Walk & trot tests - good or bad?

I think they are very useful in introducing a horse to what shows are all about. My sister is reschooling an ex-racer atm, and yesterday was his first show on grass. He arrived and went a bit mental as it was obviously racing. She went into the prelim class as planned and scored 44%. At home he is working in a well-established outline and impressing everyone- from the work he produces at home and places he knows he should be scoring well into the 60's! He got 2's for his canter, and really he would have benefited from the W&T class. He then went off and jumped a beautiful, balanced SJ round around a 75cm class. Just because a horse can jump a course of 2'6 fences, doesn't mean they can cope with dressage yet at all.
 
One of those who suffers terribly from nerves I did some of walk trot tests last year to get my confidence up and yes, to feel better about my riding. I didn't have a valid reason not to do a prelim other than nerves. I'm pleased to say that I have (sort of) moved up to prelim recently and feel alright about it.

As for jumping my nerves are totally shot and just to really offend you all with my appalling jumping, here's me jumping 1' 6". Yes, I did it in trot, got the course wrong and came last. I care not at all, why? because I blinking did it, and in my eyes it might as well have been Hickstead.

So I am sorry I am not an amazing brave person, but some if us need W&T tests and tiny jumping courses and I'm sorry it offends some if you!

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Yes judges are not blameless in this and should include more encouraging remarks and not all negative comments, I judge myself at the lower level for Pony Club,Riding school and Riding Club and always try to be positive and try to put a comment down for every movement, and not leave great blanks !
 
My husband is nervous, but he enters prelim, it is the environment and the fact of doing a test in front of people and remembering it that makes you nervous and you get that whatever the level of test. Whether it is horse or rider nerves that are the issue I would think that going to a smaller quieter venue and requesting early times would be more useful than a W&T test as the atmostphere normally contributes more to nerves. If it is the fact of cantering that hots the horse up then avoiding doing it doesn't normally help.
 
Well I think that Walk/ Trot test are brilliant especially for young horses, kids, and people that generally struggle with canter.
My Mum has Alzheimer’s and last year did a few W/T tests on the lead rein, and absolutely loved it! Just because she has an illness why shouldn’t she be able to take her pony to parties? And before anyone no she doesn’t canter, not even at home, so no way she could have done a prelim.
 
I think they are great for disabled riders who otherwise might not be able to get out and compete.

Other than that I don't think they should exist. If a child can canter at a fence they should be able to canter in a circle... I would hope the PC taught the cantering before jumping though I may just be old fashioned that way.

If a young horse can't canter then really how long has it been back for? a week? Maybe don't take it out to a show for a couple more week then do the prelims. Some of the prelim tests are beyond easy, you could have a horse doing them after only being back for 2 weeks.

As for getting people into dressage...that would be like jumping competitions running trotting poles classes to get people into jumping!
 
little_flea said:
I am not so sure about W&T tests. Para rider issue aside (I know nothing about this) I also agree that cantering a 20m circle is basic enough. To me, competing is something you do to measure your success in training and I do think W&T (as well as tiny SH classes!) are "dumbing down" a bit. However, as people enter them, I guess there is a market for them. People like to go and do them to make themselves feel good about getting a "result", when really, IMO, the money would have been better spent on training rather than entering these pseudo-competitions. But if that's what people like - great. Riding centres certainly make a lot of money out of really low-level competition, which is a good thing I suppose.
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Hmmm, not sure how I feel about this comment. I spent four years trying to get a half decent canter out of a mare that constantly pulled, leaned and cantered wrong bend on her head. She was never designed or bred to be a dressage horse - probably better suited to pulling logs. But dressage is more fun to me than pulling logs - so WT tests got her out at least. It's not that we couldn't or didn't have a go at Prelim - but that was usually against the advice of our instructor that we saw weekly! I kept feeling that our scores at WT were consistently good and I didn't want to be seen as pot hunting so kept pushing on to the next level. I persevered for a good four years and it was just never going to happen.

I don't like to see people in the WT tests that don't belong. I do like to see genuine beginners / nervous folk out there giving it a go. I like to help and encourage in anyway I can those people who need it. They are very highly subscribed classes in my area at unaff comps (often with as many as 30 entered, and prelim usually half that, novice half it again, and elem maybe 2 or 3). So there MUST be a requirement for it, but I'm guessing that probably a good third of those entered at WT probably really should be in Prelim.
 
