Dressage disaster yesterday

[FinellaGlen]

I did my worst ever dressage test yesterday. It was only an Intro test and well within mine and Nelly's capabilities but no-one told us that we could warm up in the arena itself so when we trotted in Nelly spooked at the judge's car and then put the brakes on when she saw people in the viewing gallery

I could feel a spin coming on and I knew that we were a whisker away from leaving the arena at a flat out gallop.

We were supposed to trot up to C and turn right but there was no way that was going to happen so we simply turned right at E instead and tried to get through the test as best we could. Nelly was really tense throughout and we nearly left the arena at one point but I was pleased that we managed to complete the test after a fashion. It was a bit like that Eric Morecambe line about him playing all the right notes, just not necessarily in the right order only we did all the right movements, just not necessarily in the right places

Please someone tell me that they have had a similar experience and I'm not the only one whose test sheet contained the words "tense" and "hurried" over and over again

On the plus side we came 6th out of a class of 12 and got a lovely purple and gold rosette and, since they are two of my fave colours, I took some pleasure in our travesty of a test when it was all over and done with

 

[misst]

Either you were much much better than you thought or the others must have been hysterical to watch.

Wish I'd been there!!

Well done for not giving up

 

[FinellaGlen]

Thank you. I was bad though, believe me. I think some of the others suffered the same problems as I did with horses spooking and bucking all over the show!

 

[eggs]

Well done for getting through the test. I once did a test in a 60x20 arena that my horse took great exception to so ended up using about 10x10 of it!

You are not allowed to actually warm up in the arena but if it is not possible to go all the way around the outside of the arena (quite common indoors) you are allowed to enter and ride around the arena until the judge signals you to start.

 

[Alibear]

Chin up , it's still 50/50 as to whether me and my chap will manage to complete our tests.

 

[Mavis Cluttergusset]

I came sixth in my test yesterday too (no idea of class size but my yard friends were unplaced in same class, so we werent last!) - I got 'hollow', 'tense' and 'inattentive'

I also had 'looks to have potential' and 'you need to get him(?!) out a lot so he starts to relax (she was fine til we got in the indoor arena and then decided to shriek at the top of her voice periodically and spook at the mirrors

 

[Cyberchick]

Bless, I would look on the bright side. I have been eliminated, gone wrong countless times, bucked off at C, cantered sideways down the centre line oh the list goes on and on. I am just happy to actually complete sometimes hence the reason I try and stick to SJ. LOL

 

[FinellaGlen]

Thanks all! Mavis - we got some v positive comments too, somewhat surprisingly. The judge said, "Lovely horse (er, she's 13.3hh!) and "many more marks to come once movements done on track"! I think that last one was a compiment

 

[Silverspring]

I wouldn't worry about a bit of spooking and tensing, they all behave like that the first few times they are in the arena esp if they have a viewing gallery, white boards, warm up area to contend with! You did well to get 6th out of 12, must've have been bad at all! The judge maybe thought you took the wrong route when you turned at E?

I've been carted out of the arena, quick left to avoid other arena and almost in the warm up area before I got my WB back under control, back into the ring and done a little canter before retiring. Luckly it was a nice BD judge who just stopped writing when I leapt from the arena and gave me a nod as I left. No comments about the leaping, diving and carting

 

[bethg1910]

haha your post made me laugh

it happens to me every time we go!

Which is why i now always do at least 2 or 3 classes as i know the first one will be a complete right off

It was a speaker making that white noise sound that freaked my boy out last time just before we entered at A ! I knew i had no chance after that. So i've now just learnt to accept that the first test is a warm up and hopefully we'll do better in the next one!

 

[MrsMozart]

Ah, don't worry hun, at least you went and gave it a go

.

All crossed for next time

.

 

[Gorgeous George]

Hey 6th out of 12 - that sounds pretty good to me and a nice rosette as well! I think big well done, for carrying on and finishing your test and it paid off!

My favourite was in an outdoor arena bounded by sleepers, we started cantering a 20m circle, George jumped the sleeper out of the arena, continued the circle and jumped back in! Judge wrote 'horse thought he was going xc for a moment'!! Somehow we came 5th out of about 12 - think of all those people who had a worse day than you!

 

[suzyseymour]

My first walk trot test we entered at A in canter

Didn't get much better for the rest of the test. Judge wrote explosive transitions!

Opse

 

[FinellaGlen]

Thanks everyone for making me feel better. I'm so glad I'm not the only one to have had an "interesting" test

 

[quirky]

[ QUOTE ]
Thanks everyone for making me feel better. I'm so glad I'm not the only one to have had an "interesting" test

[/ QUOTE ]

Ah well, at least you haven't had "your horse is unhinged" as a comment

I was quite upset at the time but I'm over it now

Sadly, I thought he was actually going rather well

 

[Cyberchick]

Ah well, at least you haven't had "your horse is unhinged" as a comment


I love that comment, are you sure you were not riding mine at the time??

 

[Louby]

Hooray Im not alone

After warming up the best ever last week at dressage I had high hopes but just as we were about to go in the judge in the next arena rang her bell, well he went mad. Then my jusge rang her bell and we trotted round like a hackney, no control, he did two rapid spins away from the judges car and we somehow managed to do some sort of test. Bless the poor judge, she even put 'sorry about the bell! but it was all tense, tense, disobediant, above the bit etc etc. We then tip toed,(he wouldnt hardly move) to the next ring for the Novice, started off alrightish and he then spotted a man stood at the end of the arena, emergancy stop, tried to spin but I somehow stopped him and then the hackney impression all the way round cutting the corners where the man was still stood. Same sort of comments again.
Well done you for getting 6th