Walk & trot tests - good or bad?

Aw, thanks for your support Quadro :) You are right, I am determined that this year is the year that I really "go for it". I have decided to get out and do something every other weekend. So far I've done two walk and trot tests and a 10 mile sponsored ride. I've got two more dressage tests lined up and then we're off to a riding club show. There's a show on somwhere every month until the end of summer and I am eventually going to do a ridden M&M class and not make a prat of myself. My pony is lovely and deserves to be ridden well so it's up to me to do it - lol :) I'll let you know when I do my first prelim for real !!

I like your suggestion of going hc as well. Maybe that would take the pressure off? Worth a try at the very least :)
 
JoBo said:
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!
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I have read the whole post and I think I am entitled to my opinion without being **** at
 
Jeepers, I don't see why this matters so much to some of the "more advanced" riders!

Does it really make any difference to anybody else if a person decides to do a W & T test or a minimus jumping/x country?

If that's what it takes to get less confident horse/rider combo's out and competing then well done to the organisers and competitors I say!
 
give it a try!! if you feel that it is too much, stop come out ride the test in the warm up and go home happy as you still rode your test well :)
Try an in hand before your ridden, gives you something to focus on which will take your mind off being nervous about your ridden :)
PM whenever for support! i teach a lady who (until yesterday!) was petrified to canter in the arena at home so have loads of different ideas/approaches to nerves! and i know that support is essential! GOOD LUCK THOUGH!!
 
I haven't read the whole post but I can't reallly believe the attitudes of some people on here!! As for training and schooling blah blah blah......I challenge ANYONE on here to get over 50% in a dressage test on my ex-polo mare!

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:D:D:D:D:D:D

For what it's worth, she can canter a beautiful 20m circle......in fact when she was used for a polo demo by a pro rider she was doing pirouettes!!!

BUT the fact is she is hot as hell and is terrified of her own mouth due to being hauled around on the polo field so cantering is too much in a dressage test. Does that mean I shouldn't be allowed to have a go?! The reality is we will never be able to do a prelim well.....but we can get good at walk and trot.

As for people saying it discourages training and schooling - it has had the opposite effect! My mare hates schooling and at times it is very frustrating but W&T tests have given us something to aim towards....an ACHIEVABLE goal. My pony cost me £1 and she has come a long way but we are not all lucky enough to spend £££s on a horse and have livery at a fancy yard with amazing facilities.
 
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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I think most W&T entrants CAN, its just not well enough to do justice to the test, but still they want to have a little go and have feedback on which to build with their riding at home.

No crime in my eyes.
 
Kitsune said:
I think most W&T entrants CAN, its just not well enough to do justice to the test, but still they want to have a little go and have feedback on which to build with their riding at home.

No crime in my eyes.
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What she said!!!! I am quite capable of cantering, it's just my pony looks like a giraffe and I don't fancy totally embarrassing myself in public!
 
Kitsune said:
I think most W&T entrants CAN, its just not well enough to do justice to the test, but still they want to have a little go and have feedback on which to build with their riding at home.

No crime in my eyes.
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Nor in mine :) I just don't get why if someone CAN canter a 20m circle, why they wouldn't at least give prelim a go. Canter is only a small part of the test after all. It's just my opinion and for what it's worth I don't have a problem with WT tests at all.
 
I have given it a go.............and failed miserably!!!! Please see below :D



At least this will cheer everyone up!

I am now aiming to do a walk and trot in slightly better fashion!

ETA you will see that actually my mare has a very balanced canter......but this was our personal best of 46%!!!!!!!
 
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Well hopefully they will give Prelim a go when they are feeling more confident and at ease with the whole process!

In the mreantime go and do a W & T. If people can't build up their confidence up by doing, this they may never have the nerve to enter a Prelim!

I think that would be a great shame.
 
Who should decide the capabilities of riders & their horses and determine whether they can compete in lower level classes!?
W&T tests are obviously in demand otherwise they wouldn't be so popular. I personally think it's a great introduction to dressage, for either horse or rider (or both!).

If you feel comfortable doing W&T, do it.

If you feel you can go further, try prelim.

If your horse, like mine, prefers smelling clouds with his head in the air, maybe stick to jumping! :D
 
I think they are great. My OH and I have just competed in our first dressage league doing WT. OH not yet confident enough to canter and I ride my pony bitless. We have enjoyed the league gained confidence in entering competitions. I am thinking of trying pony with a bit and will go up a level if we can.
 
I think w&t tests are a great way to intoduce inexperienced horses / riders into the world of competitions. I know of many people who compete at W&T and they are fab riders but they just lack the confidence to canter infront of an audience.

