Chloe_GHE
Well-Known Member
what does a white ribbon signify?...
DIRE DRESSAGE! What score would you give this test?...
- Thread starter Chloe_GHE
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what does a white ribbon signify?...
Nicnac
Well-Known Member
Feeling a bit chuffed at being spot on with score 
Probably because I have an ex-racer who is very similar. We can go from low 50's to very high 60's in a blink depending on warm up, day etc. but after 7 years of ownership have got the prep, warm-up etc. sussed.
Interesting re gumbits as have exactly same issue of grinding so am off to order some. Thanks for tip.
Probably because I have an ex-racer who is very similar. We can go from low 50's to very high 60's in a blink depending on warm up, day etc. but after 7 years of ownership have got the prep, warm-up etc. sussed.Interesting re gumbits as have exactly same issue of grinding so am off to order some. Thanks for tip.
Stupid
New User
I think you have a nice horse with lots of good points, I think you could have maybe scored a little higher on a different day. However as a judge myself my main point would be that in my "humble" opinion he needs to be much more in front of your leg and working through a more athletic frame. Once you can maintain this it will help him naturally take more weight behind and lighten the forehand. Also working with more power will help him become more even in the contact and will eliviate some of the uneveness we saw in the trot work. Chin up and keep up the good work 
Chloe_GHE
Well-Known Member
I'm no expert and it isn'teasy to see but while it looks very nice, and horse is calm forward and straight(ish) but I suspect if you lost marks it would be on accuracy. Circles didn't look like circles, they appeared to have corners in them, transitions were pretty much early and your finish didn't look as though it was on the centre line.
I always had it drummed into me that even if your horse was tense and not moving that well, you lose more marks from not being accurate than any subjective opinion of how he s going and how you are riding.
I reckon if you concentrate on that your marks will be very respectable. I could be totally wrong though
yes my accuracy can always be improved, but interestingly the judge didn't make an accuracy related comments, except for the final halt being a bit off the centre line.
Chloe_GHE
Well-Known Member
that's a great breakdown.
The final trot on a stretch circle in the test is normally the beginning quality of our warm up work, and he just gets better from then onwards, but I couldn't achieve that in the warm up yesterday.
His grinding doesn't usually figure because with the gumbits he doesn't do it, so this was the first test where i got a comment relating to that, but i do feel that some judges even faced with a relaxed horse hearing that noise would have to take that into account and reflect it in the scores.
His walk is normally really good and for all his free rein work we typically get 8's (7's yesterday) but he just didn't feel relaxed enough across his back yesterday to ask for more walk, more leg would probably have produced a trot stride i think, the mood he was in.
I just checked my blog and this is the first test he has ever done in such extreme cold and wet conditions so it makes sense when tied in with my badly thought out warm up and the resulting performance.
Just takes a while for the old grey matter to try and work out what went wrong and how to make it right
Chloe_GHE
Well-Known Member
think that sums it up, more research into the best way to warm him up needed, then make a plan
Chloe_GHE
Well-Known Member
I think you have a nice horse with lots of good points, I think you could have maybe scored a little higher on a different day. However as a judge myself my main point would be that in my "humble" opinion he needs to be much more in front of your leg and working through a more athletic frame. Once you can maintain this it will help him naturally take more weight behind and lighten the forehand. Also working with more power will help him become more even in the contact and will eliviate some of the uneveness we saw in the trot work. Chin up and keep up the good work
he is tricky to get in front of the leg, but when he is it's like a switch has been flicked and he's super rideable and consistent. His natural reaction though is to back up, which makes him look tight and stilted behind. Any tips for ways to achieve getting him in front of the leg quicker/easier?... or is there no quick fix?...
Paint it Lucky
Well-Known Member
I thought it looked nice. I'm no judge but sat and watched it with a P19 test sheet and marked you for each movement and you ended up with 67%, so I guess I am more generous than most! To me he almost looked lame in the first two trot circles, I think due to head unsteadiness, but then settled and worked nicely, yes a little on the forehand but I'd rather see that then him being propped up. He looked fairly relaxed to me. Could have been more forward in the walk or have more purpose. Would have liked to see him stretch a bit more but he always looked consistent in his frame, no fighting you or trying to hollow, go crooked etc. I would work on the canter transitions a bit more as the first obviously he got the wrong leg and the second he ran into, I guess lots of half halt sand ensuring he is really connected and listening beforehand would help? Thought your 15m circles were too big, looked more like 20m but overall a nice picture and you can see he has lots of potential, once he learns to carry himself a bit more uphill and really come through from behind I think you could easily get 70% or more. To achieve that I would do lots of transitions, both direct, indirect and within the paces. I also find lateral work is very good for getting a horse to sit and also transitions within lateral work, eg. start a long side in walk shoulder-in, then go into trot still in shoulder-in then back to walk (but focus more on the quality of the movement rather than feeling you must walk/trot at a set point, do it when it feels right).
oldvic
Well-Known Member
that's a great breakdown.
