Question... Walk/Trot Tests

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I have to say I think your comment ref cross country is a tad patronising.

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I was not supposed to be patronising it was supposed to mock the walk/trot test. I was trying to show, what IMO, the equivalent in cross country terms would be.

I am sure there are plenty of people out there who don't want to cross country or showjump due to the risk factor but dressgae should be the relavtively safe alternative (assuming you don't own a loon) and I feel it does the sport an injustice by dumbing it down to walk and trot.

But alas this is my opinion, the walk trot test seems to have caught on and plenty of places are sadly running it.
 
right, having read alot of these posts i have a few things to say.
firstly, i am a totally useless rider competiton wise, but i want to do more than just hack or stay in the school, i like taking my lad out and about, yes i can control him in canter thanks very much, so the idea of taking him to comps is to get him going forward in a different place, it's my money why should i not compete??????? I have done a couple of walk and trot tests, never gettting more than 50% because he is a typical welshie and chucks his head up and tail over his back and bounces through the whole test!! HE DOES NOT DO THIS AT HOME so how the hell do we get over that one without going out?????? TBH it costs less to enter a couple of tests than it does to keep hiring facilities, and i work full time and haven't got time to tramp here there and everywhere....
i will be doing prelim this weekend as his canter needs work as well, we will be last but who cares, anyone who thinks i haven't got a right to be there can f**k right off and mind their own business.
Walk and trot tests.....a good idea at unaffliated level, they introduce people to dressage, and we must remember dressage is seen as an elitist sport, and anything to break down the barriers and get people into the sport is IMO great, although i'm sure there are some who would like to keep the minions out.....
I have organised some walk and trot tests for a local riding club, they have been very well recieved and it's been lovely to see people do a couple of walk and trots and then give a prelim a bash and not look back!!
On the other hand while out competing, i have noticed a lot of people pothunting the walk and trots, they never move up and always hog the placings, at my club i am going to introduce a rule to stop this...it doesn't give the true novices a chance at the places.

also silverspring....who the hell are you to say who can compete and who can't???? what a ghastly attitude you have
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I take my youngster into walk trot tests. She is 5 and her canter is still not established on the right rein. It is getting there and she now gets the correct strike off 80% of the time. Because I know that we have this problem and I still want to get her out and about, I feel that the walk trot tests are the ideal place for her to get experience without getting stressed over her canter leads.

I find these outings stressful enough without having to worry if she is going to throw her teddies out because I am are correcting her as she is cantering on the wrong leg ( she looks at it as, you asked for canter, I gave you canter)
 
Well, theres obviously differing opinions here- and thats fair enough....

I personally think I ride very well, on a well schooled but tricky/excitable horse. I don't compete regularly, in-fact I have only really just got back into it because my daughter loves it and obviously I have to support her. I do mainly in-hand showing ....TBH I really havn't the nerve to do ridden stuff in public- dont know why, thats just me...I have no problem in the arena at the yard in full view of everyone, its the going out and doing it in front of strangers thing...it has nothing to do with my or my horses ability..we are more than capable and I am constantly being told to go for it, would do well etc...

For people like me the walk/tro tests would be an ideal 'test-the water' scenario, I would prob go to one, do ok and think ok- next step, but TBH I don't think I would be brave enough to go ahead and dive in to the full blown thing.....so actually yes I do think that walk/trot tests are opening to the door for people who wouldnt normally compete.

Just my opinion, but I dont like the underlying view that just because you go and do a walk/trot test means you are somehow inferior or not up to standard....
 
Well Said - what you choose to do with your own horse is your business and nobody else's (as long as it is safe) - I personnally compete at Elementary, but when I bought my horse she was very young and very green and I would of loved the opportunity of a Walk & Trot test when we were first starting out.
 
Maybe its because of the slightly superior attitude shown by some on this post that dressage has just an unfriendly image to some people. I have no doubt I'm going to get some look down their nose at me on sunday as my young hairy big footed beast walks too close to their beautiful flashy WB.......... and I don't care!
I'm trying to have some fun and educate my boy. I didn't buy a school master or a horse already capable of loads of things (and I'm not knocking those who have!) so everything he learns I have to show him. This is my way of doing that and I'm sorry if you don't agree in the method by which I have chosen to do this.
 