I think they're a great idea to have at riding club and unafilliated level. They don't have them over here.
When I took my 4 year old to his first dressage show we did the young horse class (for 4/5/6 yo) and still had to canter a 20m circle. While he was working well at home, and was very good in the warm up, it was still a different ball game in the arena with lots of distractions and because of me losing his straightness and forwardness in the test, he bucked in each of his canter trans and our circles were very wobbly! I was pleased with him as his trot work and halts were good and it was a league where we did improve each week ( finished 3rd overall), but I would much have preferred to have his first test without the pressure of having to canter and causing him to have buck, which lets face it is the gait where most youngsters find difficult, especially in a 20x40 arena! I could have left taking him to a show until his canter was much more established, but for me the travelling, experience of being somewhere different, warm up etc. was much more important.
Everyone needs to start somewhere and have something to work towards so why not have them?!
 
I'm a big fan of walk/trot tests and bottom hole jumping shows! I don't have the money for lessons and to be honest, I don't want to jump high anymore (been there- done that when I was younger) or have any aspirations to doing anything higher than a Prelim test. Riding is just fun for me, we do a bit of everthing, jumping, sidesaddle, dressage, hacking...

I'm 35 and riddled with arthritis which is only going to get worse (even now sitting here typing this, my fingers hurt and my back/hip are killing me) so competing at low levels still lets me get to go out to compete and have fun. My last three Intro A tests, I came dead last (LOL, got a pity ribbon!) so not exactly a pot hunter! and then I was chuffed to bits when I got 4th on the intro B test last month. I was going to do the Prelim 10 test this Sunday but have decided against it as my back and hip are bad.

Not everyone has the time, money or physical abilities to compete at higher levels so these comps let everyone have a go.
 
well, I took my mare to one at the weekend.........first time ever away from home, and I was completely chuffed to bits with her.......so it was fine not to have the stress of cantering and at the minute she cant maintain her canter anyway, so it was great for her. She was a broodmare and I recently rebacked her, had hormonal issues too, which has held up our progress.but I will be taking her to a good few more before I will be attempting prelim....plus, I did intros with my arab, who also had issues with cantering and hes working at novice now... so its a great idea... thats my opinion.
 
Me and Bear did our first 2 dressage tests in September just gone (he had just turned 6), we went straight on in and did Prelims as I dont think it would have been fair for us doing W+T as he did 2 seasons of ridden shows previous years.
Brill idea for youngsters coming in to it!
 
Well, I think that they can be very useful. I don't think that BD should run them, I see affiliated competition as "higher level". I see that as for people who compete to win, they pay higher entry fees for higher level competition... I think thats about right?!?

However at RC level, I see them as extremely important. I expect that my girls first outing will be either to look around, or to enter a W+T test. If the WT test wasn't there, I would be going to look around for a few times, as canter is so unpredictable at the moment. She is a BIG horse, and is a lot to contain in canter, and likes rodeoing. At the moment, walk and trot is our "safe" zone, whereas canter is not. So yes, I think they are very useful for baby horses, and for nervous riders.
 
monkeybum13 said:
I for one, could tell you that most of the people doing walk and trot are much more polite in the warm up than those doing prelims, as they seems to think they are way above everybdoy else.
Everyone has to start somewhere don't they??
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Its not about manners its about safety!! The higher you jump BSJA the worse the manners in the collecting ring are, but these riders are balanced and skilled as are there horses, which W&T riders and horses are not, the accident potential is higher!!
 
sidesaddlegirl said:
I'm a big fan of walk/trot tests and bottom hole jumping shows! I don't have the money for lessons and to be honest, I don't want to jump high anymore (been there- done that when I was younger) or have any aspirations to doing anything higher than a Prelim test. Riding is just fun for me, we do a bit of everthing, jumping, sidesaddle, dressage, hacking...

I'm 35 and riddled with arthritis which is only going to get worse (even now sitting here typing this, my fingers hurt and my back/hip are killing me) so competing at low levels still lets me get to go out to compete and have fun. My last three Intro A tests, I came dead last (LOL, got a pity ribbon!) so not exactly a pot hunter! and then I was chuffed to bits when I got 4th on the intro B test last month. I was going to do the Prelim 10 test this Sunday but have decided against it as my back and hip are bad.

Not everyone has the time, money or physical abilities to compete at higher levels so these comps let everyone have a go.
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that sounds so awful, so well done to you.. for going out and having fun!
 
