Who Ever Gets Sick of Competing at Their Level of Competency, And Tries for a Higher Level (Where You Might "Crash & Burn"?)

[enjoytheride]

Yes, my dear friend had a gelding that was a saint. Total saint. He did everything through third but changes correctly, without any flair whatsoever. He simply could not and would not ever compete against a warmblood or anything built better. He did them classically, accurately, without ever throwing his rider a bone, but he simply didn’t move well enough to score out of the lower 60s no matter what level.

She stayed stuck at training for YEARS and then at first for YEARS as her trainers always told her he wasn’t ready. She eventually showed him at third minus the changes and had a blast.

My chestnut pony I showed at first, after getting bored at training. We scored exactly the same percentage as we did at Training, I had fun, and we got beat by all the fancy horses schooling 3rd at home. I didn’t care.

[BigMama1]

@grey_mare

Just wondering wrt schooling shows: if you ever get bored with the level wherein you get good scores, good judge’s comments, ribbons, etc. And instead try a test at a higher level, even though the results could be way less than stellar

I think schooling shows are the perfect place to test out whether you’re ready to move up, or to give yourself a reality check. But you should at least have some competency at the level you are trying - otherwise why waste your time and money?

If I thought I would struggle crack 50 then no, I wouldn’t do that. But if I was getting solid scores and my current level and thought I might crack 60 at the next level but wasn’t sure, I’d give it a try at a schooling show, absolutely.

[B-burg_Dressage]

I have a horse who gets somewhat tense at shows, so I like to be really solid and quality at home before moving up at a show.

I’m also that Type A perfectionist. Though I haven’t always been… when I was greener to dressage I was much more “go for it” and you’ll see a few bad scores on my record to show for it! Now I do my best to feel like I’m capable of the 70s at home so that we’ll get 60s in public.

But as long as your horse doesn’t feel stressed mentally or physically I don’t think there is any harm in it!

FWIW a show last year I felt totally prepared and my boy melted down enough that he full reared during our first halt and salute and I got a 50-something. So sometimes feeling prepared doesn’t mean it will work out either.

[netg]

With my mare who tends to get 6 or maybe 7 on gaits when a judge likes her a lot, I decided to only show a level I found easy at home. Last time we showed second level, the judge HATED her. Every comment was about how awful her gaits were (they aren’t, but she is more all around type in gaits than floaty, with very unexciting gaits) and he ripped her apart, and we still managed low 60s on one test because we did everything so correctly if there was a technical part of it he couldn’t score us lower. Other judges love her because of how correct she is, and somehow those are the tests we manage to mess up and still score high 60s.

My youngster is super fancy. We may show new levels sooner than I would with the other mare because her base scores will be higher naturally due to her movement.

I’m not a huge fan of showing due to burning out on it as a kid, so that shapes my perspective, plus I don’t have the experience with my horses at shows and how to most strategically ride them for higher scores due to my lack of interest in showing a lot - so I need that ease of riding the tests to help counter the lack of show specific skills on my part…

That said, life is short. Buy the horse, wear the favorite jacket, have fun, and you be you.

[RaeHughes]

I have a friend who has a “6-7” horse regardless of the level being ridden. He is a solid trooper and just does what he is asked without arguing. Not an ounce of dirt in him. She worked through the skills and strength to GP and has solidly got between 60 and 65% in all the grades. One judge - in a class of disastrous rides for one reason or another - actually gave him 70% 'cause of his obedience, submission and accuracy. They both knew it was very generous :). Heck, her husband can do piaffe and passage on the gelding and he cant ride and just wants to ride the “dancing stuff”. She has two super (8-9) young mares coming through the levels now - they are kind but can be “quick”. She still enjoys getting up on her now 20 year old gelding when she gets a little rattled with the mares.

[Fillabeana]

Yeah, Crash and Burn is what happens on the ranch, when you and your horse are not properly prepared to rope calves at the branding.

I think there is a point when a person can let go of ‘what everybody else thinks’ (and will be gossiping about)…and find a freedom and a new ease to learning, that comes from a willingness to make mistakes and then learn from them.

RuPaul said, “What other people think of me is not my business.”

And yeah, overfaced is only ok if nobody gets hurt, and you don’t fry the horse’s brain. But otherwise…give it a try, learn what it is you need to get better at, and go figure out how to get better at it!

[lizathenag]

I guess the answer depends on why you are showing in the first place. I would not worry about my horse having poor scores on his “permanent record.” If you are showing to get some feedback from someone you respect, then ride at whatever level you want.

[Mondo]

I say go for it. You said schooling shows, and that’s what they’re for. I got my 3rd level bronze scores on a horse I trained myself. My coach thought I was showing him only second level at that last show and I was sneaky and moved him up. We did it. So can you. It’s supposed to be FUN remember?

[candyappy]

If your horse is consistently winning in schooling shows you should move on to more challenging work and more experienced competitors. No matter what discipline you are showing.

[asterix]

Well, I don’t think “winning” is any reason to move up or not… I have “won” because there were only a few people in the class, one horse had a meltdown in the arena, and the other wasn’t ready for the level… and seriously, as others have said, there is no “should” if you are having fun and your horse is mentally and physically comfortable. Some will want to show where they know they can do well, and some will want to push the envelope. As a sometime eventer, I’m definitely in the camp of a 4 because you muffed a movement is not a life crisis…actually CRASHING, and going home via the ER, which I have done, is a lot more of a problem…

I think being realistic is helpful, at least in terms of enjoyment. I try not to look too hard at the pros floating around on Uber fancy horses - if I spent that much time in the saddle and had a purpose-bred horse, I might float around too, but I don’t and I don’t so no point in getting gloomy about it.

And I also think if you want to show, there is no substitute for showing - we are very lucky to have lots of inexpensive schooling shows, often at facilities where we have rated shows (so good footing, etc), and I find that going, warming up, and riding for a judge are invaluable prep experiences for a recognized show. I just did two schooling shows in 10 days prior to a move up to 3rd this week - first time I totally overrode the changes, worried I wouldn’t get them - got a bit of an explosion and “work in progress” from the judge…2nd time I was more relaxed and much quieter, and got two very nice changes. Will I duplicate in the recognized? Meh, who knows, but now I know I CAN get good changes riding more correctly, and it’s what I will shoot for.

if you ever have a chance to really watch a bunch of rides at a show, you will see a wide variety of competency at most levels. Aim for somewhere in there, and enjoy!

[DressageLin]

I think it’s all about your goals, but if you can have a good sense of humor about it and have realistic expectations, there’s not much to lose.

My last horse was not bred for dressage and did not have a quality canter. Second level was a bear for both of us to learn. We struggled to get to 60%. After a season of hating second level, I figured that no one really expected us to get to third level, so it would not matter if I ruined the changes teaching them myself. With Dressage Today article in hand, I began schooling the prep exercises and lo and behold, my little 4 beat cantering horse, learned the changes as easy as pie.

And we both completely transformed in the third level work. It’s so forward and fun (whereas I think we both were quick to get “stuck” in second level schooling). I’m so glad that I didn’t listen to the naysayers and went for it. We used that philosophy through PSG, and although not every test was a success, I have no regrets.

Best of luck!