Rev Up Your Dressage Scores
Tammy Fifer
Copyright©2010
Lesson Five
Common
Faults, Quick Fixes and Tips from the Tops
Here
are some quick fixes for common problems…they’ll really help you rev-up your
scores!
Working
your way around a dressage show is much different than “open ring” shows. These tips will help you before and during
your test.
Problem: Didn’t hear class called or didn’t know show
schedule.
Fix: Post show schedule on your trailer or truck
and also have an alarm clock nearby set for the time you want to start warm up
preparation. Have a copy of the test to
be ridden next to the show schedule.
Don’t
rely on being “called”. Normally the PA
sound system is a courtesy. It is up to
you to be aware of what is happening and where you need to be.
Problem: Late to your class.
Fix: Always be early. Remember, the lower the level you ride, the
earlier your ride times. The show may
run late or early; regardless it is your responsibility to be prepared to ride
at your assigned time. Shows always feel like a “hurry up and wait!” kind of
thing. Get used to the feeling so you
won’t be late and you won’t be frustrated.
Check
in early and stay near your class or warm up area if possible. If things are running late, you may have your
ride time pushed back. It is very rare that you would be asked to rider earlier
than your official time. If you are
early for your class and then are asked to ride early, you’re still prepared. Prepared riders leave a good impression with
everyone, including judges.
(If
you aren’t ready to ride early, don’t be afraid to say so. Showing is about you and your horse and you
want it to be a good experience. Don’t
rush it; of course, you won’t have to if you’ve checked in early.)
If
you get nervous waiting, take the earlier ride, but if you still need some warm
up then wait for your scheduled ride time…don’t be intimidated and rushed into
riding.
Being
prepared means knowing the show rules!
There may be some special rules at a particular show. Never be afraid to ask about anything
relating to your class.
Problem: Stopped at the gate for inappropriate
equipment.
Fix: Check in early enough to make sure your bit
is legal and your whip is not too long.
There may be other things that need changing. If you’re early you can get back to your
trailer and change out to the correct equipment. Again, it’s your responsibility to know all
the rules; ignorance of the rules will not excuse you.
Problem: Your horse is not “forward” or he is “too
rushed and fast.”!”
Fix: Know exactly how much warm-up your horse
needs to be at his best. You should have
this all worked at home. Are you going
to longe before you ride? Do you just need to test all your cues, or
does your horse need a lot of long trotting and cantering?
Many
riders work horses way too long, leaving the best rides in the warm-up
ring. The horse may lack forward motion
and may just be too tired to have any spark or brilliance. On the other hand, he may still be too fresh
to be ready to listen to your requests.
If
you are not sure which he will be, work him about half as much as you think
he’ll need, then leave the warm-up ring and see if he is still fresh or
hot. If not too fresh or hot he’s probably
ready to show. If he is still too fresh,
you’ll have time to work him a bit more.
You can always add a little extra warm-up, but you cannot make him
“fresh” once the edge is off. I prefer
my horses to have a little extra spark rather than having to be dragged and
prodded around the arena.
Problem: Not sure when to enter the arena.
Fix: Do not enter the arena until the judge
signals for your entry by ringing a bell or blowing a whistle. Most of the time there will be a gate person
who will direct you to ride just outside the arena. Once you’ve been called to enter by the bell
or whistle, you’ll have about 90 seconds to enter and begin your test.
Once
you’ve been directed to ride on the outside edge of the arena, use this time to
“de-spook” your horse in areas of concern, such as the judge’s stand.
Do
not rush to get into the arena. You
should be able to do a lap around the arena within the time allowed, but don’t
be late.
Problem: Crooked when entering at A.
Fix: Get
straight before entering the arena. If
you can leg yield, you can do that around “A” before entering the arena. Just be sure to be straight on the centerline
once you are actually within the arena.
If you are still leg yielding or maneuvering after that, you will be
scored as having a crooked entrance.
Problem: You tend to forget your test.
Fix: Have a reader and practice your test many
times before you show.
It
is a good idea to practice with your reader so you can synchronize your riding
with your reader’s directions. Some
people like to have the reader’s directions right on the mark, while others
like the reader to be four or five strides ahead. It is up to the rider and
reader to “be on the same page” as to timing.
Problem: I can’t get my horse to turn at the letters.
Fix: There can be several fixes to this problem;
the first, of course, is to improve your training and your horse’s
responses. Accuracy is paramount.
If
your horse tends be “rush”, you’ll have to hold him until the last possible
moment before asking for a transition or the next movement.
If
your horse is slow to respond, determine while training, just how many strides
he needs before responding to a new request.
If it is three strides, for example, then ask for the transition or new
movement three strides before the letter.