HenrytheCat said:
Quadro - but my pony and I can canter perfectly well on a 10 m circle, let alone a 20 m one. I think you are making assumptions about W& T entrants which may well turn out to be untrue. If you ever see any of us W&T entrants out and about sullying your working in areas why not just ask if we are totally cr*p riders? I assume you are a very good rider and I take my hat off to you but I wouldn't put you down, even if you were a lousy rider who was trying her best. Live and let live I say :)
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May i ask very politely if you are established at 10m circles in canter why are you doing a W&T test with all respect??? as i compete BSJA i have no issue with dressage riders warming up ;) I do think the sport is being "dumbed down" by these tests though, and it does enable riders to delay harder movements such as canter circles for longer! Can be liken to the introduction of being allowed to rise at Elementary! (which by the way i think is a good idea ;) )
 
Quadro said:
Its not about manners its about safety!! The higher you jump BSJA the worse the manners in the collecting ring are, but these riders are balanced and skilled as are there horses, which W&T riders and horses are not, the accident potential is higher!!
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Not all walk and trot riders are unbalanced and unskilled, me for example, I'm not a great rider but althoughtI will enter young green horses into walk and trot I competed dressage up to novice/elem, sj'ed up to 3'6 and evented up to 3/3'3 so please don't brand everybody entering walk and trot classes as irresposnible and dangerous.
 
Quadro - unfortunately, what I can do at home and what I can do when out and racked with nerves is not the same. I know I am pathetic but I have tried everything from Bach flower remedy to vodka but nothing has helped so far :( I envy those people who seem to be able to conquer their nerves because I know I am my own worst enemy sometimes.
 
HenrytheCat said:
Quadro - unfortunately, what I can do at home and what I can do when out and racked with nerves is not the same. I know I am pathetic but I have tried everything from Bach flower remedy to vodka but nothing has helped so far :( I envy those people who seem to be able to conquer their nerves because I know I am my own worst enemy sometimes.
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Aside from this post, have you tried just going to aneven no matter what (local show, dressage comp anything!) and riding round, walk, trot, canter if you want to, just round the warm up and the show ground. Have tried this with a pupil and it has help her to ease her way into competing ! do it as many or as little times as neccassary!
You may think that is a loads of rubbish but just a suggestion :):):)
 
Thanks Quadro. It's not a rubbish suggestion at all. In fact I have tried it and I am perfectly fine in even the busiest collecting rings but, as soon as I enter the ring proper, I sort of freeze and everything goes out of my head. The first time I tried ridden showing I actually shouted at the ring steward to lift the rope up and let me out after one lap of canter because I was having a panic attack.

I am going to a dressage clinic with a rather prestigious dressage rider later this month and I am determined to do a prelim test because, although she will mark my test and then give me a short lesson, I know that I'm not in a "real" test so, hopefully, I'll be fine. I am telling myself that I have to be ok because it's a total waste of good money otherwise :(
 
Kitsune said:
Little flea - I think jumping 2'6 is pretty simple and basic - that doesn't mean there shouldn't be classes for people who don't find it so simple - how on earth will they progress otherwise? Building up your confidence in small competitions means that they will surely be better, less nervous and more capable in bigger ones - which can only be a good thing? Surely?
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Yes 2'6" is pretty simple but it does require riders to be able to walk trot and canter, surely something every rider should be able to do before entering a competition?
 
Have you tried doing it HC?? takes the pressure off being competitive?? or ask the organisers if you could do your test after everyone has finished (even after the judge has gone home) ?? i want you to do a prelim test as well now :):):);););)!!
keep me updated please!! and best of luck ! you sound so determined, which is half the battle!!
 
LizScott said:
Yes 2'6" is pretty simple but it does require riders to be able to walk trot and canter, surely something every rider should be able to do before entering a competition?
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Someone who obviously hasn’t read the whole post! NO, people shouldn’t have to be able to canter to enter a competition! What about all these kiddies that have major fun trotting around on lead rein, doing Walk/Trot dressage or bottom hole classes, having the times of there lives, should they not be able to do it? What a load of **** you are talking!
 
I echo Kenzo and similar's sentiments. I'm not a *total* disaster in the saddle :o but hadn't really ever competed (at least not since pre-teen) until last year. I am damn lucky to have a boy who has seen it, done it, bought the teeshirt and now uses it as a dust rag :D because while I feel ok about jumping, the thought of memorising and performing any dressage test in competition scared the daylights out of me. Even though we're capable, W&T was *exactly* what I needed to sort my head out and build up confidence, *especially* in front of other people. We did well, are happily doing prelim now and probably wouldn't do W&T again unless HC. It really helped me personally and I'm all for it. I can't understand why anyone would have beef with the sport being made more accessible. For some of us, it's just fun and the chance to have something to work towards. And if you're competing at a higher level, then where's the threat?!
 
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Good suggestions from Quadro there! Do the prelim tests at the local shows allow you to have a caller (local shows by me do but wasn't sure if that's the norm)? That may help?

Or if your yard has a menage get a few people from your yard and maybe a few local friends and have your own unofficial dressage competition. You could ask your instructor along to judge? I suppose it's a bit like the dressage clinic idea but a bit cheaper!

Good luck! :D
 
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