Dressage Test Practice.

Why is it when you think that you are going to do a dressage test, your brain freezes up, you can't think and you tense up? Well that was exactly what happened today. When we got there we all got given the tests that we would do I got to do a British Young Riders Dressage Scheme 'C Squad' test. This test included Walk, Trot, Canter, serpentines, 20m Circles and half 20m circles. We walked through our tests first and I noticed just how much canter work I would actually be doing and I think that this is the thing that I was most nervous about. When we had walked the test, we then tacked up the horses that we would be riding, we tacked up Gatsby, Rascal and Rocky. I rode Gatsby, JaimieLeigh rode Rascal and Mollie started off riding Rosie but then later switched to riding Rocky and JaimieLeigh got on Gatsby. 

In walk all the horses was fine, Gatsby was active and stretching, he was responsive and listening well. Rascal and Rosie were also fine. JaimieLeigh and I are used to working in open order but this isn't something that Mollie was used to so Fiona said that she could pick one of us to follow. So she picked JaimieLeigh because they were doing the same test, so it was similar to working in open order. When we moved up to the trot Rascal didn't look good so he got put back away and JaimieLeigh got the choice that she could ride Gatsby or Rosie. So I took over trotting with Mollie but she wasn't happy on Rosie so switched on to being on Rocky but before she switched both JaimieLeigh and Fiona tried riding Rosie to see if she could still be used. While this was happening I popped Gatsby in to the canter to see how he was and he was great. He was really responsive and picked up the canter easily, this proved to me how mine and his riding is improving. I then had my first run through of the test and it was awful! My mind blocked and I couldn't remember what I was doing, where I was going, or even how to ride! I was also rushing which wasn't helping either me or Gatsby. I then did the test a second time and it was so much better. Fiona called out the test for me, and I thought to myself that I need to calm down and just treat it like a lesson because after all this is what it was. I was more relaxed and just let the practice flow, Gatsby cantered nicely and in some places we even got more of an outline. I was so happy with how the test went a second time but I was completely knackered. I have now decided that in my lessons I need to think like I'm riding a dressage test so that I can practice it and hopefully get over the nerves a little bit more. 

After I rode my test JaimieLeigh rode hers on Gatsby and Mollie rode hers on Rocky, I also got to practice out calling out for a test. To start with I struggled knowing where to call out but eventually I got in to the swing of things, I just had to remember that  I needed to project my voice more as this is something that I wasn't doing very well. 

Fiona also gave us all a copy of the test that we did and then also a sheet that shows the way the score the BYRDS Scheme uses works. It's great because the test is judged by two people, one who judges the movements that the rider is doing this is the person that controls the test. The second judge then judges the position and effectiveness of the rider. This is something that I think is so much more helpful because it focuses things more. She also then gave us a sheet showing what the judges are looking for so that we could under stand it more. My main problem is always that my legs are moving, but since I've had my hop sorted I am working so hard to get my lower leg to stay in place and slowly but surely it is getting there. 

We then put the horses to bed and got ready to leave as there was no pony club this evening. I love my riding so much and even when I go to University it's not something that I am going to stop doing. The whole point of choosing a University that was local was so that I could live at home but also so I could keep riding, initially the plan was that it would be my own horse but after a lot of time and thinking I knew that this wasn't the right time to be finding a horse. One day I will find the right horse and I know exactly where it will be going! 

Friday I get to go up to see the back lady working on the horses this is something that I have never seen and I can't wait to see. It's something that I have always found interesting and I can't wait to see how it really works as it is something that I have never seen before. 

Until Next Time 

A Girl With A Dream