When's the right time to affiliate a young horse?

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I have a five rising 6 year old who until November had never really been ridden. She is now in full work and is going really well. I have regular lessons with a BD trainer, and am now thinking of affiliating her. I know some would say she needs to be out winning unaffiliated before spending the money of affiliation, but there are not that many unaffiliated around at the moment in my area.

I was just wondering when other people affiliated a young horse?
 
We affiliated at 4 last November he has qualified spillers final , prelim and novice summer regionals,but we have only done 6 shows as the points add up so quickly and we don't want to ask him to progress yet.
I'm not sure I like the way BD do grading as If you have a talented horse they get point so quickly.At least in BSJA you can go slowly and not win money.I know you can go HC or do unaff but the affil classes don't get very many entries and I'm sure it is because people don't want to up grade .Of course you can enter prelim without gaining points or being registered I think
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I dont know anything dressage wise, but before affiliating mine BSJA and BE I make sure they're doing consistently well at unaffiliated first. If you dont have many, Id still try to go to 3 or 4 just to see what happens.
 
Yes ,started with walk and trot tests in the spring just after he was broken. Did about one a month through the summer when his scores were high 60's we affiliated.Now he gets over 70% usually but we are lucky and there are loads around here on perfect surfaces
 
Thanks... will try to find some more unaffiliated tests to go to. She got 60% in her first one with all 7s apart from the 4s caused by me talking to her because she felt about ready to pop
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My trainer could not believe she had been knocked down so much because I was talking to her... but hey ho! It's like she said, it was unaffiliated, not the nationals. All that matters was that we got there, got in the arena and came out unscathed.
 
I would affiliate her ASAP. A friend of mine got an Andulusian as a 4yo, only been broken for 3 months. She did one unaff test then affiliated. Definitely the best thing, hes now 6, shes just qualified for the Nationals in Prelim and the other day got 75% in a Novice at Swallowfields and it was the highest of the day.
Shes always said its helped her take him steady through Prelim to Novice as she got consistant scores. She did carry on doing unaff as well and she'd either get 1st or last, it was never consistent and the judging was appalling sometimes.
Shes now on the right road with him and plans to be at Advanced be the time hes 9.

Plus if you ever want to sell people always want to see a BD record not unaff.
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IMO there is no 'right' time to affliate. Its totally up to how you think Grace will cope and how you think you will cope aswell!! If shes getting decent marks unaffliated then there is nothing to say she cant get a decent mark at affliated prelim/novice either. You just need to make sure shes comfortable in her medium work at home, and can collect to a certain extent aswell. but then thats my preference and some people will disagree with me.

Either way hun im sure she will do really well affliated, its when you both feel the time is right!! xx
 
Hi
If I were to buy a young horse there is nothing to say that I would take it to any unaffiliated shows. I would perhaps at a couple of very locals but I wouldn't be competing if I didn't think my horse was of a reasonable standard.

A lot of people use unaffiliated though to get the horse used to things but I wouldn't worry about whether you are winning unaffiliated or not. Just once you can trust each other and she can do the test well go for it!!

Good Luck, everyone needs to just jump in at some stages!!
 
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