How can i improve my dressage scores?

W

wench

Well-Known Member
Joined
19 December 2005
Messages
10,260
Visit site
Horse consistantly gets between 50 - 59% in his prelim tests. I get comments consistantly like "hollow in back", "hind quarters out", "needs to work in a softer outline".

I am pretty sure hes not doing these things at home, as he rides differently in a dressage arena. I am also well aware that a lot of it may be down to me, but any ideas for helping us improve (apart from an instructor, horse on livery at a RS, so no outside instructors, and no lessons from ones that are there)
 
Do you have any pics? Hard to say without seeing you.
smile.gif
 
i have the same problem, i hold my breath and lose it all. not the horses fault really
blush.gif


we're working on learning the test off by heart, riding the test (in lessons) and repeating any part of it that i'm not happy with, using correcting exercises, like a circle if the bend is wrong
shoulder in if he's going onto his shoulders
stuff like that

i think it's going to take a lot of time and work though, i get so nervous i stop thinking about anything else but which way next :S never mind breathing
 
Hi,
Its always harder to perform a test as good as the practise one you do at home because you as a rider will naturally feel nervous at a competition and so the horse will feel this through his back and go stiff and hollow against your stiff & hollow tension. You need to stay as calm as possible, I tell my pupils to think of a rag doll and put their body into feeling like a rag doll (not completely though!) quarters out can be caused by you using too much inside leg or/and too much inside hand which allows the horse to swing the quarters out, make sure your outside legs is slightly further behind the girth and used in a soft hugging feel to prevent the quarters swinging out, the more you use your inside rein the more the quarters will fall out so make sure you are even in your contact when riding a straight line. Hollow in the back can be caused from you not being supple and a little rigid so make sure you feel loose and relaxed then use both legs to squeeze/drive him into his bridle and with a slightly restricting hand to stop the energy you have just produced from your legs going straight out the front door if that makes sense. If you restrict a little with your hands but drive a little with your legs the only thing his back, neck and quarters can do is bunch up and bascule into an arc that goes up to the bridle, this is truely on the bit, you must be quick to recognise this and reward him with a slight softening of the hands to say good boy, practise this at home and everytime you achieve and soften to reward him he will catch on to what you are asking but everytime he goes hollow or nose pointing out then put a slightly stronger leg aid on and restrict with your hands again, he will realise his comfort zone is on the bit because you leave him alone when he's there. This is something that can't be forced, to maintain a soft outline or suppleness in his movement you must constantly have a conversation with his mouth through your hands but I dont mean by sawing or swinging the whole head & neck (like some showjumpers do) it is minute tweeks that most of us shouldn't see, its like squeezing water out of a sponge with your fingers only so that the bit is moving slightly but constantly inside his mouth to keep him soft in the jaw, salivating and supple through his neck. Remember that your outside hand is the supporting hand so this rein should be held closer to the neck and slightly lower than the inside rein which is the flexing/softening rein. Sorry its so long but difficult to explain without showing you. In prelim you should really be scoring around 60+% so keep trying at home and you will get there.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Hi,
Remeber that your outside hand is the supporting hand so this rein should be held closer to the neck and slightly lower than the inside rein which is the flexing/softening rein.

[/ QUOTE ]

I didn't know that. I thought your hands should be held as a pair.
confused.gif
 
I am abou to run out of the office so brief reply - the three things that have helped my horse in the last 6 months to go from consistently scoring about 60% in prelims to geting over 70% last time and now getting mid 60s in Novice are:
Regular schooling in a dressage size arena
Once a week on the lunge in a pessoa
Feeding blue chip to promote building of his topline

I've also changed instructors which I know you can't do, but I could PM you some of the stuff she has told me? Answer above is very helpful too!

What does he do when you pick up a contact? Can you feel him taking your rein? Mine used to just drop the bit and duck behind...
 
Snowdrop, I've always been told shold be a pair too - got a lecture about it at a dressage clinic the other day with a FBHS, cos mine tend to be a bit 'independent'!
 
Snowdrop, Hi, it isnt a dramatic difference but to achieve support and correct bend through the whole neck you just have it fractionally less raised than the inside rein.
 
But reins are supposed to be independent! I did a Ulla clinic and she came over and re positioned my hands to show me true bend and flexion by support from the outside rein. Lots of people ride and train differently so its what suits the horse as long as it is going correctly then that is the most important thing.
 
I know nothing about dressage but am currently going 'back to basics' with a lady who Judges. She reckons, the vast majority of dressage at this level is won and lost at walk because everyone concentrates on getting trot and canter right and neglects perfecting their walk. I know it might sound silly, but if you aren't getting things like hands and outline right in walk, then the chances are they won't be right in the other paces anyway.
Hope this helps!
 
I dont have any pics unfortuantly
frown.gif
, when i ask him to work on the bit, he will for a few strides, then just nose poke again.
 
Ok I'm not a dressage rider, but....

If you set a consistent warm up routine you will help your horse to settle away from home, this will help him to relax and work in a better outline. I don't mean ride the same pattern every single time you warm up at home, just use some familiar exercises which your horse can settle in to.

For example, one exercise I use is to ride a 20m circle, then change rein across the diagonal, ride a 20m circle at the other end then change rein across the other diagonal. Stay on this pattern for a few minutes - you could trot the circles and walk the diagonals, canter the circles and trot the diagonals, do the circles in sitting trot and ask for lengthened strides across the diagonals, anything really. Concentrate on bending on the circles and going straight on the diagonals. After a few minutes go large and try leg yielding from the three quarter line back to the track to give your horse a change. Then have a quick break and let your horse stretch.

When I get on my horse and she is tense and spooky I tend to ride this pattern to warm up. When I pick my reins up again after a break she is ready to work in an outline as the familiar exercise has helped her to settle and relax. You don't have to do this exercise specifically - just something nice and simple which you feel benefits your horse and improves his way of going at home. Use your routine occasionally when warming up at home so it becomes a familiar relaxing exercise. Then when you go to a show try using your routine in the warm up arena and you should find it helps him to settle.
 
I get the same, but I have noticed that the standard of judging is variable. Some really mark us down for hollowness (5's), but some do not (6's and 7's). It is frustrating that when we ride a really good, accurate, rhytmic, obedient, test, we get 55%.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top