Specialty: Eventing and Musical Freestyle
Jessica has competed in Second Level dressage, Novice eventing and musical freestyle over eight successful years as a competitive equestrian.
How to remember and prepare for a dressage test
You are scared that you will hear the whistle blow and immediately forget your dressage test. Or you will get nervous and not pay attention to your horse’s lead or impulsion. Here are a few tips for riders to be completely comfortable when they are performing a new test or testing at a new level.
* Familiarize yourself with the arena letters
The easiest way to do this is the make a diagram of a standard arena and print a copy of your dressage test. Read your dressage test out loud and trace your path through the diagram with your finger. Most levels call for a move to be performed in one direction and mirrored later in the opposite direction. Therefore, it helps to remember the letter for the moves you will need to repeat. HXF is just FXH in the opposite direction.
After you learn all the letters that will be visible on the outside of the ring, learn the letters on the inside of the ring.
* Learn your dressage test, even if you have a reader
Do not depend on having a reader at your show- anything can happen at the last minute. You need to be prepared for everything and that includes knowing your dressage test.
To learn the test, you can walk the test on foot in the arena. You can also have someone read the test for you when you are practicing on-horse. While you are learning the test inside out and perfecting each transition, make sure you know which moves have coefficients. If you have practiced the test enough while riding, you will eventually memorize the whole test.
* Perfect your moves
Your circles should be just that- circular. If you follow the track for a 20m circle at C, you are making an oval, not a circle. When you ride it as a true circle, you should just touch C-M-I-H.
When you halt, make sure your horse stops square exactly over the letter and stays patient enough to stay they for three seconds. Don’t forget to salute at the beginning and end of each test.
A move at any letter happens when your leg passes that letter. For example, if you halt at X, one leg is on the same center line as B and other leg is on line with E.
And since you won’t forget your test, make sure you don’t forget to smile!
