Walk & trot tests - good or bad?

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HenrytheCat

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Just wondered what people thought about W&T tests? I know that opinions are divided. Do you think they are a good way of getting beginners into the sport or getting young horses used to going out or do you think that everyone should start at prelim level?
 
I think they're an essential part of it. W&T tests can be called - meaning they are more accessible to children and to adults with learning difficulties. They are far less daunting to a begginer because it is not only the limitation on gait, but also a lower expecation in terms of submission, flexion etc.

W&T tests are also an essential part of para-deraage for the most limited riders.

Without a W&T element you could have no pony club mini one day events - anything under 2'6 has a W&T test. You need to be fairly accomplished as a child to complete a 2'6 XC course - mindful that ponies are a lot smaller than horses and have to really jump that height.

There may be an arguement that Adults without other difficulties who want to start in dressage to start at prelim. Certainly so far as I am aware adult riders bringing on horses where the rider is experienced tend to head for prelim as a first step. But for those who have limitations - including nerves! - and for children they are an essential first step. Dressage already has a reputation for being inaccessible at amateur levels. Lets not make that any worse!
 
I'm taking my youngster to her first dressage on sunday. It's a walk and trot test. I'm pretty glad there's no canter, as she can't hold herself together yet as has such big paces and so would be all over the place. It's a nice way of getting real babies, beginners ect. used to dressage.
 
I think they are great. I'm aiming to do one on my 4yr old this summer - he's very gangly and unbalanced still so no way could canter a 20m circle yet. Its a great way of getting young horses used to dressage - and getting less confident / inexperienced people or horses involved in dressage.
 
I think it's an excellent thing, I look at it as the same as 70cm jumping or a clear round, I am doing my first DR test in years in a couple of weeks and although my horse and I show county level, we have opted for a walk and trot test because it's a very different ball game, she has a very large elevated canter thats hard to contain and I'm already a bag of nerves anyway let alone doing a prelim. In showing you have loads of room and when I rode in a proper DR school the other day it felt tiny!
 
Personally I think they are great. I think they are really good for nervous riders, young horses, beginners to the sport of riding and so forth. Not every horse is balanced enough to canter a 20m circle properly (not that it shouldn't be attempted if possible). Before many WT tests were offered I would sometimes do a prelim test and just trot thru the canter work as my mare hadn't brakes at canter and would fall over on grass so bad was her balance!
 
i think they are a good thing, i use them with yougsters as a warm up to a prelim class or to get them used to an arena, the 1st test i dont with my current baby had all the proper white boards, mirrors, flower pots the lot.. we done well, not only did we win we only splattered one of the white boards..

if your a more accomplished rider on a baby, the compete hc so it doesnt upset people (theres always one that says you shouldnt be in the class.:rolleyes:)
 
I think they are great for young horses and novice riders but I hate to see people still doing them when they are also doing prelim tests.
 
Personally I'm not sure we need a level below prelim, the movements required in prelim are not particularly difficult. Cantering a 20m circle should be within the capabilities of most (para riders being the exception but I know nothing about para dressage) even if it isn't pretty.

I've taken horses into prelim tests when they haven't really got the balance in canter and generally they still score a 5 for the canter work even if they are above the bit and lacking balance. So it reduces your overall score a bit but if you are training the horse then you aren't bothered about the score. I also think it is important for a lot of horses to learn that cantering doesn't automatically mean going for a hoolie, and cantering in a dressage test is part of this. Further I think a lot of people ignore schooling in the canter and spend far too long on the trot, meaning that the canter is forever weak, walk trot tests encourage this.

Someone mentioned these being used for PC 2'6" ODEs, personally I think if a pony is jumping round a 2'6" course it should have a canter that is balanced and established enough to canter a 20 meter circle. If not it probably shouldn't be jumping a course of fences in competition.

So personally I do think they are a bit pointless.
 
Hullabaloo said:
I think they are great for young horses and novice riders but I hate to see people still doing them when they are also doing prelim tests.
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To a point i agree with this, however, i find canter hard due to a disability and i always enter W&T and prelim, this gives me a chance to judge whether on that day i can canter or not. I get scared in the canter that my leg will give way and ill fall and get hurt, W&T act togive me the confidence to ride my horse and just get on with it.

