Elementary Dressage

[Courbette]

Hi all! I'm hoping to go and try a pony to part-loan once lockdown restrictions are eased. He has been competing (I believe successfully) at dressage in elementary level.

I enjoy schooling and would like to have a loan where we could work towards being able to produce the full set of lateral work and maybe some single changes if his owner is happy and I can find an instructor to help us on our journey. I have previously done a couple of tests at intro / prelim so what could I expect from this pony?

 

[NinjaPony]

Mine has competed at elementary with plus 65% scores and schooled at medium at home. So my expectations would be:
-lateral work well established: leg yield, shoulder in, working towards some renvers/travers
-square halts, direct transitions rein back
-walk to canter both ways established, simple changes over x
-more 'uphill' and secure in the contact than prelim/novice, working from behind into a more advanced frame
-greater variety within the paces; working towards greater collection/extensions in walk, trot and canter
-reasonably 'off the leg'-should respond to smaller aids
-working towards clean single changes

This is in a perfect world of course-a pony just starting out at elementary level may not have all of these in place and it will always be a work in progress towards these goals. For example, my pony has never managed to get the hang of flying changes, and as elementary doesn't require them and he is now at the end of his competitive career, I never bothered pushing the issue.

 

[be positive]

As above they will vary, especially if not purposely produced to move up through the grades, 1 of mine had very well established paces and found moving in and out of the gears, up into med/ extensions and back, direct transitions, rein back very easy but with his extravagant action and short slightly tight back he found proper lateral work harder, another is finding lateral work fairly easy but will never be able to produce the extended trot of the first horse, he enjoys a good medium canter though.

 

[Littlebear]

Has he competed bd ele? Tbh when you watch those tests the variations in horses capabilities vary massively. There are some that stick with the easy eles where no l/y is even required so they are trickier novice tests. If he’s been doing well at a selection of eles then should be nicely schooled, rein backs, leg yields, some extending and collecting at a beginning level. Shoulder in has only recently been introduced at this level so he may or may not be established in that. Single changes aren’t until adv med but simple changes are required at ele (canter walk canter)
Half pass / walk piris aren’t introduced until medium but he may well be trained in those already too.
So should be able to do some lateral work but may not be fully established in all movements x

 

[Courbette]

I'm not sure if he has competed at BD, something to ask out of curiosity. My last loan was plagued with injuries so something sound that is established at walk, trot and canter and sound would be a massive bonus. I would love a pony that I could learn from and from everything above he seems to tick the boxes. The dream would be having the chance to do some competing at whatever level we are both comfortable at but to work towards schooling some of the more difficult bits as home so I get the experience. If it works out (I've not tried him yet) I'd be looking to build a partnership and make sure we both have the basics initially but it would be wonderful to know if I work hard we have the potential to progress.