classified Para-dressage riders?

[jkbenny]

I’m new here but I’ve been lurking for a bit This forum comes up when I google things often and I found it that way. I liked that this portion existed and it inspired me to join!

I’m a para-dressage rider and I’m still sorting out my classification. I have been riding for close to 15 years, mostly dressage, and owned several horses. I rode and showed lower levels without being classified before but some body changes and barn changes led me to being classified. I also realized I could not ever show at the level I want without classification as I absolutely require compensatory aids and without would not be successful. I was classified this past fall and only recently received my card. I ended up a grade II and this was a bit questionable given my balance and trunk instability. I cannot ride medium or lengthened trot without getting spasms in my legs from the movement those are from the movement alone, not from clamping on because I can’t physically clamp on with my legs. Anyway, I was thinking about appealing my grade based on being able physically able to ride the movements based on disability and not riding ability, and then I got my card and saw that I was given a “walking” profile and I am a full time wheelchair user. Now I’m not sure if there was an admin error or something but I was not classified correctly and my profile is entirely wrong.

Anyway I’m wondering if there are others out there who are classified and competing in para-dressage? What were your classification experiences like? Did anyone have to appeal?

I’m happy to answer any questions people have of me as well not sure what the culture or norm here is for newbies! I am looking forward to engaging with this community and getting to “know” all of you!

[jkbenny]

Thanks! I will look into the article and see what I can find on google. If I find something I will post a link for others

Depending on your need for compensatory aids it may be worth it to get classified anyway? You can use them in competition in able-bodied classes still. At grade III I am not sure what all you would need, but if you do need something…

Would it be okay for me to start another thread about compensatory aids and custom tack? I don’t know the general culture here and don’t want to over step my bounds as a new member! If it’s too soon I can wait

[_Teddy]

Your in the us right? Thats a bit different. No horse required for both a national and fei card.

I have my equine canada one as a 4 but my coach who coached the para team and i were suprised as we think im a 3.

You have to go to a fei sanctioned show to get acess to a tester. Im working on this part

[betsyk]

It’s been a while since I looked closely at the criteria for the various grades and the tests for each grade, so I may thinking way out of date. What I remember of grade II was mostly walk and some trot, but no mediums or lengthenings, and some collected movements. No canter - do I remember that correctly? Are you wondering about the correct classification for para dressage events, or accommodation for USDF shows? What level would you show at in USDF shows? Have you looked at the grade II tests (not sure where to find them?) - how do they compare to what you’re schooling at home? I’d love to hear your impressions because as I said, I’ve been out of that loop for a number of years and my memory was that the IPEC tests had sort of odd expectations…

[jkbenny]

Teddy - No, I am in Ontario, Canada like you! I was classified Nationally. What’s throwing me off is that the classifier felt I was a 1a or 1b, because I have miserable balance. I couldn’t sit up on the surfaces she wanted me to and we had to do a lot of the testing in my chair, and then the rest of it on the table but with her guarding me with her arms hovering around me the entire time in case I started to fall over. One of the things that confuses me the most is that I ended up a profile 31b and I can’t walk, can’t stand, and I don’t have significant impairment in both arms. There are similar profiles for chair users and even better fitting ones for chair users so I’m not sure how I ended up with that.

I had gone to my initial classification alone, as I was just about to start with a new coach and move to a new barn (will share my riding history below in a moment) but when I appeal I will be bringing my new coach and documentation from a physio I am working with in regards to riding stuff. Maybe this will help.

@betsyk - Grade 1b is what you are describing above. Grade II is walk/trot, medium trot, 10m circles in working trot, 10m figure 8s in working trot, 4 loop serpentines, and turn on the haunches. I can do that all…except the medium trot bit with my balance and spasms. This isn’t something that training will change. I have looked at the tests.

I want correct classification so I can ride in para classes. I could show training but without being able to safely ride the lengthened gates I can’t get past that. I can ride WTC on my horse. I don’t know how canter would be on others. Grade 1b and II have the same allowed compensatory aids so I am okay on that front. Many that we talked about are missing form my card so I am a bit confused on that front. I am about to get a custom saddle made and raised pommel/cantle are being talked about. It’s possible that with more compensatory aids I could ride the medium but til I have custom tack I don’t know.

Currently we are working on getting my horse round and working over his back and going forward. I bought him when I was in high school because he could be competitive at National shows. I rode him and showed him training at the provincial level for two years, we did qualify for championships and such too. Then I moved away for school and left him at home as I moved to a large city with no ability to drive out to a farm and stuff. Fast forward 6 years and I own a car. We moved him here this past summer and initially I was at a pleasure barn and riding casually. In October we moved to a training barn and started riding seriously again with a coach and such.

In the last 6 years he was ridden by my dad. Just 3 times a week, Friday-Sunday, and nothing too much. Just pleasure type stuff. He’s also a 19 year old now. I plan to try him at the shows this summer para - if things get sorted - or training if not. He is adapting to life as a show horse again pretty well but if he tells me he is done at any point thats it and he’s retired. He has done well with barn moves so I suspect shows will be okay but if he doesn’t do well with them then he will be retired. Just really not looking forward to trying to find a mount to replace him!!!

I hope some of this info helps

[BastiantheWonderDrag]

I’m classified as a Grade IV Para-rider. I was originally classified in 2010 as a Grade III, but since then I have become much stronger through my core and learned to compensate in other ways so when I was internationally classified this past summer I was put down as a Grade IV.

I was able to keep all of the same compensating aids that I had used as a Grade III, so aside from now having to ride a more difficult test, everything is the same. I’m not sure about the appeal process, but I think that it does happen somewhat often whether because a para-rider feels they have been incorrectly classified, or in other cases where whatever affects the rider changes their physical abilities between shows.

Overall, I found everyone that I spoke with and worked with to be extremely helpful and wanting to help me be as successful as possible. Can you email the person who is in charge of para-classification for Canada and start a dialogue about why you were classified the way you were? My classifiers spent a lot of time explaining why I was reclassified as a IV.

Let us know how it turns out!

[jkbenny]

I have been in touch with Equine Canada and they are going to get my classifier to speak with me. The problem is that there is no way to justify this…I was classified with a walking profile and I cannot walk. I was also classified as having no trunk involvement and I do. I am working with a physio right now around riding stuff and she did an assessment today of me, not on my horse, and she agrees that this classification is way off. I have cerebral palsy, severe, I am a chair user full time, I can’t post and I have virtually no voluntary movement in my legs. My profile and classification do not represent that at all.

I am willing to talk to my classifier and find out why she did what she did but even with reasoning I will need to appeal since I cannot physically ride to my grade. It’s not something that will change. If anything I will get weaker with time and experience a decrease in function. I don’t know what to do other than appeal!