Announcement
It’s official: Knight and I will be going to our first horse show (Lord willing) late February! It is going to be a local dressage schooling show. Why? Because other people from my barn are going and it should be fun.
Fun.
Will Knight & I ever look this good? Susy Stark of The Rubber Curry Comb blog and Otis, a Welsh Section D. I have a crush on him.
I have nothing against dressage. I think it’s beautiful and the foundation for not just great, but GREAT riding. It’s just that I have a very limited dressage background and Knight even less of a dressage background. I’m doing this because it is going to be a “learning experience.”
The Other Dressage Show
Confession: I rode in a dressage schooling show once. Once. Back in the 20th Century. It was not a great experience.
My previous horse (also a handsome bay Thoroughbred gelding with a pretty blaze) had a high score on the nut-o-meter. Translation: he was more of the stereotypical hot Thoroughbred than Mr. Knight my current steed is.
The day of my one other dressage show he was not an out-of-control freak–not in a dangerous way–just FORWARD and not so much on the bit. Details, details.
If we were being judged on uber-extended trot and canter, we would have cleaned up.
To top off my low quality dressage test, I then found a wash rack and was going to hose off my horse. I got yelled at.
“I’m just hosing him off quick.”
“We’re in a drought! You need to use a bucket and sponge!” Talk about culture shock moving from Illinois, the land of plentiful water to scorched earth SoCal.
Sheesh. How was I to know? There was no sign.
The irony is I am such a rule follower (I’m a teacher–c’mon. We live for rules). If there had been a sign, I would have respectfully followed the mandate. I’m not so good at following unwritten rules.
(Note to the ailing horse industry in the U.S.: If you treat people nicer and like less of an outsider, they will flock to your barns and riding programs and nice little schooling shows.)
I don’t own a dressage saddle, but my trainer said I can borrow one. I don’t own a pair of white riding breeches. I have a navy hunt coat and field boots. I guess I don’t mind looking all wrong (with my clothes), as long as I don’t ride all wrong.
Now if you’ll excuse me, Knight and I have some 20 meter circles and transitions to practice. We’ll get back to you soon.
Those of you who have experience competing in dressage, do you have any tips for a h/j rider who hasn’t shown in forever?
P.S. I “met” Susy (and Otis) through the #HorseHour Twitter chat. She is not only a riding instructor in Berkshire, UK, but a talented writer. I was captivated by a recent post “What An Exciting Hack” and felt like I was there as the riding adventure played out. Additionally, Susy has written a series of books for horse-loving children–the Awelon Tyn Series which can be found on Amazon.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram and like the Saddle Seeks Horse Facebook page!
Thank you for reading and journeying with us. If you like what you read on this little blog, please subscribe!
Share This Story, Choose Your Platform!
23 Comments
Leave A Comment
Related Posts
I'm Susan and this is my horse Knight. We have been a blogging team since 2015 and we're glad you're here. Tally ho!
I love love love dressage! Wait, let me clarify that, I Love love love to WATCH dressage! LOL! I couldn’t ride a training level dressage test to save my soul. However, when I was a kid, I remember my mom deciding that she was going to compete in a dressage schooling show with her Arabian gelding Bart. Bart was a mystical mover, and had competed in dressage at the canadian nationals with my moms sister 10 years prior. Anyways, my mom hadn’t been to a horse show in decades and dressage in our part of the world is pretty much unheard of. It was the first show of the season so in early April. I just remember her out there for hours every day, riding in the rain, and snow….and wind…..and mud. LOL! She is a meticulous person by nature, Bart was triple blanketed so as to be all slicked off and not a hair was missed with the clippers! HA! They went to the show and my mom did exceptional! I think she was in several classes and I remember her coming home with a horse trailer full of blue ribbons. She has NEVER attended another dressage show, or even a horse show for that matter (maybe 4 kids showing horses had something to do with that) She worked hard and did great! And I think that was all she needed to know that dressage PEOPLE were maybe not her thing 🙂 LOL! Good luck to you! I’ll be rooting for you and I can’t wait to hear all about it!
What a fantastic story, Heidi. I think you need to turn this into a blog post and it would be fun to include pics and maybe some quotes from mom. That is awesome!
Thank You! I thought about that after I had posted the comment! Thanks for the inspiration!
Good luck! I haven’t been to a dressage show yet because I’m afraid of an experience like what you described at your last show.
