How competitive are you REALLY???

Some people are keen and some just a little obsessive about doing well, so where do you fit in on the 'passionate about dressage' scale??

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Q1. When looking to school your horse outside on the flat, would you…

1. Only school in conditions that are comfortable for you and your horse. (2 points)
2. Try stick to a routine but juggle timings when possible to make it comfortable. (4 points)
3. Stick to your routine no matter what the weather. (6 points)
4. Stick to routine, but if weather is particularly vile (wind, rain, scorchio) then aim to school them all in this so they’ll be used to concentrating/working in extremes and have a natural advantage at competitions against horses that aren’t. (10 points).

Q2. Before going out to do a test competitively, do you…

1. Ensure you can just about do most of the movements in the test relatively well at home first. (2 points)
2. Ensure that you can do all the movements in the test to a reasonable standard at home first. (4 points)
3. Ensure that you can nail every movement in the test and maintain the same way of going in different weather and on different surfaces. (6 points)
4. Ensure you can nail more advanced movements than those in the test in all conditions and look forward to showing off just how in control and seamless riding that test can look. (10 points)

Q3. In order to progress/improve your ring craft skills, and ability to perform well under pressure, do you..

1. Set the letters out in an arena (or field) at home and run through the test a few times, then at the competition watch a few horses do their test first, but get a caller to call the test. (2 points)
2.  Learn the test, have a caller call out test to enable your headspace to concentrate more. Look at the test on google being ridden well, look where you’re going and try be accurate. (4 points)
3. Know the test well, but have a caller. Sit up, raised hands, look confident and relaxed. Have trainer to train you on how to ride each movement in test, ride corners deep. (6 points)
4. Attend ring craft lessons, sit in with judge to assess exactly what they see. Break down the movements of the test and know which are the long and short movements are and focus on maximizing potential. Ride deep corners, transitions exactly at intended markers. No need for caller as test engrained in brain. Do not just look confident but also feel confident and think of the judge as lucky to be able to see/judge your test. (10 points)

Q4. In order to be able to get yourself in a good physical state to compete do you…

1. Get riding fit, make sure you don’t have too much alcohol the night before. Turn up with at competion with ample time to get ready. (2 points)
2. Take regular exercise and be riding fit too. Ensure hydrated and nourished with plenty of time to prepare for the test. (4 points)
3.  All the above, but also stretching limbs prior to getting on and mentally visualizing the test beforehand for a few minutes. (6 points)
4. Ride as many different horses as possible and have a huge inventory of instinctive aids for different situations. Healthy long term diet, mental coaching to visualize successful processes and outcome. Never go out or drink the night before a competition. (10 points)

Q5. In order to ‘look the part’ at a competition do you….

1. Give the tack a wipe over, ensure there’s no stains on your breeches, and put a bit of slap on. (2 points)
2. Tack clean, clothes smart and well fitting, horses coat shiny and a bit of hoof oil and fly spay too. (4 points)
3. Immaculate tack, branded clothing throughout, numnah with sponsor on it. Lots of slap on and a few sparkles. (6 points)
4. All the above but with ‘Hack Up Bespoke’ on the numnah, diamante crystals everywhere, extortionately expensive hat, shiny coat (horse), styled tail, fly fringe. Matchy matchy colours where possible and quarter marks that look like FEI or the Olympic logo. (10 points)