transition to novice level

[andreaB]

a question really for anyone who competes at this level or may have just moved up

we have done about 6 prelim tests & are getting 62-66% in general , we can ride a nice accurate test

main problem is that my horse struggles to engage his right hind & so a nice soft outline often illudes us , esp on the right rein , i think it's the main thing preventing us from getting better scores now

my question is , whilst i feel we would be able to ride a novice test nicely would we be likely to score poorly with regard to the engagement & outline issues , ie is more weight given to these things at novice level

anyones experiences would be much apprecaited

[Mehitabel]

well, prelim is meant to show a solid foundation of the basics, and the basic outline and straightness are pretty fundamental. if the basics are not solid, then he will start to find the more advanced movements difficult - he may struggle with the medium trot, for instnace, in a novice test, and obviously the higher you go the more the basic gap will show up.

what is preventing him from engaging that hind leg?

having said that, the first dressage outing i ever did i did a prelim and a novice, and have done a mixture ever since, getting similar scores and pony and i are both perfectly happy at novice.

i would keep working onthat engagement, but if you want to do some novice tests for experience and a bit of variety, then just be aware that it is quite likely that it will be remarked upon.

[andreaB]

his straightness is fairly good , his lateral work is decent too , leg yield , shoulder in, travers , demi piroutte , medium trot fine , lovely extension work

he has a bit of a back problem that he see's the physio for when necessary , which is where the engagement of the right hind comes from

it is very much the area that we have been working on & do quite a bit of lateral work to encourage him to engage that leg. i do find it more difficult to get him to concentrate when we are out competing though as he's a real nosey so n so , & likes a good gawp around!!

[cvb]

mmm - I was going to suggest you need to be riding slightly above Novice level before competing at it but (a) that would be hypocritical as when Fi is sound I'm going to try out a couple of the easier Novice tests now and again and (b) you've just talked about the more advanced work you are doing anyway...

I personally find the Novice tests are more challenging in that there is more in the time... and this may actually work in your favour ? (given what you said about attention) I wrote for a judge last year some time, and writing for a Prelim test a lot of the riders were "fiddling" trying to get outline etc and got lower marks than the folk who rode with less interference but got less outline, etc Its almost like the riders have too much time to fiddle and interfere when they are not asking for transitions, movements etc - perhaps a more challenging test gives them less time to fiddle ?

(I have no idea if you fiddle or not - I just observed that the riders who asked for less at prelim sometimes got the better marks as they were not hitting submission, acceptance, consistency issues. These riders would, in all liklihood, hit these same issues as soon as they started asking more from their horses - but at Prelim they didn't need to ...)(am I just digging this hole deeper ?? :rolleyes:)

[Lgd]

The lower level Novice tests are not much more difficult then the higher end Prelims. More focus on transitions, expect a little more engagement but we are expected to make allowances for them being inexperienced. Looking for a similar place in the scales of training to prelim. Small wobbles and changes in frame are regarded quite sympathetically. It sounds as though he is doing the elementary work and bits of the medium work at home so he should manage OK.

[Mehitabel]

yep, the novice tests are busier, i find my old bat is better with them as she is a gawper too. my only rosette for stressage (in a grand total of about 7 outings) has been for a novice test.

given you know about the leg/back issues and it is under control, then you might as well go on to novice for some variety and the expereince, and if it is mentioned then at least you know why and ytou can mentally adjust the marks in your head to account for it. you may not win, but you can compete against yourself, taking that into account.

[andreaB]

thanks everyone , thats most helpful , cbv some really goods points that hadn't occured to me & yes , may well work in our favour

think i'll bite the bullet & put in for a novice , i'm more interested in the comments & our score as opposed to winning , just didn't want a judge sat there thinking 'why are they wasting my time....'

thanks again

[kayjayhorses]

I did my 1st Novice test a couple of weekends ago and I went knowing I had no way of getting placed, I did it for experience and for the judges comments, and I found I enjoyed it more than prelim tests and I found the comments to have positive criticism which is what I was looking for.

It might be just the places I have been going to and those judges I have seen but I have found in prelim tests that they give you a score and not always write a comment beside it so you dont know where you went wrong to improve it for next time, but with the novice test it was full of comments which are obviously really helpful.

[DITZ]

novice tests seem to focus alot on changes of pace so having a horse who is responsive is quite important. Best thing is to try it and see for yourself. Do a prelim and a novice test on the same competition so that you can compare them both.

[Jamey]

I've been to one show with Cossack so far and the prelim class ended up being a warm up for the novice test. He is a prize-winning nosey git and goes round the prelims looking at everything (and yes, cvb, I have to resist the temptation to fiddle!! :D ). In the novice class we are always looking for the next circle, serpentine or change of pace which suits him much better. Got 56% in Prelim test but 64% for Novice. Not bad for his first trip out - next one's this weekend coming! :eek: :eek: :eek:

[andreaB]

thats great everyone , sounds like novice may well suit as he is nice & responsive & obediant as long as he is kept busy & thinking ,so having more to do may well help

guess i am most likely a culprit of fiddling a bit too much for the outline at prelim too!

[MeMe]

It might be just the places I have been going to and those judges I have seen but I have found in prelim tests that they give you a score and not always write a comment beside it so you dont know where you went wrong to improve it for next time, but with the novice test it was full of comments which are obviously really helpful.

It should depend on the mark, over a certain mark dosent need a comment as its self explantory.

However lower marks must have a comment, but alot of the unaf judges prob are not aware of this.