Dressage Goal Setting!!

Alex's Dressage Tips

Dressage goal setting!!

You need to be realistic with your dressage aspirations and ensure that they match yours and your horse’s ability. Remember that lots of small ‘victories’ build momentum and ultimately will progress you further than setting one huge (virtually unachievable) goal.

Create a firm foundation of knowledge and build your inventory of instinctive aids.  This will allow you to progress together with your horse and tick the necessary criteria for test riding. Rushing too far and fast will leave gaping holes in your training and you will, at some point, need to come back and redress them. So it is best to work on the basics and then naturally the rest will follow on.

Always school and train at least one level above what you compete at.

So each time you compete, try to build on the test before. Identify areas within the test that you know you can improve on, work on them in your training and nail it in the test. Turning a 5 to a 7, or a 6 to an 8 is extremely satisfying. Equally take the opportunity to make the good bits even better, get the 7s up to 8s. Ride more accurately, improve the connection and engagement.  The aim is to get the back to soften so they become more open to your aids and fluent in their movement.  Experiment at home or with your trainer different techniques, and see if this improves their way of going. If you keep things the same this will create the same results. Make sure you learn the test and then practice the elements you are unsure of with your horse. This will stop them becoming stale or pre-empting the test on the day. Try varying the warm up routine to find one that works best.

If you’ve bought a ‘world beater’ who’s more advanced than you, then the situation is different. Get yourself a capable trainer, who’s happy and willing to train you regularly and ride your horse if required. Listening to your trainer is key to progression. The more you put in, the quicker you will improve and the faster you will move up the levels. Simply hack out at home and do simple schooling as advised by your trainer to develop fitness and establish your connection.