The jump from Novice to Elementary

[whirlwind]

Hi, just wondering if anyone has any tips on making the move up. Little sister has a cracking 13.2hh who she's just started to do a bit of dressage on. Pony is very well schooled and mainly does SHP's/ workers however LS has decided she wants to do some dressage this year. She had 2 dressage outing last year each time to do 2x novices and won all four classes in the senior section as no juniors, very consistent scores from 67-70% (unaff). So realistically needs to move up a level.

However, pony has pretty much no medium trot/ canter. Good over poles but doesn't really seem to get the idea on flat. Plus is a proper SHP so not particually elevated paces. At lower levels she picks up cracking marks for being very correct and obedient, child is also pretty good for being accurate, but to what extent can you 'blag' an elementary through obedience/ accuracy? People on yard have led me to believe she will be hammered for her (lack of!) movement at anything higher than novice, is this true?.

So any idea to improve this would be great. Also, what other movements are expected that are different to novice? Can do walk- canter, canter-walk, leg- yield, shoulder in ect- also strike off on a named leg both down centre line and on a circle so counter canter pretty well established. Anything else necessary?

Sorry for essay, any ideas much appreciated.

 

[PucciNPoni]

I've been blagging at Elem with no real medium trot for about six months - getting mid sixties scores unaff. We do better in Elem than we do Novice - I think because the more stuff in the tests seem to suit my boy's brain a bit

 

[Horses24-7]

Theres no harm in having a go and seeing what feedback she gets

There's also collected paces, could she have some lessons with a dressage trainer to work on medium paces? They appear in elementary a lot and will be at least 2-4 of the movements so a potential to lose a lot of marks if not established, but some tests are easier than others. The first I did was e42 which is a nice little test. Oo and rein back is in some.

They are more accurate tests so need to be ridden that way e.g. Medium between 2 marks rather than show some strides between 2 markers.

God luck and give it a go

 

[JustKickOn]

Just go out and have a go, see what the judge says, and maybe even talk to them about opinions of pony/rider/what they can do to improve etc.

As someone above says, get an instructor/trainer to see what they think. If you go on the BD website you can search for BD accredited trainers in your area.

Good luck

 

[whirlwind]

Theres no harm in having a go and seeing what feedback she gets

There's also collected paces, could she have some lessons with a dressage trainer to work on medium paces? They appear in elementary a lot and will be at least 2-4 of the movements so a potential to lose a lot of marks if not established, but some tests are easier than others. The first I did was e42 which is a nice little test. Oo and rein back is in some.

They are more accurate tests so need to be ridden that way e.g. Medium between 2 marks rather than show some strides between 2 markers.

God luck and give it a go

Thank you- collected she finds easier, canter especially so, can get her really sitting back. Rein back also ok.

She does have regular lessons, will ask instructor to work on this. Because she has another as well as her next step up, and alternates flat/ jumping, although she has a lesson every week- pony only gets a flat lesson every month! So will deffo have a chat with instructor.

 

[be positive]

If the pony shows it must have a medium canter so that should be easy to produce in the arena, it only needs to show a fair difference from its working pace make sure it does a downward transition out of med so it is a clear difference.
Rhythm, accuracy, relaxation are all important, more so than a flashy medium trot.
She could start to work a little at home on some collection which will allow for more expression to develop, moving the pony forward then shortening can really help gain that little extra power required.
The counter canter is fairly important as it is often not ridden as well as it could be resulting in horses falling back to trot so if that is good its another area your pony can pick up marks.

Get out and have a go if your daughter wants to do it dont let others put her off, the marks at novice were fair and a year on she may have improved at that level.

 

[whirlwind]

Thank you for everyone for advice.

If the pony shows it must have a medium canter so that should be easy to produce in the arena, it only needs to show a fair difference from its working pace make sure it does a downward transition out of med so it is a clear difference.
Rhythm, accuracy, relaxation are all important, more so than a flashy medium trot.
She could start to work a little at home on some collection which will allow for more expression to develop, moving the pony forward then shortening can really help gain that little extra power required.
The counter canter is fairly important as it is often not ridden as well as it could be resulting in horses falling back to trot so if that is good its another area your pony can pick up marks.

Get out and have a go if your daughter wants to do it dont let others put her off, the marks at novice were fair and a year on she may have improved at that level.

It has a gallop...

Think we're gonna go and give it a go, will hopefully be able to find somewhere to do a novice before elem.

Tbh, think others on yard are just trying to put her off, as non do above prelim/ novice themselves

 

[be positive]

Thank you for everyone for advice.




It has a gallop...

Think we're gonna go and give it a go, will hopefully be able to find somewhere to do a novice before elem.

Tbh, think others on yard are just trying to put her off, as non do above prelim/ novice themselves

The gallop would wake up the judge anyway

If others on the yard are such experts, they are probably just jealous, go out and have fun, pics required in your reports

 

[Horses24-7]

I was on a yard like that for 2 years and didn't move out of prelim! Moved and within 12 months gone from that to trainer pushing me towards medium eek!

I do amuse myself though looking at BD results online for people still at that yard and no one rides above novice- mainly due to on site instructor only getting to novice!

I woukd recommend a session or 2 with a BD trainer though, I had regular lessons of flat and jump with an general instructor and got to novice easily but swooped fairly recently to a BD coach who rides to PSG level and the difference she made in 2 sessions has been enormous. Much more focused on rider position and balance rather than just the horse.

Let us know how she gets on

 

[horsemad32]

I'm just attempting this jump . Have found you need to be much straighter/more correct, with more jump in the paces to make some of the turns/changes of pace etc. So far I've come across a lot of collected trot/canter, simple changes, obv med trot/canter, lots of 10m circles and half circles,that kind of thing. Buy a few tests and have a go at them first I'd say - that was what I did, with my instructor.