Sticking my head in from H/J land to say, "Hi, I'm going to my first dressage show and I'm terrified!" (Update: post 55!)

[Night_Flight]

Sorry to keep adding posts; my brain keeps thinking of things after the fact.

Assuming your area is like mine, people will be friendly and happy to see someone trying dressage. If your day goes badly, you might expect a funny comment on your dressage test (I had one about some airs above the ground that were not meant to be in the test - the maestro would be jealous), or at the tack check.

Don’t worry if your tack and clothes aren’t exactly what everyone else is wearing (provided it’s legal). They’ll be happy to have you there and don’t hesitate to ask questions of your fellow competitors or the steward. While the warm-up ring can sometimes feel a bit intense with some riders ultra-focused on riding movements no matter whose line they might be cutting through, over all the dressage community is much less intense and much less cliquey than what you’ll be used to.

Don’t be surprised if a competitor wishes you luck while you pass on the way in/out of the ring. They’re a supportive group!

[SillyHorse]

@Night_Flight

Don’t be surprised if a competitor wishes you luck while you pass on the way in/out of the ring. They’re a supportive group!

My coach told me that years ago she was going into the arena as Courtney King Dye was coming out after her test. They barely knew each other. Courtney said to my coach, “Get 100%!”

[DMK]

I’ll tack on to everyone else’s comments, 90 minutes is not enough time! Also there is a prescribed place for lunging, be sure you use it (at smaller venues that’s obvious, but at large venues it may not be so obvious).

As a former hunter rider, I’ll also confirm the impulsion issue. I was great for starting out good, but then slipping into a more quiet mode about halfway through, I’d be like, “My pony is doing great! This is going so well, la di dah lookit me dressagin’!”… Meanwhile the judge was busy noticing how I was now phoning it in, and duly noting it in the scores.

[Tha_Ridge]

I’ve learned so much from this thread—the types of things the rulebook doesn’t necessarily tell you! Our ride times are 4:01 and 4:16 PM EST on Monday, so if you can spare a little good “juju” around that time, I’ll appreciate it. I will be back with a full report and of course, lots of pictures and maybe some video provided we don’t embarrass ourselves too badly. Here’s the sweet boy in question.

[ThreeFigs]

With those ride times, you’ll only need one warm-up!

And yes, you’re gonna learn to LOVE exact ride times. Once I started riding dressage in earnest, I never wanted to go back to H/J, wondering how long till I “needed” to wake my horse up for the next class, now long the rides before me would take – who’d get added or scratched, etc., etc.

Have a great time!

[J-Lu]

@theresak

• If you go off course, wait for the judge to ring the bell, go towards the judge and have him/her tell you where to pick up from, and start that movement. Do not panic; going off course is -2 points, not 2%. You can go off course twice in the same test and will be eliminated on the third.

That is the name of the game in case something goes wrong! Remember, the judge has seen it all! Many years ago, I went off course twice in the direction I turned after halting at C. With a reader!! I heard a person I knew out and out belly laugh at me and that made me smile. I turned in the right direction and some friends clapped. The judge made a funny comment. I can say I’ve never made that mistake again!

Moral of the story, never beat yourself up if you make mistakes, even big ones like I did. Or your horse makes mistakes. Mistakes can be disappointing but you’ll likely never make that mistake again!

Report back!

[SillyHorse]

@Tha_Ridge

I’ve learned so much from this thread—the types of things the rulebook doesn’t necessarily tell you! Our ride times are 4:01 and 4:16 PM EST on Monday, so if you can spare a little good “juju” around that time, I’ll appreciate it. I will be back with a full report and of course, lots of pictures and maybe some video provided we don’t embarrass ourselves too badly. Here’s the sweet boy in question.

It’s obvious this ridiculously handsome horse is looking forward to playing in the dressage sandbox.

Echoing J-Lu: report back!

[J-Lu]

Oh, and you are allowed to enter the outer ring area after the rider in front of you does her final salute. Take that time to trot your horse around the outside of the ring to see the flowers and be sure to go between the ring and the judges stand in both directions so your horse can see it out of both eyes. This will also give you an inclination if he’s nervous at flowers or the judges stand at that moment and you can adjust your ride when in the ring. When I ride by the judges stand the first time I will say “number XX” to the scribe so they can take the time to fix something if they don’t have the correct test in front of them before the test starts.

Use that time to your advantage!

[SuzieQNutter]

Most of all have fun and remember to smile…and breathe.

For dressage a loose ring snaffle is normal. One metal. Both bits you posted were 2 different materials.