:)
 
I like them, the first two times I took Chancer out we did the W&T test only. He was rising 4, though techinically a 4 year old for competition purposes and it allowed him to go round nice and relaxed.

I will be doing the same with Farra this year - she can just about canter a 20 m circle she is a very big girl and still green. Again this will be her first competition and both of us can relax whilst she gets the feel of things.

However, I think once you have been placed first you should not be allowed to do this test again as a combination nor should you be allowed to do any other test that day. This would keep the competition to genuine riders with problems and young horses getting experience and not used as a warm up class.

I also think this with jumping, no more than say 2' and 2'3 on the one day.
 
Hullaballo, I agree with you, once I've done a few good walk and trot tests and then will move up to prelim, whats the point if you stay at the same level....some people just want a rossette!
 
Lots of interesting replies - thank you. Personally, I am all for W&T tests. I am nervous and new to competing so I did one yesterday at an equestrian centre where they run PYO tests alongside the normal competition. Unfortunately, the judge didn't have a copy of the test so I had to provide my own and she didn't mark it properly because she wasn't used to it. I showed it to my friend who is a dressage judge to get confirmation of that as I couldn't make sense of it myself. Still, I enjoyed it, my pony went well and we got 61.4 % which I was pleased with, particularly as pony got a bit too onward bound at one stage and we did 3 canter strides. Oops!

We are working towards our first Prelim test at the moment but will do two more W&T tests to get used to the whole competition/riding in a strange arena thing without having to worry about cantering.
 
I think they're a good thing
I use them to get young horses out in a competition atmosphere without having to worry a huge amount the test itself, I know for a fact that if Lace's first dressage test involved canter we would have ended up in the next county! :D
 
I think they encourage more riders to give dressage a go, W&T tests sound pretty tame therefore more inviting, great for either for nervous riders, nervous horses (use it as a warm ups or for youngsters) I think they are a very important class, it not about the movements or just because they don't include canter, its about doing a test that you don't feel is too 'testing', therefore creating a relaxed rider and horse, so you can then progess confidently onto the other prelims.
 
I've taken my 4 year old to two of these, they let her see everything (first time out ever), and we didn't need to worry about canter, which is still a bit all over the place... very very helpfull.
 
Katt said:
Personally I'm not sure we need a level below prelim, the movements required in prelim are not particularly difficult. Cantering a 20m circle should be within the capabilities of most (para riders being the exception but I know nothing about para dressage) even if it isn't pretty.

I've taken horses into prelim tests when they haven't really got the balance in canter and generally they still score a 5 for the canter work even if they are above the bit and lacking balance. So it reduces your overall score a bit but if you are training the horse then you aren't bothered about the score. I also think it is important for a lot of horses to learn that cantering doesn't automatically mean going for a hoolie, and cantering in a dressage test is part of this. Further I think a lot of people ignore schooling in the canter and spend far too long on the trot, meaning that the canter is forever weak, walk trot tests encourage this.

Someone mentioned these being used for PC 2'6" ODEs, personally I think if a pony is jumping round a 2'6" course it should have a canter that is balanced and established enough to canter a 20 meter circle. If not it probably shouldn't be jumping a course of fences in competition.

So personally I do think they are a bit pointless.
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Dittttooo this!
 
Binky01 said:
Dittttooo this!
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I Ditto Blinky and Katt.

I think the prelim is basic enough and (and this is going to touch a few nerves but I don't mean too its just my opinion) if the basic scales of schooling are not present i.e you can not canter a 20m circle (which is as complex as it gets), then you really should not be competing your horse.
 
I personally think they are a good thing. when i got my current girl, we couldnt canter on the left rein and she was generally not very happy/balanced cantering on the right, so while we were working on it at home, i took her out and we did a few walk & trot tests, to enter a prelim at that stage would have just upset her. however as soon as our canter was showing signs of improvment we moved up to Prelim and are now at novice.

My friend gets very nervous cantering her pony, and so does walk & trot tests, otherwise she wouldnt compete in dressage at all, again, as soon as her 'issues' are fixed she'll move up.

I think a W&T test allows a gentle introduction for riders and horses, however i do agree that all to often people who should be doing Prelim enter the W&T for the red ribbon...
 
hellspells said:
I Ditto Blinky and Katt.

