Recreating the intensity of a test at home

[Mander]

I made it through my first dressage show a few weeks ago and am now setting my sights on the next one. One thing I found very challenging was the cadence of each new movement coming up (sometimes feeling like I’ve got loads of time, and sometimes feeling impossibly rushed), but particularly fixing things while also trying to go from one movement to the next. I’m realizing at home I frequently toss in an extra circle for example to fix an issue before moving on to the next thing - I’ve got all the time in the world to prep and whatnot, which I think is good from a “set your horse up for success” frame of mind. From a “riding a test” standpoint though, I know my riding really suffered for it when I got in the ring and didn’t have the luxury of time.

So I’m wondering what are some things other people do to recreate that “test feel” at home? I hate to just drill test after test but I want to make practice hard at home so when I get to the ring it feels easy comparatively.

Someone is bound to ask, but horse is a schoolmaster with a helluva work ethic (probably annoyed he’s doing such low level work with me tbh) and is more than capable of shotgunning back to back movements - it’s not him, it’s me

[SillyHorse]

@Mander

I hate to just drill test after test but I want to make practice hard at home so when I get to the ring it feels easy comparatively.

Don’t drill, but do practice series of movements. Once in awhile, practice the entire test. I think it’s very important for those who are not seasoned show riders to get the feel and timing of the whole test. Believe me, your horse will not memorize the test.

Someone is bound to reply that their horse DID memorize tests. If it’s true, it’s very unusual.

[joiedevie99]

Every corner is a reset button. Start by giving yourself two corners between movements, then eventually one. You don’t have to pick things from the test. You can also start easy by doing the same movement on both sides of the corner.

For example, shoulder-in on the long side, corner, short side, corner, shoulder-in on the long side. As you ride the first shoulder-in, assess what is wrong - lacking engagement, not in front of the leg, lacking bend, etc. Use the first corner to fix that. Assess how effective your fix was, then use the short side and the next corner to make it even better, then ride the movement again.

Then make it harder. Shoulder-in on the long side, corner, should-in on the short side. Challenge yourself to fix it faster.

Then make it harder again. Shoulder-in on the long side, corner, haunches-in on the short side. Now you aren’t just thinking about fixing, but also setting up for something different.

Until your horse is used to the program, I’d encourage you not to ride the corners as if you were in the show ring, but to truly fix what’s wrong even if it gets ugly (and it might the first time you tell the horse to step it up in one stride instead of giving him a half circle to ignore you first).

[Mondo]

I second the idea of riding a series of movements and not the whole test. Also, one trick I learned a long time ago is to ride the test backward. Come down the centerline from C and go from there. That can be hard if you have to rely on the letters and don’t know where they are when reversing the test, but it does work.

Finally, if you have an outdoor arena nearby that you can access, maybe trailer over there and ride your tests in a new place to get that “show” away-from-home feeling?

[DMK]

One of the things I try to do for my driven dressage tests in the lead up to competition is to assign a time. For example I’ll designate 1:35pm tomorrow as the time to drive the test.

My job is to hitch up my horse, do my
primary warm up, do my imaginary vet check, my holding area warm up followed by my test. I’m calculating the warm up time needed as much as anything else. We generally warm up far away from the arena, then get sent to the holding arena about 15 minutes before the test. Once we are there we need to do a figure 8 for the vets (and then recreate the magic of a good warm up in the new area after we had a long walk followed by the pokiest nose figure 8 you ever saw because God forbid your pony grabbed the bit and bounced off it making him look uneven ).

All this makes for some real show-like conditions because of the pressure to get it as perfectly timed for a 1:35 bell as possible.

Obviously we have a few more steps to coordinate, but if you add wearing your show clothes to the mix, I bet this will up the ante and make it more stressful!

[Lusoluv]

Do you have the option of riding the test (or parts of it) in front of a rider friend or your trainer? Having someone watch me ride always make me a bit more tense, so it somewhat replicates show stress/nerves.

[LCDR]

You may not have this luxury, but my trainer schools her own horse at her farm, and then a few days before showing she comes to my place and practices the test on my horse a few times in my arena and I set up the video system and record her.

[RedHorses]

I used to do something similar to DMX, though I didn’t go as far as setting a time of day.

I did fairly regularly ride a show warm up until my horse felt ready, then ride my test. This allowed me to see what needed more warm up, and how long I needed to schedule for my warm up at a show. Most of the time the rest of the ride was working on the things that hadn’t gone well in my test, but occasionally I’d free walk for ten minutes and then do another warm up and ride a second test. This gave me an idea of how much time I’d need before the second test of the day.

A show warm up is not for working on fixing things, but is for loosening up the horse, engaging his attention, and getting him willing to dance.

[Night_Flight]

Do you always start riding your tests at home when your horse is already in the arena and trotting around, or do you ever warm up, then walk out of the ring and re-enter so that you can practice getting the entry organized?

I find that it’s a lot easier to practice a test when your horse is already working, but entering and exiting can demonstrate a few more holes since you need to reestablish everything similar to the way you would at a show after waiting to enter the show ring.

Might be something to try on top of the great suggestions you’ve received so far!

