What’s the one thing you wish you could do to feel really good about your overall experience at a dressage show? IMPROVE your DRESSAGE SCORES!
Riding in a show can be a daunting task. Things rarely go as planned and the actual riding always feels a little differently than when you ride at home. When I first started showing, it seemed as though I slopped my way through the test and rushed to the final centerline to halt, salute, and finally take a breath!
Rushing through a test will certainly land you a score that has room for improvement. And even when you might think you are well prepared, you might end up with a 6th place ribbon because your horse doesn’t have the flashy movement like some of the other horses.
Luckily, there is hope for everyone! You CAN improve your dressage scores, even if you are a green rider and don’t have a fancy horse!
I could write an entire book on showing alone, but there are 5 really important things that you can do to surely move scores up!
1. Be Prepared
Being prepared isn’t just about packing all of your equipment and looking good! Truly being prepared is all about what you are doing months before the weekend of the show.
- Practice-Don’t expect to roll into the ring and ride a perfect test after skipping several lessons. Make your riding a priority.
- Know you test inside and out-Even if you opt for a reader, memorize it for yourself. In the midst of the test, you’re not always able to concentrate on what the reader is saying. You don’t have time to concentrate on the reader anyway-you need to concentrate on your riding! My own test riding skills improved dramatically once I decided to ditch the reader altogether!
- Watch others ride the same test-There are plenty of videos on the internet, some even have the judges’ scores with commentary.
- Visualize yourself riding your test-Close your eyes and run through the entire test, moment by movement. Think about how you will prepare part, what you’ll need to do at every moment in the test. If possible, picture yourself in the exact location that the real show will be taking place.
2. Pick the Appropriate Test to Ride
Most likely, you should be showing at a level that is one step below what you are currently schooling at home. So if you are starting to learn the intricacies of 3rd level at home, you should show at 2nd level.
You should also pick the appropriate test according to your strengths and weaknesses, as well as your horses. There are three tests to each level, and they each have very different set-ups for the movements, and some have completely different movements. Pick a test that showcases the movement that will make you shine.
In addition, pick a test that suits your horse. For example, 4th level test 2 has shorter diagonals for the trot lengthenings, but it is also the first test where we see quarter pirouettes. If I were riding a horse who possessed an ability to sit on the hind end well and collect, but who also had horrible extensions, I would choose this particular test for that particular horse.
Check out THE NEW 2023 TESTS!
3. Put the Test to Work for You
The tests are set up in a way that each movement builds into the next movement. This can be both detrimental and beneficial to you. If you know how to ride each movement into the next, the test will flow smoothly with ease.
For example, lets take 4th level test 2 again. There’s a shoulder-in that leads into a medium or extended trot. By appropriately riding the shoulder-in, you can engage the hind end to set you up for a super transition into the extended trot. (In order for the extended trot to come through, the horse needs to be engaged, and the shoulder-in just happens to be an excellent tool to get engagement!)
Check out, HOW TO GET AN AMAZING EXTENDED TROT
And don’t forget about the corners and short sides! These are also times when you can be setting your horse up for whatever comes next. Ride your test-Don’t be just a passenger!
4. Ride an Accurate Test
This is CRUCIAL! Often riders leave points on the table by not riding accurately. Stop leaving these points behind and you’ll surely improve your dressage scores!
Lets say you ride a perfectly accurate test, but your horse was downhill, dull, out of balance, etc. You would still get at least a 50%. So take that 50% and build upon that with better riding. If you take the time to memorize your test, that’s a big part of accuracy. When you are confident that you can go through the test 100% accurately, you no longer have to worry about that, and you can put all your effort into riding well. So take the free 50% and the concentrate on your riding to get another 10-30% on top of that.
To ride an accurate test, you need to understand the layout of the arena and the positioning of the letters. Some basic geometry is all you need. Try drawing out the figures from your test, and pay close attention to how far you are from the letters as you pass them.
For example, a 20 meter circle at A does NOT touch any other letters except for A. The circle extends past the P and V. And a 20 meter circle and E or B will only touch E and B. It stops just inside P and V, or S and R. Its really important to sort these things out!
Check it out, THE 20 METER CIRCLE
5. Ride Well
Together with accuracy, riding well will really put you at the top of your game. This is a KEY ingredient to improve your dressage scores. If you put out an accurate test that is ridden well, you can surely get a 60% or higher. If you ride really well, you are in for a treat.
Riding well, put simply, is when you and your horse have good rhythm, forwardness, straightness, balance, relaxation and harmony. As you move up the levels, there will be more of these elements expected to a higher and higher degree as you go. But in summary, you need to learn how to ride your horse from back to front, into a good contact, with forwardness. Learn how to ride a good half halt here.
Also check out WHY YOU RIDE WELL AT HOME BUT SUCK AT SHOWS
Conclusion
Showing is not always easy, and it takes years of experience in order to flow through a test like the pros. But if you take the time to be committed and pour your heart into your passion, anything is possible. You can improve your dressage scores with a little help and practice. And don’t be afraid to make mistakes! Failure does not happen when we make mistakes- Failure happens when we stop trying.
Keep Riding, Keep Refining
The Refined Rider