I may not put this very well but here is my opinion (for what it's worth
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I run a local RC dressage show and we offer a walk/trot test and while I can see what you are saying, I know how popular the test is. For example, it gives young children who have maybe just started riding their new "been there, seen it, done it" pony (which we all know won't bomb off but the child doesn't) who are not confident in canter a chance to have a go, also you could not get lead rein Prelim tests (although it might be funny watching Mum's trying to keep up in canter
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) but walk/trot's offer this opportunity. I know our judges mark the test more on accuracy so encouraging and teaching riders how to ride a test.

Surely it is good that at a local level we encourage young people to enjoy and take part in dressage - so many kids just want to jump all the time and don't realise how important schooling is.

On the flip side, I don't agree with BD offering it however as surely if you are ready to go affiliated you should be able to canter.
 
FFS its only a bit of fun its not life or death... Surely in the current climate doing something to make you smile/forget for a moment the dire state this country is in can only be a good thing..

You must be a fantastic rider to be able to look down on others trying to enjoy their horses whatever level they are at
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Dressage is scary. All those dressage divas with their thin legs seemingly superglued into a perfect position on their elegant dainty horses...it's really quite daunting when you're bouncing about on a 14.1 fat coblet trying to make sure you're on the right diagonal
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I recently did my first ever dressage - a walk and trot test. And yes, I can canter...gosh, I can even gallop
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In fact I canter my pony almost every day
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But I am well aware that canter is far from our best pace, and when I'm nervous it all falls apart. So doing a walk and trot test was ideal for me as a first attempt at dressage. As it happened, I gained a bit of confidence from doing it and decided to do the prelim afterwards.

Surely something that encourages nervous riders/young horses/those totally daunted by dressage to have a go and get involved in the sport cannot be a bad thing?
 
Walk trot tests are excellent for building riders and horses confidence. Also prelim test often knock out younger riders that have just come off the lead rein.

Also not every rider rides to compete so are not intrested if their horse can pick up canter over x on a 20m circle but are more than willing to give a walk trot test a go.

I used to compete my mare regualary in dressage, but if we went somewhere new and unsetling, i would put her in a walk trot test first for her to get the feel of the arena before going into the test we wanted to do well in
 
I see a lot of posts all pretty much saying the same thing...

I don't know why we feel we have to bother justifying ourselves to a certain element.....just do it, for whatever reason ... and stuff 'em all..

There endeth the lesson, for I am off to lunch and out to buy a bling browband and to book myself in for my first walk/trot test
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As said before, I can see the reasons behind them, I just don't agree with them. If you aren't comfortable cantering in that situation be it because the horse isn't ready or you're nervous or underconfident or whatever, I just don't think you should be competing. If you want to give yourself experience, enter a prelim and see what happens. Hell you can even just trot the canter parts but at least then you've done it. If the horse needs experience then surely you'd be taking it out in a none competing basis first before asking it to do anything?

As I said before, they never used to have walk/trot tests and people seemed to do fine so I can't really see the point in them (can take this further as well as I didn't agree when the brought in Intro to eventing as well). I'm not saying that you're crap riders if you can't do canter in a test, but I am saying that maybe more homework needs to be done before getting out there and competing. What would you all do back in the day when there were no walk/trot tests?

And before you go on about getting people into the sport... The Netherlands has no walk/trot tests and has a MASSIVE equestrian community that more to the point is taken seriously rather than 'posh people on horses'. In face, before you can go affiliated showjumping you need to achieve a 60%+ in a dressage test. So they ask a lot more from their competitors here yet the sport is bigger than it is in the UK!
 
They're an utter god send for me. And whats more I do the CRC ones which I can do in a Pelham !

Now my lad's canter is coming on nicely at home , in his snaffle. He's a nice little horse and we can happily do a prelim or Novice at home in a snaffle.

We can go out and do showing and play cow boys and indians in the ring with 18 horses all in the same class, we can push on down the long side for a gallop. But all this I do in a pelham.

My lad is happy with other horses and we've worked hard so he's now very well behaved in a warm up. We can do sponsored riders perfectly.

But on his own in a strange arena is just too much for him. So the walk and trot tests are a cracking start for us. They're low key and the judges are prepared for our low level so don't get to upset if it does go a bit pear shaped.

Now since I only have a problem if I try to do dressage at a competition, these are an ideal way for me to build my lads confidence and resovle the issue. Infact they are the only way.
 
