How did you decide which discipline you compete at?

FestiveSpirit

FestiveSpirit

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Sounds an obvious question, but I am currently having a complete dither about whether to try and event again next year or whether to focus on dressage. I enjoy both, although I am much more nervous when eventing (love it when I actually get out onto the XC, it is just the bit before!) and I am more successful at dressage (at my lowly level I hasten to add!)

I can see definite advantages of focussing on dressage (mainly money related!) but am wondering how much I would miss eventing... part of me thinks that if I dont go XC schooling or anything like that then I wont miss it as much
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Has anyone made the change from one discipline to another? What was the reason for the change, and did you decide to go back to your original discipline afterwards?
 
When I was a young slip of a lass I did showjumping and hunter trialing. As both I and Hadleigh got older we grew bored of showjumping, lots of hanging around and a 1 minute burst of activity. Plus we weren't very good at it.
We had better success at Hunter Trials but eventually Hads told me he was too old to be throwing himself over fences.
We then tried our hand at dressage. I, who thought I could ride, was forced to do things with my legs and weight by a lady in a wheelchair who, it turned out, was a grand prix level judge and very demanding! I am now bitten by the dressage bug, went to Germany and bought a horse, who incidentally has far too much to say for himself, and attempt to impress judges, usually unsuccessfully, in the dressage arens oif Cheshire.
Bet you are sorry you asked now, right?
 
Not sorry at all Mattilda, that is just the sort of story I was interested in hearing
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I dunno, I have always said I wanted to event and I bought Bob to event, but I have always been rubbish at it (never look up my BE record, it is truly appalling!)

Now with the dressage I am getting a huge buzz out of having a horse who is getting better and better (vote Tabledancer if you want an instructor who gets brilliant results despite a really numpty rider
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I do enjoy jumping but for some reason my brain does not seem to be able to cope with doing both jumping and flatwork reasonably well
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It just seems to cope with one thing or the other
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Wanted to event but too many hard falls and mare with a talent in the dressage arena meant I switched.
I generally like to find out what the horse prefers and do that, trouble is current horse likes to stand in a field the best.
 
This is a good question! When I was younger I did a bit of everything, but never enjoyed going XC. I had to be dragged to hunter trials and hated it. Dressage was pretty much unknown in Ireland in the late 1980s, so it was Show Jumping for me!

I got the dressage bug later on after spending some time abroad and realising what there was to it. But I didn't have a clue and just rode by feel. I got by having had a solid equestrian education but the real technicalities remained a mystery. But the rot had set in! I lost my bottle jumping big fences and by the time I moved to the UK, I had pretty much decided that I found dressage interesting and fun, and that I wanted to learn how to do it "properly". Little did I know that would be a lifetime and more of work
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Hmm, I decided I wanted to event as a child, before I even had my own pony, or any chance of having my own horse/pony! I started hunting seriously when I was about 13, after being on a dressage yard, realised the XC riding really was amazing, but also loved the dressage, and the Sjing
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Had another couple of years of persuading other peoples hunt horses (and any other horses!!) to do dressage and SJ in the winter, brought a cob as a "project" who stayed longer than planned, but earned me some money to buy Goddy to event, and went as a WP to an eventing yard and was well and truly bitten
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However, I am realistically never going to have the money or support to event seriously
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Something I am slowly coming to realise, and even more slowly accepting
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SO, in the not too distant future (although probably a few seasons away!) I will probably end up SJing or Dressaging more than eventing. I want to have a good crack at eventing Lucky though first
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Well I started doing Tetrathlon as my pony's were as much use as a chocolate fire guard and you could still do well even if you didn't complete the XC!

Then I got a pony that could jump so I did a lot of SJ and XC, then decided to event her as that was the only way to progress as there were few HTs near me, so I joined BE. Did some Intro/PN jumped Double Clears every time, last after Dr every time, placed 20th ish every time but I loved it.

Then I moved onto horses and have tried eventing the two I have with varying success but I've enjoyed it despite this but going to do more Dressage and some Intros with one, SJing with the other and hopefully find one to Event.

