In a dressage test, what do you do if...

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minkymoo

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Your horse strikes off on the wrong lead?

I am doing my first DT on K on Saturday and I was practising this evening. He went really well but struck off on the wrong leg between X & C (am doing prelim 7 & 13 so in 13 you need to canter between X & C).

Do I:
a) go back into trot and canter again
b) hope that he changes leg
c) ignore it & carry on

I would like to try for a), though I guess I would have to make sure that I canter right on X so I have time to correct it before C - and that I realise in time.

Anyone any ideas?

Thank you!

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Its happened to me twice in one test! One comment noted how I had corrected quickly and the second comment that I hadn't!

So definitely correct as soon as you can - good luck and enjoy it!
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Stay calm (at least let the judge think you're calm) and don't rush it. Ask for the strike off again and remember you'll be credited for correcting the canter. Always picture yourself doing it beautifully and think that you will, not about what has gone wrong. If all else fails concentrate on the next movement and try to forget about the marks you've just lost or you'll end up losing more. Just remember we've all been there, everyone had to start somewhere.
 
I would hope that by the time you are doing PSG you might have your canter lead perfected
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Stay cool, don't worry and if you get the wrong lead, back to trot and try again
But don't listen to me, i just dream of competing at any level, shame i don't have transport big enough to shift my beast
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Try not to stress! Mistakes happen all the time and the judge will credit you for fixing the wrong lead in a calm and helpful (to the horse) manner. Everyone at the show will make mistakes so don't worry! I did a test today in a new place and Rusky was very nervous in the warm-up, so during the test instead of thinking of my riding I was thinking about whether he would spook, result: he didn't spook but I went wrong twice! What a twit!
 
It's worth having a look at the test and seeing if the marks for the canter are spread over 1 or 2 parts ie 10 marks for cantering down the long side and then 10 for a 20m circle - if so make sure you have corrected the canter lead before you hit the 20m circle. If you haven't quite managed to change by the circle you will lose marks for that too but if you've corrected it before then you shouldn't be penalised for that movement if that makes sense.
 
Minky, firstly, DON'T PANIC! Just come back to trot and ask for the strike off again.

I had this situation last week at a dressage I did. He pre-empted the transition and struck off on the wrong leg, we came back to trot and straight back into canter on the correct leg. Judge's comment? "Corrected strike off - 6". I thought that was pretty darn generous!!! So it really doesn't go against you as badly as you'd think.

Also, your horse might just be fine on the day and you'll have done all this thinking over nothing!!!

Good luck!
 
at least you don't have the numpty problem that I have.......I still can't tell if George is on the wrong leg, so there I am happily cantering around on the wrong leg - what an eejit!

Good luck
 
You're not on your own GG - I can't tell either, except when the RI shouts "wrong leg"! I can always see it in others but no-one has ever explained how to see it from the back of my own ned! But I am a professional WHH (Wrinkly Happy Hacker) so claim exemption from Starbuck's wrath!!!
 
Calmly come back to trot and ask for the canter again. Do not ignore you will be slated for not correcting it and then your rider mark will be affected too for not correcting!
 
i did my second prelim on saturday and was stressing about the canter transition at A, turned out we did the transition perfectly but then got so excited to be cantering (it was very windy and rainy in my defence!!) we cantered a diagonal and failed to stop at the end of the arena and shot out of the bottom! i dragged her back inside very quickly, and we got a 5 for the movement and the only comment was 'left arena' so i was quite chuffed with that, i thought i would get a 1! so, even if it does go wrong, it is never as bad as you think and the judges recognise you are doing a prelim so you are not going to be perfect or you would be doing PSG! generally when I have been writing for judges they are always really positive and go out of their way to overlook the numpty moments!!
 
My instructor has been working with me and the Welsh one on counter canter and he is now so balanced that when I did my last prelim he struck off on the wrong leg and I just didn't notice til I got to 'E'!!!
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