Prelim to Medium

[piglet2001]

Just an evening musing really but how long did it take you to get from prelim to medium? Horse is learning and rider not ever done more than a novice. I know not all horse and rider combinations will be the same but I’m just interested. I am wanting to set some realistic mini goals to help me achieve. I school twice a week ?

 

[Roxylola]

Not quite there yet, but we've gone from 60% unaffiliated prelim in jan to 68% in our first elementary last weekend. Officially I might school an average of 3 times a fortnight although I'm likely to do a bit more over winter. We'll be going out at novice BD on sunday with a view to a couple more unaffiliated elementary before doing some BD. I'm only a winter BD member, but I'd hope to be trying a bit at medium by this time next year or before.

 

[HufflyPuffly]

Hmm about three years before our medium comp debut, but really I was training the moves well before. Though the horse was mature just not dressage trained, so it was teaching the moves and making her obedient to the aids, rather than bringing on a baby horse.

 

[milliepops]

Just remember that learning the moves and teaching the horse at the same time is harder than if one part if the combination knows what they are doing

 

[Cortez]

Depends on the horse, and the trainer! Back when I was producing my own I'd like to think that a talented horse could be starting on Mediums at the end of their second year in competition.

 

[nikkimariet]

Fig took 2 years. I am hopeful that Rooni will follow suit.

Important to note both are physically mature horses even if mentally green. And I had experience beyond that level already.

It would be harder for a green and inexperienced combo to reach the same point but not impossible.

 

[j1ffy]

Indio went from first Prelim in 2015 (age 8) to Medium in 2018. He knew the moves from his training in Spain but had physical issues that slowed things down. I had to learn from scratch, I'd only done one Novice test before starting with him.

Danny did his first Prelim in January this year and is now scoring well at Novice (with a few months of no training due to lockdown). I think he could easily be doing Medium before the end of next year, so that would be under 2 years. He's 7 but had no dressage training previously, just low level SJ and lots of draw reins! We school 2-3 times a week max, he picks things up quickly and I don't want him to go sour as he was very anxious about the arena when I started working with him.

 

[oldie48]

It's not just about the "moves" though, it's about the horses whole way of going. eg The frame and trot for a medium test is different to the trot that will get good marks at prelim, the judge will be looking for very different things. I watched a horse doing an elementary test at the BD comp last Friday, it did the "moves" but it was basically a prelim horse in terms of the frame etc so in my book, it was not working at elementary. So I'd agree with Cortez. Having a trainer who insists on putting in the building blocks that enables the horse to move up the levels is essential and a horse's conformation will either help or hinder as the horse has to build the correct muscle. So I guess it takes as long as it takes. Rose had done a few medium tests at the end of 2015, not very good scores though and I think this reflected the fact that she wasn't working correctly. Although she could do the "moves" she was held together and it's taking a lot of work to retrain her. What I take from this is "get it right" the first time and take the time it needs to do it "right". Actually I think this should be the start of a different thread!

 

[milliepops]

What I take from this is "get it right" the first time and take the time it needs to do it "right".

this is key, and this is what makes it possible for pros to whizz up the levels i think (and why those with horses or riders who need to relearn stuff need to be patient ) . if you do everything right from the off then the horse is building optimum strength, understanding etc from its very first ride. if not, then you have to undo and redo some things and that can take a while.

It took me a long time to be ready to do my first medium on Millie, but then we had evented and papered over flatwork cracks in order to "get to the fun bits" I had to undo a lot of stuff and re-do it, plus it was the blind leading the blind with little input as I had no transport for getting to lessons. it was hard.

On the next one, I rode at that level, I had a load more experience under my belt but it was another retrainer which needed stuff undoing.
With Kira, I felt like I did stuff right from the off, so she did re-backed to medium in under 2 years easily and continued to rocket along, we did our first PSG less than 3 years after her first prelim show. it's not a race, I didn't push her, she's just a quick learner and I'd been able to teach her body the right way pretty much from the start. of course it's all slowed down now as it's all got REALLY hard!! but that showed me how it's not absurd for a pro to have a 7yo in a PSG class.

the next 2, I have been even more aware of doing stuff correctly from the start - each one teaches you the things you should have paid more attention to with the last! unfortunately those ones weren't destined for a competition career but it's been really handy to keep thinking about the first few months of training and how attention to detail really really early on pays off later.

