Only 6 Weeks Til The Waredaca Classic Three Day Event!

Last week's post discussed choosing the right studs for any situation. This week let's talk about nailing the dressage test.

As we all know practice makes perfect so don't underestimate the power of preparation! Familiarize yourself with the test you will be performing at The Classic so you can start practicing movements. You can find the dressage tests for each level of the classic three day here. Next month in The Classic, Beginner Novice will compete in the small 20x40m arena whereas the Novice, Training, Modified, and Preliminary divisions will be riding in the larger 20x60m arena. If you are competing above BN and have not ridden in a large ring before, you may be quite surprised to feel that the diagonals and long sides feel much, much longer. Finding a large ring to practice in or creating one at home with poles for the corners and cones (or other markers) for letters can really help you be more comfortable in the ring. Remember that a huge part of dressage is accuracy, so making sure that your transitions are timed perfectly and your geometry is accurate can definitely improve your score regardless of your horse's natural affinity for dressage.

Using a dressage ring diagram you can visualize your test to map out your movements. This makes it much easier to be accurate when you are practicing your test while actually riding your horse. For example, in the Novice Three Day test, the second and third movements are 20m working trot circles performed in each direction at X. The first circle is to the right and since it is being ridden in a large ring, the four points of the circle you should touch are X, 2 meters before S, 4 meters before G, and 2 meters after R. For the second circle to the left, the four points are X, 2 meters before V, 4 meters before D, and 2 meters after P. Being able to visualize this on paper by literally drawing out the shapes first can really help with accuracy under saddle. Other things to consider when mapping are the leg yields at Training and Modified and the serpentines found at Modified and Preliminary. Knowing exactly where you should be crossing the quarter line mid way through your leg yields to space out the movement evenly or where you should cross the centerline and touch in the loop of your serpentines can make you look like a pro. Another consideration is centering movements over a letter. For example in the BN test, the first movement has a trot-walk-trot transition over X with 4-6 walk steps. This means you should walk 2-3 steps before you get to X and trot 2-3 steps after. Many people make the mistake of walking when they get to X. Impress the judges by nailing this first movement and you are off to a great start.

Having someone watch your test and give you feedback is also invaluable. Your coach, a clinician, or barn buddy can help be your eyes on the ground to help you improve your movements and accuracy. Another great option is finding an opportunity to do a fix a test at a local schooling show. Sign up to do your test at least twice and the judge can give you feedback in between your rides. If you are local, you can sign up to do this at our last Taproom Thursday of the year on September 21st.

We hope you found this post helpful as we countdown to The Classic. Please comment if you would like any other topics covered in the future. Up next week, an overview of endurance day!