Dressage Gurus --need thoughts on first show in 40+ years . .

[Pezanos]

I believe that schooling inside the competition arena is not allowed unless expressly posted and announced. So maybe your venue but not others? Or maybe the rule has changed?

DR 126
5. Competitors will not be allowed in or around the arena while a class is in progress or inside the arena
at other times except under the following conditions:
a. Management must post and announce, in advance, designated times that competitors may
school inside the arena(s);
b. Competitors should be permitted by management or the Ground Jury to enter the arena prior to
their ride if arena conditions do not permit riding around the perimeter of the arena prior to entry.
Such permission must be announced prior to the start of the class.

Also careful with use of voice though cracking the reader up might be worth the penalty!

DR 122
3. Voice. The use of the voice or other intentional audio aids in any way whatsoever or clicking the tongue once
or repeatedly is a serious fault involving the deduction of two marks from those that would otherwise have
been awarded for the movement where this occurred. In movements with a coefficient, judges may choose to
deduct only one mark so that the final mark, after the coefficient is applied, is deducted by two versus four
points.

[GrayCatFarm]

Ah yes! Shouldn’t be here while at work. Yes, one of the venues I show at has no perimeter to ride around so you can “school” inside the arena before the test begins. Otherwise, you can only ride around the perimeter before the bell. Hmmm, does that explain why my tests are better at that venue???

[rothmpp]

@SAB

As was pointed out up thread, you 100% can make it around both ways before your time is up, provided you start as soon as the previous rider salutes AND you’re not walking. Use that time to ensure you have forward and back with transitions.

As @Jealoushe said, this is not always true. If it is a small arena, it is more likely to get around twice, but it depends on the judge. I’ve scribed for many who are so intent on staying on time that they will ring the bell the second the previous horse is out of the arena, regardless of whether the next rider has gotten around even once. They’ll keep dictating comments while the next rider is all but coming down the center line. It can be very tough on the scribe.

OP - you’ll likely help your nerves if you have time before getting on to see how your judge is running their ring. How many times are they letting riders go around? Are they staying on time?

@Foxglove

I plan to do as much of my usual warm up as space allows (not sure I can lunge there), then hand off the horse to the groom (daughter who gave horse to me in Nov when he was no longer suited for jumping). She will do all the tidying up while I putt on my brand new white breeches, cute stock tie thing and pull on my shiny black 55year old Dahners. I will mount ever so carefully and continue to warm up until I am called. DD will hand mr my coat, do a final wipe of my boots, make sure I have my gloves, say a silent prayer and enter the ring.

You obviously know your horse better than we do, but I’d test out at home how well he will respond to getting “let down” for the amount of time it may take you to change into your whites, stock tie, and boots. Don’t underestimate how hard breeches are to get on once you start to sweat. August shows can run the gambit from needing multiple layers to stay warm to being only slightly cooler than the surface of Mercury. My horse would think he’s done and would not respond well to my getting back on and expecting him to work if he had the bulk of his warm up done and then I went and did all that prep work. The most I ever do at home is put my boots, helmet, and gloves on after lunging.

A much more typical plan is to get mostly dressed before starting your warm-up and just take a quick mounted break about 5 minutes before your ride time to get a final wipe down, put on your coat, get a sip or two of water, and go back to work until called. This would be altered a bit if you get to lunge, but again, if your usual work doesn’t involve sitting for 15 minutes after lunging before riding, consider that. Most riders I know who lunge at a show right before getting on put a wrap skirt over the whites to keep them clean(er).

Also, unless you’ve got a very good ring steward giving riders multiple countdowns, please don’t wait until called for your coat. You very well may never get a call or it might be as the horse in front of you is finishing. All ring stewards are not created equal. At a schooling show, staff are volunteers and training is often spotty. Don’t underestimate the challenge of getting a coat on when sweaty. It is easy to judge how long you’ve got if someone is keeping track of the horses in the ring. You know approximately how long it takes to complete the test and give about 2 minutes to your ride beginning. You want your very first trip into the show ring to be as calm and organized as possible.

All this being said - DD seems to have shown quite a bit and should be able to advise you. Try to take her experience and utilize it.

[Foxglove]

@rothmpp --lots of great information in your reply --thank you! DD will be here next week and I hope she can give me some insight into the best way to warm up. The horse, Hugh Jackman, has probably been to 50 3-Day venues in the 9 years she had him, and he raced until six years old. Confusion, people, new places, does not seem to affect him. He has a “Another day, another dollar,” attitude about where he goes. I will be the nervous one. The trainer/instructor said I could get on HJ immediately after saddling and he would “be the same.” Even so, I do now 15 min of walk/trotted lunging to warm up his joints. He has never misbehaved under saddle. I think if possible to lunge, good, DD can do that, then wipe him down–if not, then 15 min of mounted trotted warm up will be fine. I would do that in my breeches/shirt/boots hoping there is time for the jacket and gloves before we enter. I like the idea of watching before my turn. It appears that there are 12 classes ahead of me --BUT this is a tiny venue in a town where Dressage is not generally done . . .might be one person in each class . . .Thank you again for your suggestions --off to ride Hugh!

[SuzieQNutter]

I put on my competition clothes and put a layer of clothes over the top to keep them clean. It is much easier to take clothes off than put them on in a hurry.

Helmet and gloves should always be worn for lunging.

If you are lunging correctly in side reins. 20 minutes is too long. Think of 10 minutes working in side reins is equal to an hour of riding.

[libgrrl]

I have baggy jeans and sweatshirts for just that purpose!!

[Foxglove]

@SuzieQNutter @libgrrl: thank u for ur advice. Side reins are used maximum of 10 min. The one-and-only dressage show is August 13 in Northern Indiana where temperatures can be beyond hot! Horse and I are well prepared as we practice / ride daily in the heat. However, multiple layers of clothes will not be worn during warm up. I have learned a few tricks for getting breeches and boots on to sweaty kids quickly and will be ready on time. I visited the venue yesterday. As expected it is quite modest.

[SBrentnall]

I’m in Los Angeles, and it also gets very hot here. I don’t bother covering my top since it’s hidden by my (mesh) jacket, but I bought a very light cotton long skirt that I throw on over my breeches. I barely notice it’s there but it keeps everything clean.