Free Walk

[KateWooten]

well, I'm doing my first ever show tomorrow, for both me and the pony. We're doing dressage tests Intro A and B (US levels ... I should explain - they're the absolute basic, just for a young horse at his first show)

OK, all I have to do is Working Trot Rising, Medium Walk, and 'Free Walk'.

What is 'Free Walk' ? It's along a change of diagonal... I'm thinking I just ask him to stretch his head and neck down but not change tempo from his medium walk ?

Also, I enter at working trot, and at X 'Halt through medium walk' ... will I be penalised for halting straight from trot ?

Thanks,

Kate

[Haphazard]

You are correct in letting him stretch out and down but don't give the contact away. Also you should clearly show good overtrack in the free walk.

[DITZ]

is there a difference between free walk and free walk on a long rein? I've noticed in one of the elementary tests it asks for free walk only?

Kate - tips for FWLR - gently let your horse take the reins out through your fingers. In an ideal world you should end up on just the buckle with your horses head very long and low but dont throw the reins at him just give him all he can take. Also, as Haphazard said the overtracking is very important so make sure you tap with your leg (usually the one the judge cant see) in time with his walk - ie when his belly swings to the right tap with right leg.

[KateWooten]

Well, phew... that was fun ! We had such a good time. He loaded up great and trailered just fine. I went off to get my number and find out where everything was and when I go tback he was out of the trailer, muching grass, and my beloved DH who 6 months ago had never met a horse was sitting in his deck chair reading his book - what a perfect little family.

It was our first show and we only found out about it on the wednesday. Fortunately, joePony had trailered out the week before (we've only had the trailer a week !) to a local barn, so he had been in an arena once before ther show !!

He behaved absolutely perfectly - he really is the nicest 4 yr old - alert and looking at everything, but if I say it's safe, it's safe :) DH videod everything for me - it's the first time I've seen pictures of the pony under saddle. It's really obvious now that his saddle is not fitting at all well - it is far too curved from front to back and it's making him very reluctant to drop his nose and round his back.

Bizarrely enough, we scored 6s, and some 5s on everything ... except the free walk which was a 7 !!!

Well, I'm so pleased I went along for the experience, even if it was totally last minute - round here, shows in any english discipline are very rare. The next dressage show for 75 miles is in October :( So, we take what we can get.

Here's the pony in the warm-up ring, so you can see what I mean about his very non-relaxed back .. this is a halt !
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f135/joePony/badHalt.jpg

[cvb]

but look at that ear flicked back saying "ok mum, what next ?"

nice chap :D

[MeMe]

Well done:D

[DITZ]

Congratulations!

[KateWooten]

Thanks guys, he IS a nice chap - he's my baby. cvb, I hadn't noticed that flicked ear, you are so right. We finished last in both classes, but it was so cool because everywhere we went, there was all sorts of stuff going on around him, but I had almost all his focus all the time !! Of course, not when he was hollering at the pretty blonde mares :D