Sometimes
you have to make a snap decision which can help rev-up your score. For example, if your horse is offering a
really correct transition, but you are a little short of the letter, you may
accept the “wrong timing” for a “better movement.” Usually you help your score because most
judges will choose the better movement and only deduct a point for not “being
on the mark”.
The
more you practice and show, the easier it will be to make the right choice to
rev-up your scores.
Problem: Going off course.
Fix: Calmness.
Do not get flustered. The judge
will signal that you are off course and that you need to stop. The judge will then tell you where to pick up
your test. Take a moment to collect your
thoughts and be sure you are ready to continue.
It
is possible to go off course even with a reader, so try to be alert and if you
think the reader is incorrect, continue with your test as you believe it to be.
Problem: You’ve picked up the wrong lead or wrong
gait!
Fix: You must correct the mistake no matter how
far into the movement you are otherwise you will get a zero for the
movement. Be sure to correct the mistake
even if you only have one stride left before you’ll have to make another
change.
The
judge needs to know that you realize a mistake was made. Watching you correct it tactfully will garner
some points. Not trying will get you zeros.
If
you completely mess up several movements, keep trying and do not give up. There are several movements that will count
double, and those can help even out your score.
Never “give up” and just accept the mistakes as “unfixable.”
Ride
every part of your test as if it were the only part.
Problem: While riding your test you tense up and then
your horse throws a his head up or is carrying his
head too hight.
Fix: Do not pull his head in or down. You need to relax, breathe out, tuck your
seat and keep him soft. Sometimes asking
for a little bend in his ribcage and a half-halt will rebalance and relax him
and his neck and head should lower and he may come back down into the bridle.
The
more you ride your horse classically, the easier it will be to ride him
correctly during the test.
Problem: Your horse over-bends.
Fix: You need a lot less hand; loosen the rein and
use your leg to send your horse forward.
Being directly on or behind the “vertical” is incorrect. It is better for your score to be “above the
bit”. Ridden correctly, the horse’s neck
will be slightly arched with his poll being the highest point,
his nose must be in front of the vertical.
Problem: Your horse bucks, rears or spooks during the
test.
Fix: Make a swift, but tactful correction and
immediately continue with your test. If
you do not get flustered this is a chance to show the judge you are able to
handle the horse and move on. If you get
too frightened to continue, approach the judge and ask to be excused. Never leave the arena without asking the
judge’s permission.
Problem: Rider or horse is rushed and the rider
salutes before the horse is actually halted.
Fix: Be sure you take your time and halt
completely. Practice stopping and
allowing your horse to stand quietly without moving for several minutes. Do not rush the beginning of your test. At the start, and usually at the end, you are
recognizing and honoring the judge at “C”.
Push
the horse into a nice square, halt.
Place both reins in your left hand and drop your right hand and arm
straight down at your side as you nod your head. Hold your whip quietly in your left
hand.
Problem: Your horse did not stop squarely.
Fix: Be prepared to use extra leg pressure on one
side or the other to square his hind feet.
This
problem should be resolved during training.
But if you haven’t yet perfected a square stop, and your horse tends to
be “fidgety” it is usually be to let him halt and accept what he gives
you. Too much fussing with him will make
him back up, turn sideways, or just walk through the bridle.
Problem: Your whip spooks
your horse or just gets in the way.
Fix:
Hold your reins a few inches above the horse’s withers. To properly hold the whip, have your thumbs
on top of closed fingers….think of it as holding a mug of coffee upright so
that it will not spill. Keep your wrists
straight.
Now slip the handle of the
whip into your left hand so that it is pointing at the horse’s right ear. The whip should then lie across your thigh
and point toward the horse’s hock. If you keep your hands quiet and in the
correct position, your whip will never point outward.
Practice carrying your whip
correctly. The better your hands become,
the more effective and unobtrusive your whip becomes, and conversely, the
better you carry your whip, the better your hands will become.
Do not use the whip with just
a flick of your wrist, nor with your whole arm from your shoulder. But use your lower arm, from the elbow,
keeping the wrist straight. Do not irritate
the horse with small, ticklish taps, and do not use your arm from the shoulder
to whack the horse.
Problem: How do I switch
whip hands?
Fix: Practice with a short crop. When you wish to change hands, bring your
hands closer together, then using the fingers holding the whip, circle the whip
up and over the horse’s withers. Grasp the whip handle with the opposite hand,
allowing the whip to move down smoothly into place across your thigh and
pointing at the horse’s hock.
Problem: My horse tends to
run off as I leave the arena on a loose rein.
Fix:
Maintain enough contact on the reins to control your horse. As the horse relaxes, you can loosen the
reins.
In most
lower level or amateur classes, it is expected the judge will make
comments about your test. Therefore, I
always suggest you ride forward to the judge and say, “Thank you.” This shows respect and gives the judge a
chance to make a comment or suggestion.
