Many riders find memorising dressage tests difficult and sometimes even impossible.   It may comfort you to know that even the most experienced competitors go "off course" at times, usually after a disobedience on the horse's part, or a distraction outside of the competition arena.

Memorising Tests

The following tips for memorising tests come from several sources, including Jennie Loriston-Clarke, Hilda Gurney, and Jane Savoie.   Each have vast experience in the dressage competition arena.

• Practice the tests on foot.   (Jennie says she does this in her house, cantering the canter movements, and so on.)
• Ride the tests in your mind, preferably somewhere quiet, such as in bed before you fall asleep.   Imagine the tests in exactly the normal tempo and movement of your horse.   Don't do the test in less than 4 or 5 minutes.   Feel the movements in your mind.   Lightly twitch your muscles as you apply the aids.   Check for any tension in your thoughts and in your muscles, and identify the sources of this tension.   Work to remove the tension and improve the use of your aids.

  This method of training, called Psychocybernetics, is a way for the rider to help train her muscles, brain, and nerve cells to ride without actually being on a horse.   Believe me, it works!   (Read "That Winning Feeling!"by Jane Savoie, if you'ld like to learn more about psychocybernetics.)

  • Try to ride a couple great tests first (aim for the 80's or 90's).
  • Next, allow for poor transitions and work out how to react and get back on track.
  • Imagine your horse spooking in various situations and how you will handle each occurance.
  • Imagine lots of outside distractions and a huge audience!
  • Finish with a good, happy test, something within your horse's current capacity.

• Try memorising tests in chunks instead of by movement number.   Only the judge needs to know where each movement starts and ends.

  • Once you get more experienced, learn the start and end points of each movement.   Then, if you are blowing movement 14, for example, you'll know exactly how much time and arena space you have to correct the situation in order to aim for an 8 on movement 15.

• Give movements useful nicknames.   For example:

  • One loop 5 metres in from the track   ==>   "Soft S"
    
  • Half circle right 10 M diameter, half circle left 10 M diameter   ==>   "Little S"
    
  • Half circle right 20 M diameter, half circle left 20 M diameter   ==>   "Big S"
    
  • 1/2 circle left 15 M diameter, returning to track between B and F   ==>   "Teardrop"
    
  • HBK - Free walk on long rein   ==>   "V Walk"

• Each test has a "personality", its own signature and identity.   When memorising tests, finding a few key points will help you remember the tests long term.   For example, using PRE-2002 British Dressage tests:

• Prelim 4   ==>   "1 trot diagonal, 2 walks"


• Prelim 6   ==>   "3 centerlines, and busy around X"


• Prelim 10   ==>   "Teardrop test"


• Prelim 14   ==>   "Avoids E (until near the end)" or "Soft S / Big S test"


• Prelim 18   ==>   "Forever trotting"

• Figure out if the test is symmetric or asymmetric.   Does the first half ride like the 2nd half?

• Note where the trot circles are and where the canter circles are.   You'll notice a basic pattern here.

• Think in terms of "away from the judge", "towards the judge", "far from the judge", and "near the judge".

Don't Throw Away Valuable Points

Judges look for the basic way of going of the horse; quality of the paces.   However, beyond that, there are a lot of points that can be gained by intelligent riding.

• Learn the geometry of the arena and put it to good use:

• 20 metre circles should be round, not square nor diamond.   Circles should only touch the long and short sides for one stride, two at most.
• Use the corners to balance and collect the horse.   Don't cut off the corners nor run through them.
• 3 loop serpentines, side to side, in a 40 metre arena should consist of three 13.3 metre loops.   Most riders end up with two large loops and one small loop.   Judges can see this easily and will mark down for poor geometry.
• Have someone command (read) the test for you if you are overly nervous.   However, be forewarned that if you can not hear the commander due to weather conditions or background music (which can sometimes include vocals!), or if the reader misreads the test, the judge expects you to know the test and will mark you accordingly if you go off course.
• If you're going to carry a whip, use it when the horse needs it.   Too often, judges see when the horse could use a bit of encouragement with the whip, but the rider is too nervous to actually use it.   Riders can earn points in the Collective Marks, under "Rider", for proper use of the whip.
• Don't wear spurs unless you know how to use them properly and have good control over your lower legs.   Again, a potential "7" or "8" "Rider Score" can get dropped to a "6" or less for improper, or worse yet, unintentional use of the spurs.
• Rise in the trot at Preliminary and Novice levels, unless you are great at sitting the trot and still allow your horse to move with freedom.   Judges rarely comment on score sheets when sitting work is done badly enough to interfere with the horse's movement, but they often whisper it to their writer!   The judge may, however, lower the "Rider Score" for a poor or ineffective seat.
• If your horse is well on the outside rein, light in the hand, in front of your legs, and is in self-carriage (collectively called "through"), show it off to the judge!   Slightly give the inside rein momentarily in canter when the judge can see it.   (A variation of this - with both hands giving the reins - is required in some dressage tests.)   Don't do this if you are carrying your horse or playing tug-of-war!
• Consider visiting the venue (competition location) ahead of time to get a feel for the place, the potential distractions, and the placement of the arena and judge for use in your psychocybernetic training sessions.

Above All Else

Expect your dressage test, away from home, with the pressures of competition, and under the watchful eye of a judge, to be only partly as good as what you would get at home when no one is watching!

Knowing this, many competitors compete one level lower than what they are actually working at home.   So, don't be surprised if at a novice level competition you see some horses warming up doing counter-canter and simple changes.

Whenever possible, get used to riding in front of an audience.   It makes competition that much easier and less stressful!   One less thing to tense up about... and most likely, you'll get higher marks since you'll be able to better focus on your test and not on who's watching you!

If something's not ready by competition day (a movement or a transition), don't sweat it.   Stressing yourself and your horse! by trying to train the solution on showday backfires nearly everytime.   Do what you can and school the missing bits when you get home.   Keep competition day as stress-free as possible for both yourself and your partner.   Aim to make competing enjoyable.

Finally, don't waste too much useful energy getting overly nervous.   Remember, it's just a dressage test, not an Olympic Trials competition.   Keep things in prospective...   World Peace is not riding on your score.

I hope this has been helpful to you.   Enjoy Your Next Competition!