Help with Eventing Dressage

[Ambers Echo]

After the heady heights of 67 and 69% in unaff dressage, I had hopes for vaguely respectable dressage scores at events. But that is sadly some way off! She warms up really nicely and then as soon as we leave the warm up area she gets tense and distracted and the test is then a bit of an inconsistent mess.

She is not generally a nappy horse and I never go anywhere near any other horses in the warm up but make sure we are working very independently. But there is something about leaving what she clearly perceives as 'the horse area' to the 'place with no horses' that she takes issue with and there is no time to ride through it as once you are sent down you need to go straight in.

I've been out 4 times now. The first 3 I tried a really short warm up as in schooling we often get our nicest work very early. But most recently I warmed up more thoroughly but either way made no difference.

We are next out at Eland on 11th and I am seriously tempted to just warm up in the lorry park! Then go straight in. But timing that would be hard as they are always a bit early or a bit late and I'm on my own so can't get a helper to wait to see when it's my turn then tell me.

Any tips?

 

[ITPersonnage]

When I steward at events it's always your prerogative to go on your time, so stick to it (after you've checked in of course with said steward) but then there's nothing to stop you warming up wherever you want just make sure you get to the arena on time.

 

[Ambers Echo]

Oh that's useful to know. Thanks. Maybe I'll try the 'lorry park' strategy and see what happens. I guess really she should just stay obedient despite distractions and hopefully that will come with tine. But it is so frustrating for the lovely soft horse in the warm up to be replaced with a stressy, tense version for 4 minutes, then to revert back to calm, sweet Lottie as soon as she comes back into the warm up! And it feels like bad training as she argues about going away from other horses and in her head she 'wins' the argument because she gets to come back again very quickly.

 

[iknowmyvalue]

Pepsi is like this too, if you find the magic solution please let me know ??

 

[I'm Dun]

Id wander about to warm up then head straight down. Doesnt have to be forever but might break the link shes made

 

[Ambers Echo]

Pepsi is like this too, if you find the magic solution please let me know ??

Glad it's not just me!

 

[Ambers Echo]

Id wander about to warm up then head straight down. Doesnt have to be forever but might break the link shes made

Yes I'll try that. Loads of people lunge on the lorry park so I can't see why I can't warm up briefly somewhere out of the way then go straight in at my allotted time and hope they aren;t running late.

 

[Roxylola]

Yes I'll try that. Loads of people lunge on the lorry park so I can't see why I can't warm up briefly somewhere out of the way then go straight in at my allotted time and hope they aren;t running late.

Tell your steward what you're going to do as if they don't know you're there they may offer the next rider to go early.
I always give Charlie a canter round the arena rather than just a trot when I'm waiting for my bell so he's forward and listening to me - that backfired last time at eland as he spotted the showjumping starting and lit up a bit ?

 

[Ambers Echo]

Katie did that with Dolly. But Lottie gets strong in canter at the best of times. So I don’t think i dare try that. But good idea about checking in with the steward.

 

[Roxylola]

Nothing to stop you riding some transitions or lateral movements to get her listening to you rather than wanting to rush back to the party in the warm up

 

[Ambers Echo]

Good idea - thanks x

 

[Lyle]

Practice at home leaving other horses? Ride in the school, then walk her away to a field and school/ride through the test?

 

[Michen]

I have the exact same issue with Bog. Comment on his centre line last weekend was “a bit chatty”. He likes to throw in a scream even though he’s usually got horses either side. Yet would never do that jumping. He’s the least nappy horse ever, but something about the dressage warm up to dressage ring winds him up. Whereas I think with the jumping he’s focused on it and excited so it’s not an issue.


I haven’t got a solution, some days are better than others. I don’t think I’ll ever get a sub 20 out of him despite the fact he would easily be up there if he went how he did in the warm up. He hasn’t got the natural movement or ability to add some tension in there and keep the higher marks, nor do I have the riding ability.

 

[Ambers Echo]

Im not a good enough rider either. I’m sure there could be a riding solution but I need her to help me out if we are going to do a decent test. Last time out we had an unplanned exit from the arena ?. It was embarrassingly bad. With glimmers of potential! She wasn’t wild, just protesting about being taken away from warm up and decided as we were headed in that direction anyway as we rounded a corner to suggest we go back there! Argh. I was pulled up for ‘use of voice’. Which would be the ‘Lottie! What are you doing?’ comment Still her SJ was a beautifully controlled clear and she was fab XC so she redeemed herself.

