A Step By Step Guide To Entering Your First Dressage Competition

If you're planning to enter a dressage show for the first time, this handy guide will steer you through the entire process. Updated to reflect the new USDF and USEF dressage tests and rules, this manual includes: - Where to find a dressage competition - How to choose the right dressage test - Diagrams of the small and standard arena layouts - Dress code and permitted saddlery - How to prepare yourself and your horse for a show - Tips for calming show nerves - Easy ways to improve your show marks in the ring - A suggested routine for your competition day

“Candle flames flicker in the lamps on the flanks of our governess cart as a silver moon and sprinkled stars illuminate the driveway ahead.” This collection of short stories begins with Christmas snow and a pony and is followed by many more tales of horses. They are based on Hilary’s personal experiences with her son’s naughty Welsh pony and her own equines. An avid rider, Hilary has accumulated many embarrassing incidents in the saddle and out and these provided the fodder for the fiction and non-fiction tales in this book. They include humorous accounts of what can go wrong at a horse show, swimming pool accidents, uninvited horse entry into church, rescuing an unwanted racehorse and how a skinny neurotic Thoroughbred mare became the author’s equine soulmate. If there’s one thing Hilary has learned, it's that you never know what might happen next with horses.

Are your dressage scores as high as you expect them to be? Are you good at riding, but not so good at competing? This book offers coaching on all aspects of preparing for and riding in dressage tests up to Medium level. There are instructions on how to ride all the test movements correctly, along with advice on the practical matters of choosing when and where to compete, learning and practicing tests, having your horse and all your equipment organized, and then having a clear routine to follow once you arrive at the show. Best of all, the author explains how to master the art of competing, including presenting your horse in such a way that any training issues are not obvious to the eye--especially that of the judge.

A detailed overview of the centuries-old art of classical horsemanship offers a colorful history of dressage, a survey of equipment and terminology, information on competition and training, and a full course of exercises designed for horse and rider alike.

Whatever your primary equestrian discipline, dressage is an ideal way for you to increase your riding awareness and enhance your relationship with your horse. Providing an overview of basic techniques and a series of helpful training exercises, Jennifer O. Bryant stresses the tenets of harmonious communication between horse and rider as she guides you through the graceful movements of dressage. With suggestions on how to find qualified instructors and information on necessary equipment, this comprehensive guide will inspire you to explore this exciting and rewarding world.

The aim of this guide is to show riders wishing to improve their competition performance how to avoid throwing away marks through common errors. It demonstrates how, with careful preparation, newcomers to dressage can learn to perform well, right from the first dressage test. The text covers training and preparation, mental rehearsal of the test, paces and rhythm, riding the test movements, arriving at a show, riding the test and analyzing the judge's comments.

A top dressage judge analyzes tests for each level of competition, tells how to interpret the scores, identifies common errors, and gives advice on polishing one's performance