In the Driver’s Seat with Elisa

In the Driver’s Seat with Elisa Marocchi

Photo Mac Henderson Photography

How to Improve your Dressage Score Without Having to Get a New Horse (and without your horse having to get a new driver!) Part 2

Continuing from last month’s article, here are a few more easy pointers to help you garner higher marks on your test.

Pay attention to specific requirements

Be aware of the number of steps required for reinbacks, and the amount of time required for halts. ADS Training Level C test asks the driver to halt for 3-5 seconds, and to rein back for 2-4 steps. Halting for 2 seconds or for 8 seconds, or reining back 1 or 6 steps will not meet the requirements of the test.

I understand how long 3-5 seconds can seem! We halt for what we think is enough time, only to find the comment “halt not long enough” on our test. So as you come to a stop, take a deep breath and slowly count to four or five.

If we know our horses will rein back perfectly from the very first step (i.e. with diagonal pairs of legs), we could ask for only 2 reinback steps. However, sometimes the first step the horse takes is not perfect. Because of this, ask for 3-4 steps. The judge may see one poor reinback stride, but it will hopefully be followed by 2-3 correct steps. Our goal is for our horse to rein back perfectly! But asking for 3-4 steps will give you a bit of a cushion in case things don’t go quite as planned.

Make the best of glitches

What if your previously willing pony has decided not to budge when asked to rein back? You’ll have to use your judgement, however you should attempt the movement or you will risk being deemed “off course” or receiving “0” for “not executed.”

Use your same good judgement if your horse is anxious and won’t stand. It’s better to get a few really good seconds of immobility and be slightly short on the test requirements than to get into a battle and have things deteriorate.

Understand the geometry of the arena

Understanding the landmarks for various figures is essential. You need to know where the quarter lines are, the distance between letters, and how the figures fit into the arena. Look at the diagrams for the test you’ll be driving and ensure you know exactly where the figures will be positioned.

Practice looking up at landmarks you’re driving towards. For circles, looking up at your next quarter-circle landmark and picturing the arc in front of you can help keep your circles round. While we need to “check in” with our horses and observe how they are reacting to our aids, we also need to look up and pay attention to our intended track. As I tell my students, unless your day is going very wrong, your horse will always be right there in front of you so look where you’re going!

Serpentines are driven as half-circles connected by straight lines. To begin a three loop

serpentine, stay on the short side of the arena until the quarter line, then begin the first halfcircle. The half-circle should be symmetrical. Finish the half-circle, drive straight across the centre line, then start the next half-circle as you reach the next quarter line.

Don’t sweat the glitches!

Making an error on a test or really flubbing a movement can rattle a driver, but it’s important that one moves past the mistake and concentrates on the remainder of the test. When I am teaching and a student drives a movement poorly, they often want to start it again. While I occasionally let them, I often make them continue with the test. Getting your concentration back on track after a problem is an important skill to master. If you’ve made an error and the judge rings the bell, approach her and she will tell you where you went wrong. Listen carefully and don’t be afraid to ask a question if you don’t understand where you erred. As you head back to where you will pick up the test again, put the mistake behind you and think about how you can drive the next movement accurately. Remember, tests consist of many movements; each one is a new opportunity to get a good mark. Focusing on making the rest of the test the best it can be can often make up for lost points from an error or poorly driven movement.

Final Impressions

One of the last movements of a dressage test involves turning up the centre line. This is a good place to practice your accuracy, as overshooting the turn is very obvious to the judge at “C” (Diagram 1). Having said that, if you instead have turned a bit too early, you can salvage points by simply easing the tightness of the turn and “drifting” onto the centre line (Diagram 2).

I hope these tips and tricks will help you get a few “free” points on your next dressage test!

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