targetsmom
Well-Known Member
I know, I am trying to fit a lot into one thread but I am pretty excited about all I am learning and want to share. As many might recall, our original plan was to enter our driving Clubs' CDE/HDT this past weekend. Then I chickened out when we timed Princess's trot and realized she could not do a 9 KPH marathon pace. But I volunteered at the event and learned so much, and I get to put it to good use right away, as we entered a pleasure show this coming weekend - dressage, cones, turnout, reinsmanship and progressive cones - NO MARATHON.
I have been taking lessons from someone I used to take ridden dressage lessons from and it has been great! If you want to see what I have been learning, here is a 2 minute video of our latest lesson, with some humor, transitions, and more...
Turnout: The judge on Saturday pointed out that turnout for dressage is more conservative than for pleasure driving shows. She suggested taking a photo of your turnout then looking at the photo upside down! You don't want anything except the horse to stand out in the upside down photo. I happened to have a photo with me and we tried it. She said the teal jacket was fine for pleasure shows but I need something more conservative for dressage. I think for this weekend I will do something with black - maybe even my old dressage coat - because I won't have time to shop. And of course, your apron should match your cart. I got to overhear a lot of her comments to competitors. No white jackets - she suggested dying it, because it was so pretty.
I also learned that I needed to practice halting on a small pile of shavings in the grass. And trotting past umbrellas right next to the dressage ring. I got some tips on getting through a cones course (concentrate on the tricky parts), and practiced walking the hazards and the cones. Both of the single VSE's got lost on the marathon course and were eliminated, so I was kinda glad I wasn't the third.
So for this week we are busy working on our transitions, square halts, salute (the hard part is putting the reins in one hand), reinback, free walk, circles, serpentines, and more transitions (walk/halt and everything in between). Plus cleaning and adjusting harnesses, deciding on clothes for turnout...
Wish us luck. I hear that a large contingent from Kateland Farms will be at this show. All I want to do is have fun and set a good example.
I have been taking lessons from someone I used to take ridden dressage lessons from and it has been great! If you want to see what I have been learning, here is a 2 minute video of our latest lesson, with some humor, transitions, and more...
Turnout: The judge on Saturday pointed out that turnout for dressage is more conservative than for pleasure driving shows. She suggested taking a photo of your turnout then looking at the photo upside down! You don't want anything except the horse to stand out in the upside down photo. I happened to have a photo with me and we tried it. She said the teal jacket was fine for pleasure shows but I need something more conservative for dressage. I think for this weekend I will do something with black - maybe even my old dressage coat - because I won't have time to shop. And of course, your apron should match your cart. I got to overhear a lot of her comments to competitors. No white jackets - she suggested dying it, because it was so pretty.
I also learned that I needed to practice halting on a small pile of shavings in the grass. And trotting past umbrellas right next to the dressage ring. I got some tips on getting through a cones course (concentrate on the tricky parts), and practiced walking the hazards and the cones. Both of the single VSE's got lost on the marathon course and were eliminated, so I was kinda glad I wasn't the third.
So for this week we are busy working on our transitions, square halts, salute (the hard part is putting the reins in one hand), reinback, free walk, circles, serpentines, and more transitions (walk/halt and everything in between). Plus cleaning and adjusting harnesses, deciding on clothes for turnout...
Wish us luck. I hear that a large contingent from Kateland Farms will be at this show. All I want to do is have fun and set a good example.
