How do you learn your tests?

SpringArising

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It's about time I got my arse in gear competition wise and did a bit more - I prefer SJ but also want to give dressage a crack as I know my horse would do a nice test.

The problem is that I have the short-term memory of an absolute sieve and feel like I'll never for the life of me remember a test. Please share with me how you most effectively learn one!

I did some dressage as a kid but I'm pretty sure I had a caller...
 

eggs

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I used to run around the living room much to my mum's amusement skipping along going 'canter, canter, canter', etc. Now I find it much easier to just learn the pattern and not worry about the letters too much eg. trot 20 m circle at top of school, change rein on long diagonal in medium trot, turn across the middle of the school and do some walk steps. When I am riding long arena tests (I only have a short arena at home) I tend to just think 'turn left at the new marker' as I can never remember the order of the letters.

Having a caller can help
 

Elbie

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I had a printout of a school with the letters and would read the test and trace along with my finger. Repetition was key and I would keep doing it until I could trace the whole thing without looking at the test. I also found it helped if I knew the venue - once I had learnt the test I would then visualise riding through it in the arena. For some reason that helps, I think as it seems familiar when you actually come to do the test (helps in current day as a fitness instructor learning new routines, when I learn them in my head I always visualise myself teaching it at my class).

Having a helper does help though. I would learn the tests inside out so I barely listened to the caller but it put me at ease having a safety net. The one time I didn't have a caller I panicked even though I knew I knew the test, and then spent so much focus on getting it right I kind of forgot how to ride!
 

Carrottom

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I use a sheet of paper (or the back of an old envelope) and draw a series of blank diagrams. Then draw on them as I visualize riding the test. Walk is a continuous line, trot is dashes and canter is a squiggly line. I do the whole test on one diagram so it looks like a demented mess, then move onto the next diagram, each time trying to refer to the test less.
I also tend to learn the shapes rather than the letters. Once I think I've got it I'm not adverse to jogging it out on the yard or kitchen floor.
I used to write the letters on scraps of paper and put them on the floor to help.
I agree that if you know the venue you will be riding at, visualizing the whole test there is very useful, it does take some concentration though. Can be a cure for insomnia!
 

Pinkvboots

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I used to run around the living room much to my mum's amusement skipping along going 'canter, canter, canter', etc. Now I find it much easier to just learn the pattern and not worry about the letters too much eg. trot 20 m circle at top of school, change rein on long diagonal in medium trot, turn across the middle of the school and do some walk steps. When I am riding long arena tests (I only have a short arena at home) I tend to just think 'turn left at the new marker' as I can never remember the order of the letters.

Having a caller can help

I still walk round the front room to learn a test;)
 

SpringArising

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I used to put Post-It notes for arena markers around the living room and then do the moves on foot. Something tells me this might still be my best bet...
 

teddypops

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I draw it out on paper, then I walk the test saying walk when I should be walking, trot trot trot, canter canter canter etc. Then I ride through it properly once.
 

Templebar

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Odd question but how do you learn your SJ courses. I can now learn dressage tests in about 5 mins as i tried to transfer how i learnt sj courses across. As someone said above i don't worry about letters too much and go on the shapes more. I kind of think of transitions like jumps and the rest is how to get there. Now if im SJ as long as i remember the first three fences im fine and with dressage its remembering which way to turn at c and the next movement.
 

vickie123

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I watch YouTube videos of people’s tests as I find it easier to visualise the movements being ridden. I also use my little ems pony to walk the test in the school. It’s good exercise for her and she seems to enjoy jog trotting her way round. I’m at Novice level, not sure how she’d cope with an advanced medium test mind :p
 

SpringArising

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I watch YouTube videos of people’s tests as I find it easier to visualise the movements being ridden. I also use my little ems pony to walk the test in the school. It’s good exercise for her and she seems to enjoy jog trotting her way round. I’m at Novice level, not sure how she’d cope with an advanced medium test mind :p

I've been doing this lately and I find it really helpful too!
 

Red-1

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I had a printout of a school with the letters and would read the test and trace along with my finger. Repetition was key and I would keep doing it until I could trace the whole thing without looking at the test. I also found it helped if I knew the venue - once I had learnt the test I would then visualise riding through it in the arena. For some reason that helps, I think as it seems familiar when you actually come to do the test (helps in current day as a fitness instructor learning new routines, when I learn them in my head I always visualise myself teaching it at my class).

Having a helper does help though. I would learn the tests inside out so I barely listened to the caller but it put me at ease having a safety net. The one time I didn't have a caller I panicked even though I knew I knew the test, and then spent so much focus on getting it right I kind of forgot how to ride!

I do this and it is effective but one time a local venue completely flummoxed me by putting the judge at the other end and changing all the letters around.

I don't do it by letters, just by the pattern of the school, but because I had also practiced visualising it in that arena it totally threw me and I went wrong. Now I visualise, but visualise it as the judge is here, rather than the arena. I ride the test in as many arenas (in my imagination) as I can. I ride it at BE events on grass, in indoor arenas, in outdoor arenas, on the beach - all over - always visualising a judge in a car, at a table, in a booth, all sorts!

If it is a test that really matters I also have OH test me, as in "You are in right canter, where did you do the transition and what was the previous movement."
 

Shoei

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I use the diagrams, I practice on the rug at home 😂 and I spend all that time I'm stuck in traffic drawing it with my finger on the steering wheel! I also, if I'm doing two test that start diffently write test 1 L, test 2 R on my wrist as this tends to be when I go wrong as I panic as I go in
 

albeg

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I air-draw it! Usually when I'm on the bus from work, so can't draw it on paper. Or if I'm on the horse, I stop in the middle of the arena and point around me.
 

Mule

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I draw it out a few times. I used to learn the shapes but now I learn the letters because the same thing happened to me that happened to Red-1 .
 

Gazen

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Paper letters on the living room / kitchen floor and prancing around. I also don't use the letters I use things like big circle or little circle for 20m and 15m circles and diagonal 2 or diagonal 3 depending on which marker I need to hit on the other side. I usually have a caller but sometimes you can't hear them and even if you can V and P and B and E sound like the same letter.
 

F&B

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Interesting that other people have said about which way the school is layed out. This absolutely matters to me, and I very easily get confused, if I'd previously thought it was the other way. An instructor & a few other people have said it doesn't matter - it must be different peoples brain working in different ways. I just do 1 test now, I used to get them mixed up when I tried to do 2. I try & link moves together, so that I am only learning about 3 or 4 sections.
 

Ceriann

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I buy the laminated diagrams and visualise. I dont remember the letters (so i get caught out at lessons all the time) i just think, after that bit i do that. I do this all the time - walking dogs, bath, driving etc. I dont like callers as it distracts me.
 
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