Making the step up to affiliated dressage

[FestiveFuzz]

Apologies in advance if this is a really silly post. I've ridden since childhood but up until now I've only ever competed unaffiliated dressage (intro/prelim with my last horse who didn't really enjoy dressage and novice/elementary many years ago but on a horse that really knew her job inside and out and made me look like a way better rider than I was/am!). Last year I made the decision to focus more on dressage, so I found an awesome trainer and moved to a competition yard. I also bought a young dressage horse to bring on under the watchful eyes of my trainer and things were really beginning to gel when my horse suffered a potentially career ending injury in the field. She's now been turned away for a year to give her the best possible chance of recovery, which leaves me with an empty stable...

I've spent the summer having lessons once or twice a week on my trainer's schoolmaster, which has helped massively with my riding and have now been offered the opportunity to take on a fairly established older horse on full loan but am worried about messing things up and ruining said horse's record as they have been fairly consistent in their placings to date. My trainer thinks I'll be fine and tends to think I am too critical of my riding/put too much pressure on myself. I'm really excited and am aware this is an amazing opportunity, but I just want to make sure I'm doing everything right and setting us both up for success as I don't want to let anyone down.

Short term I'm just planning to get to know the horse, continue having weekly lessons with my trainer (with plenty of homework) and get out to some unaffiliated dressage with a view to making the step up to affiliated next year (although I will need to get my head around what the current rules mean for us as whilst I don't have a BD record yet the horse does).

Does anyone have any tips and advice on how to make the most of this opportunity and anything else I might need to know when it comes to making the move to affiliated dressage? I know everyone has to start somewhere, but I'm just a little nervous that I'm coming to affiliated quite late and don't want to look completely silly.

 

[be positive]

I guess the owner is not concerned about you "ruining" the record of their horse so stop worrying over something that may or may not happen, as it is an older horse and they are loaning rather than selling then any results or lack of results will probably be irrelevant, it sounds as if you are more than prepared to get on with BD just take your time to get to know the new horse and stop being so negative.

It will be the ideal way to start having a horse that should know the job, cannot help with the rules as they get more complicated every year, your trainer will point you in the right direction.

 

[ihatework]

Go for it is my advice as you won't know when you will next have this opportunity.

If you want to dip your toe in at affiliated then just do it - don't spend too long faffing at unaffiliated. The reason I say this is it's not really 'stepping up', they are exactly the same tests, just one is under BD banner.

I think you will be pleasantly surprised at how comparable the standards are for BD compared to bigger unaff venues, there seems to be a pre conception of big flash mega buck warmbloods all over the shop whereas the reality is often quite different, especially at the lower levels.

As for eligibility - yes you generally need a PhD to interpret the new rules, I'd suggest you drop the office an email with the horses BD name and they will tell you what you can enter as a combination.

 

[PorkChop]

Sounds like a great opportunity

I think we worry far too much about a horses "record" - tbh unless the owner is planning to sell the horse and put value on it, it really doesn't matter

 

[FestiveFuzz]

I guess the owner is not concerned about you "ruining" the record of their horse so stop worrying over something that may or may not happen, as it is an older horse and they are loaning rather than selling then any results or lack of results will probably be irrelevant, it sounds as if you are more than prepared to get on with BD just take your time to get to know the new horse and stop being so negative.

It will be the ideal way to start having a horse that should know the job, cannot help with the rules as they get more complicated every year, your trainer will point you in the right direction.

I'm glad it's not just me that's struggling with the rules! You're right though, the owner knows my trainer well and is more than happy with the set up. There's the option to potentially buy the horse at a later date, but it doesn't really make much difference either way as I intend to keep the horse long term as per the arrangement with the owner.

Go for it is my advice as you won't know when you will next have this opportunity.

If you want to dip your toe in at affiliated then just do it - don't spend too long faffing at unaffiliated. The reason I say this is it's not really 'stepping up', they are exactly the same tests, just one is under BD banner.

I think you will be pleasantly surprised at how comparable the standards are for BD compared to bigger unaff venues, there seems to be a pre conception of big flash mega buck warmbloods all over the shop whereas the reality is often quite different, especially at the lower levels.

As for eligibility - yes you generally need a PhD to interpret the new rules, I'd suggest you drop the office an email with the horses BD name and they will tell you what you can enter as a combination.

Thanks ihatework, emailing BD is probably my best bet. I'm not currently riding at the level the horse competes at, but I'm hoping that having something that knows its job again will help me improve, not to mention the fact that I'll finally be able to ride more than a couple of times a week again. I trust my trainer implicitly so for the most part I'm sure she'll steer me right, but I sometimes worry I'm just asking stupid questions so it's always good to come on here and ask my more general questions as I know she's very busy.

 

[FestiveFuzz]

Sounds like a great opportunity

I think we worry far too much about a horses "record" - tbh unless the owner is planning to sell the horse and put value on it, it really doesn't matter

You're probably right. I think I'm just getting too het up on what an amazing opportunity it is and really don't want to do anything to ruin it.

 

[HufflyPuffly]

Echoing the others and say go for it .

In basic terms you will generally be able to compete two levels below where the horse has points if you want to start in bronze:

- Intro bronze, horse not to have won any points at elementary, 15 at novice.
- Prelim, any at med or 15 at elementary.

and so on.

If you want to start in silver, then it will depend on how well the horse has performed at regionals, generally speaking 68% at regionals two levels above would make the horse ineligible.

You will be eligible for gold as you have no points as a rider .

But email/phone the office they are always super helpful!