Stressage....

KP nut

KP nut

I'd rather be riding.
Dec 22, 2008
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I did a few ODEs last season with Cally and the dressage phase always let us down. We would jump a double clear but be well out of the places before we even started jumping because of mediocre dressage scores.

So this winter I am determined to get much better at it! So I am working hard on schooling and plan to enter some events.

First up: Combined training (dressage and show jumping) on 20th November. Prelim 7 and 65 cm jumps. Better get practicing! Twins are also entering so I will be competing against Twin 1 on the same pony which will be interesting!
 
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Are you allowed to to do that. I know that it is not allowed in some place the same horse entering dressage twice but with a different rider?

I know in pure dressage your can't or you can but one has to go as HC
 
Thanks @OwnedbyChanter I'll check. There is another prelim class - prelim 18 and also 65cm so I can enter that if needs be.
The next one up is Novice 24 - no thanks! Not yet anyway!!

What does HC mean
 
Well the girls did Prelim 7 and 65cm and I did Prelim 18 and 65cm. Mixed results:

Max was very forward with Twin 1 but she rode him well and scored 60.68 which was ok considering how much riding he needed to stay focused and accurate. Twin 2 rode Oscar beautifully though unfortunately he spooked at a pot plant going into canter then the circle collapsed as Twin 2 was trying to get her stirrup back so those 2 movements scored very low! But she finished on 61.36

Both had really nice comments too.

Oscar had 4 faults in the jumping and that was enough to finish 3rd. Izzy was eliminated as he had 2 refusals at the double. The first element was very well built and it did look intimidating and he just didn't fancy it!

My dressage was ok, though he was still a little strong to get a score of 65.76. And my first ever 8! Hurrah!!

He was uncharacteristically unsettled in the jumping had 8 faults which was enough for 6th. Oh well he's only a baby! All good experience for him. There were very very few clears. Not sure why, but lots of horses seemed to struggle with the course. It did seem big for a 65.

Next event.....Arena Eventing 2nd January. 70cm for the girls, 80cm for me....
 
@KP nut out of interest why are you moving up in height if he struggled with an up to height 65cm? Please don't take this as a criticism, I'm not at all, I'm just interested in your reasons to move up in height despite him not going as well in the 65. I'm a wuss and only move up if I'm pushed and probably wouldn't move up in height if I was having stops in smaller classes. Maybe I need to be a bit more like that and just crack on lol.
 
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Lissie said:
@KP nut out of interest why are you moving up in height if he struggled with an up to height 65cm? Please don't take this as a criticism, I'm not at all, I'm just interested in your reasons to move up in height despite him not going as well in the 65. I'm a wuss and only move up if I'm pushed and probably wouldn't move up in height if I was having stops in smaller classes. Maybe I need to be a bit more like that and just crack on lol.
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I have to agree its a big jump from 65 to 80 more so if the 80 is up to height as well. I personally like ginger to get around the lower height a few times before we moved up. Happy for him to have poles down but not refusals. I had a refusal at 90 last week and gone back to the drawing board for a week or two.
 
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OwnedbyChanter said:
I have to agree its a big jump from 65 to 80 more so if the 80 is up to height as well. I personally like ginger to get around the lower height a few times before we moved up. Happy for him to have poles down but not refusals. I had a refusal at 90 last week and gone back to the drawing board for a week or two.
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Yes I'm the same poles not as much of a problem but with refusals I feel like it's better to keep at the smaller level building confidence then move up when the horse seems happy and confident. I'm not critising @KP nut just interested in the reasons why as I've always stayed at the same level until I feel the horse will have the confidence to jump bigger courses, as we all know horses can jump high, have plenty of scope, but it's having the confidence to get you out of a bad line/stride, scary jumps I've found this comes with practice over smaller fences. But I'm no expert!
 
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. He's competed and schooled over 80/85 and jumped clear with both of us several times. We have both already arena evented him at 70 and 80 and he was great. We entered 65 yesterday in the combined training as any higher would have meant a novice dressage test which we are not ready for.

I was puzzled by his refusals but I think it's because we warmed up for the test and then did the test and were then sent straight to the jumping so we did not do any jumping warm ups. So I think he found being chucked in at the deep end without having gone over a couple of fences first threw him. I am not sure how to get round that next time..... There were jumps up in the warm up area but I did not want to jump before the test.
 
ETA just to add, I am not pushing them... I am just going with the advice of trainers. I booked the girls into an arena eventing clinic in a 70cm group (the lowest group they did) and the trainer said afterwards they should book into the 80 next time. (Actually I ignored him and rebooked into the 70 group again). Then we had a SJ/XC pony club event and the pony club trainer said both girls needed to push themselves more and begin to go higher as both they and their ponies were more than capable.
 
KP nut said:
. He's competed and schooled over 80/85 and jumped clear with both of us several times. We have both already arena evented him at 70 and 80 and he was great. We entered 65 yesterday in the combined training as any higher would have meant a novice dressage test which we are not ready for.

I was puzzled by his refusals but I think it's because we warmed up for the test and then did the test and were then sent straight to the jumping so we did not do any jumping warm ups. So I think he found being chucked in at the deep end without having gone over a couple of fences first threw him. I am not sure how to get round that next time..... There were jumps up in the warm up area but I did not want to jump before the test.
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Ahh right that makes a bit more sense. I wouldn't jump a course of jumps without warming up over a fence, mine wouldn't stop but I wouldn't do it anyway. Can't you school in, pop the warm up fence a few times then go in for your dressage? If he's well schooled it shouldn't be a problem. I'd still be tempted not do an 80 as the refusals may cause him to lose confidence in himself I'd want a good run over smaller then go up, but this is where you know him and what'll work. Never thought you were pushing them, was simply interested in the reasons why as it's different than what I'd do:)
 
Yes next time we need to warm up for jumping and dressage at the same time. I have never done combined training before so had no idea the girls would be going straight from 1 event to the other. But it is hard to jump when people are warming up for dressage tests as they keep circling in front of the jumps!!

The arena eventing is not till January. Loads of time between now and then to make sure he is going well. 70 is the smallest class which is what the twins are doing again. It's a venue we have been too several times so hopefully he will feel confident.

This is them schooling over the course they will be doing. This was the first time Max saw these fences and they are at 70cm.

 
I know what you mean, I tend to shout jumping at them or incoming :p annoying when people are rude. Sorry I presumed you were meaning this weekend, if January then yes plenty of time to get out and about.
 
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We try to limit competing to about once a month or every 6 weeks so there's loads of time in between comps to work on stuff.
 
They would go out every weekend if they could though! They just LOVE competing. I quite like it but I prefer training tbh. Less stressful, more time actually riding!
 
I do a lot of combined training and they have always given you 1/2 and hour between your dressage and your jump to allow a change of tack and warm up. Never are you expected to go from one to the other. I would not jump in my dressage saddle and I would not dressage in my jump saddle and I would not jump him with out boots and my BP.
 
That sounds better! But it's not what happened with us. I wanted to change Max's bridle but he ended up being jumped in his bit legal snaffle which was not ideal either.
 
I suspect I know where you did your combined training ( not the same place as you do arena eventing.) If so don't worry about it, We no longer compete there although it is very accessible to us due to inconsistant courses and judging and awful surfaces. Jumping there one evening the lights suddenly went out when one competitor was half way through a double as no one had fed the meter....Enough said!
 
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