Also for those that think little jumping classes are pointless, What about the youngsters? not every young horse can cope with that height along with fillers, at their FIRST show. I have no shame in admitting I took lord round a 18" class.......it was his first show and yes he can jump higher but while there are the smaller classes I will make use of them to build his confidence and experience. Yes I will jump him higher next time before anyone has a go and no I am not a nervous jumper and I compete my other horse BS with success.
 
boogles said:
Also for those that think little jumping classes are pointless, What about the youngsters? not every young horse can cope with that height along with fillers, at their FIRST show. I have no shame in admitting I took lord round a 18" class.......it was his first show and yes he can jump higher but while there are the smaller classes I will make use of them to build his confidence and experience. Yes I will jump him higher next time before anyone has a go and no I am not a nervous jumper and I compete my other horse BS with success.
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Yes exactly, for Lace's first comp I shall only enter her in something small, 2'3/2'6 perhaps, she has no problem with heights but filler could be a different matter! ;)
 
What I really think would benefit people are training competitions - we went to one yesterday with our local RC. You had to ride a level up from your comfort zone and after riding your test the judge gave you a one to one 20 min coaching session. Absolutely brilliant - for £12 you got judged in a dressage test and got a mini private lesson with a List 1 judge! This is the kind of thing that should be encouraged more - education rather than affiliated organisations lowering levels to make more money.
 
little_flea said:
What I really think would benefit people are training competitions - we went to one yesterday with our local RC. You had to ride a level up from your comfort zone and after riding your test the judge gave you a one to one 20 min coaching session. Absolutely brilliant - for £12 you got judged in a dressage test and got a mini private lesson with a List 1 judge! This is the kind of thing that should be encouraged more - education rather than affiliated organisations lowering levels to make more money.
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Totally agree- that is a fantastic idea!
 
Maybe because they are awfully nervous - maybe because they overhear sentiments like those extolled on this thread and cack themselves over people labelling them inadequate!!!

Some people are better at certain things than others, and why anyone would look down on those who suffer with nerves or not being as good as other people deem they should be, I don't know.
 
I think they are fantastic for RC maybe not so suitable for affiliated as you would expect more for riders working at that level.

Our RC club introduced then a few years ago and they have been great money earners for the club. Lots of people including myself who would never had thought about doing dressage - seeing lots of warmbloods cantering in a perfect outline preparing for the prelim can be a bit offputting for a 36 year old on a 6 year old 13.2 NF neither of whom have ever done any dressage. However I felt we could have a go at walk trot and so did some of my friends at the yard. At age 36 on my 6 year old pony I entered my first dressage last year was so nervous I thought I might pass out and was pleased just to remember the test - came last but made me realise I could have a go and enjoy it - over the last year we have gradually improved and moved up the placings this year in our first competition we came 2nd. Next year I hope to move up to Prelim - had the walk trot not existed I would never have had a go and it has inspired me to improve and train at a higher level. Other people at my yard who are mainly happy hackers have been inspired by me being able to have a go and also have decided to join in.

I think it is normally standard for people to compete at a level lower than they work at home so most walk trot dressagers are able to canter a 20 meter circle. I can canter and jump on my pony.

In jumping they have the clear rounds which are often low enough to walk over - I trotted round the 2ft WH on my pony last year (he gets very excited and can be difficult in canter jumping so instructor advised me to trot round). In show you can start out in hand so why should n't people be able to do the walk trot dressage if they are wanting to start out in dressage especially at RC level.
 
little_flea said:
What I really think would benefit people are training competitions - we went to one yesterday with our local RC. You had to ride a level up from your comfort zone and after riding your test the judge gave you a one to one 20 min coaching session. Absolutely brilliant - for £12 you got judged in a dressage test and got a mini private lesson with a List 1 judge! This is the kind of thing that should be encouraged more - education rather than affiliated organisations lowering levels to make more money.
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While I think training has its place, sometimes people just want to go out and have fun. Riding is a hobby not something we need to work at constantly in case, god forbid, we should dare to lower standards. We don't all aim to be great achievers, some of us just want to enjoy ourselves. I think sometimes people lose sight of that.

Personally I have never done a walk & trot test but if they get people out giving it a go then I'm all for them.
 
My lovely trainer told me earlier this evening that when I am a 65 year old lady on a fat little pony and I think canter is too fast, I will be doing nothing but W&T tests so I shouldn't knock them (and I know he will be reading this *waves*).

I worry I have made myself unpopular - I do think it is really good that W&T tests exist if people want to do them - but I do think focus on training (ideally affordable) is more important.

Disclaimer = I am a (pretty rubbish) show jumper anyway, so there is no need to listen to me. I would probably get 35% in a Prelim test.
 
If you saw me on my pony you would realise that we are not a danger to anyone - I actually left the warm up ring a couple of weeks ago as there were a few people warming up for prelim on big warmblood dressage types that were rearing and did not look in control and I thought they could fall off at any minute or run me and my pony over they needed to spend a long time warming up to calm their horses down ready for the class as they were highly strung.

I work at prelim level at home and can canter circles etc but the people in the prelim classes are working at novice level at home so I am not at the same level as them. They are really very good compared to us.

I did not see anyone in the walk trot classes on a horse or pony that looked out of control - they were mainly cobs or steady happy hacker types and me on the token pony!


