stage fright?

A

Alex_kate

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ok did our first novice test yesterday, i think we did pretty rubbish, got 54% but he isn't useless! in the warm up he is fantastic, round, soft, light in my hands, forward going but as soon as we get in the test he pokes his nose out and fights me the whole way round! and is really dead off my leg! whats his problem!! i feel like giving up as what is the point, he doesnt show his true self in a test!
 
Was it indoors? Mine often backs right off indoors, you just have to keep at it and remember to ride the test as if you are schooling not just to go through the movements, if you have to half halt do it, if you have to pony club kick do it!! I used to ride far too ineffectively in my tests and she knew she could get away with it.
 
Welcome to my world
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Although strangely she has been better recently. I think they learn that they can get away with it, i'e you won't smack or kick them. I toyed about the idea of taking her somewhere i.e hire an arena (making everything like a comp) and when she backed of telling her off, so she learnt that she can't get away with it
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i just seem to have to keep kicking, going to try spurs with him, oh beleive me i smacked him with the whip, he leapt into canter! it just really upset me as i work so hard and he shows me up in the test!!

yes it was indoors
 
I really know where your coming from believe me. I have decided Corroy hates dressage, so I've been jumping instead
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Where did you go yesterday?
 
i think it goes wrong from time 2 time. my mare does a tense test even tho we work in lovely and relaxed,maybe its me???
SO im just doing tons of unafil dressage over winetr 2 try and relax her in a test?? good luck.
Lovely hores BTW,keep trying!!
 
Don't worry it will get better, its taken me 4 years and I have only recently got the feeling of really riding the test and not just hoping for the best. What I find also helps is to exaggerate everything in the warm up, REALLY forward and off your leg so when he backs off in the test it won't be as dramatic if you get what I mean. It is so heart breaking, believe me I have been there in tears ready to throw in the towel so many times. Recently someone came up and asked if they could come in to watch my test as they had seen me warming up and though my horse was lovely. Did I feel like a right idiot when she then refused to go anywhere near the judges at C!!
 
haha, it is so disheartening. the test was at merrist wood, its about our 5th dressage test. i feel like giving up, i hate dressage any way i prefere jumping
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