Horse Dressage Training

Horse Dressage Tips

Horse dressage tips for competitions

A few guidelines are shared below as part of horse dressage tips for beginners in competitions. When competing you will need to relax and although it is important to practice every move in detail before the competition, you should know that the judges don’t want to see just a rehearsed show. They want to judge how well rider and horse work together – thus how well the horse responds to the rider and not the horse’s memory.

The tips on horse dressage for beginners below will give you an indication of what to do in the horse dressage competition.

Always ride a straight line

Easy to say I know, but practice makes perfect. You need to make sure that you can right a straight line and please note – very straight centre line. Practice through lateral work and also the serpentines. You can also practice the straight lines outside the arena. The benefit is that once you have mastered the skill outside the track you will no longer have to depend on the arena walls to guide you in riding a straight centre line.

Horse dressage tips – Position is as important as the straight lines

Just to complicate things a bit further you need to ensure correct posture. That is – make sure your weight is evenly distributed by having a centre seat on the horse. Your legs must have even pressure ability and the same goes for the reigns which should be equal. You may not even notice that your horse is going off course simply because you ask him to because you have more pressure on the one side or your reign is not equal.

Don’t focus on outline

The judges will quickly notice a centre line that is not straight, but they may miss the poor outline – so focus on centre line. Keep the pace as the slower you go, the more likely that you will have a crooked centre line.

Finally always smile and after that do it again as the judges will quickly pick up if you are nervous. Use the above horse dressage tips for beginners in competitions and start practicing. It doesn’t come overnight, but build a solid relationship with your horse to ensure you act as one.

Taken from http://horsefun.co.za/index.html

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Riding a dressage test for the first time can be intimidating. The rider is alone in the arena with a judge scrutinizing their every move, so it is important to do the best job possible. However, it gets easier with practice and preparation.

Preparing for a Dressage Test

It is important to memorize the dressage test ahead of time. The rider should practice it in her head and on foot, but should practice only portions of it at a time when riding so the horse does not learn it and begin to anticipate the movements.

Riders are assigned ride times and cannot be late or they will miss their dressage test. They are sometimes asked to ride early if the show is ahead of schedule, but this is not required. Each rider should know the bridle numbers of the riders ahead of her so she can keep track of how much time she has to warm up.

No one is to enter the area around the arena until the rider before her has completed her test. The next rider can then ride around the outside of the dressage court until signaled to enter.

Riders should go straight to the judge’s stand so their horse can see it and not be scared of it and to tell the scribe their number and which dressage test they are riding. They can then continue riding around the outside of the dressage court.

Taken from Suite101.com

Dressage saddles are arguably the tool of the highest value for riders. Performance and comfort are greatly affected by the kind of horse saddle you decide to use. This does not necessarily mean purchasing the dearest item available, rather you should be well informed on the choice before you begin browsing and commit. For more advice on getting the right horse dressage product, read on.

Firstly, reaffirm to yourself that horse dressage is right for you, financially. This is not an inexpensive discipline.

Measure Up

If you have decided that horse dressage is what you want to do, you will need your horse’s measurements. Take the height from the hoof up to the withers, as well as the measurement from withers to the croup. This will assist you in making your horse saddle shopping far less troublesome.

Research

Find out about all the different types, brands and costs beforehand. The internet is a great tool for this. You may find that shopping online will be cheaper. Try the sizes out in the stores, and then you can purchase the right one online if it is less expensive.

Shop Around

Take a trip to as many local tack shops as you can and test out a number of different dressage saddles. These shops should have saddle stands that can be adjusted to fit your horse’s measurements, and will demonstrate the feel of them to you.

Forward Thinking

Remember to take into account any size changes you or your horse might go through in the future. Getting a cheaper priced horse saddle for kids will work out better as they outgrow them rapidly. For use on different horses, a gel pad will be worth getting so that the necessary adjustments can be made on each individual.

Check Fit

Put the dressage saddle you bought with no saddle pad onto the horse. Check there is about 3 – 5 inches of space between the withers and gullet. The gullet channel should be spread nicely on top of the horse’s spine, with no abnormal spacing. If for some reason, the dressage saddle does not fit, return it and try other sizes.

Horse dressage is one of the most beautiful disciplines where the horse and rider have to work together to demonstrate the connection between each other. You do not have to have your own horse to learn dressage, you can have horse lessons where you specialise in dressage. Having horse dressage lessons will help you to improve your communication with horses and to further your skills for show. This article will help you to decide on the right horse dressage lessons for you.

