Ten Actions You Must Take Before the Dressage Test

If you have never competed before in a Dressage Test,your first experience can be an overwhelming task. In the coming weeks I have a blog series designed to simplify the process and break it down into bite size pieces that will lend itself to a safe and fun experience for both you and your horse.The following are 10 simple steps to help you be prepared for the Dressage Arena:
1.)Have a little “dress rehearsal” at home before going to the show. What I mean by this is you need to know exactly how long it takes you to be braided, groomed, tacked, number on and mounted up.
You need to ride in your show jacket, show britches, the saddle pad you are going to use, girth, anything that is different from your day to day tack.
Ride in your show clothes to make sure you are comfortable. So many times people do not ride in their dress boots often enough so that they are broken in.
Your show britches may feel different than your well worn schooling britches, and definitely your show jacket is going to make you feel very restricted compared to your normal, old, comfy sweatshirt or polo shirt.

And yes, most of all, ride a few times with your stocktie on.I have seen many a rider become stiff as a board just due to the stocktie. 5 ACTIONS
2) Make sure if you are going to use grooming products such as show sheen, that you do not use it on the saddle area. It is extremely slippery.
If you plan on braiding your horse’s mane (which you will at a recognized show) make sure you do not over condition the mane so it is too slippery to braid.
Do a trial run on braiding and make sure you know how long it takes.

3) Numbers: Most Dressage shows use bridle tag numbers. The number slides down into the browband on your horse’s bridle. I have seen many horses really dislike the feel of the cardboard that might rub or brush their ear as they flick them. They will start shaking their head or trying to rub it off.
Practice this at home.
If you do not have any bridle tags from previous shows you can improvise using great, big paper clips and cutting out the cardboard from a cereal box. The dimensions of the tag are 3.5in.x4.5 in.
I recommend lungeing your horse with the bridle and bridle tag the first time, just in case your horse takes objection to it.
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RIBBONS
4) And whilst we are on the subject of numbers, let us talk about ribbons too. At the Regional and National level, they have mandatory awards ceremonies, if you do not show up mounted for the ceremony; you do not receive your award.
The ribbons are normally very large with long streaming tails to them, and generally the Champion and Reserve Champion also receive neck banners. These are quite wide and sometimes have streamers hanging down on to your horse’s chest.
Allow your horse to become accustomed to stuff hanging from them and flapping around!
At the awards ceremony the ringmaster is going to put your horse’s ribbon on the browband (same as where the number tag would go) only this time it is going to blow as you do your victory gallop. This can cause a major accident right there as you are enjoying the fruits of all your labor! Not to mention the embarrassment of being dumped at your moment of glory.
Again, let your horse become accustomed to this, and here is how:
Practice first standing on the ground with your horse and just holding the ribbon against his shoulder and reassuring him that it is ok.
I would not put it up to his face immediately as this is much more confrontational than you want to be to start with.
5) Once he is comfortable with the ribbon being rubbed on his neck and shoulder (remember to do this on both sides of your horse) let him feel the tails of the ribbon tickle his skin and watch his reaction. Always reassuring him everything is ok.
6) Gradually work the ribbon up to his face and let it drag over the bridge of his nose, across his eyes, around his ears, just slowly and with great reassurance, get him accustomed to the feel.
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Only when your horse is completely bored with having this silly ribbon rubbed and dragged and brushed over him do you let him feel it in action.
7) Again, I will use the trusty old lunge line to start the next step.
Have your horses bridle, a lunge cavason, surcingle and side reins on (I am assuming your horse is already comfortable with standard lunge equipment)
8) Typically I will hang the ribbon on the bridle and wrap the tails of the ribbon a few times around the cheek piece of the bridle, so that only a short piece of the ribbon tails are going to blow around. I then proceed with my normal process of lungeing. Watch your horse’s reaction and unwind the ribbon little by little until he is completely comfortable with the ribbon.
I also desensitize my horse’s sides to a ribbon blowing.
Again, I take the ribbon and rub it on both his sides, and then I brush it over his rib cage lightly so it tickles him, as it would if we were in a victory gallop. Then I follow the same process with lungeing him with the ribbon, only now I hang it from the surcingle like it was hanging from my boot.
9) Please note that these are two separate lunge sessions for desensitizing. I would never hang a ribbon from the bridle and the surcingle all in the first session…….never.
In these special cases, with the most sensitive of horses, I have the ringmaster hang the ribbon on my boot for the victory gallop.

10) Practice loading your horse so you know you do not have that added stress. This in itself can ruin what otherwise could have been a really fun day. It is imperative to absolutely know how long it takes to load your horse.