Should I go to dressage on Sunday?

Abi90

Abi90

Well-Known Member
Joined
20 February 2007
Messages
2,237
Visit site
I've entered an unaffiliated dressage competition on Sunday on Gump. It's not the first outing we've been on nor the biggest however since the disaster sharer of one week who let him canter very fast all the time I have no brakes in canter and whilst I have no designs on winning there seems very little point if we're potentially going to go winging around the arena in Canter.

We made some progress tonight on manners and transitions but due to work I can't ride again until the day. I don't expect to do well, we were going for the experience but I don't really want to fall off... especially as I'll be going on my own.

I'd really like a lesson before we go anywhere now and I'm just not feeling like this weekend is a good time to get out.

Am I just being stupid and should just go anyway and what the hell to however we do? Or should I listen to my gut and not go and wait until horse is being slightly less of a prat?
 
Honestly if you're having doubts about it and you can't ride between now and then I would say withdraw. There will be plenty of other competitions you can do when you feel better prepared. If you're going on your own the last thing you want is to be questioning whether you have control or not. I compete a lot on my own but would never take one I didn't feel comfortable on. Lots of other dressage comps to do! :-)
 
You will not be able to achieve much if you don't ride him for the next 5 days, if he is not going well now he is unlikely to be better on Sunday, I would not be concerned about falling off but more that it will not be fair on him to almost set him up to fail, I wouldn't expect any horse to compete and be sensible if it was not ridden all week and if one is unsettled then it seems unfair to take him when you have not been able to make a decent preparation.

It is not about winning or losing but building confidence, for both of you, having a positive experience and trying your best to set them up to succeed, I would try and arrange a lesson instead it would be a far more beneficial use of your time.
 
Thank you for confirming what I was thinking!

Just wanted to make sure that I wasn't just being a wuss. He is being ridden between now and then by a friend but just hacked out rather than schooled so it won't achieve much on the canter front.

It's a shame as he's being going so well but we would just be setting ourselves up to fail!
 
Aww it sounds like you've got yourself a little het up. It's really not about the placing, but is about learning and building confidence. Whilst it sounds like you're poss not quite ready, you also might be underestimating yourself. If I was in your shoes (in fact i AM in your shoes, regularly) I would get him cleaned up (not bother plaiting), and take him to the venue as planned. Warm up as normal, but then if its just not going right, then withdraw. Give him a chance to prove he can do it. No one is forcing you to enter the arena, so you haven't committed till you trot up that centre line (tho after that point you can still retire). So go with an open mind and with a more relaxed approach I think you might just surprise yourself. Tbh even if you don't enter the arena, simply going and warming up is an achievement.
 
The annoying thing is we have been out and competed at unaffiliated prelim in a much more distracting venue so I know he can do it. My issue is he now thinks it's okay to rush and I have no time to fix it before Sunday :(

Thank you for the Pep talk :) we may still go!
 
Yay ! Yes do go. I had exactly the same problem with my horribly nappy pony. I had decided not to enter a comp but for some reason I decided to enter as a late entry. I just thought I needed to get her back in that scary arena no matter what the score. Lo and behold, she was an angel and we came away with 1/ faith pretty much restored 2/ a decent placing. I took the pressure off and didn't commit to entering the arena and took it one minute at a time. Less pressure = happier rider = happier pony 😊
 
Go! What test is it, if it's something like Prelim 18 you can get all the trot work done first and the good marks, then smile as you wing about in canter knowing the next time *will* be better (after you've firmly kicked said sharer up the bahookie), show off the trot and walk work. :)
 
If you have the opportunity (time, transport etc) and as long as horse is acceptably controllable in comp environment (so your not going to scare yourself) then GO!!

It's unaff after all. Just get a test or two under his belt and don't worry about the canter bit too much, treat as a schooling session, the warm up and the actual test and also gives you some ring practice.

I have kids and no time (despite having a decent horse and transport) and have no time to compete at all. I would bite your arm off to go,. So go forth and enjoy it :-)
 
I've swapped it for an intro as we have a nice trot and found someone to come with me! we can always enter a prelim on the day if he's behaving!
 
We did. He behaved perfectly as normal when it's something important and his mane is plaited (weird horse)!
 
Well done you for going. In the days before Intro my very nervous daughter entered an unaff Prelim test at the yard. I spoke to the judge beforehand to ask if it was OK for her not to canter but to do the canter work in trot and she (the judge) was perfectly happy for her to do that. Obviously she couldn't get marked for the non existent canter work but it also meant she didn't get buzzed for an error of course which would have really flustered her.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top