Positive Feedback

[fimacg]

Had a lesson with my instructor for the first time in about a month which went really well considering my arena had an inch of snow in it, fortunately it was the crunchy kind that doesn't ball up in the feet (which I had sprayed with pine tar to stop it anyway). Most of the lesson was walk and trot based, with getting him to work consistently on a contact in different frames i.e. long and stretchy (not calling it long and low as the point was that he still had to work over his back and yes his neck and head could drop but he shouldn't drop his withers) then collecting him up and she started to teach us the first elements of the piaffe step by slowing his trot right down so she could walk beside him with my stick to get a bit more jump from the back legs whilst I was maintaining the trot rhythm.

My instructor was also on at me to affiliate Brave with British Dressage, but there are only a few BD venues around here and all but one harder to get to than my normal venues, if you do affiliate can you still compete at unaffiliated competitions?

She also told me I should be considering competing him soon at elementary level... I did say I have only ridden one novice test and not to jump the gun. but her final comment to me was that whilst Brave wont take me to the very top but that he will take me a lot further than I think either of us are capable of and that there is no reason why he shouldn't compete successfully at Medium level. Whilst he is unlikely to get really high marks for his extended work he is a natural at all the sideways and more collected work and finds this relatively easy to understand, and needs it to keep his brain switched on.

So all round positive feedback and a question of to affiliate or not?

[racaille]

Wow ! Go you two! Can't help about the affiliation as it's all different here, but what lovely stuff to hear!

[solomon]

Do what you both enjoy. Not sure about rules re unaff once you are affiliated. The BD website will tell you more. Brilliant that he is doing so well, and you too

[zara]

Do it! and I'm sure you can do unaffiliated if you do x

[fleabitten]

Well done Fi!! Great lesson. I'm with Sol, do what you want to. It sounds exciting that you are both capable of so much but if youre happy enough just doing a bit of this and a bit of that and just competing at unaff and riding club, id just stick with that for a while longer and see how you get on. Or maybe you already know that you want to pursue dressage more competitively? Realistically as well, do you think youd get the value out of membership, esp with venues being harder to get to?

[fimacg]

I have to say I do enjoy the challenge and discipline of dressage. I also have a competitive edge that likes to do well, so am swaying toward affiliating and winning some money!

[brigadier]

Go affiliated Fi, its a better guideline to how you are doing (anyone can judge unaffiliated) so you will be able to plan your training better. The step up isnt that great and you get a clearer idea on what to work on. There is no reason why you cant do unaffiliated as training runs or warm ups, what I personally wouldnt bother with is the prelim classes but that does rather depend on the horse ie a fizzy excitable horse might appreciate doing a prelim as a warm up to doing the novice later in the day. But once he starts clocking up points then you will be limited as to what you can do. Well done on your progress its great news.

[ceej]

Hey Fi - yes you can do unaffiliated and affiliated...my friend had too many points at novice but didnt quite feel like moving up to elementary to she continued unaffiliated until she was ready...although like Brig says; once affiliated you might as well stick to it!