Quadro said:
I don't think they are a good thing, i don't think that if a horse/rider can't canter properly in public then they are ready for a competition. I don't think it is safe to have a horse and or rider who are not fully established with there balance out competing in a strange enviorment and warming up with other riders. The requirements of a prelim test are rather basic so i feel they should be mastered and be able to be performed in public when in competition.
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I think one of the great things about riding is that all sorts of people can get involved and enjoy themselves and this should be encouraged. You should not need to be fearless to compete nor should you need to be the most amazing rider as long as you are safe and not hurting your horse. It would be a shame for those for who feel that the walk trot tests have been a challenge for them to have their achievements belittled by those who have never been nervous or lacked in confidence.

Some people might be feeling not confident about their riding even if they are not that bad so to imply that people who enter walk trot classes are all bad riders might not do much to help these people improve their confidence and move up to the next level.
 
Little Flea - I know you are not originally from the UK so you might not know that in the UK ponies are just not reserved for the very old or the very young. There are lots of super and competitive native british ponies who may look chunky compared to a TB but are not fat and are ridden by adults who are not very old or disabled! There are also children and those over the age of 65 who also ride horses. We are very open minded in this country when it comes to horses and who rides what.
 
I think they are great for the less confident riders (such as myself), people think that anyone with confidence issues "can't ride" automatically, and therefore put down those that try W&T tests. Also great for anyone getting to know their horse for the first few competitions.

I'm all for them, I'm hoping to do my first one this year just to start my 5 going 6 year old off with me. He's been out and done things, but not with me and I'm a nervous wreck :eek:. A walk and trot test doesn't put as much pressure on me as a Prelim.
Also not all horse's have the natural balance that others do in order to perform a "simple" 20m circle in canter.
 
SO1 said:
I think one of the great things about riding is that all sorts of people can get involved and enjoy themselves and this should be encouraged. You should not need to be fearless to compete nor should you need to be the most amazing rider as long as you are safe and not hurting your horse. It would be a shame for those for who feel that the walk trot tests have been a challenge for them to have their achievements belittled by those who have never been nervous or lacked in confidence.

Some people might be feeling not confident about their riding even if they are not that bad so to imply that people who enter walk trot classes are all bad riders might not do much to help these people improve their confidence and move up to the next level.
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Totally agree!
 
i have never done a W&T test but am planning to this summer.

i am not an inexperienced rider but i have a rising 4yro who is 17.2hh already with a canter that means the long side of a 40m arena is gone in 3 strides.

he will be going out to do W&T tests to start with- i am not going to wait until he is a big strapping 5yro before taking him out to experience a party atmosphere as imo that will be even more unsafe.
 
little_flea said:
My lovely trainer told me earlier this evening that when I am a 65 year old lady on a fat little pony and I think canter is too fast, I will be doing nothing but W&T tests so I shouldn't knock them (and I know he will be reading this *waves*).

I worry I have made myself unpopular - I do think it is really good that W&T tests exist if people want to do them - but I do think focus on training (ideally affordable) is more important.

Disclaimer = I am a (pretty rubbish) show jumper anyway, so there is no need to listen to me. I would probably get 35% in a Prelim test.
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You shouldn't have to apologise for having an opinion, just be aware that there are always going to be people who express an opposing opinion! ;)

It's pretty obvious that, to YOU, training is an integral part of your equestrian involvement...........however, that is personal to YOU, not necessarily the general equestrian population. Assuming that everyone holds the same ideals as you is rather shortsighted.

I do think that your idea of training comps are an excellent idea, bearing in mind the fact that BE has the BE80(T)........this would be invaluable to someone like me who cannot afford regular lessons with my instructor but for whom competing, and progressing up through the grades, is something I aspire to.
 
little_flea said:
My lovely trainer told me earlier this evening that when I am a 65 year old lady on a fat little pony and I think canter is too fast, I will be doing nothing but W&T tests so I shouldn't knock them (and I know he will be reading this *waves*).

I worry I have made myself unpopular - I do think it is really good that W&T tests exist if people want to do them - but I do think focus on training (ideally affordable) is more important.

Disclaimer = I am a (pretty rubbish) show jumper anyway, so there is no need to listen to me. I would probably get 35% in a Prelim test.
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Well maybe this will make me unpopular too!
I completely agree with your point in terms of "dumbing down" dressage and SJ by offering W&T tests and 70/80cms SJ classes AT AFFILIATED LEVEL - I always thought going affiliated was something to work towards and should be an achievement that you are "good enough" to go affiliated so it frustrates that we are lowering the standard.
However at unaffiliated/RC level I think W&T tests and 70/80cm SJ classes are a good thing. I certainly used the low level SJ classes when I first took B out SJ as he was scared of a small cross pole let alone adding fillers into the mix:rolleyes:
I used to run the local RC dressage shows and I have seen the benefit of people doing W&T tests. Some because they are very nervous, horse is babyish, inexperienced etc so they either don't want to canter, haven't got a very balanced canter or they like the quiet warm up etc etc. Most of the people I have seen do a W&T test do after a few goes go on to attempt the Prelim eventually. My instructor competed her baby in the W&T test (admittedly she went HC). What about people wanting to get their horses out after a long time off but don't want/aren't allowed to canter yet - W&T tests are benefical for them as well.
 
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