Thinking about trying a medium test...

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I have been umming and ahhing about this for a while now, but yesterday's competition made me lean a little more towards doing one...

I took Han out to a Novice competition, and even though she warms up really nicely when I actually do the test she just feels bored
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I know that sounds absolutely crazy, but I just feel she sort of finds it all a bit tedious.

Warming up she was really in front of my leg and I was doing some gentle canter half pass and lots of shoulder in with transitions within the pace in both... she just loves doing this and gets so excited about it all! Riding her through these movements makes me love riding her her because I can feel she is thinking and enjoying her work. We then get into the Novice test and it is almost as if she is sulking! Really really strange...

So, I have started doing more Elementaries with her, but have been concious about taking Grace out of the Restricted at Novice so I have not been doing many. OK, her results are nothing to write home about and she has never been in the top two placings at Elem, but she is in the low 60s and I come away feeling as though we have had fun
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Anyway, I was looking at the next couple of competitions and one has M63 which to me looks a really nice test. It has shoulder in through the trot, half passes through the trot and the canter and only medium canter (ie. no extended) and trot which is perfect!

I was wondering whether to ask the venue whether they would do a training test for me, otherwise I could do it HC...

So, would people recommend M63 as a good first medium?
 
If you aren't enjoying Novice, it doesn't really matter if you come out of restricted, if you wont be doing them anyway. It will happen eventually, so no point in dragging heels to avoid open.

Onwards and upwards and all that!
 
But I enjoy them with Grace face, just not on Han
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Grace wouldn't stand a chance in the open section, and to be honest I don't think I would either
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I think you should go for it. I'm itching to do a medium but then I'm that kind of person I think!
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My mare has about 7 Novice points left but I compete elementary because we both find Novice a bit dull. Elementaries make us both sit up and pay attention a bit more. We have been working on some of the medium movements for a few months now, more to improve her general 'rideability' than with a test in mind, but I'd love to see what kind of marks we would get for them
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No harm in trying. My friend has gone pretty much from novice to med and is doing really well. Her youngster loves all the collection and having more to do in the med and is really thriving on it, he just messes about in novice and ele
 
I have to say, the restricted sections of BD are there for a bit of a reason. I appreciate you arent a professional and not competing strings of amazing wbs but if you are in the point scoring margin of medium then I may feel a bit miffed to be competing against you in a prelim or novice restricted?
I think you should do it as I think it'd be great experience for you
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I think you should go for it. I'm itching to do a medium but then I'm that kind of person I think!
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My mare has about 7 Novice points left but I compete elementary because we both find Novice a bit dull. Elementaries make us both sit up and pay attention a bit more. We have been working on some of the medium movements for a few months now, more to improve her general 'rideability' than with a test in mind, but I'd love to see what kind of marks we would get for them
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The half pass has really helped Han's work progress, and she finds the lateral work pretty straight forwards too which is nice as she has struggled with things in the past because of how she is put together. Poor girl is not built for dressage, but she bloody tries her heart out for me!
 
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No harm in trying. My friend has gone pretty much from novice to med and is doing really well. Her youngster loves all the collection and having more to do in the med and is really thriving on it, he just messes about in novice and ele

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Yeah, that is what I thought... just wanted to give it a go and see how she copes with the movements in a test situation.
 
Do it! Oskar is ready for Medium now and I'm going to do an easy one HC or training section along with the elementary qualifier around mid June I think. Most of the medium tests are really quite nice. Unlike some of the elementary tests which are simply horrid!
 
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I have to say, the restricted sections of BD are there for a bit of a reason. I appreciate you arent a professional and not competing strings of amazing wbs but if you are in the point scoring margin of medium then I may feel a bit miffed to be competing against you in a prelim or novice restricted?
I think you should do it as I think it'd be great experience for you
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Yes, I completely understand that... but I am not very experienced in the dressage scheme of things, I have only been doing BD since June 2007 (and then it was only til Nov 2007 before a looong break with Grace doing her PSD) so I do not feel confident enough to move into the Open sections just yet. The open riders in our area are people who have been competing BD for quite some time, most are trainers / judges and there are very few who are amateur hobby folk like me!

I don't honestly think Han is 100% ready for a medium test yet, which is why I was thinking of doing it as a training or HC, just to see where abouts we are up to, what a judge is looking for and how she copes with the movements in a test situation.

And besides, no one needs worry about competing against me on Grace and Prelim and Novice, we have a very nasty case of seconditis so I am certainly no threat to anyone's winning score
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On a serious note though, I would love to qualify for the regionals with Grace, and unfortunately in the Open section we would never stand a chance. It has been my dream to get there since she was diagnosed and on the day she underwent colic surgery I promised myself that if she survived the surgery I would do everything I possibly could to achieve that dream! I know it sounds very very silly to most people, but it is something I would really like to do, even if it is just the once!
 
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Do it! Oskar is ready for Medium now and I'm going to do an easy one HC or training section along with the elementary qualifier around mid June I think. Most of the medium tests are really quite nice. Unlike some of the elementary tests which are simply horrid!

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Thanks Halfstep... I think my husband is free on the day of M63 as I am more concerned that I won't remember it than anything else at the moment
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[And besides, no one needs worry about competing against me on Grace and Prelim and Novice, we have a very nasty case of seconditis so I am certainly no threat to anyone's winning score

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Didn't you score 70% in the prelim last weekend?
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So surely that is going to be a winning score eventually?
 
Ive been thinking about doing a Medium also, but im going to wait until the end of the year. I want to get good Ele scores first i think if poss.
But if you want to have a go just try it there's no harm in trying one especially if you go HC.

I have been riding M63 in my lesson last week & it rides well but the movements do come up really quickly compared to an Ele test & the short arena made it worse for me but it was a ridable test.

Ive ridden M61 in lessons also & it is easier imo as it's a long arena & a bit nicer test i think. I preffer long arena's though because of my horses size but you probably are fine with a small arena.

Oh & well done on cracking the 70% barrier onwards & upwards now won't take you long & you & Grace will be qualified.
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Go Medium! I ummed and ahhed about doing an elementary! Did one and then thought why the hell didn't I do that sooner!!!
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