Riding forward after the
salute tells your horse there is “no exit” at this time, so the horse tends to
relax and walk calmly and quietly.
Follow the centerline to the
judge, say, “Thank you.” Listen to the
judge if a comment is made. Then turn up
the long side of the arena and exit at “A”.
TIPS FROM THE TOPS
Let’s
wind this up with some helpful tips from some of the top dressage competitors.
Robert Dover
is no stranger to the ring, nor a stranger to being considered among the very
best riders. His blog, DoversWorld.com,
has more than 250,000 readers. Here are
some tips from Dover on how to rev-up your dressage scores.
1. " Take your
time!!" Give yourself and your horse time to figure out the test and
digest it. Then you and you horse will
both be happier and much more effective.
2. Your ride is
constantly balancing and rebalancing...half halt to half halt. EVERYTHING we ride must have a half halt
before we do it and after we
do it. This includes everything we do on a horse: corners, transitions within
the
gait and into another gait, lengthening, shoulder-in, circles, diagonals, and
so on.
Dover's recipe for a half
halt: a) breathe in; b) close your legs;
c) close your hands. Hold for 3 strides, then a) exhale; b) soften your
hands. This gives the rider something
purposeful to focus on and quiets our other chatter we
can have with the horse, giving unnecessary aids.
Special note: When riding your
tests, it is half halt to half halt; memorize your tests with the half halts
and breathing! Leave nothing up to chance. Learn it the way you
will ride it.
Now: "Ride it
like you own it."
The rider should be
in control of the movements and not let the horse decide when to do a
transition, when to turn, or slow down. As
the rider, you decide how it is to be done. “Take your time" and do it
right. The horse must wait for your aids
and not jump the gun.
3. When doing walk pirouettes,
ride the outside hind toward the riders
inside hip. Keep the forehand turning so
the horse can keep walking and stepping in the right direction.
4. Be sure you use your inside leg in the half
pass to help the horse
stay rounder and step more through and get more cadence.
5. Think of collection as a collection of
energy. When your collection of energy is really good, you are in a position to
carry it into any movement, keeping that collection of energy within another
movement. i.e.: in your extensions you are still carrying the collective
energy, and the horse wants to move out into the extension because of all the
energy he has. Keep that energy alive. When going from collection to extension,
think of it as extended passage; visualize; helping keep the energy coming from
behind, so you don't sputter out of energy and balance.
6. Elastic band
exercise: in trot and canter, ride a 20 meter circle. As you ride the 'short side' go into an
extension toward the other wall; immediately for half a circle, half halt,
collected gait for half the circle, half halt, extended gait. This is great for warming up the horse before
more active work. Doing an extension on the short side is a visual aid; the
rider does not hold onto the horse in front, the same as on a diagonal and the
horse is more willing to move out. Take the feeling you achieve and apply it to
the diagonal.
7. WALK!
The collected walk must be with the poll at its highest point, not
BEHIND the poll, for the HIGHEST marks. Make the collected walk your home; a
VERY comfy place for you and your horse, so it is easy in the tests. Move
forward and back within the gait, and 'take your time' to get comfortable with
it. Own the tempo, frame and the
outline. Nose is slightly out, which allows the front legs to open more and
reach. Do not let him go behind the bit!
8. If your horse is running from your aids,
spooking, falling on the forehand, not listening to your aids; use the half
halt as described above to gather his attention back to you. Remember to
breathe in! Remember to exhale!
9. Reinback. Tilt your pelvis forward like you are tipping
a stool off its back legs rather than pulling back on the reins. Use leg.
Hands only hold the reins in a restraining way; never pulling!
10. Visualize exactly what you want the horse to
do as you are riding. If you are not
visualizing the good, or nothing at all, then that is the response you will get
from the horse. Even when it is going bad, keep thinking of the response you
want to feel from the horse.
11. Praise the horse the moment it responds correctly.
You can pat
it with your INSIDE hand, use your voice; GOOD GIRL/BOY, with energy, so the
horse understands that they did well and it is clear that it is giving you the
response you are asking for. Do not let the judges hear you. Be fair in your requests
and firm in the response.
"Take your time"
"Ride it like you own
it."
Anne Wilson,
author of “Riding Revelations: Classical Training from the Beginning” (With a
foreword by Sylvia Loch and the approval of The Spanish Riding School) offers
the following as the best advice she has ever been given:
“Do
not be disheartened when things go wrong.
“Do
not keep practicing a movement in the same way if you are not getting the
correct response. Ride a different
movement or pace which you know the horse enjoys and come back to the
difficulty either later or on another day, preferably approaching it in a
slightly different way.
“Often
sleeping on something helps; thinking about the problem when doing other things
often brings about an idea of how to approach things differently…and never
going against the nature of the horse, never forcing anything… there is no need
for harsh aids, nor for the horse to be stressed in any way.