I think the prelim is basic enough and (and this is going to touch a few nerves but I don't mean too its just my opinion) if the basic scales of schooling are not present i.e you can not canter a 20m circle (which is as complex as it gets), then you really should not be competing your horse.
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But it's not just how basic the test is, it's getting them out into a "party atmosphere" and getting the horse chilled and relaxed, I'm sure if some of mine had canter in their first test they wouldn't have been so relaxed! Yes a 20m circle canter is very basic at home, but not for all horses at their first competition, there's too much going on for complete focus.
The walk and trot classes at my rc dressage series are the most popular, and lots of children and adults come out with smiles on their faces as they'd have never of thought they could of done a dressage test.
 
I agree with you monkeybum. I can do a perfectly good prelim test at home but I am still finding my feet competitonwise and doing an easy test helps a lot to calm the nerves. Dressage is often seen as elitist but I think the the W&T tests will encourage more people to have a go. In my opinion this can only be a good thing :)
 
hellspells said:
I Ditto Blinky and Katt.

I think the prelim is basic enough and (and this is going to touch a few nerves but I don't mean too its just my opinion) if the basic scales of schooling are not present i.e you can not canter a 20m circle (which is as complex as it gets), then you really should not be competing your horse.
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So i shouldnt compete because my balance sometimes isnt good enough for this?


very broad spectrum comment
 
I think they are a good thing , Great way to get youngsters to competitions but not expecting too much of them and to get them used to the arena etc
I'm planning on takeing my boy to some
 
hellspells said:
I Ditto Blinky and Katt.

I think the prelim is basic enough and (and this is going to touch a few nerves but I don't mean too its just my opinion) if the basic scales of schooling are not present i.e you can not canter a 20m circle (which is as complex as it gets), then you really should not be competing your horse.
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For people who are nervous or still very novice cantering can be a big deal and to have to cope with doing it as well as competition nerves, learning the test etc might put them off. Why should they not get to compete - everyone has to start somewhere.
Whether BD should run walk & trot tests is a different matter, but at riding club level surely everyone should be encouraged?
 
I think they are a good thing, I know of a couple of kids who are quite nervous (have had confidence knocks from bad experiences on sharp ponies) who are aiming at doing a w&t. And why not, if it means they can get out and do a show, boost their confidence a bit, I don't really see the harm.

I have done a couple, used them as a warm up for a prelim on my then youngster! Are they used by BD? If so I don't see the point of that so much, I see them more as something at unaffilliated level.
 
Ditto Kenzo message.Tension is the enemy of dressage at any level.My horse and I are doing WT tests because we are a new partnership, I am still recovering my nerve and my horse was very stiff, sore and unbalanced due to muscle damage from a badly fitting saddle.I hope we will progress to prelim soon but I got such a kick from my little WT test and I think so long as people enjoy them why shouldn't they be run?
 
i think they are good for novice riders or nervous riders for the first few outings. i think it encourages people to start out and have a go.
and horses that havent been out yet, for their first occasion- cantering is very exciting for some and staying in the arena and on top of the horse is always a bonus!
 
I don't understand why people get bothered either way, if the classes are there and have sufficient entries, I would say they are needed and do make the sport more inclusive to people with nerves or other problems.

If you don't agree with walk and trot tests, why not just let them go over your radar and not take any notice?

Anything that draws people into dressage as a sport has got to be good for the sport overall. I do see where some comments are coming from, but knowing people that would never have thought about doing a dressage test ever, willing to have a go at a walk/trot test, it actually pleases me, as you never know where that might lead.

I've never actually done one, as haven't been able to compete my injured mare for a few years and when they may have been of benefit to her as a youngster, they didn't exist! I think it would have been a nice confidence boost and had merit to be able to do some with her as a youngster, as she/we struggled with canter - she loves to trot! Although I don't agree with them being used to pot hunt and avoid untidy canter tests as sometimes just having a go at the canter is the only way to improve.

Will I do some with my baby horse when she's backed and old enough?, not sure depends on her, at the moment she is looking to be more of a natural canter horse, so who knows.

Personally I'm all for walk/trot tests purely because my older mare might never be able to compete in proper dressage again due to her tendon injury and where it is, but a little walk/trot test might be within our grasp and it would be lovely to go to a little party on her however meaningless these tests are to others.
 
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