Dressage GAH!!! Report, confusions and musings!!

Just one little piddly thing that might help you when you are trying too hard or entering at C - remember to Breathe!!
Really blow your breath out and away from you - try it on a circle doing walk /trot transitions - you will find that you have to relax a little and amazingly the horse will start to go forward.

I think from your pics you do just look like you are trying way too hard and have gone tense. I did exactly the same on Sunday and started riding from the hand rather than a relaxed leg.

If you can afford a dressage saddle, get one - they are lovely! They will help you so much if you get one that is right for you and Jae.

If its any consolation I went for about 3 years feeling crap - I just couldn't seem to get my contact right at all and it frustrated me beyond all belief. Finally seem to have got it sorted after more regular lessons, so am much happier, but I'm sure something else will come along to battle with soon!
 
TBH, you are probably just having a bad couple of weeks. I always have them, especially with the new one as he is so stiff and unyielding and lazy and makes me feel like a sh*& rider sometimes as it’s hard to look lovely and dignified when you’re flapping for England!!! I have stomped home crying on more than one occasion (yes, I know I’m pathetic :o:o) so trust me, I know how you feel as it’s an uphill battle ALL the time atm.

Well, I am not qualified enough to comment really so not sure what she means by that. However, I would hazard a guess that perhaps you are stiff and resistant, which could perhaps be blocking him? If so, perhaps try doing some stretches etc before you get on and also (I do this) just ‘check yourself’ every now and again and think whether your arms etc are tense.

We always think we’re worse than we are. You’ve done brilliantly with J and that’s a testament to your riding as much as his character! Don’t expect AMAZING results in a matter of days, that just isn’t going to happen and you’ll only set yourself up for disappointment. Instead perhaps measure improvement over a period of a month or so.

And as much as I heart my horse, I would seriously swap for your lovely boy!
 
Have you thought at all about speaking to a sports psychologist/nlp practitioner or similar? IMO it sounds like you really do care an awful lot about how it looks and what folk think about you. Doing something wrong, or not being able to do it as well as you would like, isn't failure, it's an opportunity to get better at whatever your doing.

The 'I'm rubbish, I should just give up' or whatever it was you said on the other page is nonsense. You need to go back to basics, be completely honest with yourself about what you are doing and what of that isn't allowing you to progress (note I didnt say what your doing wrong!) and make a plan to change what you need to change and improve what you need to improve. Maybe a different instructor would be a good idea, someone who can really be honest with you about what you need to do and won't just say nice things to keep you happy and keep your business! Hard truths are necessary if you really do want to improve.

Like I said there are similarities in the pics from the dressage to the jumping vids you posted the other week, without dealing with that you will struggle to move on. Your saddle isn't helping your jumping or your flatwork IMO, it really doesnt look like it fits you all that well.

Your boy is lovely but he's no 4* horse so stop worrying about doing him justice and that nonsense, ride him and enjoy him.

We all have faults as riders, I've spent the last 6 months disecting my riding, it's been bloomin' tough and I've had to listen to some home truths about my attitude and expectations as well as my actual ability, but it's been worth it and I'm beginning to notice a difference in everything now. I just wish it wasn't as tough and that there wasn't still such a long way to go!

Anyway, feel free to tell me to bog off but please do take that with the encouragement that it was intended.
 
Scarlett said:
Have you thought at all about speaking to a sports psychologist/nlp practitioner or similar? IMO it sounds like you really do care an awful lot about how it looks and what folk think about you. Doing something wrong, or not being able to do it as well as you would like, isn't failure, it's an opportunity to get better at whatever your doing.

The 'I'm rubbish, I should just give up' or whatever it was you said on the other page is nonsense. You need to go back to basics, be completely honest with yourself about what you are doing and what of that isn't allowing you to progress (note I didnt say what your doing wrong!) and make a plan to change what you need to change and improve what you need to improve. Maybe a different instructor would be a good idea, someone who can really be honest with you about what you need to do and won't just say nice things to keep you happy and keep your business! Hard truths are necessary if you really do want to improve.

Like I said there are similarities in the pics from the dressage to the jumping vids you posted the other week, without dealing with that you will struggle to move on. Your saddle isn't helping your jumping or your flatwork IMO, it really doesnt look like it fits you all that well.

