Tips
Members are invited to submit your favourite tips or links to other educational riding websites - it can be anything from how to keep calm before a test to perfecting your shoulder in. Please email your tips to tips@warringahdressage.org
From Nik Bliss
On Instructors...
Hmmm find an instructor that suits you and that you can trust and believe in, not one that is necessarily the ‘latest thing’. All riders benefit from ‘eyes on the ground’.
Practise
I always found blood, sweat and tears works! In other words the daily grind of training minimum 4-6 days a week, keep the work interesting – be creative - for yourself AND your horse, as well as appropriate for the level you are riding at and aiming for. All horses have quirks and differing personalities – some may require more variety eg trail ride (mental health day) or some light jumping or even basic trot pole work, lunging is great too, whilst others love the predictability of the arena – try to work with the ‘type’ of your horse rather than against it to create a stronger bond.
Winning is not all
Remember to enjoy and care for your horse – I see many (and often it can be parents!) become so caught up in winning and performing – better percentages – or jump higher etc that the rider (or parents) can forget the horse (and sometimes the rider) may not be capable of any more. The ‘winning’ should be the cherry on the top and I know we all love the feeling of winning, but the training should be the aim.
Know your tests!
KNOW YOUR TESTS before the day!! If the rider doesn’t have a clue how the test is ridden, put together, the capability (skill) level will automatically drop because it becomes a case of ‘where to next’ rather than ‘how best’. All horses are capable of ‘riding’ (reacting) differently from day to day especially on a competition day, so riders need to be able to adapt and adjust accordingly, if you add the extra pressure of not knowing the test, it just increases the anxiety and hence stress levels.