dressage transition advice?

[rforsyth1984]

Im now all prepared to do my first novice test tomorrow (N30). Only thing I am struggling with is near the end, the canter down the long side, showing medium strides over E, then trot at K - Im struggling to be in trot by K!

Any advice? Its so hard to go from medium to working canter to working trot between past E and K!

 

[Reashi]

I hate novice 30! Try to get into medium canter as soon as you come out of the corner, do a few good strides, and then come back to working canter in plenty of time for the transition to trot at K. Its better to do fewer strides of medium canter (as long as they are good quality strides) and make a better transition to trot, than do more strides of medium canter and have a really ugly transition at K (or past K as might occur!).

 

[rforsyth1984]

Thanks I will try that. It sounds so easy on paper, but so far its looking like I might overshoot the end of the arena! Our canter transitions are not the best at the moment so this is a really difficult test!

Maybe if I think in my mind to end the medium strides by E, we might hopefully be in working canter before K just in time to get trot over K!

 

[Andelusional]

Riding it is just marginally worse than judging it. Only just! When you begin, try not to panic and throw the horse into the med. canter. If you do he will be on his forehand and both your downward trans will be 'falling off the cliff'. When you have achieved a few bigger strides then breathe out firmly as you make yourself heavier in the saddle and avoid hauling on the reins to slow down. This is going to avoid his head going up so you can safely ask for trot a step or two later. Hope it all goes well for you!

 

[TURBOBERT]

Medium canters in short arenas are my bugbare (or is it bugbear?). I have a 17 hh long striding chap and it seems like we get about two medium strides in before we have to start pulling up!

 

[Ferdinase514]

I agee with you this is hard. It's just such a busy test at the end.

I tried to read it for a friend last week, she'd not even looked at the test and went totally wrong!

 

[Sal_E]

rf - definitely do it a bit early & only aim for a few strides so as to give yourself as much time as possible. Also, I'd also 'cheat' & use my voice as well if I thought I needed it - you can do it so they don't hear you... Try to sit deep & come back using your back & seat (& voice) momentarily before your reins, so that your horse is preparing in advance. Personally, I'd go for less medium canter & make a good trot transition - don't forget to really use your corner to rebalance the trot - you can get a couple more strides in if you go deep into your corner (not so deep that you have to yank the handbrake up to come out of it though!). When you warm up, make one of the last things you do, lots of canter to walk transitions - you may not be ready for successful canter to walk, but you can still do them with some trot inbetween. I'm not suggesting you are going to teach him anything in the last 10 minutes, BUT you can get him in the right frame of mind so you don't completely surprise him with your request.