I've decided I want to event as I've enjoyed it despite the bad days, I came back from my last event of the season and I'd enjoyed it the most despite a bad Dr, pole SJ and stop XC which says it all imo. I've also finished the season looking forward to working on the Dressage and SJing this winter which also makes me
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My parents also like the fact I get start times!

Sorry it's a bit long
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i show-jumped first, as a teen, only had 1 horse and got from baby stuff to Foxhunter, i always wanted to be a sjer as a kid! but then the hanging-around-all-day etc etc got really boring, i'd had a lot of fun round a few hunter trials, and i kept my horse with someone who used to event, who encouraged me to have a crack at it (i'd never ridden a test before...)
learnt the wrong test for my first one and found out 5 mins before test (never done that again...!) and finished on dr score, utterly hooked in 1 day!
i know eventing is stupidly expensive but i don't think i'd bother with the horses at all if i didn't keep dreaming of getting somewhere again in eventing. pure dressage doesn't light my fire enough, and nor does sjing... and i am not a happy hacker, it is a means to an end for me!
 
I think you may have answered your own question Splotchy, just by reading this as an outsider! Why not just try it for a season, if you do seriously miss eventing you can always have a day on a ticket. Do what you enjoy, life is way too short if you really suffer from nerves! Even if you switch back a season afterwards, at least it will give you a good taste of the dressage world and you'll know if you like it!!

Must admit i've always loved my jumping, hunting and xc, right from being 4 yo, i've always hunted and had good all round pc ponies! I did lots of showing and Working Hunter with my 14hh, just because he was v good at it, but he still hunted! I decided when i got this horse that i wanted to just do all disciplines again, and my big lad now is an overgrown pony club pony Tbh and does everything, which suits me! He is definately better at jumping than dressage though...but that bit is improving, so i do work more towards his strengths (& mine) competing.

I do wonder sometimes into the future though, when kids come along etc whether if i'll want to do more dressage and less dangerous activitiies!! We'll see i guess.......!

I guess what i'm trying to say is, we all change and just go with it!
 
My father played polo so I did too originally but it's so very hard on the horses and I really couldn't afford to keep a string, particularly when the sport duffs them up so easily. Therefore I retrained my old polo pony to event and hunt so he had something to do. I could see myself getting into dressage though - at a high enough level, it must be incredibly rewarding. I think you go with what your horse is up for though - grey horse likes his eventing so OH (having been polo-mad) has switched to that and wants to go as far as he can.
 
Always show jumped as a child, show jumped with my horse up to Fox/Grade C and then another horse. Started working hunter classes with him and did well. First show jumping horse retired, then second horse had to stop jumping so started showing him and over a period of time find I have totally lost my confidence jumping. Now still have second horse mentioned above but bought another horse to show locally and exceeding wildest dreams have since been to HOYS twice with him including being placed there. Miss jumping from the exciting jump off point of view and from the fact that you are not dependant upon someone's sometime odd decision as to which horse they prefer but know that I could never show jump well enough now to compete at the type of shows I compete at showing so am unlikely to change back although would love to have the confidence to jump again.
 
despite riding since I was young I was never encouraged to SJ or choose a particular discipline so gave up when I was 17 for a few years, moved to Italy when I was 23 and started riding again. Also helped that I happened to be based at a top italian SJers yard with my instructor. Came back to the UK with my horse (bay in sig) in 2006 after having a few seasons of just Sjing and decided I wanted to try eventing. Bad idea! After a couple of runs I realised I would never have the 'bottle' to do anything bigger than 3ft XC wise so decided to stick to SJing - horse preferred it anyway and I had a couple of nasty falls XC, which didn't help.

Absolutley love SJing - have only ventured into the realm of dressage divas once (only because mare was off jumping for a bit) and despite a good result it still didn't feel as good as a ok SJing round if you know what I mean.
 
hmmmm!!

Current horse always was BSJA and we are hoping to do our first fox next weekend.

This season we have attempted eventing and have done some PN with double clears (but rubbish dressage)

Have not decided on what we are doing next year yet as its going to be either or..unfortunately our dressage is cr@p and we are trying to get better with lessons but we will see! I suppose thats the deciding factor...

