Would anyone like to critique my dressage test please?

Gamebird

Gamebird

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This is the mare's first ever test and we got 43. It's Intro 92 for those in the know. We fluffed the 2nd canter transition and I know I need to sit up more and lift my hands. I think the video is faster than it really happened (I hope!
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How can I turn a 43 into a 36? (preferably before this weekend
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERfjwaAuF6c&feature=channel
 
Well, her basic paces are fine, your issue is contact and rhythm and suppleness. She needs to go forwards from your leg, at the mo it looks like you are holding her down, so at the first opportunity she lifts her head. She needs to realise that her engine is at the back so she can push forwards, rather than drag the back end round. This can clearly be seen. You do tend to have your shoulders in front of your hips so you push her onto her forehand.. if you sit more upright and 'into' her then she will lift in front ( not always easy on a mare) and I suggest you ask for canter after a warning half halt, leg on and ask her to strike off behind then she wont 'run' in the transition.. She is lovely tho and once taking her weight behind and working in more self carriage, Im sure your marks will go up.. I'll shut up now!
 
You'll turn the 43 into a 36 (or even a 26!) with time. Nice horse, nice paces. Sort out the connection/contact and you'll have a lovely test. I would like to see the reins slightly longer, your hands in front of you and a the horse reaching for the bit rather than bobbling along one minute behind the bit and the next above it.

Also flexion and bending - get the horse more around your inside leg in corners and circles, bending through the body and not tilting the head. These are things that judges will really hammer you on.

Ask the horse to be a bit deeper, but without drawing the nose in, think of riding the highest part of the neck down and away from you. Use flexion, ask the horse to flex to the inside, then give, so the horse isn't attempting to balance off your hands all the time.

You have a nice dressage pony in there!
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She is going to be smart isn't she??

For me i think the main thing is that she isn't very consistent in the contact, she doesn't look completely soft and forwards into it all the way through. Don't get me wrong, lot's is nice and she spends quite a lot of time in a lovely contact but i'd have said it was just enough to affect the mark in each movement....

I struggled with mine for his first few tests, he'd drop back behind bit a lot (rather than coming above as yours does) and just wasn't happy taking it forwards consistently. Penny suddenly seemed to drop though and his mark went from 40.5 to 25 in the space of a week so it can be done!
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I'm sure it'll come with her
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Other people may have more helpful suggestions, i often feel i know very little about dressage!!!
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That's the first time I've seen the test... I think you needed to be a bit braver and have the courage of your convictions: when we worked her the day before she was much more correct: through to a consistent contact, a bit deep at times but nonetheless, and going forward with a big step. It looks like you backed off bigtime and started riding her front to back, and sadly the judge saw through you
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You might have lost marks for inaccuracy doing it the other way as I realise she loses balance sometimes and it's difficult to get transitions exactly where you want them (something to do with 5 weeks work and first time in an arena?
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) but the judge would probably prefer to see her going correctly even with those sorts of mistakes - I'm sure Hils or Lu will correct me if I'm wrong
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I would love to be of a calibre to even attempt a 'critique' but I'm not,so there!
The only thing i would even 'dare' to mention is...
Shoulders back and tits out front!
Gives a certain 'I know EXACTLY what I'm doing!'
If I'm in doubt and bricking it in a big class,that's what I do,and sometimes it just gives me the kick of confidence I need!!!
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As the others have said about your hands and sitting up, with shoulders back and sit back on your bum. almost feel like you are leaning back. the thing i did notice and you need to ask your instructor to look at this. you look like you drop more weight into your right stirrup and possibly learn to the left when on that rein or tip in as your left heel comes up a lot and my be responsible partly for you tipping forwards. a nice horse though and dont worry all this can easily be sorted just get a good instructor who knows what they are looking for not only to help you generally but also act as someone on the floor to say just do this a fraction just do that.
 
Lovely horse. 3 good paces.
I think you may suffer from "On-The-Bit-Itis". At this level you need to concentrate on rhythm, suppleness and even contact and not worry so desperately about keeping her head down. The more you set the hands, the more you affect her balance (which is naturally quite good), the less stable her outline will be and the more inconsistant the contact will be.
If she is able to keep the poll as the highest point, (with you keeping an elastic contact) she will be able to keep her balance and move forwards with a regular rhythm. Once she has established her balance and is even in the rhythm, you can experiment with different neck positions etc...
If we play around with the head and neck before the horse is in an even contact and a balanced rhythm, we unbalance the horse even more and make things worse!
Good luck.
 
Can't comment because it won't play properly on my pooter - but I do have a walk thru part in the background!
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BTW some of the pics are now up on Enduropics, Fox and Jim Crichton
 
Thanks all for the advice. I'm going to print the advice out and put it in my pocket for when I next school her.

Yes TD, I think I did ride the test rather backwards. The arena felt tiny and I was concentrating on trying to keep everything a bit slower and her within the boards. I'm please you watched it as you've seen her go differently as well.

Sj_mummy - will attempt to get someone to shout 'tits out' at me on a regular basis!
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