Your boy is lovely but he's no 4* horse so stop worrying about doing him justice and that nonsense, ride him and enjoy him.

We all have faults as riders, I've spent the last 6 months disecting my riding, it's been bloomin' tough and I've had to listen to some home truths about my attitude and expectations as well as my actual ability, but it's been worth it and I'm beginning to notice a difference in everything now. I just wish it wasn't as tough and that there wasn't still such a long way to go!

Anyway, feel free to tell me to bog off but please do take that with the encouragement that it was intended.
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Hi, oh I do, thank you for your reply. I probably sound awfully self pitying don't I. Your right only one who can change it is me, no point whinging I suppose! There is something stopping us from going the next level, it's not horse power, it is something i'm doing and I think I either have to be happy to carry on at 85cm and prelim/nov dressage as we are or I have to really take myself apart and be honest with myself thank you.
 
PS, I just like my saddle that's all, I feel comfy in it but thats probably because it keeps me in my comfort zone. It's like a nice squishy armchair :).

I'm glad some of you feel the same as me sometimes. I probably did forget to breathe I am rather red in my face!

Lots to think about.

I basically have to be happy where I am in my competitions and riding life or change myself to get better I guess!
 
Firewell said:
Hi, oh I do, thank you for your reply. I probably sound awfully self pitying don't I. Your right only one who can change it is me, no point whinging I suppose! There is something stopping us from going the next level, it's not horse power, it is something i'm doing and I think I either have to be happy to carry on at 85cm and prelim/nov dressage as we are or I have to really take myself apart and be honest with myself thank you.
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I went through the pain of this - started when I went to the USA in 2009 and was told in no uncertain terms that it was a miracle I was doing Novice BE (!) - however I had a good trainer out there who literally took my riding to bits and put it back together again. Made the world of difference. I actively sought out a trainer in the UK who taught in the same way (and then had the temerity to move to Worcestershire, boo), and he also made a huge difference. I had trained with him for about a year when he finally said to me 'now it would be worth your while going to a sponsored hero and having a lesson, and I wouldn't be embarrassed if you told them you trained with me.'

Took about 18 months all told, but I am a million times more effective as a rider, and my dressage scores went from being 58-62% to being 68-75%. It was really hard work, and I still get what I call 'body dyslexia' - where I know what I want to do, but cannot coordinate myself to do it - the most frustrating thing in the world!
 
SC How do you find someone like that to help you? That doesn't cost the world and cares enough to take a personal interest in you?

I'm going to continue with my dressage lady for now as she is only a 10 min hack down the road and see what happens. Really I need someone who doesn't cost the earth and who is happy to come to my yard once a week but someone that is really good at explaining things. I think its having that person who can communicate what they mean which is so hard to find and who does it in a logical and simple manner so it doesnt get too confusing!
 
I find I tense up in my seat and then my hands and legs sort of won't cooperate. I think I grip like a maniac with my thighs? I notice because the top of my thighs are *ahem* a little more pronounced then I would like ;).[/QUOTE]

This and the comment about your mum finding him sharp off her leg tells me a lot.......if you grip too much with your thighs then it blocks the forward movement and actually makes the horse feel lazy. I know, i've done it to my mare and am now trying to undo everything i've taught her! Why don't you spend a few training sessions really trying to relax in the saddle, centering (Centred Riding by Sally Swift - a great book), feeling how his back moves your seat and not worrying about the outline. Spend 10 mins at the beginning of each session simply walking round in without stirrups and focussing on these things. It is amazingly powerful. My horse became much more energetic just doing this. It is a difficult skill because the instinct when the horse is lazy, is to try harder and use more leg and force them forwards, but that often works against us.

Also the gripping with your thighs may not be helped by your saddle. I understand why you don't want to get a dressage saddle. I was much the same - had a GP most of my riding life until recently, couldn't understand the need for a dressage saddle! However, i can say a dressage saddle does make flatwork training a whole lot easier!
 
Firewell said:
PS, I just like my saddle that's all, I feel comfy in it but thats probably because it keeps me in my comfort zone. It's like a nice squishy armchair :).

I'm glad some of you feel the same as me sometimes. I probably did forget to breathe I am rather red in my face!

Lots to think about.