Anne has some great reading advice: “I have
always admired the work ofCol. Alois
Podhajsky. I
have huge admiration for my mentor Sylvia Loch. I believe that her riding and
training techniques are second to none in the world today.”
Tina Sederholm has taught riders from Pony
Club to Advanced level for more than 20 years. Previously an international
three-day event rider, her training methods are based on the teachings of her
father, former Olympic trainer and equestrian legend, Lars
Sederholm. She is the author of three books on
equestrianism, a dvd and a
regular contributor to Horse and Rider magazine.
Sederholm
offers these five simple points to rev-up your dressage scores:
1. Mental
rehearsal: planning your warm up and getting your horse in
the right frame of mind.
2. Fitting
your dressage saddle: buying the right saddle is one of
the most important investments you can make; a properly fitted dressage saddle
will allow your horse to move freely and use his back properly.
3. Relaxation
state in yourself will increase your feel and awareness, leading to a heightened
performance from you and your horse.
Your balance will improve. Only a
well balanced horse can perform the dressage movements asked of him properly,
but it all starts with the rider. The better balanced the rider, the better
ride they can give the horse.
4. Increasing
flexibility frees your joints so you can mould around the horse rather than
just sitting on top of the saddle. Your
seat will be more secure. A horse appreciate
a rider who is well balanced and secure and will give more and more of
themselves when they know they can trust the rider in this way. The more trust
the horse has in the rider, the better dressage
test they will perform.
5. Giving
clear messages to your horse is the first step to getting the horse to do what
we want. You must communicate clearly by
using body weight, and hand and leg aids.
Dee Bruce owns a successful Arabian sport horse farm…proving you that you
do not need warm bloods to do dressage.
Bruce says: “One of my pet peeves at shows is to see otherwise splendid riders
and horses spoil an otherwise excellent test by riding terrible geometry!
Circles need to be circles!”
Dee states: “Here is a simple exercise will teach you how
to consistently ride a perfect circle of any size, anywhere, even out in a
field without dressage letters and a little white fence!
“For starters, an inaccurate circle is one which is not
forward and on the aids; it is one where every stride is different, perhaps a
different tempo, a different bend – regardless the regularity of the gait
suffers--the rider is so busy trying to make corrections to the bend of the
horse that they generally make it worse and then they overcompensate resulting
in further loss of accuracy so they overcompensate yet again! The spiral continues and some rather
interesting shapes evolve.”
A perfect circle
makes it easier for your horse to maintain balance and regularity. Every stride of the circle should be as close
to the one preceding it and as close to the one after it. Dividing your circle
into quarter segments will help you to make them more evenly spaced. Your horse will be better balanced and much
more regular in his stride and the judge will reward you accordingly.” Chatuge Farms Arabian Sport Horses
I
hope this course will help you rev-up your scores and I hope it has given you
some insight to how scores get elevated.
There are some very strict directives as to what the tests are asking
for, so learn them.
Judges
are not infallible, but try to use their information to help you move your
scores up.
Use
common sense, be neat and precise, be on time, and never sacrifice your horse
for the ribbon!
Here
is a list of web sites and additional reading you may find enjoyable and
helpful.
http://classicalridingannewilson.com/
http://www.classicalridingannewilson.com/bookridingrevelations
http://www.classicalridingannewilson.com/tophorsetrainingbook.htm
Classical Riding Club (CRC -- Sylvia
Loch's Club): http://www.classicalriding.co.uk/,
The
Complete Training of Horse and Rider – Col. Alois Podhajsky – Harrap 1967
My Horses My Teachers – Col. Alois Podhajsky – J.A. Allen 1997
The
Riding Teacher – Col. Alois Podhajsky
– Sportsman’s Press Edition 1993
The Classical Rider – Sylvia Loch –
J.A. Allen 1997
The
Classical Seat – Sylvia Loch – new revised edition D.J. Murphy 2009
Dressage in
Lightness – Sylvia Loch- J.A. Allen 2000
Dressage
for the 21st Century – Paul Belasik – J.A. Allen 2002
Revolutionize
Your Riding – Susan McBane- David & Charles 2007
Horsemanship
– Waldemar Seunig – J.A.
Allen Classic series 2003
Exercise
School for Horse and Rider – Lesley Skipper – New Holland 2008
Assignment:
1.
SHORT
ESSAY AND VIDEO:
Please send
a video demonstrating what areas you are working on to improve your test.
If you do not
have an arena, show me parts of your test in an area with buckets or cones as
markers. Let me know of any problems you
may be having.
Send a
document explaining your work as shown in the video.
Load the video to YouTube, Photobucket,
or another video hosting web site.
Please send the link to
the video and your report (in the body of an email or as an attachment) to: circlesofhorses@gmail.com