Prelim Dressage - Outlines?

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MB1201

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Hi I am hoping to do my first time ever dressage test next month - prelim level. How important is it for the horse to be on the bit? The horse I ride and am planning to do it on does not accept the contact very well and constantly resists - I don't want to be pulling her head down either. However, if my test is accurate and the horse is making good transitions and moving forward - although holding her head up like a giraffe - should we still get okay-ish marks? I'm not concerned about winning or even placing as long as I get out and do it but this horse does not like to relax into the contact.. Anybody know? :)
 
At prelim an accurate test will still be rewarded. If you know that you will fall down on the submission scores then work really hard on making your test pinpoint accurate - really tight turns, spot on transitions etc. You will find that your scores are lower than a relaxed horse, but this doesn't mean that you shouldn't do it! Get out and enjoy yourselves.
 
An accurate test will get marked fairly reflecting how the horse performs each movement but I don't see how you can ride really accurately if the horse is going along like a giraffe so bearing in mind that the atmosphere may make her more tense than normal try not to be too disappointed if the marks are lower than you would expect or desire.

That said it is still worth going, treat it as a fun day out and part of the training process, a few lessons between now and then may help prepare you and give you some help as to how to get the best out of her in a test, most horses can learn how to reach towards a contact even if they are not consistent or completely accepting, a lot can be done in a month to improve her general way of going even if it is only in one pace initially.
 
Thank you - she's a riding school horse that I'm only riding weekly so I won't be able to do much in the way of 'training' her, this is only my third week on her and she's perfect for my ability, she's a great jumper and accomplished at flat work and she accepts the bit but not the contact if you get where I'm coming from, she's constantly salivating whilst ridden and seems relaxed but just trots round with her head up haha. It's my first test and unaffiliated so I'm not too bothered about the score but obviously I'd like it to go as smoothly as possible, thanks for he help :)
 
Just enjoy the experience and don't worry too much about where her head is, if she's being ridden by a variety of people there won't be much consistency in the contact. Be accurate, nicely forward and smile! Have a lovely time.
 
Don't worry about it - loads of people lose marks by trying to hold the head in / down and getting stiffness / resistance / terrible paced as a result. You would certainly get better marks if she wasn't going like a giraffe, but in these circumstances just enjoy it and play to your strengths!
 
IT would depend on the nature of the giraffing for me.

As a judge I look for (at prelim) - good rhythm, nicely forwad going, obedient transitions, soft to the contact (bear in mind this contact doesn't have to be the 'correct' outline) and relaxed overall.

If the giraffe you speak of is a hollow tense giraffe, not so good. However if it is more of a I 'just don't do roundness' you shouldn't get hammered.

Often it is worse seeing someone on a giraffe trying to get a round outline whihc then spoils the contact, creates resistance and reduces forward movement.

Go and enjoy and see what you get :)
 
You should still be able to get a good mark without an outline, I've previously got marks in the high 60%s with youngsters that can do an accurate test but aren't quite ready to accept the contact fully so depending on the competition you could well be in the ribbons. Good luck and have fun!
 
Useful thread. For my first outing with the youngster, I went too far the other way (I over-rode with too strong a contact, so he defaulted to being tucked BTV - blurk). If I ever get round to trying a 2nd attempt, will try v hard not to be too fussed about outline and just allow forward even if it does mean slight giraffe tendencies!
 
Thank you! Yes, its very much a case of once you get her going shes nicely forward and the majority of the time relaxed, Batgirl - in all three paces she tends to go round with her head like your horse in the last two pictures on your sig, she accepts the contact but just doesnt round her neck - thank you for your help
 
It's fine, much better than pulling them down. This thread made me laugh as about a year ago I said to my now ex sharer she didn't need to worry about an outline in intro dressage on my newly broken 4 year old. She posted on here that she was 'gobsmacked' I said this and I was absolutely slated!! Nice there are sensible people on here too!
 
It will depend on the judge as to what their 'buttons' are and what they are likely to mark up or down. At unaffiliated it is a bit of a lottery as to who is judging as anyone can judge whether they have had training or not.

Go and enjoy yourself and don't worry about the mark you get - the comments will probably be more useful.
 
I think accepting the contact without the 'correct' outline shoudl be fine at rpelim level.
But I do think it can depend on the judges preference. We had a fantastic old pony who brought on lots of young riders but never worked in an 'outline' (we had her from age 16 to 32). She had really clear correct paces and a relaxed rhythm. With some judges she would score high 60s and beat horses who worked more round but less consistent. Other times we would get 'poking nose' written literally 10 times and no more than a 5!
 
There's a whale of a difference between "not on the bit" and "upside down resisting & hollow". If the horse is just poking the nose a bit then that is acceptable at Prelim, if it's actually above the bit and hollow that's not acceptable at any level and should be reflected in the scores. Accuracy is not enough, the way of going has to be relaxed and forward and is more important in the scale of things.
 
It depends on the judge.

My old girl never went 'on the bit', and I scored ok at prelim and mid-60s on the two Novices I did with her.

My current boy is gradually getting the idea, but in the one and only walk/trot test I did with him last summer, despite being accurate, I got 44%, with pretty much every comment being 'hollow' :(
 
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