Hard though as everyone who knows me and the horse thinks we should be doing pure showjumping...
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I've always wanted to event. Only had my own horse for the last 3.5yrs and only had the transport/horse being sound for the last 1.5yrs to actually go out and give it a go!

I did spend a few years as a sharer being a happy hacker, but don't think I'd like to go back to that now. I like having something to aim for- whether it's a ODE, HT, dressage or SJ comp (the latter two I do in order to improve the ODE scores, I can't see myself doing only them and no XC!)

At the start of the season, I got most nervous before DR, less before SJ and least before XC. However, through the season this has been slightly reversing! I think, possibly, this is because I have become more confident in getting better (but not good!
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) flatwork from my horse and then placing more pressure on myself to not be a numpty in the jumping phases as it's been our strong area and I don't want to let that part slip.

As a one horse amateur rider, I wouldn't do anything I didn't actually enjoy doing- it's too time consuming and expensive to do it and not have fun! So that is how I would base my decision on what to do if I were you. Slight nerves before competing is normal for most folk, crippling nerves and not ejonying it are not!
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From what you've said, I'd say focus on the dressage if that's what you are enjoying, with some SJ/HT for fun in amongst it and maybe a couple ODEs on a ticket if you feel like it would be a good plan?
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Well...eventing here is a tiny tiny tiny sport, I think we have 3 XC courses in the country. Something like that. And as for eventing instructors..I would have no idea where to look at all.
So obv, for me eventing was out..

I kinda fell into dressage and showing to begin with, started working an ex-racer who was really off his head, but after some schooling could clear up in the show ring when he behaved. The yard I found him at was a pro showing yard, so it was a given I'd try it at some point..dressage seemed to go hand in hand, so we took him novice level then he ended up being put to sleep. He had jumped some, and I loved it but he was completely insane and I never would have done it at a show.

I then got my own ex-racer when I turned 17, and we started in dressage, because he needed a lot of retraining before he could jump or anything..I show him occasionally too. He's gone novice now, and he's been jumping too.

I personally have fallen into jumping more now. I worked with a very good showjumper for a while and I just really love it, and know I want to take it further. Plus my ex-racer enjoys it and has some talent in it, so I plan to explore it. I was also working a pony with a brilliant jump, so it seemed natural to mess around with it a bit..

But I think really..find out what your horse likes best and performs best in. If you hate it, sell...if you like it then consider making that your main thing. Personally, i do think all horses should be able to do at least basic dressage and low jumps, regardless of what discipline you ride..because they're both beneficial. But thats just my opinion
 
well, when i got my first pony when i was 10...he was just a fat lump to be frank...that could op a jump - so i obviously did no flatwork or anything and just hacked and jumped...so i never got an early bug for dressage atall...

so now i just showjump, i love it because i love jumping over fences, and the thrill of doing the courses as they are always different,
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love it! i have tried my hand at hunting (couldnt stop so gave that a miss
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ha) and at hunter trials (i have to say i do like these...but only at a low level, im not too confident over solid fences
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) and i did do the odd dressage last year...but absolutley LOATHED it
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haha so didnt bother with that again...

SO...showjumping is for me
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I evented and show jumped to a decent level on ponies, moved on to horses and pure sj, stopped it all at 19 and have recently bought my first own horse again (am in my early 30s) - I always thought that i wanted to get back to the level I was at sj when I quit at 19 which was 1.20-1.30m competition level - but unfortunately I now think anything beyond 1.15m is HUGE... I must say pure dressage is becoming more and more appealing as one approaches middle age... and I would never event again!
 
I was an out and out showjumper, I would jump anything and everything. People that did dressage were wimps as far as I was concerned! I then did a bit of eventing so was forced to do dressage (not very well) and hated it with a passion!
I decided to get a job working with horses again after being out of it for a while but the only job that I could get where I could take my dog with me was working for a dressage rider. Her husband was MFH so I thought I might at least get a few days hunting in lol! So I went for it.

The first horse she put me on was her elderly GP horse who did nothing but passage for the first week of me riding him! I soon got used to him and riding all the 'party tricks' and was then well and truely hooked on dressage. Love it now and wouldn't be bothered if I never jumped another jump again!!
 
