How do you know when your horse is ready for aff dressage

[colourednut]

Hi
I have a 5 year old mare who is scoring consistent 64%- 69% unaff. prelim & novice. She is working really well at home as well. We have managed to master reinback, shoulder in, leg yield and other lateral movements. She feels balanced and our work is consistent. She has a beautiful walk to canter and can canter to walk etc... She is very clever mare and learns extremely fast. All my unaff comments from judges say good active paces. Good rhythm. Very attractive horse should go far... Is it time to bite the bullet. Any comments appreciated and ideas

 

[Sarah_Jane]

Yes you sound more than ready.Your marks may not be as high as at unaffiliated but you should be competitive. Go for it and have a go.

 

[teapot]

Go for it - nothing to lose

 

[Evadiva1514]

I think you sound as though you are more than ready to bite the bullet, as Sarah_Jane said you may notice your % dip slightly when you first affiliate, but apart from that i think you will be fine!!

Good luck and have fun!!

 

[Bananaman]

And it's a thumbs up from me too!!!!!!!

Enjoy, photos and reports required though!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[GDB]

Thumbs up from me too... certainly ready..now get on with it!!!


Hx

 

[not_with_it]

Go for it, you sound ready. Do you feel ready?

 

[josephinebutter1]

I had the opposite effect to Sara-Jane - my horsey was quite an ugly TB (but beatiful to me obviously!), but worked very correctly and my marks went up when we went affiliated. Unaffiliated novice was getting mid to high 50's, but when I was judged by registered affiliated judges, went to mid 60's consistently.

I think coz he was gangly and ugly, a lot of people couldn't see past that to the lovely work he was more than willingly producing.

Lots of people with not traditional looking "dressage horses" do better when affiliated as the judges really know what they are looking for and will not just mark the flashy, but incorrect, horses higher.

That's just my experience, but know of a few people with cobby types that do better affiliated too.

 

[Madam_max]

Funny you should say that but I always get better marks with aff judges. My mare dishes and I think a lot of people think horses like that shouldn't do dressage.

 

[Sparklet]

My marks went up too. Good luck

 

[colourednut]

Thanks for your comments. I think it is me who is unsure. But I feel we are more than capable is I don't get silly!!!!!! After all you comments have now downloaded the BD forms for registering her and myself. Will enter one once papers back. In the meantime keep working hard and IMPROVING!!!!!!