Just feel like giving up!!! =[ [Archive]

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Sophie..*

18th Oct 2007, 06:57 AM

sj2007

18th Oct 2007, 07:02 AM

dont give up!! when i got my horse, i took him to our first dressage and got 50% and came last :D he was SO naughty, last dressage i took him to he won the championship.

took about six months but its well worth it in the end! take him to as many shows as you can, it'l all come together in the end!

good luck

Sophie..*

18th Oct 2007, 07:03 AM

i didnt even beat my friend whos cob woudent move and kept stopping!! and he also kept spooking at the banner and hes perfect at home and i think he gonna b fine but as soon as i gt there hes a nightmare...?!?

DavidH

18th Oct 2007, 07:05 AM

I think you are being a little hard on your horse and perhaps yourself?
Only the second dressage test. My lad took at least 4 outings before he started to settle in a dressage areana and he was a seasoned comp horse.
Set your goals low for the early outings and make the most of the little victories.
When my wife started dressage her only aim was to get 50% in an unaff prelim. 5 Years on she has 230 BD points, qualified for regionals at every level up to medium and is about to go advanced. All this on a 14.1 welsh D that was bought as a hack.

It does get better but only if you keep plugging away at it.:D

sj2007

18th Oct 2007, 07:07 AM

dont worry! my horse decided to canter th whole of his first test with his ears in my eyes, he really was naughty, but its just going out as much as you can so your horse get used to different surroundings and then he will behave like he does at home.

it will just take time :)

Sophie..*

18th Oct 2007, 07:08 AM

Just i got 107 in my last test and now iv gone right down to 95. im just rubbish. I cant do sj and xc for anything and now dressage lmao.

Big Ears

18th Oct 2007, 07:40 AM

look on the bright side, you have a horse to ride, not like many of us whose horses are off lame, sick, etc.

i was just about to start riding rosie after one year off - lost a shoe this week so 4 weeks till farrier comes, bang goes my riding.

so it will be 13 months by the time I can have another start.

so things are not that bad at least you are RIDING

eventerbabe

18th Oct 2007, 08:22 AM

be thankful you have a horse that will travel! mine is a dressage diva at home but can i get him anywhere to show off these talents? no. He doesn't particularly like travelling and last time out tried to hang himself by his leadrope leaping down the ramp when we got there :rolleyes: i couldn't even let him out of the box, let alone pop a saddle on and ride. I'd be thrilled if mine even got in an arena at a competition. I think you are being a bit hard on the horse i'm afraid.......

casey

18th Oct 2007, 08:34 AM

DavidH

18th Oct 2007, 09:21 AM

(Sorry guy's, just stepped into mother mode):D
Oooooo, scary Mummy:p

Soot

18th Oct 2007, 09:42 AM

Agree with everyone else!

I started dressage earlier this year ... but not on my beautiful warmblood who is a superstar because she won't load and attempts to load her make her so stressed that I'd have to go to shows a week early to give her time to re-settle. Instead I borrowed an inflexible coloured cob.

Our first shows were embarrassing. Everything was rushed and I was embarrassed because all the other horses were beautiful and Lucy was a fat hack.

And then something surprising happened. With all the schooling, the fat started dropping off Lucy and she suddenly took a real liking to flatwork. Our canter is still terrible, but I can safely say that despite our horrible debut, Lucy is more of a superstar than my warmblood will ever be! She's streamlined, balanced, rhythmic -- perfect dressage horse! It takes time. Months and months of hard work. But keep it fun for yourself and for the horse and don't be too harsh on yourself and things **will** get better!

Dancinglite

18th Oct 2007, 10:55 AM

Stella2

18th Oct 2007, 11:09 AM

I need to tell you this, and it's not going to sound pretty.

You need to lighten up. It was your horses 2nd dressage comp. For heavans sake, give him a break...Stop the self pity, and learn from it.

(Sorry guy's, just stepped into mother mode):D I agree completely.
You have received very good advice here and it will be much better for you and your horse if you could work on being more relaxed about the whole thing. If you are frustrated and cross with him, he will pick that up and it may well make him anxious. He already has lots of new things around him to get used to so he needs you to be on his side.

Remember the early days are about letting your horse build confidence in the new situation. Try to see it as just you and your horse having a nice day out together and anything more is a bonus :)

David, thanks for the inspiring story about your wife's experiences - seems there may be hope for me yet then :D

Trewsers

18th Oct 2007, 11:19 AM

Hey, don't give up - at least you went out there and tried!!!!

IrisSilverMoon

18th Oct 2007, 06:07 PM

I need to tell you this, and it's not going to sound pretty.

You need to lighten up. It was your horses 2nd dressage comp. For heavans sake, give him a break...Stop the self pity, and learn from it.

(Sorry guy's, just stepped into mother mode):D

I agree...my first dressage competition was a TOTAL mess, i didn't do anything right it seems (and it was only a walk/trot test!). While my second was probably not as messy, i'm sure it was still not that good, it took me awhile before i managed to get a score above 55%.