Thanks, Lauren. I just found a video of my last official horse show. Perfect for #TBT. You can actually hear me say, “Sorry!” to my trainer as I am rounding the turn to head to my final line. (H/J show)
Just remember that it’s only about four minutes of your life. It may feel like an eternity, but each test is really pretty short. Accuracy and submission go a long, long way toward raising your scores, so make sure you know your test and hit the transitions. When I used to compete I had a funny old QH gelding. He NEVER had an extended trot (you would really need to have seen where we started to see how much he tried) and his best gaits were the free walk and the halt. We did pretty well through second level because he had a very consistent rhythm and we nailed the transitions. Funnily enough, because he came from a hunter background he had great changes (after I convinced him that yes, sometimes I really was asking him to change on a straight line). I used to get all the DQs jealous by doing two-tempi changes. Most important, just have fun!
That is a cute story. Have you ever posted pictures of this funny QH? He sounds precious. And I’m not sure what DQ stands for, but in my world, it means Dairy Queen. Yum. Anyone up for an Oreo Blizzard. And I like the part about it only being 4 minutes of my life. #WordsOfWisdom
well you look GREAT – you both do – and best wishes. also, my step daughter did a few of these shows with her mum and step-dad back about more than ten or 11 years ago – and she looked so “dapper” – ha! anyhow, hope the show in Feb is fun.
You and I posted on the same topic today! I rode not one but two dressage tests on my thoroughbred back in the last century! My blog features the score sheets (they aren’t pretty).
I don’t think I even saw the score sheets. Or if I did, they were so bad I blocked them out of my consciousness. Regarding our blogging synergy: great minds think alike. 🙂 P.S. Did you get yelled at by a mean lady after the ride?
No, worse than yelled at: my instructors just sighed with disappointment in me and my giraffe horse. I was only 11!
Best advice: just relax and have fun! It’s cliche, but true! I dunno about SoCal, but where I am these kinds of local schooling shows are just the most fun. I borrowed a dressage saddle and wore my navy hunt coat with field boots and tan breedes for years before I got my own. Schooling shows should always be good experiences, I’m sorry your previous one was a bad one! I think we’ve all come across some rather crabby characters at shows in every discipline though!
Thanks, Abby! i am glad to know I’m not the only one with the lack of “proper” attire. I will indeed try to have fun.
Reblogged this on The Rubber Curry Comb.
good luck!! i’m hoping to get out to our first ever dressage show this year too – a very exciting prospect!
I would totally feel like a fish out of water at a dressage show. I have such a high respect for those that compete in the event because it is SO DAMN HARD… which is probably why I don’t personally love it, heh
I defected from dressage and eventing to h/j land so … sit tall? But really, if you are just going for fun, then just go for fun! Forget about picking at the details.
Hi Susan,
Hey I had a good friend 4th level dressage a LOOng time ago i cant remember much from back then LOL. Besides I used to ride hunt now, I am Western Pleasure , but wait! Blue my 23 year old was retained at 17, he does and we do Western dressage too!! Does that count?? Really its a blast, don’t worry about your dress, its a schooling show.. Just remember the test and go in there smile and have lots of fun.. Your horse will love you for it!! I loved watching my friend, it is what inspired me to learn/ ride western dressage, my horse is super supple and it just feel great! Thinking about you From TX
Della
I always think of a show as a lesson or clinic. You’re paying to be critiqued, so it basically is just another part of your riding education. Here’s another few things that help me at shows:
I’m not cocky (or even that confident) but the second I go in to wait for the judges bell, I carry myself like I’m the next Charlotte Dujardin (which is obviously never going to happen). So much of dressage is about presence. Go in there confident and relaxed. If you act like you deserve great scores, you’re more likely to get them.
If you keep the test smooth and accurate, it can make up some for things like a slightly dramatic transition or inconsistencies in the connection a little. If a movement isn’t perfect just go on like it never happened. Make sure to ride the corners and focus on the geometry of the movement. Fluidity of the test can help a lot.
Mostly, just go for it. If you go in timid then the horse gets behind your leg and everything else falls apart. Ask for the slightly larger gates and everything else starts to come together because your horse is more forward. Luck favors the bold 🙂
Anyway, I hope that you have fun! Tan breeches are fine if you don’t want to purchase white ones, as are your navy hunt coat and field boots. I can’t wait to hear about it!
Thanks for this solid, advice! I will do my best to channel my inner Charlotte! 🙂
Accuracy, accuracy, accuracy. Also, dressage markers are carnivorous. Ride over to the judge and introduce yourself first so that he can look at the markers. Warm up for about a hundred years – it works for mine, usually. Apart from that, just remember your test!
Proud of you!
Hey, this is supposed to be a fun, relaxing time. Go out there and enjoy. Remembering you have just as much right to be in the ring as anyone else. Schooling show! Let us know how it goes!
Thanks, Elinor. And I’m happy you’re following along my journey. Thanks for dropping me a line too. 🙂