I basically have to be happy where I am in my competitions and riding life or change myself to get better I guess!
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I had a saddle like that, it was so comfy and my mare loved it... I could never get my position right jumping in it though and always thought it was me. Then I changed saddles and everything got much easier! Sometimes things like saddles can cause more probs than we realise!

Change is difficult and it's lots of hard work but it's usually worth it :) One thing though, make sure you have a great instructor, someone who'll be honest with you and support you or it'll just be even harder to do....
 
Supanova said:
I find I tense up in my seat and then my hands and legs sort of won't cooperate. I think I grip like a maniac with my thighs? I notice because the top of my thighs are *ahem* a little more pronounced then I would like ;).
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This and the comment about your mum finding him sharp off her leg tells me a lot.......if you grip too much with your thighs then it blocks the forward movement and actually makes the horse feel lazy. I know, i've done it to my mare and am now trying to undo everything i've taught her! Why don't you spend a few training sessions really trying to relax in the saddle, centering (Centred Riding by Sally Swift - a great book), feeling how his back moves your seat and not worrying about the outline. Spend 10 mins at the beginning of each session simply walking round in without stirrups and focussing on these things. It is amazingly powerful. My horse became much more energetic just doing this. It is a difficult skill because the instinct when the horse is lazy, is to try harder and use more leg and force them forwards, but that often works against us.

Also the gripping with your thighs may not be helped by your saddle. I understand why you don't want to get a dressage saddle. I was much the same - had a GP most of my riding life until recently, couldn't understand the need for a dressage saddle! However, i can say a dressage saddle does make flatwork training a whole lot easier![/QUOTE]

Thats really interesting thanks! I lock my knees as well, I know because when I come back to trot after cantering they give a big cracking sound!
Ok next time I ride in the school i'm really going to try what you say. It's changing muscle memory though it's hard. I think its harder as well because I have ridden since I was a child I have lots of bad habbits.
 
Firewell said:
SC How do you find someone like that to help you? That doesn't cost the world and cares enough to take a personal interest in you?

I'm going to continue with my dressage lady for now as she is only a 10 min hack down the road and see what happens. Really I need someone who doesn't cost the earth and who is happy to come to my yard once a week but someone that is really good at explaining things. I think its having that person who can communicate what they mean which is so hard to find and who does it in a logical and simple manner so it doesnt get too confusing!
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To be fair I boxed to him - I alternated with taking my horse and having a lesson on one of his.

It's like all trainers, you need to try them out and find out if it works for you. I usually apply a 3 month rule, in that I give it 3 months so I give their method a good go, but if it isn't working then that's that.

I wanted schoolmaster lessons too, as I firmly believe that until you have sat on something which is working correctly, you have no idea what you're aiming for, and you lack confidence in your own decisions, in that you never know whether you're asking the right thing in the right way and just need to wait for the penny to drop with the horse, or the right thing in the wrong way and you need to change something, or the wrong thing entirely!
 
Just to throw a spanner in the works. I wouldn't have an issue with the saddle, although it can help with position, many people ride very well in GP's. It will help with your position on the flat, but if you are making the same positional mistakes when jumping as you are on the flat then you need to sort them out regardless of saddle.

My position is pretty terrible these days and like you I get so focussed on the horse/speed/bend/headcarriage/test/corners/transitions that when I look at pictures I think "bugger, why are my hands there or why am I tipping forward and why was that such hard blooming work!"

One thing I believe is that dressage judges are generally right and that if the judge is picking up on something you aren't feeling then you need to understand what it is. It gives you a clear lead on what you should work on - which is great.

Finally. (sorry) If you grip with your knees/thighs, if you grip up - are really are putting the handbrake on. The solution is to have a trainer who will sort your position out, open your chest, make you lift your shoulders, elbows hands and free everything up. If your current trainer isn't doing this then I would find someone who will help.

All said from the position of someone who talks a good position/test etc. haha.
 
Firewell said:
Thats really interesting thanks! I lock my knees as well, I know because when I come back to trot after cantering they give a big cracking sound!
Ok next time I ride in the school i'm really going to try what you say. It's changing muscle memory though it's hard. I think its harder as well because I have ridden since I was a child I have lots of bad habbits.
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It does make it harder when its a lifetime of ingrained habits! However, the feeling you get when the new technique works makes it so rewarding that its worth sticking at. I've also taken up Yoga (just once a week so manageable) and found that really helps as it is about stretching and using muscles without tension, which is pretty much what we try to achieve when riding. Also helps to straighten out any asymmetry!
 
