what have I got myself into......

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poppyblossom

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I have just agreed to do a dressage test at the start of July, and although it's only going to be a walk trot test I've got no clue what to expect!! I've owned my little poppy for almost 12 years and it's only now I've decided we're going to have an amazing year taking part in little fun competitions! We have no chance in even placing but I figured why not lol!!! How do u all deal with nerves before competing??
 
Firstly congratuations! Entering is the first step. The best key to beating nerves is good prep. (if you fail to prepare, prepare to fail) but just remember the that the best laid plans.... Especially with horses! Learn your test, ride it, ask some one to critique it. If you can do a test riding session or clinic- anything that gets you and horse out in a non competive session before you do it for real, and if you can at the venue.
Learning your test will help, it's much easier on the day. But take someone too, as plan b, it saves thinking!
On the day, leave plenty of time, aim to be at comp a hour before your start time to leave time to tack up and warm up properly. Have a warm up routine, and follow it. Mine is circles at 20, 15, 10 at A,E,C,B in walk, then trot, and 20, 15 in canter, on both reins. I then take specific moves from the test and work through those. E.g e-x, half 10m x-b half 10m. Usually by the time i've done this, horse is ready and listening. Whatever your routine is, practice it. It'll give your horse the security of knowing what's coming next, even in a strange place.
Finally, no more talk of "we won't come anywhere." talk yourself up, not down. Visualise yourself doing it right, not wrong. Relax, your first test, the score doesn't matter. If it's not that great,well, you'll get feedback and have some thing to work to. Good luck, and remember- have fun!
 
Hi,

My main advise would be to enjoy!

I bet if you just rocked up with a caller and did what they said then you would be just fine :-)

But, if you prefer to prepare then maybe hire the venue before you go so you can have a practice? Could you practice with a few friends to simulate a collecting ring, and then go one at a time into the main arena so you know your horse will split from his buddies?

I am judging Intro A and B today, and from the judges perspective I am expecting to see...... Happy people with their normal horses having fun; More Pro people with their babies (some of whom will have very "interesting" tests (!); Clean horses all plaited; hairy horses with poo marks that won't come out; spotless riders; riders who do not own all the correct equipment but are there having fun anyway (my husband did his dressage tests with a suit jacket bought from a charity shop); people who have learned their tests; people who have callers; people who forget their tests.

What I am trying to say is that you WILL fit in! I think the term "Judge" is quite scary. I am just an interested person who is there to give an impartial mark to each movement. I am looking at the movement against things such as accuracy to the marker etc, not judging the worth of you or your horse. Even if it is really inaccurate, and the mark is low, you are not penalised in life, or your horse judged as less.

Believe me, whatever your horse does the "judge" will probably have seen it before. One of my favourites was a young horse with stage fright who came up the centre line, turned left and refused to go down the long side past a banner. The rider tried for a while, I was able to get out of the car and tell the competitor that she had paid for 5 minutes in the ring, and she could use it as she wished. It took all the time, but she made it, passed the banner, and did the first few movements. That was a success as the horse was now better prepped for the future.

The dressage "test" is not a "test" of a finished product. It just tells you where you are at, on that day, and also tells you where everyone else is at, on that day, compared with you.

Oh, and remember sometimes it is me, clutching a neck strap on a baby, doing our first Intro too!

Have fun!
 
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That is such a lovely post, Red-1. Thank you! As a paranoid perfectionist with a "onward bound" youngster, I shall print it, frame it and hang it on the tack room door!
 
I know this probably sounds quite mad but it really does work. Go through the test on foot and think about what you need to do for accuracy (lots of marks get thrown away by missing markers etc) It's an easy way to learn the test and slows everything down so that when you are on board the horse you are confident that you can get proper sized circles and correct bend etc. Oh, and enjoy it, it's fun and quite addictive!
 
Carry one if those shorthand notebooks & a pen around with you & when you have an odd moment just run through the test making the shapes in the pages. You will find it's usually the same bit you keep forgetting so you can focus on learning that bit. You will feel more confident if you have learned the test even if you plan to use a caller. Nb - my son learned the hard way that you can't hear callers when it is windy!
 
And just remind yourself that plucking up the courage to have a go at something new is a triumph in itself, never mind managing to stay in the arena.
 
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