Dressage test follow up exercises needed!

[Fiona]

I'd love some help with schooling exercises, as though I've done a few recent RC clinics, it will be another couple of weeks until I can get to regular trainer for a one to one...

My 5yo Connie and I did a dressage competition on Sunday. PC Novice test for anyone who knows it. Has trot/walk/trot across diagonal and give and retake reins on circle plus normal trot and canter movements..

For his second ever test he managed it pretty well with only one spook and a 62% but it has highlighted a few training issues.

1. In the trot/walk/trot he dropped off my leg in walk, so needed more than 5 strides plus a kick to get the upwards transition again..

2. The walk in this test is at the end and once we walked this got slower and slower... Probably tired, but even so...

3. When he is between hand and leg his paces are super, and steering is good, but if not he goes very wobbly and falls out through outside shoulder.

Would love some schooling suggestions to address these issues.

Fiona

 

[Farma]

Its sounds like he needs to be more in front of the leg, look at sharpening him up and then keeping him there taking you until you say otherwise, look to send him forward from a sharp aid to really wake him up and then be quiet and swing along with him, if he backs off before you want him to another swift sharp aid, even if he over reacts don't pull him back reward then go back to what you were doing and just repeat until he learns to take you forward.
It is useful to have someone on the ground to make absolutely sure that you don't keep nagging as it may have become a habit if he becomes lazy to keep asking!
The other thing I would say is that once you have worked on this if he drops behind your leg in a test forget your mark, use the test as training and wake him up, it is difficult to train a horse until it goes forward enough.

 

[Four Seasons]

Definitely sounds like he should be sharper on your leg. Basically comes down to transitions, transitions and transitions. When you go down a gait, you sit deep, push your weight down through your stirrups and the horse makes a downward transition. When you go up a gait, you should make your seat at light a possible and apply a small leg aid. Now if your horse doesn't respond to this, you need to train him to. This can take days, weeks maybe even months, but once your horse knows it, it will make your life way easier. It's all about consistency.

As said above, whatever you do, do not nag!! Rather a short, sharp kick then the constant nagging. You want your horse to focus on you at all times, you're his main focus. Transitions can help you so much with this. If you are in trot and you prepare to make a downward transition, think ahead. You need to fool him, to keep him sharp. As you sit to go to walk, he comes back, almost walking, go fowards into a medium trot. This is were you'll make him focus more and make him sharper. You can do this with all transitions. He needs to respond sharp and quick, if he doesn't, a short but sharp leg aid should do the trick. Reward him for whatever gait he go into after this, never punish him going forwards, even if it isn't the prettiest sight to see.

You need to stay very consistent in this part of the training. If you lag one day, he'll catch you out.

 

[YorksG]

One particular exercise I have found useful to get a horse sharper at transitions is the walk for five paces, trot for five paces and repeat. I f the five is too short to start with try ten and ten. It really does get both you and the horse sharper on the transitions.

 

[Theocat]

One particular exercise I have found useful to get a horse sharper at transitions is the walk for five paces, trot for five paces and repeat. I f the five is too short to start with try ten and ten. It really does get both you and the horse sharper on the transitions.

Agree - but if you quickly find that your horse can count, be prepared to mix your numbers up!

Also make sure you ride the walk actively - it can be easy to fall into the habit of walk being the "rest" part of a session. If you never ask for anything more than slopping along on a loose rein, you'll never get more!

 

[Fiona]

Thanks for the suggestions 😁

Some 'tough love' needed in our schooling sessions I think.

I will try doing a lot more transitions.

He's a sensitive soul, so I don't ride him in spurs or carry a stick.

Fiona

 

[Equi]

As Yorks said, this is what i do to get my horse sharp. He can however count, so needs mixing up quite a lot and then he will think he knows the "test" aka he thinks if you do a lap of trot transistions you should then do a lap of canter hahah so plenty of change to avoid anticipation.

 

[Fiona]

We schooled this morning and concentrated on transitions, particularly upward ones. To be fair they were a lot sharper that Sunday so I'm guessing he had got tired and inattentive by the time we rode the test.

Straighteners still an issue though so advice welcomed on exercises.....

Fiona

 

[Farma]

We schooled this morning and concentrated on transitions, particularly upward ones. To be fair they were a lot sharper that Sunday so I'm guessing he had got tired and inattentive by the time we rode the test.

Straighteners still an issue though so advice welcomed on exercises.....

Fiona

Its hard to say why straightness is an issue without actually seeing, but once he is in front of the leg there are things to consider; Does he have any issues, hock/back/si, are you straight? what is your ability with regard to working him front behind into the contact? what level of training has he had? How is his conformation - any hindrance's?
What I am getting at is just to be sure you are not the cause of the crookedness and that there isn't any other factor causing this and if there are just take them into account, if you are sure the basics are covered its a question of engagement and strengthening of the hind end. You see lots of horses in tests throw the 1/4s around because they simply aren't engaged and strong enough to carry the weight behind.
Exercises to help - polework, its helpful if the pole is marked at the centre you can work on getting him to lift his hocks and push straight over a course of poles. Riding squares helps, transitions within the pace and lots of them, effective half halts to keep him sitting and keep the front end light. Lateral work will help you isolate how to control each body part so you can effectively adjust him when he loses balance or engagement. Counter canter is also very helpful. Try and ride a meter away from the track so that you don't use it to help then you have to ride straight and into both reins.
Hope some of that is a help!

 

[Fiona]

Thank you farma...

He's only a baby, 3 months ago he couldn't have maintained a full 20m circle in canter.

I'm a bit crooked with collapsing left hip/leaning to the left, but am v aware so hopefully it isn't affecting pony too much.

No physical problems that I'm aware.

Riding squares sounds great, forgot about that, and I try to stay away from school fence.

His default way of going if tense or fresh is to scuttle along like a sewing machine but when he settles and is through his trot is really nice.

Fiona

 

[JustMe22]

A lack of straightness can be caused by a lot of things but generally, it helps to ride slightly off the wall and in a slight shoulder fore down the long side. I have just abandoned all straight lines for a couple of weeks with my unbalanced youngster and the difference is already amazing - had the added benefit of sitting him back on his hocks too

Squares are great too, and a good exervise for both sharpness and straightness is riding a diamond. At each point of the diamond, the horse needs to sit on his haunches and then go FORWARD across the diagonal line before collecting for the next point. Using proper outside rein aids to make neat turns at the four points will help engage his hind end and keep his shoulder underneath him too.

 

[Fiona]

Squares and diamonds on the list JM..

Many thanks 😁

Fiona

 

[Bernster]

Yep, all of these! Just wanted to say it's also about him getting stronger so these exercises will all help as he gets more balanced, supple and stronger. Takes a while so don't worry too much as it will come with practice and training.

We couldn't turn right when Finnegan was 5yo! We're still a work in progress but it's finally coming together after several years !