Another vote for Sally Swift's Centred Riding if you can get a copy. I go back to it intemittently and it always helps - visualisation is a pretty powerful technique, as she explains.

Pilates and Yoga are also very useful tools. I have been getting myself far fitter this year, my core is much stronger and I haven't got a clue how I even contemplated riding properly while I was more 'lumpy'!! :)
 
If the dressage saddle idea is off-putting, how about a jumping saddle? It won't help as much as a dressage saddle, obviously, but will be more help than a GP and will mean you can ditch the GP totally... Al does everything in her jumping saddle and when she got it her position improved ten-fold, almost immediately- sure, you can't ride 'dressage length' (and she frequently looks like a jockey in warm-ups...) but it helps her maintain a correct position...

Do you get people to video your tests, rather than take photos? Al insists on it all being on video so she can re-watch and read the judge's comments and see why she got what. Often, the smallest things can make the biggest difference, and you just can't tell until you've actually watched the test back.

The final thing is, your position should be the most important aspect of any lesson IMO.

Jae looks really well, and you look so happy together :) I think everyone has a doldrums moment, and this quite possibly is yours. Chin up and kick on and enjoy your lovely little horse :)
 
Ditto everyone else but one crucial point -

I never ever ever have a heavy lesson or any lesson at all on the very day before a competition. You run a huge risk of the horse being tired, flat and stiff and your boy obviously was tired and flat for your last comp which made you feel like you had to push and drive him which made him block up/ tense even more.

Unless a horse is very mature and well established , or a stupidly energetic type, have lessons a couple of days before a comp.
 
On the saddle front think of it this way. .

If I was in to running, but not aiming for the olympics but trying to do it in general purpose shoes you;d tell me to get some trainers. Heck you may even suggest I try some out to see how they feel if I jog around a shop in them.

I probably wouldn;t think you were mad for suggesting it. I doubt I'd buy top of the range, but I'd think it may help.

Good luck with it. Remember, we do it because we enjoy it!
 
^ Good point! Management is a big part of getting the most out of a horse and different prep routines are part of that. I've had horses that did best with everything from a jump school to a day off before dressage. I don't think it's a magic ingredient that makes everything okay but as, Ludger Beerbaum said, success is the sum of small decisions.

Re the saddle, it's obviously your call but there is a good reason you don't see people moving up the levels in GPs. Of course you can ride in one and be competent but see above, the more things that are right, the more successful you will be. I see your point about workmen and tools but have you ever built anything? It's almost impossible to get a good result with the wrong equipment.

Re the instructor, are you still in touch with your old one? Perhaps, if you are, you could discuss your concerns with her.

On a more general note, I had a trainer who always said if things aren't getting better they are getting worse. I pretty much thought he was being an annoying old man but I understand now more what he meant. Horses are organic, which means they are ever changing. It's not that unusual to debut fairly strongly at a level while it's all new, the horse is fresh, and you're on an upward curve. But then it's not unusual to level out or even go backwards. I'm not saying this is desirable, or even okay, but it's not uncommon. The trick is to figure out how to start moving forward again.
 
Lots of people have already said it, but I'll just add...

I would really recommend taking a little time to find a dressage saddle. I had a lovely saddle that I sold as it no longer fitted my horse, I had little money so I bought a new wintec pro dressage, mostly due to the ease of having it fitted. It fitted the horse really well but I just couldn't ride in it! I had it for 2 years, and it was a struggle, practically every few strides I had to do a position check and rearrange myself :o It was just one more thing to have to faff about with. I actually didn't enjoy riding in it, so would only have a few rides in it before a competition, I used my jump saddle most of the time. I hated how it made me feel, everything was an effort, and I looked like a sack of potatoes!

I bought a new one this year, and the difference was instantaneous! I can suddenly sit up straight, my lower leg is positioned under me, and giving the aids is easy as I'm balanced enough to work my legs independantly. And because sitting is so effortless, I no longer need to grip with my thighs/knees to keep from being bounced out!

