I hate dressage. I really really do.

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MagicMelon

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It's just a joke. I hate it! Ive ALWAYS hated it (prefer my SJ & eventing!) but because we've moved up a level on one horse eventing wise, our dressage is now the only thing holding us back so I figured right, this winter DRESSAGE. I went to one today with one of my babies and hated it. It makes me SO stressed and then Im just horrid to my horse. The first test was a total disaster, horse was hyper as hell and at one point I couldn't stop in the canter! I had to haul him in the mouth to a stand still or we would have left the arena..... So then I felt guilty for hauling him. I actually got mainly 6's which I felt was way too nice consdering it was THAT horrendous. Next test my aim was to remain calm and I changed his bit. This worked and my horse was far better, he went quite well. Compared to the first test, this one was a million times better!! Guess what we got, 2% LESS than the first test! WHAT?! It was 2 different judges but jeezus the consistency is out the window in dressage! And these 2 were judging affiliated classes alongside unaffiliated so I would have thought they'd be well enough trained.

Anyway, it just really irritated me because it makes no sense to get a worse mark in a better test. Still really depressing me though as I know its me that's letting all my horses down in their dressage. I get so stressed about it. I'll happily thunder round a big XC but make me trot in circles and I come out in a cold sweat.

Im never going to improve. Ever. Ive had plenty of lessons but as soon as I go in the arena I forget everything and go as stiff as a board.

I just hate it so much! I would NEVER do it but I know that I have to improve for our eventing. My eventing horse is better at dressage than my babies (obviously) but we still haven't improved that much in the past year.

What do I do? Think I need a twin who could do this bit and I just do the jumpy bits.....
 
I have the same problem as I move up the grades eventing my dressage is struggling to keep up. I have put this winter aside for improving dressage and I'm not looking forward to it! I am great believer in positive thinking and I try and convince myself I enjjoy dressage and I'm relaxed I'm sure it helps a bit but I really feel the frustrations of not being as good as I want to be.
 
You've got to calm down & get less stressed. I know it's easy to say but not so easy to do. If you are stressed it will pass onto your horse. We had a similar problem with our horse but we stuck at it and he is now so much calmer than he was. He gets good dressage marks & because he is better schooled on the flat he is better over is jumps. When all said and done during a round of jumps only 5% of your time you are in the air the rest you are on the ground. It is imperative that you stick with the dressage, how many times have you seen a pro have a bad dressage test & then just retire from the competition because a good score in that discipline is a must. It's hard but you must stick at it to progress. Good Luck
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So do I
The uda day I took my horse to preliminary dressage and he totallly went spaz. Thought it wold b easy 4 him but ended shattering my hopes of doing well. Thoroughbreds can really be a pain in the neck sometimes!
All I have to do to help me is to remember that dressage is the foundation of every equestrian discipline nd without it u mite as well not ride. See if that helps you.
Mayb ur horse was just havin a bad day. Remeber a horse can sense if your stressed so when you go into the dressage arena, sit straight, dont slump in your saddle, take a deep breath and try focus on one specific thing that you want to get right that day. Work on one thing at a time or else you gonna send you and your horse into a tizz trying to do everything perfectly altogether.
 
You could book a few lessons on an advanced dressage schoolmaster!! You might be surprised, and actually enjoy it! And it will give you inspiration and feel for your own horses.

To ride a well-schooled, comfortable schoolmaster is brilliant fun. I had a lesson on one a while back, and by the end of it I'd done canter pirouttes, changes, piaffe, passage, all the sideways stuff, and I swear that flying accross the arena in medium trot was almost as exhilerating as jumping a big hedge!

It gave me loads of inspiration and a feel of what I'm aiming for with my own horses, I learnt a lot from it.

And I'm normally an eventing person, so I know where you're coming from.

Go on, book a lesson...
 
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