Enter at A in working trot...

[Pippity]

I've picked up doing some online dressage tests again, and I'm struggling a bit because of the limitations of my school. As with so many, it's a tight 20x40, with fencing around the edges. This means that "enter at A in working trot" involves keeping that working trot going through a very tight turn that my eight-mile-long cob struggles with. End result is that she's already a bit unbalanced, out of rhythm, falling off my leg, and generally annoyed with the world from the moment we start our test. Whereas if I enter at walk and go into trot after a stride or two, she's far happier and more cooperative, and we get a generally nicer test.

Basically, any suggestions on how to improve the situation? Could I get away with going into trot as we come out of the turn, or would I be marked down?

I'll be speaking to my instructor about it this evening, but it's always good to get some different viewpoints.

 

[Skib]

We all have that problem..
I have always been too ancient to ride a whole dressage test without a breather in the middle. But at proper dressage competitions riders enter after trotting or cantering outside the test area. I therefore think it legit to trot large and then enter with a right angle turn at A.
I was taught to make this turn which is a 10 m turn, by preparing for it as we trotted down the long side, by powering up the trot down the long side and turning my head and looking at the centre point of the short side at the far end. I think it is C.
That's all really. Use extra leg to move the horse forward and the horse does the rest.
It is a really good test of an active trot to halt at X exactly square. I dont do these things to stress myself but if I have to ride in the school (as yesterday due to hard ground) Just for fun. Indeed I am hoping to have some dressage lessons proper next winter.
If you have a horse that cant trot a 10 m turn, I wouldnt oblige it. Just walk any turns he cant manage. I've dont that on 10m circles on elderly RS horses.

 

[TheMule]

I would ride it as a half 10m circle onto the center line. It may mean you’re not perfectly straight for the first few strides, but it will keep the flow rather than trying to make a square turn

 

[Leandy]

This also a problem in actual (away from home) competition where the competition arena does not have room to go around the outside and you start from within the arena - which is fairly common. The only true answer is that your horse needs to be at the stage where it can do this in a balanced manner! As others have said the though, the only other answer is just to cut the corners and ride a semi-circle. Make sure horse is working with the correct bend and correctly away from the inside leg into the outside hand in order to make best use of the available space. If the bend in not correct and the horse is falling in through the inside shoulder then you have no chance of a balanced turn. It may help you to approach the turn either from the diagonal (ie change the rein across the diagonal and then come up the centre line, or from a half 20m circle across the arena and then up the centre line as both these will entail that you are already to a degree on the relevant turn and off the inside leg. You'll be marked dowm for starting in walk at A, you will also be marked down for being unbalanced at A so probably swings and roundabouts there. Up to you to balance which is your best approach for the actual competition but either way you are realistically only going to lose a couple of marks for either strategy.

 

[abbijay]

Having now competed 3 heavy horses at dressage it is definitely doable but not necessarily easy. Alfie was an 18.1 clydie who was so long he was like turning an aircraft tanker. We trained to medium so got as far as cantering onto centre lines but this took years to achieve.
My top tips would be:
Don't try a hand brake turn; a smooth half circle is your friend.
Keep your rhythm steady, slow it down on the turn if necessary then build up on the straight
Practice, practice, practice. The more you do the easier they get. Vary it but do as many as you can until they get easier: turns at A, at C, 10m circles touching the centre line (might be small if your arena is small), half circles back to the track, etc.
Take every opportunity to work on your balance. We focus on our left to right balance but thinking about your front to back balance is just as important in tight turns.
Think about how you ride your turn at the end of the CL, why do you only mention the turn on in your post, they should be a matching pair...

It's not easy but that's probably why most of us love dressage. The effort that perfecting the simplest things brings the greatest sense of achievement.

 

[lamlyn2012]

Prepare with a couple of half halts on the long side and remember to bring your horse round with the outside leg.

 

[stangs]

Going to be strict here, and say that if you have a normal-sized, healthy animal, you should be able to make that turn quite easily. The arena situation is not a limitation; it’s a training opportunity.

Two things come to mind
1) How are you supporting her through the turn? Are you using your outside leg and hand? Are you unknowingly tilting, affecting her balance? Either go for a half circle, or really go into the corner before your turn, but make sure that you’re not turning too early, and that you’re setting her up so it’s as easy as possible for her.

2) Given that this is a consistent issue, more time is probably needed schooling turns - 5m circles, or going around cones or through pole patterns - so you’re making sure she’s turning through the rib cage. Then the turn down the centre line should come easier. And sounds like plenty of suppling work is needed in the warm up before the test.

 

[Wishfilly]

Rather than start a separate thread about this (because I know it's probably been done to death!) - who do people use for online dressage?