There are plenty of options out there to help make your life in the saddle a little easier :)
 
milz88 said:
I don't often ever comment on these threads. But... lovely horse, looks so super and in great condition.

I agree with the others, your position could really help improve your marks, which of course do make up a certain percentage of your score, and lets face it, how good is it that its something YOU can change easily! :)

What stands out for me is your hands, they look quite 'set' and low. If there is a way for you to ride more with your thumbs on top (I am bad for this too!) and try not to curl your hands over as in the last picture, and also lift them up a little. This would improve the whole overall picture no end, also keep your lower leg on the girth as much as possible.

I hope that isn't too much all in one go, best of luck, I can see you are trying hard, we are all our own worst critics!
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I think you look great and your horse is lovely. The only thing I could say is the hands too but not because I'm an expert but because it was the magic thing my instructor said on our first lesson. The transformation in my horse was amazing just from holding my hands a little higher. She said I was blocking her by holding them too low and fixed. Good luck. Can't really offer advice - I need my instructor every step of the way!
 
Sure, you can take everything people here have said on board, but it is time and patience that will really help. Horseriding takes a bloody long time to learn how to do well, and your trainer is right, things have to get worse before they can get better.

However, if you feel you aren't clicking with her, or understanding her, I'm sure there is a better one out there for you. Just because she rides all fancy and trains with olympic people doesn't mean she is suited to teach you and your horse. Personality clashes run rife in the equestrian industry!

But whatever you do DON'T GIVE UP!!! You have a really godo attitude, but are hard on yourself and sound quite disheartened! We all go through this, but there is always light at the end of the tunnel - just take the sunglasses off ;)
 
Didn't read all of the replies, but shall add my two penneth :)
I love J and think he looks great - but I do agree that possibly you are trying too hard. I know I do it sometimes. Similar to SJ, when you 'fiddle' before a fence, over ride and then get a crap stride. I think the temptation is to try and do too much.

It looks a bit like you're holding his head in and pushing him forward, but this is making you tense too much and tipping you off balance a bit and not letting him truly engage, although it's hard to tell with a couple of pictures so please don't be offended if this isn't the case! It looks like your forearms are very tense though, looking at the photos, so maybe you need to turn the handbrake off, as it were, and relax your arms/shoulders and thus the contact? :)

Agree that the position needs work - it shows up in the collective marks really, and also a very neat rider just seems to give much better impression ergo..nicer marking. I struggle with this a lot. I hunch, my leg shoots off either backward or forward and I drop my shoulder. Partly this is due to the laziness he often exhibits - is J lazy? I am going to get lunge lessons in the hope of improving. Perhaps ask your instructor to really nitpick about your position as well? :)

I also switched to another instructor (after lessons with somebody I didn't realise was actually quite bad!) and we took giant steps backwards to work on basics before we made any progress forward. We changed his whole way of going and my default way of riding. In the end, it has made a huge difference and the horse has improved in leaps and bounds (despite almost a year off due to me being away, me being injured etc) BUT it was bloody awful for a while. Stick with it. Sometimes things just need to be corrected and changed before they can improve.

Anyway, you are clearly trying very hard and the horse looks happy and healthy. Please don't be too hard on yourself. Bad days are just that, and he really doesn't look bad! Best of luck :)
 
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Scarlett said:
Have you thought at all about speaking to a sports psychologist/nlp practitioner or similar? IMO it sounds like you really do care an awful lot about how it looks and what folk think about you. Doing something wrong, or not being able to do it as well as you would like, isn't failure, it's an opportunity to get better at whatever your doing.
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I'm no dressidge person but this was my immediate thought too. If you're carrying all that 'my good instructor has moved, I can't do this any more, I'm the worst rider in the world' with you into the test it will be making you tense. If you learn a few head games and visualisations it may just help and may just present a more relaxed, smiley picture.
 
You seem to be in a very negative mindframe. I actually found myself agreeing with PS when she mentioned that you kept finding excuses not do anything about it.

You know that things have not improved -so you need to make changes.

You have nothing to lose by trying new things. Try a dressage saddle, try a couple of different trainers, try some schoolmaster lessons, try some lunging lessons. Ultimately none of these things are going to change the horses wellbeing but they could make a large difference to your dressage.

