Learning a dressage test for a child.

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zoelouisem

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Hi, after a very good mini camp from my daughter and her new pony, shes been asked to go on the team for the area mini championships for the dressage. We are both really pleased and i am really proud.
But its in a months time and as its a championship shes not allowd it called. Shes only 8 so weve got a bit of a mission!!!!
I usually teach her as im an instructor but ive drafted in a work friend as i think that will help her focus more rather than answering back at me ect in lessons.
Ive made a mini areaa at home for her to practice it, but any more tips wouldbe greatfully recieved to help her learn it?

Thanks
 
If I've got kids needing to learn a dressage test I put them into pairs, put a pair of reins onto the belt loops of one's jods, and make them "ride" their test round the arena.
They're penalised for striking off on the wrong leg in canter etc. as they would be in the real thing, and most of them have a hard time not wetting themselves laughing.

I do this with the kids I teach because my instructor at my first junior camp did it with us, and I'll never forget how much fun I had, or how much easier I found it to remember my test!
 
Get her running it round your kitchen. If she's feeling very energetic, she can do it in a full sized arena :D

Once she can do it on the floor, I'd mark out an arena so she can ride it through a few times.

It sounds like a mission, but at 8 my sister was merrily doing tests uncalled (PC ODEs don't let you have callers on the whole) and it wasn't a huge mission to learn them, and she's Mrs Daffy :D
 
we used to make a mini arena ( with letters) in the living room, and get my daughter to ride the test that way.

Good luck x
 
As above using kitchen floor (it has tiles so they are the markers) and also lots of sheets of A4 that she can draw the test on whilst saying it out loud. My daughter is dyslexic but has managed to learn dressage tests since the age of 7 using these methods.

Also - well done to your daughter for making the team!
 
Thanks, weve got letters down in the living room and been doing it at home. We only found out yesterday so weve got a while ago yet. Its only the intro test so pretty basic and shes usually pretty good at learning courses. SHe did an eventers challenge yesterday and had no problems with that and does XC courses no probs. But shes only really shown and jumped not done much dresssage, she did a bit on the lead rein but obviously i ran it so she didnt need to learn it.
A usually tell people i teach not to do it to much on there horse so they anticipate but i think im going to ignore that as daughter is so young so she can ride it as much as possible.
I like the reins and another kiddie that sounds fun!!! The ponyclub are going to do some training sessions so i expecct that will help too!
 
Can you borrow other horses & ponies for her to practice the test on? Even if they aren't well schooled or suitable just to get the test remembered? Even if for eg a borrowed tiny tots pony doesn't canter so she remembers where to ask for transistions.
Get her to do it on foot, shouting aloud what pace she's in as she does it. First get her doing first 3/4, when memorized add on another movement every day or so.
And if its possible find a song to learn it to at home. When mine was 6 she learnt a ridden show that way. Ours was a high school musical one, went along the lines of:
Walk a line, walk a line
Go left, left,
Trot a circle, trot a circle etc.
Then when she could sing it to the music she could sing it without & then think it without singing.
And doing it on a bike, shouting out her pace.
 
I wondered if there was an app just downloading it now for her. Shes also been looked after by my friend for 3 days this week while im working and shes a teacher and also rides her self so shes going to do some with her which will be good.
She was watching the olmypic dressage today saying im going to do that to her friend and was very excited because that was on the TV bless her!
 
When my daughter was young we used to chalk the markers on the patio so she could run round the test - worked brilliantly - she can now have the test read once and then know it - progress!!:)
 
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