What was your first dressage test like?

Cheshire Chestnut

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What was your first dressage test like on your current horse(s)?

I mean at a competition.

Got my first ever test (in over 20 years riding!) on my boy on Saturday and I'm both excited and nervous :)
 

HufflyPuffly

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hmm first actual test on Topaz was in a ODE and was erm, interesting! We got exploded into canter a lot and got 'one time changes not required' written on our sheet...
She was young and finding canter tricky and exciting which made for an amusing test! We still came 6th overall as we went on to have a double clear so ah well!

First proper unaff dressage test on its own came a few years later and she was awesome and won both intro and prelim with over 70% in the into.

First BD attempt we did P13 and N34. Was very tense in the warm-up and very spooky! Into the test and as expected she was tense about the new arena, but we did all the right things in the right places, for a credible 64.17% in the prelim. Onto N34 and she felt more relaxed but had a silly jog step in the med walk and then F was terrifying in the FWR, but our med trots felt good and we came out with 67.08%!! So was thrilled :D.

Thanks for this thread as it's just made me go back and look how we did and our progression still makes me beam with pride. We did that first BD Feb last year, and will be going to the PP Championships at elementary restricted this year, love our cart horse :eek:

x x
 

LFD

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My first dressage horse on my current horse (and also in about 20 years) was horrific! It was at the BE @ Dalkeith in April last year wich we were palced 22nd - eek!! We got a 48.5 (51.5%) wich was actually kind! Here is the terrible video! http://youtu.be/WRYrTJt0wBk Things have improved since then thankfully!!
 

Hoof_Prints

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First dressage test was horrendous on my ISH, he decided to go through a phase of being a total idiot and would keep cantering on the spot or rushing off in trot, then jogging in walk. I had a combined training event and although he'd been an idiot all week I went along anyway. Went down the center line in trot, soon started doing a fab piaffe, then canter half pass (not bad for a prelim test! ;) ) followed by an impressive Lipizzaner style Capriole and racehorse gallop out the ring, up the hill :D

He did go on to win his next two tests a few months later ..
 

ihatework

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On my current horse ... Did 2 x open novice BDs at my local venue (an agricultural college). She spotted ostriches in a pen in the distance and was naughty!
We won both tests but I think that was just because everyone else was just as bad as us!!
 

Shrimp

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I still remember my first test, aged 10 (i think) went something along the lines of:
A enter at trot down centre line, C track right and trot around to A
at A, exit arena, turn a 5 metre circle and kick pony back into arena carrying on like nothing has happened, and we did actually finish! Thankfully I've gotten a bit better since though did get my first ever 2 not long ago.....
 

Rivendell

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In my first dressage tests I got eliminated for talking to my horse!!! I had no idea that wasn't allowed.

Then on another horse we exited the arena at F by jumping over the arena poles while doing a canter circle. I must have tried to pull him back into the arena in mid air because on landing he then leapt back over and proceed to destroy the arena...

Now I just stick with show jumping!!
 

Wishful

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My first was on a riding school horse (me aged mid 30s, horse a little younger). Intro. Initial 20m circle was dragged by horse into the corner where she always stops for a poo, and a comfort break ensued. Would not move until done! Test was better than warm up as we actually trotted as there was nothing to nap to - but impulsion was a little lacking...
 

OwnedbyJoe

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My first EVER was when I was about 10.. No walk/trot tests then so we had to canter a 20m circle and I got carted.. Took us most of a lap of the arena to stop.
My first test on the current horse (after also about 20 years) we forgot how to pick up right canter lead (after weeks of struggling with the left one.. clearly he is blonde) and we took most of the circle to get it right. I got a "nice attitude" on my rider's comments as I was just laughing at the ridiculousness of it!
 

Milkmaid

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I currently have two neddies....
The New Forests first test we exited the arena, it wasn't pretty! Thankfully things have MUCH improved and we regularly get pretty ribbons ☺
The cob has only done one test (w&t) when the NF was off games and I got bored. Judges comments. ......'What he lacks in talent he makes up for in hard work! ' How very dare he, lol!
My first test on one of my previous horses when he was only 4 resulted in me leaving my arena, horse bucking like billio when he spooked at my husband who was reading. We ended up in the next arena in the middle of someone else's test, whoops!
 

PolarSkye

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Kali's first was a disaster from start to finish . . . but we had such a laugh (no, really). He escaped from the lorry (got away from my friend who was holding him) and tried to leg it up the drive, it took three of us to put his saddle on he was so excited and he did most of Intro A backwards and in canter. We were in stitches . . . especially when the steward asked if he was an OTB and was he three? Erm, no - he's a warmblood cross and (at the time) 13!

Despite what a plank he was, we had a really, really good day out and still managed to find the positives (he behaved himself in the indoor warm up - and we're pretty sure that was the first time he'd been in an indoor arena).