By closing your mind off to new possibilities, you will never change and as such you are already failing. What is the worst thing that will happen? You might spend some money and not gain anything out of it so you do not go back. Get advice from those whose riding you like and ask where they train. I also trial people through RC as cheaper in a group lesson.

I love the quote - https://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.p...99394327.97789.268315479886540&type=3&theater
 
LEC said:
You seem to be in a very negative mindframe. I actually found myself agreeing with PS when she mentioned that you kept finding excuses not do anything about it.

You know that things have not improved -so you need to make changes.

You have nothing to lose by trying new things. Try a dressage saddle, try a couple of different trainers, try some schoolmaster lessons, try some lunging lessons. Ultimately none of these things are going to change the horses wellbeing but they could make a large difference to your dressage.

By closing your mind off to new possibilities, you will never change and as such you are already failing. What is the worst thing that will happen? You might spend some money and not gain anything out of it so you do not go back. Get advice from those whose riding you like and ask where they train. I also trial people through RC as cheaper in a group lesson.

I love the quote - https://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.p...99394327.97789.268315479886540&type=3&theater
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Hey, if you read all my replies to all the posts you will see that I'm not afraid of changing. That is what I want to do otherwise I wouldn't of posted this? I'm trying to have lessons, im trying to find the right person to help and I have appreciated the advice people have given me. I know that horses is all a constant learning curve.

In regards to my saddle I do think that I should be able to ride a nice test in whatever saddle at only Novice level. I am sure a dressage saddle will help but I do actually like my saddle and besides I'm trying to save up for a horsebox. I can't just go and buy something new every time I feel like it and I take part in a lot of different activities not just dressage.

If people are going to turn their nose up because I dont have a dressage saddle and say i'm refusing to change because i wont get a dressage saddle then I dont think they really get the idea of what I am trying to achieve all? I'm sure Carl Hester, WFP or whatever decent rider would do a bloody nice test in whatever saddle they sit on.

If I can do a decent test in my event saddle then won't i find it easy when I do eventually get a dressage saddle?

I do fix my forearms, I realised this morning when schooling that I think I resist with my arms in order to create a contact that isn't actually there. My horse has a tendancy to go behind the bridle even when he is moving forwards and I think I hide that by pulling back more so it feels like I have him in my hand and then I ask him to move forwards and then soften. So i'm doing it the wrong way round. Lightbulb moment and I figured that out myself.

I'm doing everything I can to better myself and i'd rather pay the money for lessons than a new saddle.

I think some people put too much emphasis on what colour their bandages are, how patent their noseband is and how expensive their saddle is. Thats nice for them but i'd rather spend the money on lessons, obviously i could do with them :p. Then when I win on my TB, with my GP and my brown bridle I know I will have done well.
 
You're completely missing the point re the saddle. A dressage saddle is specifically designed for the job, the seat, flaps and stirrup bars are all specifically placed to put you in the correct and most effective position, and event saddle is basically a more forward cut GP, the stirrup bars are nomally more forward making it physically impossible for you to get your leg under you and into the correct position no matter how flexible you are. Some folk can compenate for this without loosing their position, for other people it just pushes you out of position and makes you ineffective. Because of this you compensate by using other parts of your body more and making it all worse. To begin with you may not notice a difference but there is a very good chance the saddle is not helping you out.

If you want to continue in your event saddle then you need to learn to ride more effectively with what you have an accept that your position will never be picture perfect and you may loose marks at aff dressage because of this. Now thats not because the judges look at you and instantly mark you down for being in a GP saddle, its because they look at you and mark you on your position.

Using a dressage saddle for flatwork isn't cheating, it's using the correct tools for the job. It's also helping your horse out by giving him a clearer line of comunication between you both.

I'm sure Carl and WFP could do a good test and jump a clear round in a GP, but your not Carl or WFP, neither is anyone on here - hence why loads of us have specific jump and dressage saddles, even at low level. Hell my dressage sadle was £220 from ebay, it's not like it's a massive expense or hassle to get one so no excuses :) You're not far from me, if you want to try it you're more then welcome.

I like the trainer analogy - if you needed to go for a run round the block would you do it in wellies, or heels? You could run in Converse and you'd get round, but stick on a pair of trainers and it'll seem so much easier.

You've been given loads of good advice in tis thread and the jumping one - take it!
 
