My next question... (s) re: prelim 18

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Gingernags

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Right, this is the most difficult one yet. Survived the other with no practice (no school) and can practice some movements out hacking, but these are my 2 main questions... need some tips as this is my last in a series of 3 and would really like to do better this time.

Mind the others haven't been bad but my competitive spirit has suddenly remembered it exists and has made itself known!

Right, 3 loop serpentine starting at A and on left rein in working trot - any tips for how to keep this smooth and hit the letters/track at the right place?

And 2 - I got muddled on first 2 tests and didn't read them properly, I always thought it was free walk on a loose rein - ie feed the rein right out as the horse stretches down and takes it, but it isn't of course, its LONG rein - any tips for this? I'm guessing you feed out the minimum rein you can to maintain a contact whilst the horse stretches down, letting the horse drop enough but not abandoning the contact and holding the buckle of the reins!

Help will be greatly appreciated!
 
prelim 18 - bringing bad terrible memories! Only tips i can give you is make the 3 loops of as equal size as possible and change the direction of your horses bend dead over the centre line in the loops, i use to pick up marks for being accurate doing everything exactly in the right spot as my horse was a bit of a lump he always looked a little heavy to judges even thou he was going as lightly as you could expect an irish draft to go.
The free walk on a long rein, they want to see you give as much rein as possible if your horse will walk on the buckle end with his head dropped down let him, the lower the head and freer the walk the better. With my draft I could go to buckle end and he'd drop his head right down and walk freely and let me pick him back up no problems and he always got very good marks for his free walk (7-9s), my next horse wasn't so easy when i would start to retake contact he would jog so I had to try and not give away too much contact but still show a free walk but I always got comments like head not low enough and not free enough and not enough rein given but as I knew he would jog on the retake of the rein I had to try and fudge that bit and he use to make up marks with his trot and canter work (except the times he'd explode into canter!)
Anyway hope this helps!
 
Free walk - let the rein out smoothly, keep leg on gently. Don't let rein out all the way - keep some contact - just enough for the horse to stretch right down and lengthen stride (should over track). Keep leg on when taking up reins and do it smoothly to avoid abrupt change in pace
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Oh, and don't jog
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morning!!!!

with the free walk you feed the rein to the horse so the horse takes the rein forwards and longer/lower. You need to keep a contact on the horses mouth and keep the horse marching forwards, so many people ride the free walk as a wander along holding onto the buckle and then wonder why they get cr*p marks for it.

With the 3 loop serpentine (you are in a short arena i take it?) you need to cut the arena into 3 'sections' and ride it like that, making sure you change bend/diagnol each time you cross the centre line, and make sure you touch the track with each 'side' of the loop.
 
Well, back in riding school I was always told for a 3 loop serpentine to turn between the markers on the long side and this is basically correct give or take a metre! Also make the loops smooth curves (think half cricles) rather than abrupt turns at the track.

As for the free walk on a long rein - you're right. Remember that the stretch should be forwards and down (not just down) and the walk should still have a purpose. Also remember that the transition to medium walk at the end is supposed to be smooth so don't snatch up the reins.

I hope this is of help and that I haven't just stated the obvious!
 
The serpentine should be a smooth curve followed by a straight line if that makes sense!? So dead straight across the school, and nice smooth lops at the end.
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Thanks all. the riding the loop as half circles makes sense, she is a bendy pony usually so I should be OK (crosses fingers madly)...

With the walk - I've had comments on my last test about rein being too loose and the "this is on a long rein not loose" actually written!

She does take the rein down well, and as a total novice to this really, I can see when others have ridden - how well she does it. My problem was I was riding on quite a long contact anyway, not bringing her up into enough of an outline, so when she is allowed to stretch down, its not as noticable as if I was riding in a more correct outline and shorter rein when she does drop more.

There have been benefits, on a soft and long rein (how we mooch around the countryside - oops!!!) we don't get any resistance so we've had some lovely marks about her regular paces and obedience! This weekend is going to be more disciplined ie I WILL NOT RIDE WITH WASHING LINE REINS
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though we may get a few arguments about this from the orange pony, to whom resistance is not futile!!!!

Ah well, its all practice innit?

So keep leg on with the free walk, keep strides purposeful, am usually OK with taking reins back.

One last qu... she is sometimes a real effort to keep in canter after the circles when mooching down the long side, though I'm a dressage novice, I'm not a riding novice in general - do you think spurs may help? I do ride in them on occassions, past a certain favourite napping point of hers - or would I be better just having to use my leg very strongly - just bothered in case that would then look very obvious whereas usually we do have nice quiet tests?
 
Yes, as KatB says, straight lines in between but about 6.5m from the track begin a half circle.

I think maybe spurs will help but I'm not the best person to comment (I have the opposite problem - tanking off down long sides!). Surely the principle is same as with bits - that a gentle feel with a stronger bit is better than a big tug with a soft bit so a nudge with a spur is better than a big kick without...
 
Don't do dressage anymore so jogging is no longer a problemo for me!
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(biggest cheesiest grin possible) I always got good marks for my free walk on the first horse when I went to buckle end (never below a 7 and nearly always 8 or 9) but I suppose he was quite long and even on buckle end I had contact and his reins were never loose. It was whats known as a blimp on a mountain combination!
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re canter along long side, try driving her along more with your seat, spurs may help but I never needed them so can't comment, first horse rode from my seat and barely needed to move legs (I think we were really well tuned to each other on the flat), second horse had to try and sit as light as possible because would explode at any opportunity (i have what is commonly referred to as a HOT seat!)
 
Ah see she's 15hh and reins are a bit long so I may need to allow for that! Luckily she doesn't jog, never been allowed!

She is forward going, but has a tendency to back off a bit inside the school, it sould be me passing that on to her as maybe I'm too busy remembering where I'm going and what I'm going, to be more positive and push her.

Her mother now, was a pocket rocket and yes - it would have been holding the little beggar back. Asti is usually a lot more laid back and steady. Unless she sees a jump but then not likely in a dressage arena!

Thanks peeps, feeling a lot better about it!
 
I have to say I think I love you all....

See WAAAAA-HOOOOOEY post in soapbox!!!

Didn't get placed in the test where I would have liked as we did it much better (well in my opinion) than the others where I was placed higher.... But all in all a fab day!!!!

No washing line reins, serpentine was OK and riding it as half circles and straight lines was much easier. We were really accurate on markers for transitions and though we need a more outline and bend it was a big improvement.

I'll see if I can post a pic or two in the gallery to compare.

But thanks again for your tips, it really helped!

*grins manically*
 
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