In Aus I am riding all the Advanced test 3 work (same as USEF 4th level test 3) and wonder when you decide if you are ready? Can counter canter the 10m loops and providing he is not too tense, he will wait.
Have 3’s and 4’s but again, tension could effect these but at home, he is on the aids. With all work needs more strength but he understands everything and is training higher work at home including some 2s and half steps.
So wait until he is stronger which could be another year or so, or have a go? I know, I am asking a crystal ball question but thought there might be some good advice out there, tips, how it rides?
My boy has competed several mediums earlier this year for scores between 62 and 68, has been irregular due to covid lockdowns.
Will he benefit from going out to a competition? Will a new place, new environment, new people, lots to see help bring him on, build confidence, build your partnership? Will comments from the judges help you in developing your horse at home? Do you need a measure of your progress so far? Will further experience at current level help build consistency in his scores? How much do you enjoy competing? Horses are supposed to be fun. Would the cost of a show cover e.g. the price of a lesson with a top trainer on a school master? There are so many ways to spend money on horses!
I would ride at the higher level at home and build up strength and show at the lower level and develop more consistency over the next few months. Perhaps aim at achieving a 70+ score. Horses generally seem to benefit from going more slowly. And it may take many months to fit in all those thousands of transitions.
Personally I’m a go show kind of person. Showing is a skill you need to acquire and no matter how well you ride at home or how strong your horse is or isn’t, you need to learn to show ride.
Show enough times until you have zero show nerves… that is when you will have rides and scores resembling what you have at home.
Same for your horse. I have no show nerves, especially at the lower levels, but my young horses do due to lock down and covid, so they haven’t shown as much and are still quite nervous. I show them lower levels then I normally would, until they are confident.
If you are confident in the work and so is your horse, go for it. Tension is always a environmental factor you going to struggle against and I would pick a venue to try to mitigate that as much as possible the first time or two.
Best of luck.
I think this is not possible for many, and probably most people. I have shown for years and still have show nerves. Fortunately, once I’m mounted, I’m cool as a cucumber. Knowing that gets me through the pre-mounting jitters. But that’s me, and I wouldn’t expect anyone else to react that way no matter how much they’ve shown.
The rule of thumb that I follow is to be schooling at least one level above where you want to show. It sounds from your post like you are there. If your horse is well prepared to do the movements in a test, it will help reduce the tension for both of you.
Can you try it at a schooling show first? Or take a lesson from a judge and get feedback? Here in the US many folks skip 4th and go right to PSG because it is frankly an easier test ( but expectations are higher).
In Aus, you need two scores at 60% from an A level judge to move up to PSG.
If you had said 60% I would agree, but the elusive 70% is really not within the reach of a lot of horses unless they’re a 7/8 mover. The OP is already scoring decent marks in the high 60’s, so it’s not like they’re failing at Medium, which is 3rd level.
I hate the 5C with all of my heart. It is a very busy test and it really asks you to step up with how quick each of the movements come up. In that way it’s preparing you for the jump to PSG because you really have to have them on your aids and be on the ball.
How are your working pirouettes? They seem to be a big downfall of a lot of people because it’s a co-effecient mark. Plus you need to ride them correctly to set your next movements otherwise your entire canter tour goes wonky.
I personally wouldn’t be giving the 5C a crack for my first go at Advanced. The 5A rides much kinder when you’re stepping up. But it is a test they seem to use for every Advanced championship that has ever existed so it will be unavoidable. There’s also no shame in giving it a go, realising you’re missing a few elements with sterngth and taking a step back. Only you know your horse and how he will handle it.
Do you have access to the 4th 1 and 4th 2 tests? Much more forgiving than 4th 3. If not, I’d just get out and give it a go. If it rides well at home most of the time, and you won’t be devastated if you get a low score, why not get some feedback to make sure you are on the right track with your training.
