Keeping it Fresh - or Drilling?

sjp1

sjp1

Well-Known Member
Sep 14, 2009
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Well, am doing a very low level walk trot test next weekend.

A couple of other liveries are practicing daily on their horses. I thought I would practice a couple of times next week and leave it at that for fear the too bright for me Tobes becomes bored.

Am I wrong? Should I be schooling all the time in preparation - bearing in mind he is not keen on schooling anyway?!
 
I wouldn't. Make sure you remember the test though! I do prelims now and we can't even canter a circle or a full lap of our schooling field (too slippery!) - we practice basics out hacking.
 
No I think you are doing the right thing, I wouldn't run through it more than twice on horseback and would then just practise it on foot to make sure I remembered it. At the low levels you will get most of your marks for basic things like accuracy.
 
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I can't remember the last time I actually ran through a whole test except on the day in the arena.

I practice the things we bad at but never the whole thing. That works for us
 
I've always been taught not to practice the whole thing so your horse doesn't start to anticipate, particularly if you have a smart cookie.
 
I practice the individual movements but I never, ever repetitively run through tests. Horses aren't stupid, they learn fast and will begin to anticipate. I'm prepping for an inter dressage test this weekend and I've ridden the test once. Rest of the time I've been working on our weak areas - transitions and straight lines!
 
Nah I wouldn't practise to death. I usually only run through it once on one day during the week leading up to the comp.

I rarely warm Moët up really either, she tends to go better in the first 15 mins of schooling, as she tends to get bored and disinterested if I warm her up too much.
 
juliecwuk said:
I rarely warm Moët up really either, she tends to go better in the first 15 mins of schooling, as she tends to get bored and disinterested if I warm her up too much.
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My old pony used to be like that. It was literally out the trailer, leg stretch and off we went. The more I warmed up, the stronger and more objectionable he'd get!!
 
With my baby, I'll walk it through from start to finish on her, but mostly to give her something to think about it while were schooling (and the fact I'm still doing a hell of a lot in walk with her) but I'd never ride it through with transitions. I'll do little bits of it.

With Gem, I wouldn't even practice bits specifically.
 
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