Honestly, just try and relax and enjoy and I am sure you will be brilliant. Can't wait to read the report :).

Best of luck.

P
 

casspow

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In my first dressage tests I got eliminated for talking to my horse!!! I had no idea that wasn't allowed.

Then on another horse we exited the arena at F by jumping over the arena poles while doing a canter circle. I must have tried to pull him back into the arena in mid air because on landing he then leapt back over and proceed to destroy the arena...

Now I just stick with show jumping!!


LOL this happened to me too! :D But they must of been kind to me when I yelled "good boy" for him picking up his right canter lead and only deducted me of 2 marks as a penalty..

I think I need to stick with jumping pony would love that but his mother is a massive wuss! :D
 

Walrus

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We won our first dressage - an intro test with only about 4 competitors. My trusty little fell trotted round with his nose out but in a lovely rhythm. However, 20 minutes before we did clear the warm up with some extreme cat leaping, there were 3 TBs cowering in the corner as one small black hairy pony flew through the air with the greatest of ease with me clinging on!
 

khalswitz

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Erm... Not great. My first dressage test was on a Highland I loaned when I was a teenager, and we did the whole thing as days as physically possible...

First one with Geoff he tried to buck me off when we were trotting round the arena waiting to start, then proceeded to run around like a giraffe and miss every transition by minimum two markers. We got a 52!!!

Our first BD test, Geoff was super tight, twisting, not moving when I put my leg on and refusing to stretch or be supple. I got off after the test and he proceeded to let out te biggest wee I've ever seen.
 

PolarSkye

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We won our first dressage - an intro test with only about 4 competitors. My trusty little fell trotted round with his nose out but in a lovely rhythm. However, 20 minutes before we did clear the warm up with some extreme cat leaping, there were 3 TBs cowering in the corner as one small black hairy pony flew through the air with the greatest of ease with me clinging on!

That should be a cartoon! And well done :).

P
 

AngelitoCaz

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My first test was part of a ode, we spooked at every board and then bucked as I obviously wasn't getting the message about horse eating white boards. Comments were 'Well sat shame he was being a monkey!' the rest of the test after regaining my stirrup and control went quite well as I relaxed thinking it couldn't go anymore wrong.
 

Cheshire Chestnut

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Ok so off we toddled yesterday to our first ever dressage. It was windy and torrential rain when we got to the yard but luckily by the time we left it was just windy and the rain had stopped - wind I can deal with. Rain not as much.

Anyway he loaded well (which is something else that was making me nervous) and when we got to the competition he had to stay in the trailer for half an hour while everything got sorted. He was really well behaved. Tacked up and off we went into the warm up. Then venue had left a full course of jumps up in the warm up arena and although he usually would spook at all the fillers, banners, signs etc dotted about - he hardly looked at all. Calm in the warm up and off we went to the first test P1. He's never been in an indoor before so that was a bit of a shock first off. Eyes on stalks at the judge in s landrover at C and omg white boards!! Needless to say the beeping of the horn for the start of the test was a hairy moment. Our canter was more of a spook to halt, then to flat out racing motorbike canter and we pretty much raced round a 10m circle flat out, instead of the nice controlled 20m circle in canter we'd practiced at home.

Both classes - P1 and P4 had two different judges. I personally thought he went a lot better in P4 but I don't think the judge was too impressed with us! Epsecially when we did a huge buck to get into canter - but at least we got the right lead! :)

We got 59.7% in P1 and 58.6% in P4, both of which I was thrilled with! We've got a lot more practice at home to do but I was so chuffed with how good he was overall yesterday, very well behaved and I'm an extremely proud mum. He had lots of polos with tea! :D
 

mandwhy

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Aww, well done on your tests! I haven't done our first one yet but hoping to soon, I'm comforted by this thread that it doesn't have to be perfect :-D I did a beginners ridden show recently and that was ok so figured we can give it a go! I'll be avoiding cantering though unless tanking bucking ponies are popular!
 

j1ffy

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Well done! Those scores are a good building block and not bad at all.

I haven't taken my current horse out yet but on my last one (an ex-racehorse on loan) I had to retire in our first test. It was mainly bucks and me puffing to keep him going forwards as he bunny-hopped around with his eyes on stalks, then when we got to the walk section he went into reverse and kept going :p
 

fidleyspromise

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We did an intro test and pony was very well behaved and did everything spot on.
She came second and I was so proud of her as it was our first time out anywhere ridden and so it was to see how she behaved more than anything.
 

JennBags

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Great scores for a first outing, especially as your first indoors too! I always look at where my scores are in relation to the others, as some judges are generous with their marks and others less so. Hope it gives you impetus to get out and do more :)
 

miss_c

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Our first test can be summed up in one word - Fast. People used to watch our dressage tests for entertainment - we would aim for 50% and to stay in the arena!
 
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