 

[Flowerofthefen]

Does she need a lot of warm up for the dressage? I know it's not ideal but could you do some ground work to get her attention and supple her up then on and in?

 

[Goldenstar]

This is a thing with event horses .
The layout is very much being taken away to do something so when starting out they get nervous when they leave the warm up .
You might find a getting her out early letting her see everywhere then putting her away and then doing a shorter warm up with lots of transitions and changes of direction then going straight in with no walk on the way to the arena if you can avoid it .
It should get better with time .
Some more experienced ones kind of make the connection between the end of the warm up and the jumping coming that’s a another nightmare .

 

[Ambers Echo]

Actually that’s something I hadn’t considered: warming up early, then leaving. Then going straight in. Thanks.

 

[J&S]

Funny what triggers memories! I remember many years ago going to a competition in a shared lorry. It was late arriving and my friend was on before me, she literally came straight off the lorry, tacked up and went in........ and won!

 

[humblepie]

I’ve done warm ups without going to the proper warm up before. Not eventing but keeping a show horse in his happy place. I’d echo the idea of trying an early warm up then away and chill out before just going into the test.

 

[milliepops]

have you done normal dressage shows with her? some venues round me replicate the eventing feeling pretty well, the ones where the warm up and test arena are adjacent would not be so great but round here we have some venues where you definitely "leave the herd" to go and do your test. would mean you could rehearse that a bit more intensively.

 

[Goldenstar]

have you done normal dressage shows with her? some venues round me replicate the eventing feeling pretty well, the ones where the warm up and test arena are adjacent would not be so great but round here we have some venues where you definitely "leave the herd" to go and do your test. would mean you could rehearse that a bit more intensively.

Yes to this as well , take her to every unaffiliated competition you can .

 

[Ambers Echo]

have you done normal dressage shows with her? some venues round me replicate the eventing feeling pretty well, the ones where the warm up and test arena are adjacent would not be so great but round here we have some venues where you definitely "leave the herd" to go and do your test. would mean you could rehearse that a bit more intensively.

I have but as you say the warm up is right by the arena and she isn't bothered. I'll have a think about other places to see if I can find somewhere with more of a 'leaving the herd' feeling.

 

[milliepops]

anywhere that warms up outside and uses an indoor for the test?

 

[Goldenstar]

I think it’s the openness of the most events so the horse is in a big area away from the others so they feel on edge of herd in their heads .

 

[Ambers Echo]

anywhere that warms up outside and uses an indoor for the test?

Ooh a place called Kelsall Hill might? I know they have a huge indoor. I will investigate!

Amber was unruly in the warmup AND the test so at least I’m moving in the right direction ?

 

[Goldenstar]

That’s the spirt look on the bright side , I think she will be better indoors if it’s the why I am on the edge of herd thing .

 

[milliepops]

Ooh a place called Kelsall Hill might? I know they have a huge indoor. I will investigate!

Amber was unruly in the warmup AND the test so at least I’m moving in the right direction ?

sounds like that might be a starting point. you're unlikely to be able to recreate the exact scenario outside of an eventing comp but breaking it down in any related way is bound to help. Plus if above she is better inside, you will get a chance to practice really being able to ride her in a test instead of just manage her. and then you can seek out other venues that are more testing

 

[Ambers Echo]

Goldenstar, it’s funny how they process things. That makes a lot of sense. I took her to a venue and schooled her on grass for 20-30 minutes and she was as good as good even though other horses were around. So it’s not schooling alone or wide open spaces she has an issue with. But being on the edge - but separated from - the ‘herd’ could be the trigger.

 

[Michen]

I’d also consider yourself in this. I defo tense up myself however much I think I don’t and this definitely doesn’t help things.

I’ve done my best dressage tests when I’ve been too hungover to concentrate on anything other than staying upright ?

 

[Otherwise]

Not much help as it's a one off and too late for this year but in my area the brc summer dressage qualifier has the closest feel to eventing dressage. The championship is held on grass so in my area the qualifier is as well, you get the warming up in big open spaces feel, get to practice competing on grass and you'd be able to enter 2 tests.