So I am guessing you compete at PSG.... Actually no you probably dont as the people who generally do compete at the higher levels I find are very supportive of people trying dressage for the first time at walk trot or have a go shows
 
I'm still laughing at the most horses should be perfectly capable of a 60% prelim test. Yes cos dressage is so easy.
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The walk and trot bods arenot always on young horses either, often we're on older horses who have issues, often they've been passed over by the greater competitiors but if walk and trot gives them a use and chance of a good life, who's to argue.

It's often us mealy nervy amatuers who make more of horses that the professionals would never even consider sitting on. And there's a lot more of this type of horse about!
 
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So I am guessing you compete at PSG.... Actually no you probably dont as the people who generally do compete at the higher levels I find are very supportive of people trying dressage for the first time at walk trot or have a go shows

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Well my ex dressage instructor who is a member of the para olympic team thinks it utterly shocking, she thinks if you can't canter you can't compete simple as. As does my 2 friends that compete advanced medium, they find it a laughable concept.

My comment regarding being a fantastic rider...I was mocking you honey, get over it. I currently ride an ex endurance horse who think circles are dull and I have to say I agree with her.

However, when I did do dressage I took my 17.3 WB into a prelim at 4 years old and made an ass of myself, I think one of the test read 'Wrong lead, broke, right lead, broke, wrong lead, corrected' all in the space of a 20 metre circle! See that I cantered in a test and it didn't go well and the world didn't end. Then again this was back in the day when canter was seen as a basic element of a horse's schooling and was required in dressage.

But I kept going, my instructor would take 'But he's young' or 'But I'm scared' as a reason not to compete, I just had to do. I got to elementary dressage before I got bored of the circles and decided jumping (higher than 1ft) was more exciting.
 
OMG Silverspring, I would assume we will then see you at the Olympics or maybe Burghley/Bramham Events next year!! I doubt you do dressage as you keep refering to Jumping!! Everyone else doing Walk n Trot tests Go out, enjoy yourself its your money your horse and one will do whatever one is physically capable of whether it be Grade A Showjumping Eventing Grand Prix dressage or indeed an unaffiliated dressage test.
You not at HOYS this week Silverspring?
 
I have read your post with interest but not all of post so someone may have said this already.

I can kind of see where you are coming from but have you even considered children? I have a 9 year old who is quite nervous perfectly capable of all three gaits and so is pony, but walk and trot tests give her something to do when I am out competing and also dont give me the worry of pony carting!

I think you are being extremely narrow minded IMHO, I take lots of new partnerships or youngsters to walk and trot tests, it gives them a chance to take in the surroundings and indeed the biggest use I found was for ex racers!

Again perfectly capable of canter, and a balanced one at that but I would want a few outings in show surroundings before I expected them to chill out enough to do it when we were out.
 
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OMG Silverspring, I would assume we will then see you at the Olympics or maybe Burghley/Bramham Events next year!!

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Why cos I can canter at a show? Trust me, there are many other people capable of this it's really not just at the olympics people do this
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If you are talking about me fanstic rider coment, get a sarcastic sense of humour already.
 
I can see the OP's point re what did people do before they were invented, but I happen to have done one and think they are a good idea.

I used to go straight in at prelim but did one this year. I have been having some canter issues on one rein with my 5 year old - as it turns out she has now been diagnosed with PSD which is likely why she wouldnt canter on the right rein (or very reluctant to). Whilst we could get the correct lead, I wanted to get her out and about (she had only done one show before that) and I wasn't comfortable about taking her out and risking a fight at her first dressage test over getting the right lead (which had sometimes happened) so we did a walk and trot test. I wanted it to be a positive experience for my youngster. Our next dressage outing was planned to be another w&t and a prelim - unfortunately though she went lame and has been out of action ever since!

Also if I am honest, I am 24 and hadn't done anything competitive since I left pony club at around the age of 14 so was a bit nervous at the prospect of having 'issues' with my girl and everyone looking down their noses at me!!!
 
i think they are useful
just because it hasnt got canter in it doesnt mean the horse is uncontrollable!
i took my 5yo (6months backed, 4months of proper schooing) to her first comp as a walk/ trot this summer, #
before that i took her to some fun days so i could see how she reacted to being around strange horses.
i took her to walk trot rather than prelim so i could compete abit and see how she reacted to the environment and go from there, with less pressure than a prelim.
taking them to a show without competing isnt going to have the same effect-everyone feels different if they are going to compete and that is going to rub off on most horses, esp youngsters.
as we got 79% i am going to take her to one more, then up to prelim.
i think its great for either babies or for nervous/inexperienced riders as its so much less pressure.
you can just get them/you accustomed to the excitement of a new place and all the travelling/show gear without worrying too much about the actual test itself.
i do think they should be club level/unaffil though
probably good for pot hunters too but hey...........
 