I was in the PC from the moment I got my pony, as was my sister, so we did anything and everything. Loads of rallies, and to do tests you had to go XC, SJ and od some dressage so we just did it all. That just continued, and we did every comp they had to offer- my poor pony did gymkhana games, SJ, a mini XC round and a showing class all in one day! Did some mini ODEs, jojned a RC and began to do well. I now just do whatever's happening, but my sister loves her XC, and her SJ too much and is gradually being hooken by dressage and events. Last year she was doing 3'3, and some 3'9s on her 14.2hh but this year will be back to 2'6ish with her new boy.
 
Bought what I thought was a ploddy old nag, that was rather thin and no topline at all, fattened out with some muscle, wouldnt have looked out of place in the badminton trot up (well I think so anyway).

So with realising I had the right sort of horse (as well as knowing BE course builder), thought eventing would be good idea.

Horse can do a cracking dressage test when it wants, as well as doing the jumping when it wants, just never all three things in one day.

We will get there one day!
 
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Am equally rubbish at all disciplines so eventing is the least disheartening thing to do
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Yeah right Gamebird
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Hmmm well this hasnt given me the 'Eureka' moment I hoped it might
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It is actually the SJ phase of eventing which I hate, therefore it is the phase I am totally awful at, therefore I need to practice more and get out sj-ing more....
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Soooooo boring
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I suppose the answer is to spend a year or so dressaging and doing hunter trials, but BE XC courses are so much nicer than HT courses around here
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I started out doing a bit of everything, but the horses I've ended up with have all steered me in the direction of show jumping one dressage judge wrote that I should try to not look as bored as my horse at dressage....

Up until my early 20s I was obsessed by mounted games - I think that is why I am quite competitive. I have BE'd upto Novice.

I show jump now as my current horse is quite good at it, hates dressage, and has a bit of a breathing issue - so not too sure how she would handle a XC course.

Mattilda - the lady in a wheelchair you had lessons with, was she Dr Woodward? I used to have dressage lessons with her as well.
 
Well, I wanted to SJ, but worked on dressage too, but because my DC did advanced eventing, and I happened to be like a daughter to her, she bit me with the bug in 2007, and I haven't looked back.

The only reason I ride now is for the XC! Although I do still love my SJ, I'm just really bad at it compared to XC! I can't remember the last time I got jumping penalties XC. Maybe it was at the PC areas '08 at Aldon?

Lol. Basically, I may as well not be alive if it weren't for XC and eventing
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i've wanted to event since... forever really!
i can't remember when it set in but i was very young.

my first pony at 12 was a horrid monster who spent most of his time running backwards or rearing.

didn't event at all until i was 17 and despite breaking my ribs at my first event i was hooked!

i love dressage as well (spent 18 months at a dressage yard when i was 16/17 as knew it had to be good to get decent results eventing) and can see me doing pure dressage one day- but probably 20 years from now
 
I now do unaffiliated dressage and low level endurance, 'cause I'm crap.
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Well, its also to do with my most promising jumping horse turning out unsound, said horse decking me and finishing off my back injury, that I'm not interested or dedicated enough to get far at dressage, and I've had a bit of an epiphany about whether trying to be competitive with horses is really the best thing for them at all.
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I don't really belong in here but as there are no bouncers I come in anyway sometimes.
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I don't really belong in here but as there are no bouncers I come in anyway sometimes.
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PMSL
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Well (whispers) I dont really either, but they are very tolerant of me and havent chucked me out yet
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Hmm well my family isn't at all horsey, so I spent most of my formative years with my now YO who used to event. She was very tolerant of me and took me 'grooming' with her when I was a kid, and it never really occurred to me that some people did anything else with their horses.

I'm rubbish at SJ and have had times when I've thought I'll give it all up and just do dressage but I can't imagine not going xc again. I just have to watch some Badders on the tv or hear the xc tannoy and I remember what it's all about. That said, I expect there will come a time when my mare has to retire from BE and then I hope I will then be able to continue her BD career.

I think you have to follow your heart with it really - if you don't really want to be there, you won't put your all into it. Horses are so expensive and time consuming, it's silly to do something you aren't sure about. Either way, it's not like it's a permanent decision, you can always swap half way through the year whatever you choose.
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