A Few Thoughts On Test Preparation

As a competitor you must learn to think like an investor or mathematician. You should know the maximum points you can accumulate and how many movements carry a coefficient. Make certain that all the movements that do have a coefficient are well confirmed to the point where they feel easy, look effortless and are performed by a happy horse.

Judges are looking for harmony, lightness, ease of movements and especially well performed transitions. Some judges focus on straightness, others on precisely executed ring figures. Almost all judges want to see a horse moving relaxed within the appropriate frame. Frame is an ambiguous word but it should be understood that frame of mind in a horse is equally important as frame in self-carriage.

Keep in mind that 'climbing through the levels' - as one of my teachers used to say, is no real proof of a horse’s stage of training nor is it any guarantee for continued success in competition. True progress is only achieved by uncompromisingly perfecting the simple stuff called the basics. In quest of perfection one will discover that the simple stuff is not that simple at all. Any exercise and movement can be ridden in its most simple configuration as well as in a more advanced way, i.e. by adding new levels of difficulty through various suppling and collecting techniques.

Make a habit of beginning the preparation of all tests by drawing an arena complete with letters on paper and moving through your test by pencil until it is committed to memory. Knowing your test well even if you intend to have a reader enables you to concentrate on your riding, your appearance on horseback and the smooth execution of all movements. A memorized test also offers the further advantage of being available for mental practice any time while off your horse.

From the moment of your entry into the ring you are on stage, and filling this large empty space of 20x60m with power, grace and accuracy is what is needed to impress the judges and spectators. Consider yourself a messenger, a harbinger of correct riding representing Classical Horsemanship. Presenting a good example for the younger generation begins in the lower levels.

An additional pre-performance piece of advice is to start riding your horse early enough to enable the watching of the last two rides before your own. This gives you the opportunity to observe all the strong and weak points of your competition, especially of the rider immediately ahead of you. If you can do better where your predecessor did not perform so well and do at least as well in all the other movements, you will receive a higher score. Judges have the tendency to remember the weak parts of a test ride and are prepared to compare the next entry’s negotiation of the same movements. You must try to erase the mental picture the judge formed of the previous horse-rider team with new convincing impact. Being able to manage all the strategic points of competing successfully is known as: The Mastery of Test Riding Psychology.

Every dressage test begins with the Entry. Coming down the centerline with poise, elegantly halting at X followed by moving off with ease after a graceful salute will earn you the reputation of being convincing in your appearance. One of my teachers used to say: "The beginning of a test ride should have the elements of controlled power like an orchestra beginning a piece with 'UMPH' after a moment of silence".

Your entry should wake up everybody and secure you a score of at least an EIGHT. An eight from the start will impress the judge and encourage a tendency towards more leniencies should you or your horse err later in the test. Successful test riding consists of eliminating all rough edges in your performance, gaining high scores and warming the heart of the judge by presenting a harmonious silhouette.

The secret of good test preparation lies in the practice of combining test-related patterns with effective training-patterns. In a good test ride the horse is fully committed to every stride and movement. The successful competition rider never drones through a test, he accentuates and highlights certain parts more than others, much like reciting a poem. The art of representation determines how the performance will be received. Be your own toughest competition by riding with conviction and unwavering dedication to your own uncompromised standards.

To eliminate as many stumbling blocks as possible, I advise schooling the test movements in two different ways: first in combination with added-on exercises, which can be compared to the supporting scaffolding when building a house, and secondly by riding straight through without any interruptions, the way the test demands.

In the worst-case scenario, when things go other than planned, be prepare to scrap your score and gracefully finish your test rather than excuse yourself.

- KM