get very frustrated that I can't ride more and have more lessons but definately stick to it you'll get there. I have had lessons with Roland, he is lovely and very encouraging. What area are you in?

 

[_jetset_]

You can definitely do it...

Why don't you do a few HC just to give you some practise at running through the tests. I do not have a long arena, so this is how I start trying each level on each horse. I recently did my first Medium with my IDxTB girlie and she was an absolute star. Her half passes all received 7s which I was so pleased with, but we had some fluffs in our simple changes because she thought we were going the other way! So I have been working on those and will do a few more HC in the new year before starting to compete at that level!

The other thing that may be helpful, do you have test riding clinics near you? We have them up here where you run through the test in front of a judge, you are marked and assessed, given some coaching and then run through it all over again.

 

[Cample19]

Thanks ive never heard of test riding clinics this way ( im based in Essex) but that would be super helpful - i think i should just have a crack under training maybe and at least ill have a test sheet to work on after that.

 

[PennyL]

If you are anywhere near Woodlands Stables at Sewardstone Road, Chingford - then Essendon Epping Forest Dressage group hold two or three training shows a year with the aim of helping people to move up a level in a friendly unpressurised environment. Not quite the same as above - you ride the test then get abouot 10 minutes help from the judge - and they chose friendly kind judges!!
Or just attend one of their unaffiliated shows - all levels up to PSG.
They have a website EEFDG.org though just noticed the link to the next training show brings up an old schedule but it will be very similar I expect
Anyway I would just have a go - and you need a trainer that you can talk to so that you can make sure you fully understand why they are telling you to ride a certain way. I feel I can ask my trainer anything without her making me feel stupid. Good Luck