Words of Advice to Horse Lovers

The Dressage Arena

Inside the arena is one of the most difficult moments at a competition for both the rider and the horse. The time immediately before entering the arena is the most crucial. You hope that the horse has worked is ready to do its best. But it is very easy for the horse to switch off between the warming-up area and the competition arena. You have to be alert with particularly young or inexperienced horses and ponies. They will be wary of any new arena, and may well lose their confidence and concentration when entering this new place.

In training, frequently give your horse an opportunity to switch off, then find ways of bringing it back to attention. This is beneficial at competitions, when you will need to bring the horse back again to do its best following a break. When you are about to enter the arena, try, as quickly as possible, to bring the horse correctly on the aids again. This is another situation where as the rider and trainer, you need to really know your horse.

With young horses or a pony it is vital that the rider treat the competition arena as a training ground. If the horse does something unacceptable, it has to be corrected (as he would be at home). If the horse get the idea that you, as the rider will allow him to misbehave in the arena, the horse's behaviour or the pony's behaviour, will gradually get worse. Some novice riders think that they must do nothing in the arena. The equestrian dressage, however, will realize that if something is going wrong it needs to be corrected immediately.

Now that both rider and horse have entered the arena, they should make sure that the horse's boots or bandages are removed and your rider's jacket is buttoned up. Have a few calming thoughts, then you are off!

And Finally

Wherever you are placed at the end of the event, remember dressage competitions are a test of the horse's training and provide an opportunity to receive expert observations of an independent judge.

Frequently a rider will be thrilled with a fairly low placing in a test in which the horse did its best and showed improvements. On the other hand, another rider may be unhappy with a winning test that he did not consider to be that good. Winning may be the well-deserved reqard for all the time and patience put into systematically training a horse, but it should not in itself be the primary aim. If the performance of the horse or pony was disappointing, do not automatically blame the horse or pony. Instead, try to view the test dispassionately; try to see the good points as well as the bad. Think about what you could have done better, and how you will improve next time.

It is very important that the principles of sound training (dressage) are clearly understood by riders, teachers and judges.
Training should be kept as simple and clear as possible, with no secret about the correct thing to do - just dedication on your part. I hope that this article will help make the life of your horse or your horses more comfortable. As I wish you good riding and happy horses.