Can We Do A Dressage Test (Pic I Hope)

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Spellbound

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Hi Guys
Am trying to be brave and put up my first ever pic for some CC please.
I am quite a nervous rider (although improving) and I don't really have a suitable horse as she is very sharp and spooky just love her to bits. She was poorly treated and used to be so hollow, gagged to the eyeballs and a product of draw reins. She is very hyper senstive in her mouth. I am hoping to maybe have a go at dressage (just real local fun). After being bullied at previous yard and told how crap we both were seeing as we have never done it before, do you guys think we could give it a go and not look out of place.
Hope the Pic works (probably not knowing me and IT)
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you both look fine!! you will have alot of fun and defiantly wont look out of place. i think you will be surprised at some of the horses doing local dressage now, everyone and anyone can give it ago!! as for those people telling you your both crap. there will always be people like this. there insecure and feel the need to bring others down to make them selves feel big
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you really do look good! and you look like you've done a great job with her! good luck and keep us posted!
 
She looks lovely - definitely try a dressage test
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CC - I'd like to see her hocks more underneath her (ride forwards, half halt to engage her more), which will also help her lift the forehand. Your position is good (wish my legs would stay like that!!), but try to tuck your bottom underneath you more and use your core muscles to lift your shoulders. And look up
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It looks as if she has lovely paces and you have a wonderful partnership. Enjoy your dressage test
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You look great together, go and do it, I still remember my very first dressage test (too many years ago to admit to) I felt sick and legs like jelly, but.....there were 28 in the class and we were 6th! my first ever dressage rosette, and I was so glad I had done it, and I'm sure you will be too, please enter, you'll be fine on the day
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Bullied!? what over that?....more like they were blooming jelous if you ask me
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, you go for it you both look great!
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She looks lovely - definitely try a dressage test
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CC - I'd like to see her hocks more underneath her (ride forwards, half halt to engage her more), which will also help her lift the forehand. Your position is good (wish my legs would stay like that!!), but try to tuck your bottom underneath you more and use your core muscles to lift your shoulders. And look up
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It looks as if she has lovely paces and you have a wonderful partnership. Enjoy your dressage test
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Ditto this (and also remember to breathe lol sounds silly but youd be surprised) but also to emphasise what others have said, you and she look lovely, and cripes you should see some of the 'combinations' that come to our local RC dressage.
As for the bullies, a touch of the green eyed monster methinks, and sadly all you can do is rise above it.

Good luck and enjoy!
 
Go for it!!
Sod all the negs (you dont look c**p at all) go , have fun, take your time and have a go!
AND (from a person who gets bitched at even while I am in the ring at shows, laughs to myself when we do well) smile and learn from what happens and what you do, you can only move upward then!!!!
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You look more than good enough to start doing some dressage. If me and Kai can do it and get placed, you'll have no problem. Our first was a walk trot test, she entered at A in canter!! Her second was a prelim test where she jumped over the top of the B marker opse!!!

It might be worth you doing some a couple of walk trot tests first if she is sharp and spooky so you can keep her as calm as possible, to she gets used to everything.

Good luck!!!
 
You look great - just go and enjoy.

If it helps at prelim Riding Club level, I think it is fine to have a word with the judge just prior to the test explaining this is your first dressage test and you are nervous (and you may or may not do the canter?) is that OK?

Any doubts and ask the steward if its OK to mention to the judge.

I have always found the judges very sympathetic and encouraging in these circumstances and although it doesn't affect the marks, the comments tend to be more sympathetic and constructive.

And everyone has to start somewhere, my Instructor took a young horse to do a dressage test last week and didn't even get into the ring so got 0 points!! Bet you do better than that!!

Let us know how you get on.
 
She's gorgeous - go for it!! Mine is very spooky and a little crazy too - if she's anything like mine it may take a few outings for her (and you) to relax and enjoy!
 
The last dressage test I did, my horse (in the indoor school he goes to once a week for lessons) decided that he didn't like a the look of a flower pot at C (that has always been there, it was just pulled forward a bit) and shot backwards down the centre line - a perfect rein back, shame it wasn't in the test, the leapt sideways every time he went past it! The whole public gallery was in fits of laughter (just riding club so they knew I could take it!)

So go safe in the knowledge that even people who've done it more than you make prats of themselves (probably most of that lot who were nasty to you have at some point), be ready to laugh off any hiccups (there will be some) and enjoy it! You look like you will do a much better job of it than me and my boy even on one of our good days!

A little tip - do two tests if you can, you and the mare are likely to be nervous in the first but will settle a bit more by the second and will get more out of it by going in again. If there's only one test for you, see if you can do it a second time hors concours just to get some more experience. Lots of local grass roots type competitions will be happy to let you do that.
 
Go for it - perhaps find a local riding centre running some low key shows to start with.

Do you have lessons? You could ask your trainer to do some test riding with you first to help you get the feel of it to help with your confidence.

Lovely horse by the way - she just needs to keep building up her strength!
 
She turned 13 in May this year
She is way better than her mum, just needs me to get it right lol.
That picture is the first time I have ridden in front of anyone (other than my best mate who is also my instructor and horse physio and all round saint) for about 2 years.
I get really nervous when anyone is around as both the girl and I have had a real hard time before coming to the yard we are now at.
She had a spiral fracture of the hock 3 years ago which nearly finished her off, then a Spavin which requried surgery so she can be a little stiff at times. Although amazed Liphook as she has lost hardly any flexion.
Thank you everyone for such nice comments, I will start working on the CC suggestions tonight. She was a badly abused Grade B show jumper so it has taken for ever to get her to go into the hand not panic and stick her nose in my face or go so deep she sticks nose on her chest.
THink I may book in for a wee test in a couple of weeks now
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Go for it!

She looks lovely and well done you for sticking with her. It can't have been easy given her history.

I'd imagine the bullies were jealous and insecure, I hope you're on a nice yard now
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Nothing to CC here. You clearly ride better than me and have a horse which goes nicer than mine.....and I've just done my first test, have another planned in just under two weeks.
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Well now I taught myself to plait I can't let it go to waste lol
So Terrified, I just booked into Great Bookham for August
What the hell am I thinking????????????????????
Still not getting the upper body right and the head, still hands slightly better
Inside rein, Inside Rein is what you sponge with lol
 
Yeah go for it, you both look great! I got hassled at my first yard by people saying George was just a big lump and I was such a novice (he's my first horse). It took me ages to pluck up the courage to go to a show, so imagine my surprise when we got placed!

Good luck.
 
OP, don't forget they are not judging you, they are judging the horse and what it does! (the reason I don't do riding club riding tests, far too scared what they might say!)

you really will be fine.
 
Our local horse show does a "come and have a go dressage", you could see if there are any shows local to you like that. My sister is also very nervous and has just booked her self onto a 2 day course which is designed to help nervous riders. 1 day in the classroom and 1 day riding. (She is super nervous - tenses up if a horse sometimes even looks at something that it might possibly spook at - even if it has no plan to spook, but bless her she will not give up!!!) I could try to find out more if you were interested.
But go and have a go!!! My new horsie arrives in a few days and I want to do some dressage with him, but I think I've done 1 dressage test in my life in a riding lesson about 5 years ago, so don't have a clue where to begin! But if I get to a show and home safe again, then no matter how bad/ good I do in a dressage test I'll be happy!
 
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