ready to attempt a Novice test?

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lucejayne123

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ive kind of <font color="blue"> </font> fallen in to the whole dressage thing when i started riding and compeating again but this time on my mums horse. ive always done the ridden showing classes before on my previous horses, but then i had a break as i had a child, however ive started doing a few prelim tests and im doing very well in the placings and have won my last two. i would like to progress to novice, but ive never done a novice test and would like to know if there is a big differance in them or not, as i said i kind of fell in to dressage
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Well the answer is yes and no........but depends on your schooling at home. N20, N25 and N27 (those are the tests I have done recently) are ok, so long as you can get a medium trot - but you wont know that til you try. N37+38 are evil bad hard tests - rein back, counter canter to the corners so your balance has to be spot on.
I found we imporoved massively by leaving Prelim behind and just doing novice tests not a mix of the 2. So if you are doing well - move on and give it a go - you have nothing to loose. A novice tests means the horse pays more attention, and learns to listen. If I do a ODE now my horse sods off with me on a straight canter thinking she must surely be wanting medium canter - so we dont go that great...haha Good luck give it a blast and remember if you dont perform a move that well - it is only one movement.........eg N37 if the rein back goes wrong - who cares??
 
According to my trainer, when you get 70% unaffiliated Prelim, you are allowed to do unaffiliated Novice tests, and affiliated Prelims. (obviously a lot of people step up to Novice a lot sooner though. There is a big difference in standard between an affiliated and unaffiliated novice test as well, in my experience...)
 
thanks for that, i really want to leave prelim behind, in my last 4 tests ive come 4th 2nd and 1st twice so im wanting to go on to novice, last time i rode ive been practicing my walk to canters and lenghthened strides in trot. i think counter canter would be my evil movement. i did P10 the other week and its a hard canter movement in that right accross the diagnal before the transiton down to trot. and i got 7's which i was really shocked/happy about! we can do rein back but its wobbly haha thanks for telling me what tests to look out for... im dressage comp hunting now
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The tests often ask for 10m circles in trot. Plus although transitions are progressive they dont like them too progressive lol! I am doing N37 next week and we have only really done prelims for some time now due to injury but it is local. I am not expecting to come anywhere but if i get a high 50% or low 60% I will be pleased. My attitude is if you dont have a go you wont know. As for the 70% prelim rule I dont agree and neither does my instructor.
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With some horses who dont have the paces or are conformationally challenged you would be waiting for ever LOL:! So sometimes waiting for the 70% can hold you back.

So just have a go.
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As has been said, the lower numbered novice tests are not much harder than the prelim tests although you do need to show some medium trot and canter. In fact I think some of them are easier as although you have to canter across the diagonal in most of them you trot just after X which I think is a lot kinder than the evil prelim 10.

Also disagree with the 70% rule. Move up when you feel ready. I don't know where you are in the country but most of the unaffiliated shows round here (Central region) still have listed judges. My youngster is getting placed at affiliated prelim but is never placed at unaffiliated shows!
 
when you are bored doing prelim.

I think I disagree with the 70% thing too, some horses go much better with more to do though with doing more novice tests we can now get 70 in prelims if that makes sense.

If you are bored you and horse are probably finding them easy. Give it a go and see how you get on.
I think drsg, particularly at unaff level is for fun, so we even have the play at the odd elementary just to see what we can do, keeps it interesting and keeps you working on it.
 
And just to add that you and your horse do not need to be registered to enter Prelim affiliated competitions (you just take part in the open section).
 
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