Ride at home in the bit you are going to compete in. The same for the rest of the tack.

Practising the tests at home means you might have anticipation.

I did not ride the tests at home.

We halted at C in the first test.

In the second test I felt she was preparing for a halt at C. I started putting aides on on the long side to say keep trotting, the aides were stronger on the short side. The aides were strongest approaching C. When I exited my friend said she was going to halt at C wasn’t she?

[Night_Flight]

@SuzieQNutter

For dressage a loose ring snaffle is normal. One metal. Both bits you posted were 2 different materials.

Unless things are vastly different in the US compared to what I’m used to, a rubber-coated or plastic bit is allowed (provided the shape/diameter is appropriate, etc.), and I believe those were the two options posted by the OP.

[SuzieQNutter]

Yep and my advice is as old as dinosaurs. (More or less).

[Bristol_Bay]

I would only add that dressage shows never run ahead of schedule. If a rider scratches ahead of you, you may be offered the chance to ride early but you don’t have to.

[SuzieQNutter]

And if you want to ride earlier and the arena is empty because the one in front of you doesn’t want to go in because it is before their time, then you can ask to go in first.

[Warmblood1]

I didn’t read all the replies but I’m sure you got great advice.

Just wanted to say, don’t be nervous! Enjoy yourself, you’ll get so much more out of your tests.

And if you need inspiration from other riders who strongly embrace their suck moments, check out shitedressageriders on FB and liberate yourself. Wonderful community where we embrace imperfection and have a good laugh at the end of the day, no matter what.

Have fun!!

[SillyHorse]

@SuzieQNutter

Practising the tests at home means you might have anticipation.

I will never understand this line of thinking. Your horse has no idea you are practicing a test. It’s just a series of movements to the horse. If you are trotting around the arena during an ordinary ride and you come to a walk say, at F, do you really think your horse is going to anticipate walking at F the next time you’re trotting around the arena?

Today I did SI to renvers down the long side, cantered at F, back to trot at K, and another SI to renvers. I don’t think you’ll be surprised to know that my horse did not offer to canter the next short side.

In addition, if I don’t ride a test at home at least once, I don’t get a feel for the time between movements, when I need to half-halt, etc., and the general flow of the test.

Rather than advising not to practice a test at home, I would advise not to practice often, maybe once or twice with plenty of other things in between, just enough to feel comfortable with the flow of the movements.

Something to think about: Grand Prix horses and riders ride the same test every time they go into the show ring for four years. Granted, I’m sure they never practice a test at home, but every time those horses step into the ring for four years, they do the same test. If there was ever an opportunity for anticipation, there it is. Yet somehow, most of them manage quite well.

[Warmblood1]

You sound like a good rider and don’t drill. There are some riders that DRILL the heck out of tests and horses do start anticipating the movements. I think that’s what Susie is probably referring to.

[DMK]

Well, they ARE a better than average group of riders, so I’m pretty sure that plays a role, not to mention over heard many UL riders say they do not practice the test at home, so obviously some of them share that same approach.

Does a horse memorize the entire test? With the exception of some ponies, no, they do not. But if you drill a specific movement at a specific place in the arena, I can promise you the smarter than average horse is going to anticipate that movement even if he isn’t reading the letters. Practicing the test over and over can also create that same effect. Or maybe not every horse, but… Fjords? Absolutely.

[smoofox]

I used to be so tense before my tests that I would get a massive headache and nausea in the warm up ring. I would swear to myself that I was NOT going to barf on all those perfect braids that I had worked so hard on. I would trot around the outside of the ring as the competitor ahead of me was going out - still reeling inwardly… and the bell would ring and I headed to A. As I made the turn down the center line - a miracle would happen. All that anxiety would just melt away and as I came to X , halted and saluted - it was gone. Instant relief and I could get on with my test! One judge noted on the bottom of my test “great smile and relaxation!” If only she knew!

Over time, I overcame that weird tension.

I would perhaps suggest having a reader just in case for your first show - if you know your test well, it is just back up in case of brain fog and you can tune the reader out if you do not need that input.

But you know you and your very handsome boy best - just have fun with it!

@DMK - very true! Never underestimate the power of the Fjords… and may the Fjord be with you instead.

[SillyHorse]

There’s a lot of space between never practicing a test at home and drilling movements. Everything is not black and white.

[sheltoneb]

Sorry to clarify, don’t go out of order. As a person who has scribed, been steward, and working in the show office, please don’t do this.

Most of the time it ends up messing things up. It may not be you, but mostly likely something somewhere will be. Typically this opens the flood gates and then everyone wants to go out of order.