I am so not competitive that I read the title to this and didn’t even think about shows, really.
I am not a member of my GMO, but I probably would join for educational content. Webinars would be nice right now. Information about really anything that might be helpful to any person dabbling in dressage would be interesting. I’ve always thought that a “book club” format would be interesting to read some of the literature - new and old - and have some discussion with others reading it. Post-COVID (hopefully that’s a thing), it would be nice to have educational events with a lunch or dinner. I think an event that isn’t just about shows would be fun.
I could probably be talked into showing again, and honestly I don’t care if someone comes in on a really expensive and fancy horse and wins. It isn’t only the expense of some of the fancier horses - some of them seem quite hard to manage. However, it isn’t very fun to show if the people aren’t friendly and supportive in general. This is why I’m more likely to invest in clinics than shows - it seems like it’s a more supportive atmosphere.
Someone always has a “better” horse. I think it can be a bit frustrating if you let yourself get wrapped up in what can be bought for a larger sum of money. I also saw something on Facebook recently from someone locally, basically being critical of juniors whose parents just went out and bought a really high level horse not “paying their dues.” Frankly, I don’t know what dues anyone has paid or not paid, and if that junior can ride that fancy horse than that’s better than I could do. I know enough to know that if you can’t ride well enough, you can buy whatever horse you want and still not be able to get through a higher level test than you’re ready for.
I may not be the best athlete in the world, but if I have the right horse for me, then I’m happy to plug along at whatever level we are at. I don’t lust after the fanciest horse there. I’ve had horses that were unsuitable for me so if I have a horse that I feel comfortable on and confident enough to work on something, that’s actually enough for me. 
The only envy i experience is when i get to see a person in harmonious sync with their horse. This is nirvana. I do wonder why it doesn’t happen more often.
I would expect it’s because the focus (with many trainers in my area, obviously your mileage may vary) is on buying a horse that can win or has the expressive gaits to score well rather than on a horse that’s appropriate for the riders skill level.
agree with the to win thing. i think it’s because of how the focus of dressage, as an event, has morphed over time. What began as a synergistic endeavor, (Xenophon et al), is now how to advance up the levels and get good scores…to ‘win’.
I disagree. I have real time experience training a horse and earning all three of my medals on my self trained horse. The leap from I2 to GP was infinitely harder than any other leap. This is because the expectations at GP are for a finished product and really I didn’t have any local help to push up those exercises to the best of my horse’s ability (and needed ground help for p/p). The biggest hurdle was, for me, not having enough experienced help. It is very easy to say that once they learn collection the highest level exercises are an inevitable conclusion, but it’s just not true. Some horses don’t understand what you are asking for and sometimes you cannot get the training done just from the saddle. If it were so, then none of the top riders would work with coaches and they all do.
You missed my point. For the average person, with no experience at the level, the second level hump is infinitely harder than the hump at I2 they will never reach. My personal experience is actually the jump between I1 and I2 is harder because of the ones. Our experiences will always be different for each horse and rider.
However if you can do third, you can probably make a passable attempt at 4th. If you can do 4th, I personally think the PSG actually rides better and is more straightforward.
They can still be food but receive better training.
Food. lol
You are right, it will be different for each horse and rider. The tempis were easy for me to train once we had a single change. Within a year, we had one tempis. They were not a problem. The hardest exercise for me and my horse was passage. This is because my horse has a lot of thrust but not a lot of carry–piaffe was much easier for her to learn than passage. In fact, it took me four years to teach her passage and finally it was a clinic with a renowned p/p master and a bamboo pole that helped my horse understand passage. The local BNT did not have the experience to help me. If I hadn’t had the opportunity to work with the p/p master, I probably would never have been able to teach this horse passage.
“If you can do third, you can probably make a passable attempt at 4th…” Not true. Maybe you could take a stab at 4/1, which is a natural progression from 3rd. But the leap from 3rd 3 to 4th 3 is huge. I know many people who were able to get their bronze medal showing 3rd 1, but have never been able to progress past 3rd 1. One of the main reasons for that is lack of access to top level qualified help.
Having a path that is outside of competition–i.e. rider and trainer certificates and medals may also create a more competent and broader training force. But it also provides a path for the rider without show aspirations, who maybe has a 6 mover or who lives in an area without a lot of shows and doesn’t want to travel all over several states to get enough scores for a medal. I’m envisioning a lot of online training, a local qualified mentor and annual in person testing (that can happen at a competition and therefore provide additional fees and resources to support hosting the competition)…
So pony club for adults? No thanks, on my part. At least with shows, and judges, you can get several opinions on the state of things. Going before a board of examiners chosen by…who? If it’s the same people passing judges now you end up with the same problems with the same tests just with a pass/fail grade associated.
Yes.
Pony club now allows adults.
It has been great for lots of adults who never had the opportunity to do such things when they were a kid. Some what humbling to be in a division that is all other timid adults and one very young, very little kid on a brand new to them horse who would rather be in a much higher division.
Well, then you need to decide what you want to measure. Right now, shows - “tests” - are the method through which USDF measures your ability at each progressive level. WHat would you measure that is different than the objectives of each level?
Sorry But I think I posted this before… I don’t think it’s fair to exclude people from correct competition because of missing money… I guess I am too much socialist to cheer to something like this…
I think to offer them something similar but not quite the same is kind of cruel. And for the record Indo not oppose this idea at al for people who simply prefer to do it… I just don’t like it if loss of money forces you to take this way…
Have you started something like a scholarship fund that pays the entry fees of talented people who are under financed?
Do I need to???
It just seemed like a great idea since you thought people should be able to show even if they do not have the money… and you have the money so you can make it possible for them to show.
I don’t think we should deny people granite countertops because they can’t afford it, either.
Is it really about the money? The whole thing would be more accessible if more people knew what it is and participated. That means more people in the door in the first place, and more people coming back because it is working for them. Not because it is cheaper or easier.
The crux of this comes down to increasing the quality of the average local pro. Good basics are simple but not easy, either to learn or teach. Good basics are required to get past first. Most trainers can’t help their students achieve this with any of their students unless they are training the horse. There is a big monetary difference between lessons and full training.
Ok… for me it is kind of unbelievable that obviously people simply accept that they are getting ripped off… quality lessons can be around 100 Dollar or less and to pay 1000 for 2 -4 tests at a show ( or 2 shows ) is close to be funny…