Completely disagree about the saddle but you will never know this until you try one. I am constantly telling people to change their saddles as it does nothing for them.
WFP would never ride in a GP at a competition and nor would Carl Hester. Top riders invest considerable time in getting saddles to suit them. I know for a fact Mark Todd for instance gets all his saddles lightened in weight and knee blocks removed.
I could ride an ok test in a GP saddle but why would I? when you could ride a lovely test in a dressage saddle?
I am not having a go just trying to counter some of the claims you are making which are slightly insular in view.
 
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Firewell said:
Hey, if you read all my replies to all the posts you will see that I'm not afraid of changing. That is what I want to do otherwise I wouldn't of posted this? I'm trying to have lessons, im trying to find the right person to help and I have appreciated the advice people have given me. I know that horses is all a constant learning curve.
Sorry but you've pretty much said no to everything that's been suggested... that doesn't give the impression you actually, truly want change anything. There is no magic solution, but you've been given loads of awesome advice from people who have been in your situation and came out the otherside. IMO it's verging on rude to be so dismissive of everyones suggestions.
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Firewell said:
In regards to my saddle I do think that I should be able to ride a nice test in whatever saddle at only Novice level. I am sure a dressage saddle will help but I do actually like my saddle and besides I'm trying to save up for a horsebox. I can't just go and buy something new every time I feel like it and I take part in a lot of different activities not just dressage.

If people are going to turn their nose up because I dont have a dressage saddle and say i'm refusing to change because i wont get a dressage saddle then I dont think they really get the idea of what I am trying to achieve all? I'm sure Carl Hester, WFP or whatever decent rider would do a bloody nice test in whatever saddle they sit on.

If I can do a decent test in my event saddle then won't i find it easy when I do eventually get a dressage saddle?
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I do agree, and if you're asking people for help and people are looking at your pictures and saying "beautiful position" then you would be doing well despite a less-than-perfect saddle. The difference here is that people are saying that perhaps you will be able to make some tweaks to your position that will help to achieve higher marks, i.e. there is room for improvement (as for all of us :p)

The saddle will help you to achieve higher marks because it will help you to sit in a better position and influence Jae in the right way. You're asking how to improve your marks - there's one way right there.

As regards lunge lessons, I don't think you've had "proper" lunge lessons. Sure, we've all been whizzed round on the end of the lunge line without stirrups or reins and all that shows is that you can stay on. What you perhaps should be looking for is a lesson with a BHSI or similar who will stick you up on a schoolmaster and really bend and crunch you until your position is "perfect". I had a couple of these sessions and they were revelatory. I could do with having a load more but time/travel/money always seems to get in the way.

These are the sorts of things I think about when I'm trying to improve my position. You might as well try to get the "rider" score as the highest score on your test sheet as that's the one thing YOU can do something about. I've put a lot of time and effort into it and now I'm most disappointed if my rider score isn't the highest score on my sheet (or at least equal to another highest score). And to be frank, I'm a cr*p rider (sadly that's not even false modesty), so there's hope for us all!!!

You do such a fabulous job with him and you have such a partnership, it really is just a matter of fine tuning.

Plus be positive - you've only had one outing doing less well than you'd hoped - that's nothing on the scale of things and only reflects how well you've done before :D
 
Firewell - I understand where you are coming from with the saddle. I think you agree that a dressage saddle might help, but at the moment you'd rather save your money for something else. That is fair enough and your decision. I don't think it means that you are not trying to improve or accept people's advice.

So the main thing is to focus on the things you can change whilst riding in that saddle. I agree that you should be able to do ok with a GP saddle, particularly if you actually find it comfy and not a hinderance. People can ride their horses well on the flat in a jumping saddle after all.

Another tip from the centred riding book is try to imagine you only have your seat and body to ride with - no arms or legs! I was doing this stuff last night and thinking about centering etc (as per my earlier post) and it really made a difference.

The only reason i keep banging on about these type of techniques is because you sound exactly like me in that 1) you care a lot; 2) you try too hard physically; 3) you think you are rubbish and beat yourself up. I think fundamentally you are a very good rider and its these little things that will make the difference and push you up to the next level. These are things that most instructers never really pick up on and therefore we never change, unless we try to read about it and do it ourselves.
 
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