Ride Your First Dressage Test

Riding a dressage test should be a rewarding experience. It will be stressful, nerve wracking, exhilarating, and sometimes frustrating, but when you ride out of the arena you should be wearing a smile and thinking, "I want to do that again!" In order for this to happen, preparation is everything.

Choose a level and test that will set you and your horse up for success. Talk with your trainer or instructor about what level you and your horse are most suited to. As a general rule, riders should show at a level below what they are regularly learning at home. So, if your horse is working on first level in lessons, ride a training level test at the show. None of our horses behaves as well away from home, and our nerves can get the best of us! If you aim to ride a test at a level you have yet to master completely at home, you are bound to be adding a lot of extra stress and pressure. Someday when you've ridden a lot of tests, this may not be a problem. Right now, the focus is feeling good about your accomplishment-and your horse should feel good too!

Perfect practice makes perfect. Ride the test at home paying attention to the purpose of the level and the directives given for each movement. It's best to ride the test in its entirety only a few times. Otherwise, break it into sections and ride those pieces so that your horse does not become too clever and anticipate you. For example, you can practice centerlines by riding onto the line from the left and halting somewhere other than X before proceeding and turning either left or right at C. Alternate each time. You'll still get the benefit of learning to make a good turn, as well as a straight square halt, but you will keep your horse guessing about where the halt will occur and which direction to turn at C. Be creative and practice the pieces focusing on geometry, precision and good basics of rhythm, suppleness and contact while mixing up the routine enough that your horse will stay tuned in to you.

Memorizing the test is something many new competitors struggle with. Although you can have a reader, you will still be penalized if you go off test. Readers can and do make mistakes, the wind can carry their voice away and other problems will haunt you if you rely solely on a reader. The best bet is to memorize. Here are some proven tips. Try them and find what works for you. Draw it out on diagrams. Walk it out on foot! (This is good exercise too) Watch someone else ride it, correctly. The method I most prefer is to write it out step by step. This method has the advantage that I can write in with the movements all the little details and instructions I need to remember for my horse. In between the movement, I can put in the descriptions or key phrases my trainer tells me.

The day before the show give your horse an easy ride. This is not the day to train. Be sure to bath the horse, clean your tack and pack your trailer with the items you will need. Gather any membership cards and numbers you may need to present. While these go in with your entry forms, and you are sure that you submitted it perfectly, the day you don't have your cards will be the day the show secretary doesn't have copies either. It's easiest to create a file folder to carry to shows with copies that can be pulled out in an instant. Your notes on riding your test can also go in this folder. By now, you should have been given your ride time. Decide on a time of departure allowing plenty of time for a horse to unexpectedly decide not to load in the trailer, a flat tire, or other sort of unexpected complication.

At the show, with the extra time you planned, after retrieving your number from the show office you'll have time to walk your horse around the grounds. Find out from the show staff if there are any off limits areas. The show arena will be one of them. Pick a place a safe distance away from competitors to let your horse settle. If you need to lunge your horse, learn where this will be allowed. From your daily routine you will know how long it takes your horse to warm up and get on accordingly. In the warm up arena, be attentive, look where you are going, and take a deep breath. Think about the things you need to do with your horse. There should be an arena steward who can give you the show time and will also be able to tell you when the riders ahead of you are going in the ring. When you have about five minutes to go, this is the time to have any helper with you wipe the dust off your boots, adjust any tack that may not look right, and help you put your jacket on. Even if family or friends want to socialize, step away and think about the test you'll ride.

In the arena, you are allowed after the competitor before does the last salute, to walk around its perimeter. From your work at home, you should have a good idea if your horse does better seeing new things from the right or left. If you have a choice, use your best direction. Don't dally. Get down towards the judges stand and ride past it. Turn around and come back. At this time, the judge is writing up remaining comments on the score sheet of the rider before you. Once they are finished however, they will ring a bell. You have 45 seconds to enter at A. If you are trotting, this is enough time to get from C to A. Take a deep breath, look up at the judge and ride proud. Ride your test thinking of the things you would in a lesson. At the final halt and salute, salute crisply and with pride.

After your test, the score sheets are collected and tabulated. Scores are posted outside the show office. Once the scores are up, you can retrieve your test sheet and read the comments from the judge. Be gracious and remember they only get to see you for five minutes. This fresh perspective is often some of the best information you will get about where you and your horse can improve. Now you have something to work towards. After some debrief time with your trainer and a few weeks to focus on weak areas in your test, you will be ready to go out and show again. One of the best things about showing in dressage is that you will have this feedback from every test to compare over the course of several shows. With the right preparation, you'll be looking forward to showing again and again.