Video of my first EVER dressage test today, please can I have some CC?

Perfect_Pirouette

Perfect_Pirouette

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Ok so basically, i was so so nervous when it started to get near my test (Prelim 12) The test was at my yard so i didn't have to worry about not knowing the place etc which was nice. And you lovely HHO's can see my lovely yard. My test was at 10.14 so i started warming up about 9.50. He went really well in the warm up, was in a nice outline and was really forward, a bit too forward at times as he got strong quite a few times in trot and kept rushing and trying to break into canter!

So yeh, went in and did it. Once i was in, i got a bit less nervous although i was a bit confused as to what to do before bell rang etc. But yeh it went quite well, i DIDN'T demolish the arena lol, he came back to me each time in canter, didn't get strong. Only thing is his trot just wasn't forward enough and i knew it.

Ok so basically........................................ I came 8th out of 16 people and got 58% AND AM ECSTATIC WITH THAT
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I know 58% to most people is rubbish and i realise it's not the best score but i am by no means the bestest rider and this was my first ever dressage test and i have only been riding again for a year after a 6 year break.

I honestly couldn't believe it. I didn't know some of the people that i beat as they wearn't from yard but a couple of the people that i did beat from down the yard are really good riders who are really into their dressage and have really good horses, so i was really surprised!

I got mostly 5's and 6's with two 7's, one for my halt which was square
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and one for my transitions
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So yeh here is a link to the video. CC would be much appreciated although i did get some from my instuctor straight after. I know the main thing is he is NOT nearly going forward enough in the trot and i am flapping my bloody legs way too much, i know this, i am aware, feel really stupid now and really wish i'd just turned my toes out and gave him one good boot instead of constantly nagging. But he'd been so quick in the warm up i didn't expect him to be so slow. Also know he is not in an outline, but tbh i couldn't concentrate on that at all, i felt sick with nerves and could only concentrate on going from one bit to the next lol.

Here's the link, excuse the commentry from my mum and instructor at the end lol. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rO9T_1IjUjc

And here's a couple of pics of the absolute gorgeous boy, who to me is the best horse in the world, he honestly doesn't have a bad bone in his body, he's taught me so much and i honestly owe him so much!


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I don't want to get slapped down for saying this, but I thought there was quite a lot of leg flapping going on? Is he usually dead to the leg?

Otherwise you looked very smart and in harmony together
 
Yeh no it's fine, i did say in my OP that i was flapping around way too much. No he's not normally dead to the leg, in fact for the past week, including in the warm up he's been extremely sensitive to the leg. It's totally my fault, i should have given him a big boot and told him to move at the start rather than flapping around like an idiot the whole test, but lesson learnt from next time. Think he could sense i was nervous because in warm up he was being quite strong and was really forward, i was having trouble keeping him in trot and stopping in canter then as soon as he touched a hoof in that ring he seemed to slow right down for some reason? Although he did come back to me going across the diagonal and doing the canter/trot transition both times, something which in the past week in practice he's NEVER done, he's always just bombed down the diagonal with me fighting with him, so i really did think he knew i was nervous and was trying to behave! lol.
 
Yay! Well done, you. Big congratulations on your first test and I think you both did fabulously. You both looked great and your boy is very, very handsome. You have done today what I would love to but don't think I ever could so top marks for even contemplating it. I wish you all the best on your gorgeous boy and whether its first or last, so long as you try your best and enjoy yourselves thats all that matters.

xxx
 
I won’t give you CC as I think you know what you need to work on (plus I’m not very good at giving it), but just want to say a massive well done!!! Your cob and your yard are gorgeous! Keep going with the dressage, it gets easier I promise!
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Excellent - well done! I have done about 4 dressage tests now and I'm not sure whether I am any less nervous! I still get in a bit of a state before I go but I'm usually OK once I get started.
I haven't broken the 60% barrier yet (except in a very little show just for a few friends where the judge was very kind and generous!) so I think 58% is very well done. Keep at it and most of all, enjoy yourself!
 
your legs must have been aching. i would carry a schooling whip and give him a smack and tell him to listen when i ask you the first time. apart from that it looks nice. if your trot was more forward you would have done it in 4 minutes but i dont think it matters.
58% is a very good score for a first time!
 
Well done on your first test.

A couple of things I would try to work on are:

1. Horse is very above the bit, and doesn't seem too settled in the head / mouth (head flicking on a few occasions). With the head carriage like that, the horse is hollowing through it's back. I would work on getting the horse rounder and more accepting of the contact.

2. Legs. You've already mentioned your legs flapping, but I see that you are also wearing spurs. You need a secure lower leg position to wear and use spurs effectively. Constant flapping will make the horse dead to the leg and unresponsive. I would ditch the spurs, concentrate on getting the horse more off the leg (use a schooling whip to back up your leg aid if necessary), and also work on getting your lower leg more stable. Riding in jump seat e.g standing up in the stirrups when trotting is a good exercise for dropping the weight through the leg and keeping the lower leg in place.

Good result for your first effort, well done.
 
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