It was enlightening watching dressage at the weekend

[Casey76]

yesterday I took myself off to one of my nearest venues to watch the dressage (if I'd got my finger out I really could have competed, but in the end 2 weeks was not enough preparation... for me to learn a test and also to get a doctor to sign my medical release form; so I took myself off for a looksee instead)

I've been to this venue many, many times to watch the SJ comps, and I was really surprised what a different atmosphere it was. The huge indoor was being used, and had the white boards up for the dressage square. It all looked very posh (though not as posh as some of the photos from the winter regionals floating around on this board ).

I got there at 9, and was just in time to see the test that I would most likely be entering, and after watching a few, I sighed a very personal big sigh, knowing that I could go out now and be competitive

You know how you can build something up in your head until it is a Really Big Thing? Well, even though these were entry level tests, I had kind of built everything up, so that all of the competitors were fabulous, all of the horses were immaculately turned out and behaved... it was really nice to see that, actually, the riders looked like normal people, and the horses were not all immaculately turned out, and were occasionally spooky, or anticipated a transition, or struck off on the wrong leg. Not everyone had a dressage saddle either (which I was also worrying about).

There are some very bizarre things in French dressage - like up until a certain level, you can do your test in a Gogue (which I find completely weird), but you get more marks for not wearing one, or less marks for it being fully engaged all of the time). You aren't allowed a schooling whip during your test, and you are eliminated if you enter the arena carrying one (so the coach usually stands at the entrance to take it off you as you go in).

After staying for about an hour or so, I decided that, yes, I could probably do it. It will take me forever to learn a test, as I have no sense of direction, and is my biggest hurdle in "doing" dressage. how do people learn a test if they have difficulty in remembering sequences?

 

[DirectorFury]

It's always really interesting to hear about competing in other countries . Best of luck with it!

Re: remembering tests, I learn floor patterns rather than 'do XYZ at A then ABC at B'.

 

[Enfys]

It will take me forever to learn a test, as I have no sense of direction, and is my biggest hurdle in "doing" dressage. how do people learn a test if they have difficulty in remembering sequences?[/QUOTE]

I too, am directionally challenged, whenever I have a test, or course to learn I think in shapes, so a dressage test, to me, is a series of patterns to the near or off side.

 

[pennandh]

After staying for about an hour or so, I decided that, yes, I could probably do it. It will take me forever to learn a test, as I have no sense of direction, and is my biggest hurdle in "doing" dressage. how do people learn a test if they have difficulty in remembering sequences?

The way I tend to learn dressage tests is to mark out a scaled-down (very approximate scaling, I might add) arena in the garden and 'ride' it on foot with a family member roped in to call for me until I figure out how it works spatially. I mean, I sometimes manage to remember bits of the test 'the way it's written' so to speak, but it's mostly done out of spatial/muscle memory. I can't actually practice the whole thing more than once or twice on the pony, because Mr H learns tests much faster than me and starts pre-empting instructions.