Its a hard discipline, you are in the arena all alone and the judge is looking at everything you do. Its not like a group where you can mess up and the judge might not see. It will take a lot of practice and both you and your horse getting used to the shows before you start to see the scores inch up a bit by bit. Even the best of us will still get crappy scores once in awhile as we do harder tests and get used to those!

don't give up,just go out there and have fun, look at the judges comments because they can help you improve. One of the bonuses of dressage is that you get the comments on your riding so you know where you're at, what you are doing right and what you can improve on.

iloveshearer

18th Oct 2007, 06:33 PM

Shearer took a whole season to start getting placed. (There's usually about 30 in each class where we go) Keep at it ;)

Berry

18th Oct 2007, 07:29 PM

I have never been placed in dressage, the first dressage test I did I got about 48%, then I did a series of tests over the summer, 3-4 tests where I got 50-55% and the last outing I got 64% :) What was really satisfying to me was that I got about 52% from the same judge 9 months beforehand and that I had proof that I had improved. It takes a while to get used to doing dressage, warming up and performing etc. Think about how good you will feel when you improve your score and do well - if you are getting bad marks then the only way to go is up!:D remember though you are supposed to be doing this for fun...at the end of the day if you really don't enjoy it, then don't do it.

KateWooten

18th Oct 2007, 07:37 PM

Joseph and me came 2nd this year in a dressage competition, out of 4. It's the first time I have EVER not been last in any competition I have ever entered. Ever. :D (did I say ever ?)

Always last, and always cheery about it. Perhaps I could aim higher, do you think ?

Cantering 20m circles is not very easy. I mean, it's quite a long way down the line of things we've learnt to do. Takes a lot of balance from the horse. Chin up, keep practicing. Quit worrying. You'll be old and dead before you know it, so just enjoy what you're doing right now.

Sophie..*

18th Oct 2007, 08:07 PM

Stella2

18th Oct 2007, 08:10 PM

What do you think about the advice you have been given?

IrisSilverMoon

18th Oct 2007, 08:32 PM

Hes perfect at home amazing will canter a 20m circle with no problems. We go intot he warm up arena and he wont even canter. and its not just me because even my instuctor has rode him in there and he wont.

well lots of people can do perfect tests at home.

then it all falls apart once you get into the arena!

You have to get out a whole bunch and get your horse used to the arena and being alone and in front of a judge.

Its totally common for me to ride a much easier test than what a horse can do when it comes to first shows. We ride a little easier, even then the horse will still mess up. I had a training level test on this horse i'd been working with (he could easily do 1st or second level)(training is just regular w/t/c btw for US), but we get into the arena and he doesn't want to go near the rail, he doesn't want to relax his neck, he doesn't want to canter a 20m circle. I did the easy test so it would be something we could both succeed at and he wouldnt' be overwhelmed. He still did a poo test and we probably got 55%, but after that he did relax and we started scoring more consistantly. I had to take him out a lot though and work on getting him used to new things.

So what you can do at home does not always mean you will be able to show it, the horse needs to relax and get used to things, sounds like you might need that too. it gets easier over time, so don't give up until you've done several shows.

Sophie..*

19th Oct 2007, 09:07 AM

Its good i surpose...

vimto92

19th Oct 2007, 06:40 PM

You want to give up because you and your horse didn't do well in your dressage test?

Sophie..*

20th Oct 2007, 09:56 AM

No im saying i feel like giving up because i cant even seem to do basic flatwork and nobody ever gives me any confidence.

sj2007

20th Oct 2007, 10:52 AM

unfortunately you will feel like giving up sometimes, If you put the work in you will get the results!

It wont be easy tho, this is why you need to be determined and not just say you are going to give up, prove everyone wrong.

Sophie..*

20th Oct 2007, 01:37 PM

Ok well.. ill try.. =]

Dancinglite

20th Oct 2007, 01:56 PM

No im saying i feel like giving up because i cant even seem to do basic flatwork and nobody ever gives me any confidence.

That is not correct as you said you can do this at home. The problem is not the horse but you. It is what is in your brain that is stopping you. You wouldn't be the first that freezes up and can't deliver at a show. Even the top riders had this problem in the beginning. Stop even trying for a placing and go to the show telling yourself that you are there just to school your horse and if you finish last it doesn't matter.

Kate F.

20th Oct 2007, 02:23 PM

Took my horse yesterday to his 2nd dressage compotion it was only prelim 1. But he wiudent canter the circles and i got really bad marks =[ I came last but because there was only two of us lol i got a 2nd rosette =] But i really just feel like i should just give up =[=[

NO!!! David and the others are right - it's almost always like this at the beginning! I had 35% in my first competition, and I think it was 38% in the second! It was ages before I broke the magic 50%! :D:D I don't compete more seriously like David's wife - but over the years I've clambered up to usually getting at least into the 60s and sometimes the 70s! Honestly, it does get better just with experience, practice and getting a feel for what the judges want to see - also your horse getting used to the show routine. Put your rosette and the paper with the marks on it in a box somewhere - and go back to it in a few years - you'll be laughing about it then!