First attempt at affiliated dressage - which tests?

[FestiveFuzz]

So last night my trainer uttered the immortal words "I don't think it'll be long before you're out competing now". I've been incredibly lucky to have M, who is established at AM and schools up to GP at home (just not with me!) and have really enjoyed the steep learning curve of being a total amateur (only ever competing at RC level) trying to get to grips with this incredibly talented horse.

The current plan is to do a novice and elementary test and see how we get on, so I was wondering which tests you guys would recommend for our first attempt at affiliated together?

 

[milliepops]

ooh how exciting.
Picking the tests will be a personal choice between what's available close by, and what your strengths are
I like long arena tests and really have to be between a rock and a hard place to choose a venue which runs short arena tests. But I know other people find them daunting if only ever ridden in a short arena.

Some of the early eles are really not that different to harder novices, it depends whether you want to go sideways a bit or do simple changes really

 

[HufflyPuffly]

Ah that so depends on what you and the horses strengths are!

Are you good/struggle at counter-canter, busy tests, long/short arena, give and re-takes, 10m circles, rein-back? Or do you think more simple tests would be better for you to remember?

Do you have the sheets, as it might be best to read through a couple and then ride through them and see what seems easy .

With Topaz, busy, busy is best, we're good at rein back but struggle with CC, which ever Elementary test has a GR over the CL to CC we hate as Topaz goes for change and do one every time .

Skylla, long arena but simple patterns are best to get her giraffe'ness round the test :lol:.

 

[FestiveFuzz]

We school in a long arena at home so I suspect the moves would come a bit fast in a short arena, at least for our first attempt!

Counter canter isn't too much of an issue for us, he's pretty good at waiting to be asked for the change. Ironically I'm a little nervous of simple changes as we just don't practice them enough but it's definitely something I'll be working on more over the next few weeks. He has a tendency to giraffe and is pretty spooky at times so I think a busier test with lots to think about would be our best bet.

I have sheets in a folder somewhere, I'm going to track them down later so I can have a play about with some of the movements as hopefully there'll be a couple of stand out tests once we get our teeth into them.

 

[HufflyPuffly]

I'm not as familiar with novice tests, but E53 has no simple changes but does have counter-counter and leg-yield and is also long arena and relatively busy (medium trot across diagonal, up CL, leg yield to R, 10m circle at R, walk one horses length between R and M back to trot before cantering at C to 10m circle at H).


*adds letters may not be correct :lol: