What Is the Best Way to Perform the Movements USDF Intro Dressage Test B When You Have Never Done Dressage???
I am wanting to try dressage at a local Hunter show. My horse is young and thought I could just try it and didnt see any harm. I didnt quite know what free walk two diagonals MXF exactly meant. All the other movements I understood. Also I wanted to know if I would look too much like a fool without formal dresage training and since I am a hunter jumper we ride much different. The test would be a combine training test and I would have to jump a 2′ class also and would a dressage attire be expected?
They’re offering a Dressage test at a Hunter show? Hmm – that’s weird. Either way.. M is a point in the arena – X is the center of the arena – and F is the point directly diagonal across the arena from M. The letters will be there – so you’ll be able to see them – but you can also print out a picture of what a regulation dressage arena looks like and where the letters are. A is at the entrance, and C is always directly infront of the Judge.
If you’re just doing Intro – you are not required to ride in Dressage attire, and you don’t have to sit the trot. I do the Intro tests as well, and I typically just wear my Tailored Sportsmans and a Navy Jacket – black gloves. Obviously, it’s PREFERENTIAL if you wear Dressage attire (Think about how you would feel about a dressage rider riding in dressage attire/tack at your typical H/J shows?) simply because it’s respectful for the discipline.. but they will not mark you off for it at a) a schooling show and b) for Intro level.
In a free walk – your horse should be in a forward walk on a loose rein – with his poll lower than his withers. Essentially, they want to see how free your horse is in his back and his desire to stretch down at the walk – while still maintaining a good forward motion and over-tracking from behind. It’s very difficult to do on a horse that hasn’t been properly trained. An easy suggestion to encourage your horse to lower his head, and maintain a forward walk – make sure your legs are AT THE GIRTH.. and with each step, bump him to keep him going. Follow his movement with your hands, and make sure your hips are moving with his movement.. his walk should be active enough to make it feel as if he’s encouraging your hips to move without you overdoing it. Keep light contact with his mouth, but use your reins as sort of a "funnel" .. with the V ending at his mouth, and lightly seesaw back and forth to encourage him to drop his poll.
This should be sufficient to score at least a 6 in an Intro test – depending on how tough the judge is. The most important thing to remember is the horse needs to be active from behind and really swinging through his back at the walk.
Good luck
I think you’ll enjoy it – I really believe that Dressage should be the foundation for other riding disciplines because it really teaches you solid aides and how to effectively administer them, all the while keeping your horse soft and supple.
**NOTE**: I realized this morning in my Dressage lesson that M-X-F is a free walk on TWO diagonals.. so basically you’ll end up making a path that looks like a V – with the point of the V at X and the tips at M and F – which are on the SAME side of the arena – at the far ends. Sorry about that, I should have realized when you said Intro B it was the two-diagonal free walk as opposed to the one-diagonal one in the Intro A test.