[hoopoe]

I think it is important to set up the tests and think of them as a series of 6 or 8 exercises rather than a collection of 24 or whatever movements. The logic of why you do something which leads to another thing, such as a 10m circle into a shoulder in.

By sorting the logic of the test into these parcels, you improve the flow. I found my brain is a little more open and flowing not locked in to every little letter and step.

[Mander]

Thank you all! These are all really great ideas! I knew the CotH crew would have far better suggestions than I could come up with on my own.

[outerbanks77]

I practice the tests, or at least combinations of movements on the horse and see where the tough spots are. Then I ride the test pattern at a walk and visualize my aids and the transitions. I also set up the letters at home and “ride” the test on foot thinking through the details of my aids at each point. Not that I’m an experienced test rider, but this helps me see I can actually “ride” at the show.

[Dragonfly90]

@SillyHorse

Someone is bound to reply that their horse DID memorize tests. If it’s true, it’s very unusual.

When schooling a formally retired upper level school master at 3rd level at home I would break up the test into sections, ride the sections out of order, practice the entire test from time to time, as well as visualize the venue where I would be riding. The mare did not memorize the 3rd level test but imagine my surprise when at the show she stopped in front of the judge and started piaffe! I quickly moved her forward, judges seemed entertained, and the mare let everyone know she was really GP! She also would passage to the final halt, but only at a show, never while practicing at home! I just would have to smile and enjoy the ride. Judges loved her.

[clanter]

@SillyHorse

Someone is bound to reply that their horse DID memorize tests. If it’s true, it’s very unusual.

but the horse can reminder sequences of movements if repeatedly asked to repeat the same thing over and over and over and over, they will go in to autopilot

[SillyHorse]

@clanter

@SillyHorse

Someone is bound to reply that their horse DID memorize tests. If it’s true, it’s very unusual.

but the horse can reminder sequences of movements if repeatedly asked to repeat the same thing over and over and over and over, they will go in to autopilot

I don’t believe I said anything about repeating things over and over and over. But I suppose if you stop riding, the horse will do whatever it feels like doing.

[Highflyer1]

I am grateful for horses that are smart enough to memorize the tests! I am dyslexic and have some trouble focusing so learning the tests correctly-- not just letting my brain “interpret” them the way it wants is super important for me.

To mix it up I do try to practice all the test patterns on all the horses (with appropriate level adjustments where I just think to myself this is a turn on the haunches not a change of rein/reinback not a halt etc. If the horse is very green)-- so the horse I event gets to do the western tests in English tack and the western horse does the eventing tests.

But it does sound like for you that you need to make it a point to practice warming up and riding the test in full just like you would at a show.

I rode with an UL eventer who said that while it’s really important to correct things at home when you’re schooling, you also have to think about how you would fix it at a show which sometimes means just riding through it and accepting that it isn’t perfect and not letting it ruin the rest of your ride/test/round-- so sometimes you have to practice that as well.

[exvet]

What I’ve done that has helped:

1. as mentioned by others, break up the test into sections and school those sections
2. I will haul out to another facility to practice the test before the show. I will warm up in one arena and ride the test in the dressage court. If I can coordinate it, I’ll have someone watch.
3. I will ride/work ‘old’ tests of the same level if I feel my horse anticipating too much with the test I’m planning to show. The trick with this is I will pick one very similar and make sure I remember what makes it different so I don’t make an error when I do show.

[Dragonfly90]

@Highflyer1

correct things at home when you’re schooling, you also have to think about how you would fix it at a show which sometimes means just riding through it and accepting that it isn’t perfect and not letting it ruin the rest of your ride/test/round-- so sometimes you have to practice that as well.

Agree! It really is so much of a mind game. Breaking the test up in my head and being able to move on to another section really helped my focus and leaving mistake’s behind. Also entering with a smile on my face and with energy helped set the mood and hopefully the judges first impression and schooling using corners to reset so it became automatic at a show really helped. So many good helpful suggestions here!

[eponacelt]

Some days just need to be designated “I’m riding my test today” days. Other days run through parts of the test - the whole trot tour or the whole canter tour. Today, since I’m showing 4-1 in a week, I did the canter tour, and then picked apart a few of the combined movements. For example yesterday was my day to run the test al the way through and pick out a few pieces I need to improve. Today, we worked the half-pass right, counter canter, flying change to the circle with very collected canter as that seems to be my biggest failure in series. I’ll pick at a few other combinations before the show. Breaking it down helps, and knowing that there will be 2 or 3 days in the lead up to the show that are dedicated to test riding is helpful.

That said, I know my horse well and don’t need to practice the warm up, entering the ring, etc. But if those are particularly new for you, add those into your “practicing the whole test” days!

[RedHorses]

I call that finding the shape of the test.

At the lower levels tests are often do this series of movements, then repeat the series on the other rein. I would find the shape of the series without using letters to remember, and then it was easier to repeat on the other rein. The test could be as simple as three shapes (Training level might be trot/canter left rein, free walk, trot/ canter right rein). I generally try to break it into trot shape, canter shape, plus any single movements like free walk or stretchy circles, and of course which way to turn at C!