Horse Lessons – Dressage

1. The first thing to decide is whether you will use your own horse or ride the instructor’s horse. If you want to work with your own horse it is very important that you find an instructor that will work well with your horse as well as with you.
2. Make sure that you state your goals and what you want to achieve through having horse dressage lessons. You could decide that you want the lessons simply for personal development or you might want to improve the bond between you and your horse.
3. Dressage can be very competitive so you might want to use your horse lessons to sharpen your skills in the ring.
4. It is best to find an instructor locally. Most areas will have a specialist dressage instructor so you will have to do a bit of research to find the best one nearest to you. To do this you can ask at local riding arenas, stables and tack shops. Any local horse focussed publications can also be useful when looking for instructors.
5. Talk to the instructor before you commit to anything. You should find out about the instructor’s training and qualifications. If you can watch the instructor teaching another lesson then it is a good idea to do so; you can learn so much from watching how the teacher interacts with pupils. You can use this to determine if their teaching style is compatible with you.
6. Find out what you will need to wear to the lessons. If you will be using your own horse and the instructor is travelling to you, discuss what sort of tack you will need.
7. Begin by agreeing to a few lessons at first if these go well then you can continue. If you do not get on with the instructor or their style of teaching then you are not committed to anything.

Oldencraig Equestrian Centre offers tailor-made equestrian holidays, ranging from leisurely hacks in the beautiful surroundings of the nearby Ashdown Forest, beach rides along the coast of South East England, walks through the regal Windsor Park to intensive training programmes in dressage, showjumping or cross-country.

Guests are invited to bring their own horses or choose from a number of advanced schoolmasters during their holiday or training sabbatical, or a combination of the two for those who wish to spend most of the day in the saddle! Any visiting rider will have full access to the impressive training facilities at OEC, including three international dressage arenas, Olympic indoor arena with wall-length mirrors, sound system plus two all-weather lunging arenas, an all-weather outdoor showjumping arena and an all-weather gallop track.

One-to-one tuition by qualified instructors focuses on the individual rider and his or her horse, from novice to advanced level. Dressage clinics with resident trainer, Olympic rider and 16 times national champion Vicki Thompson-Winfield can prepare the rider for the coming competition season.

One student brings her horse to OEC twice a year, for a two-week intensive training course, to set the combination up for the summer competition season and then again, to use the winter months to go through the higher levels of training!

At the end of the training holiday the student can take part in a number of competitions. As the largest competition centre in the South East of England, OEC offers regular dressage competitions from Preliminary to Grand Prix level and BSJA accredited show jumping competitions, and the nearby Past Byssche Farm is the venue for cross-country clinics and shows.

The capital city of London is about one hour away, so overseas visitors can combine horse riding and culture in one holiday!

Some top tips for dressage attire, found on the Horse Magazine website.

1. Your dark-coloured or tweed jacket should fit you well and be tailored around the middle to flatter your form. If it is baggy around the back, you could look as if you are slouching or moving around in the saddle. (Tailcoats are only worn in advanced tests and above.)

2. White breeches look smart (providing they are clean!) although cream or beige is perfectly acceptable and also more flattering. Choose breeches with front pleats if you are curvy. If your breeches have belt-loops, wear a smart, dark-coloured leather belt – it will improve their fit

3. Match your gloves to your breeches, but remember that white gloves draw attention to jiggling hands

4. Your boots or plain leather gaiters should be as long as possible to visually elongate the leg, especially if they are cut for dressage. A patent leather calf gives extra ‘sparkle’ and means you don’t have to spend hours polishing them.

5. A dressage cap without a three point harness looks smart for competitions – cap manufacturers include Horka and Patey. (While hats are compulsory at affiliated dressage competitions and mounted safety is paramount, BSI standard helmets are not compulsory.)

6. Make sure your white shirt, stock and stock pin are presentable, as, at the discretion of the organiser, competitors may be permitted to ride without a jacket.

7. Your underwear should not be visible; ladies should also wear a well-fitting bra for a neat line and minimum ‘bounce’

8. Ladies’ hair should be secured within a hairnet, or neatly tied back – straggly ends or swishing ponytails look unprofessional

9. Tasteful ‘bling’ is perfectly acceptable – neat stud earrings, for example. Diamante is popular, eg on belts and browbands, but don’t go overboard – it is your riding that will impress the judges

10. Secure your number neatly and come prepared with elastic and scissors – coloured string or twine is not a good look. Bridle number disks can even look unsightly, depending on your horse’s head shape.

This video is an excellent help if you are a beginner to dressage… why not take a look?