Prelim 4 or Prelim 10 2002

NoviceNic

NoviceNic

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May 7, 2003
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My local Show is having a Give it a Go Dressage day soon. So I thought I may have a try. But I am a complete novice to tests. Are Prelims the lowest level of dressage tests??? What is required of both tests? And which one would be easiest to a novice?? :eek:
 
Prelim 4 is easiest IMO, i've got both the tests if you want to know more about them, basically prelim 10 has more complex movements like half circles back to the track and cantering across the diagonal whereas prelim 4 is a bit more basic i find.

Oh and yes prelims are the lowest level of dressage tests apart from walk and trot tests :)

Give it a go :D
 
Go for ittt :D

I've ridden Prelim 4 and I quite like it, nothing too hard to remember and nothing too challenging...just what I like :p

Not tried Prelim 10 so couldn't compare.

If you want any other details, just PM me :)
 
I much prefer p10 to p4, it sounds a bit more complicated but seems to ride much more nicely. I hate all the centre line work in p4, it really shows if the horse isn't totally straight & makes for a lot of tight turns if you're on a big horse. I actually chose to ride a novice test rather than p4 & we probably made a better job of it.
 
Dressage tests start at Prelim, novice,elementary etc. The lower the number the easier the test................
 
P10 doesn't have counter canter - no prelim test does! It asks for canter across a diagonal but you come back to trot on reaching the track (or maybe before, I don't have a copy to hand as I type) so you're never asked for conter canter & it's often easier to get a good trot transition as the horse is already asking to come back to trot as the easiest option :p

Having ridden p4 a few times on Jim when he was a youngster (16.2 ID) I found it difficult to keep him balanced & active with the centre line turns whereas the loops & turns of p10 gave lots of chances to tactfully keep him balanced & going forwards without tipping onto his forehand. Each to their own though ;)
 
I still class that as counter canter, but I guess it is more preparation for a true counter canter at a later stage, normally when changing the rein you change the bend, but in this case you don't.
 
Sorry but there is no way you can correctly class that as counter canter! Would you say the turn away from the track as you start to go across the diagonal was preparing for canter pirouette?:eek:. Coming across the diagonal in canter is a pretty basic movement, if a horse isn't capable of performing it in a reasonably balanced way then IMO it isn't ready to be out competing.
 
Why do you change the bend when changing the rein across the diagonal - it's a straight line therefore the horse and rider should be straight, no bend. The canter across the diagonal is correctly termed as true canter, and it tests the horse and rider's straightness in the canter as it should be ridden as a straight line (and we all know how difficult straightness in canter can be! :D )
As for the tests, I would say that IMO P4 is the "better" test for a novice rider who thinks she or he may forget the test (it's just so symmetrical!), but P10 offers the rider more of a chance to show the horse off without all those pesky straight lines in front of the judge! If you don't like centre lines, definately don't do P4!
Of course if you decide you like P10 better but are worried about forgetting it, check if you are allowed to have it called for you (you should be).
Finally, the "official" (recognised by British Dressage) dressage tests run from prelim, to novice, elementary, medium, advanced medium, then advanced. Then the FEI tests start but we mere mortals don't talk about those :p Some show centres and clubs design their own tests, some have walk and trot ones which are prelim standard minus the canter (usually). Tests are technically easier in the lower numbers, but it's not always the case... I hate P13 and P14 as they are just too busy and have things like give and re-take the reins, and I think the nicest prelim test is the highest (current) number, P18. N20 is nasty but N21 is nice. It takes a bit of experience to find which tests you like and your horse likes, but for a first go it really doesn't matter. Pick a test and go and have lots of fun! :)
 
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