The final trot on a stretch circle in the test is normally the beginning quality of our warm up work, and he just gets better from then onwards, but I couldn't achieve that in the warm up yesterday.
His grinding doesn't usually figure because with the gumbits he doesn't do it, so this was the first test where i got a comment relating to that, but i do feel that some judges even faced with a relaxed horse hearing that noise would have to take that into account and reflect it in the scores.
His walk is normally really good and for all his free rein work we typically get 8's (7's yesterday) but he just didn't feel relaxed enough across his back yesterday to ask for more walk, more leg would probably have produced a trot stride i think, the mood he was in.
I just checked my blog and this is the first test he has ever done in such extreme cold and wet conditions so it makes sense when tied in with my badly thought out warm up and the resulting performance.
Just takes a while for the old grey matter to try and work out what went wrong and how to make it right
The grinding shouldn't be marked down without other signs of tension or resistance.
With regard to the walk, the disturbed rhythm was due to the tension in his back and more leg would have made it worse. Maybe try just allowing a little more, letting or encouraging the neck a little longer and slightly lower. He looks for the contact in the free rein walk so think of that but obviously not letting him right down particularly in the 1st strides. Once he has softened whistles back and settled you can probably regulate it more. Many horses, particularly TBs, hold themselves more in the cold and wet. Perhaps if he won't stretch in those circumstances, don't worry about it but go back to it once he has done a little work and is a bit warmer or start with a rug on. When things don't go quite right it is a positive in that it adds more tools to your toolbox if you work out where things might have been better done differently - how long it takes is immaterial as long as it happens!
Ride plenty of trot walk trot transitions looking for quicker and better reactions from a light aid without getting him afraid of your leg. Also trot canter and canter trot thinking about reactions more than whether perfect - the connection will happen once you get good reactions.
Stupid
New User
Do lots of variation within the pace ie: ride from gear 2 trot to gear 3 to gear 1 to gear 3 etc and make sure when you ask for the change of gear he really goes from one aid. If he dosent go give a big aid/leg/stick and then be quiet. Im sure it will come, ex-racehorses are very quick to learn usually! He just needs to learn to use hils body more gynastically, then everything will become easier.
Chloe_GHE
Well-Known Member
crikey! best mark yet
hahahayes i thought my 15m circles looked pretty big on the vid but there was no comment to that effect, but i'll work on being more accurate there too.
thanks for the exercises will try those
Chloe_GHE
Well-Known Member
I warmed him up in his 1/4 sheet but had to take it off for the test, which I don't think he appreciated!
Just worked on the walk tonight and he was hugely better, straight, fwds and nice big clear steps, he got a little baffled and did a few attempts to break into trot behind, but he got the hang of it. I think I need to work on the walk and getting that free and easy, but into the contact because I have let that get ignored a bit so that he kinda thinks that a nice free and forwards walk is just the prep for trot.
sharpness of trans I also just did, right rein he is softer and sharper, left there's about 2 seconds of resistance at the point of asking for canter, but that's my issue i think because i kinda ask for canter then sit and wait. i need to ask and ride the whole transition not just the initial part, make sense?...
reactions reactions reactions....will repeat and practice
Chloe_GHE
Well-Known Member
yeah he is quick to learn, but sadly his rider is a bit slow to twig!
he was fab just now, did 3 really good right canter trans, quick and soft
oldvic
Well-Known Member
I warmed him up in his 1/4 sheet but had to take it off for the test, which I don't think he appreciated!
Just worked on the walk tonight and he was hugely better, straight, fwds and nice big clear steps, he got a little baffled and did a few attempts to break into trot behind, but he got the hang of it. I think I need to work on the walk and getting that free and easy, but into the contact because I have let that get ignored a bit so that he kinda thinks that a nice free and forwards walk is just the prep for trot.
sharpness of trans I also just did, right rein he is softer and sharper, left there's about 2 seconds of resistance at the point of asking for canter, but that's my issue i think because i kinda ask for canter then sit and wait. i need to ask and ride the whole transition not just the initial part, make sense?...
reactions reactions reactions....will repeat and practice
Ah, the 1/4 sheet needs to come off a little earlier so he isn't missing it. Also some horses are better if they don't stop just before they go in. Maybe he is one.
Plenty of longish rein and pick him up by riding shoulder fore so he stays to the contact instead of blocking back off it.
Left strike off, think of straight into a few strides medium if there is a delay or resistance. It will get him thinking forwards to canter and keep you riding forward. When he is forward the resistance will go.
Amaranta
Well-Known Member
It looks like an nice obedient test but tension has caused some bridle lameness and he is not forward enough in the canter, also on the forehand. You would have been slammed for the incorrect strike off and he ran a little into the second canter.
Not a dire test though but would struggle to give 60%.
Not a dire test though but would struggle to give 60%.
1Lucie
Well-Known Member
I am no expert In anyway but I thought it was pretty good. Canter looked the weakest area, horse didn't look relaxed to me. Contact in trot near beginning didn't look consistant. I wouldn't say there were any major probs. No idea on the score tho. Early 60s%? Depends on judge tho!