What you think of our second dressage test pretty please! *Vid*

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Went to fieldhouse today for Foxy's second attempt at dressage. I wanted to do a round of show jumps as well but it didn't look that easy and then they'd gone onto the next class by the time I'd done with dressage so I popped the practice fence a few times and left it at that. But she jumped really well. I think the XC schooling has helped!

She was an absolute angel again. She acts like she's been doing it for years and it's only her second show!

Anyway, here is my test vid. She got 71% and 3rd I think but the lady added my score up wrong so might have been 2nd.

Last time people said she was a bit rushed from be pushing her forward too much because she was likely to grind to a halt if I stopped kicking! I'm not sure if you can tell in the vid but she was MUCH more forward. do you think she still looks rushed? Halt is TERRIBLE so only got a 5 for that and on the 20m circle you were meant to let them stretch.. which we didn't really do so got a 5.5 for that but otherwise she got mainly 7.5 or 8.

What do you think? TIA.

[video=youtube;u4OGeTW-Fyg]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4OGeTW-Fyg[/video]
 
Super test and very well ridden and what an improvement from last time!

What I could see to improve would be the stretching yes :). On your trot circle and your free walk, you want to encourage the nose down and forward to really stretch the top line and show that the horse is seeking the contact and not 'held' in one if you see what I mean. Also the end walk half 10 circle just looked like it could have more suppleness and bend through her rib cage.

However I'm still very impressed and you kept a beautiful rhythm in the trot work :).
 
I haven't seen your previous test but there was a lot to like in this test. I agree with ALexHyde's comments. The free walk is a work in progress but the trot work looked good.
 
Yep yep yep. That's exactly what the judge said. She said nice steps on the free walk but that she didn't stretch enough. I don't really know that to do! How do you encourage them to stretch? I'll pick it up at my next lesson.

For the halts, I guess just keep practicing? Not really something I've done with her really.

Thanks for replying! x
 
Much better than the last one, she is more in front of you, less rushed and starting to show her true paces, the free walk will come once she learns it is desirable to stretch down and take the contact with her, her steps show some good overtrack that will be more once she is more through over her back and stretching down.

The poor halt is a result of a poor 1/2 circle, she is coming into your inside leg rather than softly bending around it which is more obvious when you go straight and ask for halt she moves away from the left leg, I would work on her softening to the left and staying straight when asked, be careful you are not pushing her to get her straight or moving away and causing her to resist and move against you, the more you push often the more they push back and the issue is compounded.
Do a little leg yielding with her but make it easy and clear that she softens and yields and doesn't learn to push back, it will also help her understand how to bend through her length.
 
For stretching I find widening the hands and following them forward so you don't give the contact away but encourage them to go down and forward. The forward is important as you don't want them to curl behind the vertical. But practise makes perfect and she did make an attempt!

Halts, make sure all aids are equal. So leg to hand and left to right ;). A subtle difference from one side to the other can make it wonky, and not enough leg into the hand can make the horse limp into a halt and make getting it square hard work! With everything though practise makes perfect as getting the balance right is key.

PS also agree with what Be Positive said :).
 
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