 

[humblepie]

With my ex racehorse we did after first medium 6 years down the line but that is my inexperience and fairly inept riding. With the person who rode him the second year he was competing he could have gone to medium the next year quite the third year if not sooner. He also competes fairly seriously at another discipline so it hasn't been our only goal.

 

[Cortez]

this is key, and this is what makes it possible for pros to whizz up the levels i think (and why those with horses or riders who need to relearn stuff need to be patient ) . if you do everything right from the off then the horse is building optimum strength, understanding etc from its very first ride. if not, then you have to undo and redo some things and that can take a while.

It took me a long time to be ready to do my first medium on Millie, but then we had evented and papered over flatwork cracks in order to "get to the fun bits" I had to undo a lot of stuff and re-do it, plus it was the blind leading the blind with little input as I had no transport for getting to lessons. it was hard.

On the next one, I rode at that level, I had a load more experience under my belt but it was another retrainer which needed stuff undoing.
With Kira, I felt like I did stuff right from the off, so she did re-backed to medium in under 2 years easily and continued to rocket along, we did our first PSG less than 3 years after her first prelim show. it's not a race, I didn't push her, she's just a quick learner and I'd been able to teach her body the right way pretty much from the start. of course it's all slowed down now as it's all got REALLY hard!! but that showed me how it's not absurd for a pro to have a 7yo in a PSG class.

the next 2, I have been even more aware of doing stuff correctly from the start - each one teaches you the things you should have paid more attention to with the last! unfortunately those ones weren't destined for a competition career but it's been really handy to keep thinking about the first few months of training and how attention to detail really really early on pays off later.

100% this ^^^^^

 

[piglet2001]

Thank you everyone, all your reply’s have been so helpful and encouraging. I am not in any rush and have a lovely guy helping me but I enjoy setting little goals and targets working back from the main aim. If we don’t meet our little goals it doesn’t matter but it does help motivate me. We are retraining and the last year has been hard but the penny is finally dropping. We are going to aim for our first novice next April and our first elementary the following year.

 

[jammymare]

Mine did his first rubbish unaff prelim as a 5yo, got the dressage bug thanks to an inspiring instructor And did our first medium at 8 but then took forever to get the changes established. If I had my time again I wouldn’t have stepped up so soon as I pushed myself out of too many championship opportunities and we had a good 12 months at medium before he was consistently gaining the scores to be competitive at regionals

 

[Muddywellies]

I'm 4 yrs down the road and still not at medium. Might get there one day but not yet. Non typical dressage horse and even less typical dressage rider. Always short of time or money, usually both. Struggling with bad facilities on only DIY yard in the area, and stressful job. Tho to make it to ele was a miracle tbh, and I'm quite pleased to have got that far.

 

[Goldenstar]

I have had Sky a year .
He had been out prelim a few times He was 7 a green seven .
I went back to basics he was sold for being spooky in the school .he goes out Novice BD next week I do think he’s ready and would expect him to be competing at medium within six months or so .

 

[nikicb]

I have had Sky a year .
He had been out prelim a few times He was 7 a green seven .
I went back to basics he was sold for being spooky in the school .he goes out Novice BD next week I do think he’s ready and would expect him to be competing at medium within six months or so .

I have never confessed this before, but I met Sky before you had him as he was in a lorry parked up next to mine one time. I know nothing else apart from who owned him before (I don't know her, but know who she is) and that he was for sale. I am happy to follow his progress as he seems a nice chap. x

 

[Goldenstar]

I have never confessed this before, but I met Sky before you had him as he was in a lorry parked up next to mine one time. I know nothing else apart from who owned him before (I don't know her, but know who she is) and that he was for sale. I am happy to follow his progress as he seems a nice chap. x

Sky is turning out better than expected.
Hes very versatile you can hunt him one day do a dressage clinic the next and you never know to watch him that he schools twice a week max .
Hes clever and easily bored that was his problem
Fingers crossed the Bd show works out ok.

 

[Batgirl]

With my last horse I had a pattern that helped me keep working. I always did my next level up 1st test at an unaffiliated Xmas Dressage, no stress but a good way of checking how I was 'competition' ready.

I don't think it will be like that quick with my current dude - less bred for the job but I ma going to enjoy laying the foundations. Currently aiming for an unaff intro at Christmas!