Wentworth Hunt dressage schooling show
Took Clover in training level tests 1 and 2. I was a mess. I talked myself into a pretty good hole, to the point where I tried convincing my trainer to let me scratch out of the second test after having panicked my way through the first one.
Warm up for test 1 went really well, actually. At first I thought I could do it, then the nerves took over. I convinced myself that Clover was behind the leg, not going forward enough, and I started using the death grip seat on her, squeezing her guts out and nagging with my lower leg (both of which slow her down and tune her out to the aids) in a misguided effort to get the opposite effect.
I whined through the rest of warm up: “I can’t do this. I’m turning Clover into a foxhunter. I can’t do dressage. I don’t get it. I can’t do this!” I couldn’t keep Clover through to the aids, she’d go well for a few steps, then come up against my hand. I’m not quick enough to anticipate and prevent the resistance.
We muddled through most of training 1, and as we were coming down the long side of the arena for the canter to trot transition, Clover ignored the aids and took the arena barrier like a cross rail so she could get back to the other horses in the trailer area facing the ring. Oh, shit! All four feet left the ring–we’re eliminated.
I laughed and turned Clover around to get up the centerline for the final halt and salute. “That’s too bad,” the judge said. I just shrugged and grinned. For all the panicking I do before a test, I can laugh off mistakes pretty easily. You can’t mess up dressage much worse than jumping out of the ring. That was a first for me.
I relaxed a little bit more after that. Also, I’d worn myself out with the death grip seat and anxiety. Test 2 went better, more forward and accurate. I think our doublers were crisper than others in the class. Our transitions were a little better, too. But, we were still having problems with consistantly accepting the bit, and the judge seemed to be rewarding hand riding into a false frame (arrggh!)
For test 1, we got a 54.1%, but eliminated from final scoring, and test 2 was marginally better at 55.8%, but still very mediocre. That earned us 6th place in the class.
All in all, not too horribly bad, considering I had tried entering for walk-trot INTRO tests and wound up taking a friend’s training level rides when she scratched and my tests wound up being filled.
Warm up for test 1 went really well, actually. At first I thought I could do it, then the nerves took over. I convinced myself that Clover was behind the leg, not going forward enough, and I started using the death grip seat on her, squeezing her guts out and nagging with my lower leg (both of which slow her down and tune her out to the aids) in a misguided effort to get the opposite effect.
I whined through the rest of warm up: “I can’t do this. I’m turning Clover into a foxhunter. I can’t do dressage. I don’t get it. I can’t do this!” I couldn’t keep Clover through to the aids, she’d go well for a few steps, then come up against my hand. I’m not quick enough to anticipate and prevent the resistance.
We muddled through most of training 1, and as we were coming down the long side of the arena for the canter to trot transition, Clover ignored the aids and took the arena barrier like a cross rail so she could get back to the other horses in the trailer area facing the ring. Oh, shit! All four feet left the ring–we’re eliminated.
I laughed and turned Clover around to get up the centerline for the final halt and salute. “That’s too bad,” the judge said. I just shrugged and grinned. For all the panicking I do before a test, I can laugh off mistakes pretty easily. You can’t mess up dressage much worse than jumping out of the ring. That was a first for me.
I relaxed a little bit more after that. Also, I’d worn myself out with the death grip seat and anxiety. Test 2 went better, more forward and accurate. I think our doublers were crisper than others in the class. Our transitions were a little better, too. But, we were still having problems with consistantly accepting the bit, and the judge seemed to be rewarding hand riding into a false frame (arrggh!)
For test 1, we got a 54.1%, but eliminated from final scoring, and test 2 was marginally better at 55.8%, but still very mediocre. That earned us 6th place in the class.
All in all, not too horribly bad, considering I had tried entering for walk-trot INTRO tests and wound up taking a friend’s training level rides when she scratched and my tests wound up being filled.
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