I really don't think there is any need for people to start getting so aggressive and insulting. As far as I could tell Silverspring's comments were in a jokey manner.

This is just a difference of opinion. I think that walk/trot tests aren't necessary and I don't agree with them. I would have thought that as mature individuals people would be able to have a sensible debate without throwing insulting remarks about!

And since when do you actually have to compete at PSG level to have an opinion about dressage? I hate dressage and see it as a necessary evil, yet if I'm going to do something I want to do it properly! Give me a course of showjumps anytime!

And regarding children, yet I can see the point again but surely the point of a dressage test is testing the communication between horse and rider and control and obedience. How can you possibly judge that when there is an adult leading the pony around? I did my first dressage test at 10 on a riding school pony and managed it fine and I'd only been riding 2 years. If I can surely anyone can, I'm certainly not headed to the next olympics!
 
I'm on the dressage committee for my local RC, and I have to say the WT tests are certainly one of the most popular!!

They are an excellent starting point, especially where nervous and inexperienced riders are concerned.

Yes a steady canter is one of the basic things to establish, but surely people who are not confident riding canter in front of a judge, and an audience, should not be deprived of the chance to enter competitions.

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I have to say I agree with Kate and Silverspring on this one. I took my 4yo into an unaffiliated prelim dressage and got wrong lead, movement not performed (a bucking fit was performed instead), a 0, a couple of 2's and amazingly a 6 for something (probably the relief on my face that it was over lol!). For me dressage tests are just a lesson and the judges comments are useful so why wouldn't I want to see what they thought of my canter?

I have another youngster now who's canter is progressing nicely in the school and I hope to go out and do a test in the next month or so - I've never considered doing a walk trot with him as it just seems pointless (to me - i daresay it isn't to others!)
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ets my instructor also thinks they are dangerous as people who aren't prepared to canter on their horses don't really have control...her opinion not mine
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At the end of the day I compete unaffiliated. It is my horse and my decision to our ability on the day. If i should chose to spend my hard earned money on a walk trot outing to help progress our education then what is wrong with that.

I agree with BD having the walk trot tests as it does standardise the tests and acknowledges the grass roots of the sport and does aid with the scales of training.

If you don't like them then don't do them.

If I recall correctly this subject was covered in H&H last year in a dressage riders column ( I am sure it was richard davidson's) and many of the dumbing down points were expressed there.
 
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I have read your post with interest but not all of post so someone may have said this already.

I can kind of see where you are coming from but have you even considered children? I have a 9 year old who is quite nervous perfectly capable of all three gaits and so is pony, but walk and trot tests give her something to do when I am out competing and also dont give me the worry of pony carting!

I think you are being extremely narrow minded IMHO, I take lots of new partnerships or youngsters to walk and trot tests, it gives them a chance to take in the surroundings and indeed the biggest use I found was for ex racers!

Again perfectly capable of canter, and a balanced one at that but I would want a few outings in show surroundings before I expected them to chill out enough to do it when we were out.

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Competely agree (and have previously posted as such) - why can't children especially lead reiners be given the opportunity to compete and enjoy dressage. I think it is something we should encourage.

Having written for and organised walk/trot tests you can judge lead rein classes as the paren should be there for support not to just lead the child round.

Kate260881 - not dismissing what you say (I find the idea of having to have done a test before you affiliate SJ an interesting one) but knocking something because "we never used to have them" a bit of a limited outlook to have. Also just because you were confident enough to compete doesn't mean everyone else is - some small children aren't very brave when it comes to canter (even if they have the Mr Reliable pony) but want to have a bash so why should we limit them?
 
see thats very odd as my current instructor who competes at PSG and above who is also a list 1 BD judge and has represented GB in dressage.. Is happy that people will try it at any level and hopefully gain enough confidence to try a prelim test.
 
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