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Post by Em5 on Jan 6, 2012 18:24:40 GMT
Hi, what age do you think would be suitable to introduce a child to dressage? and what is the best way to do this.
My daughter is 6 and is more into schooling and showing than jumping and thought dressage might be a good way to go, what do you think?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 6, 2012 18:29:12 GMT
6 is a perfect age to start doing some INTRO dressage - walk and trot only. Once she has won a few, or got more confident - then move up into prelims.
Lots of venues near us have rossetts for juniors, which encourages them xx
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Post by Holly-Pop on Jan 6, 2012 18:33:55 GMT
my daughter started out doing dressage on lead rein at our Pony Club when she was 4. She did her first test on her own just after her 8th birthday. Because you get feed back from the judges she can see what she has to work on and encourages her to try and improve for 'next time'. We mainly stick to tests that are on the short arena and are walk and trot tests or only have a small amount of canter, if possible. We might venture onto the long arena later this year. Her dressage has really helped her with her showing too.  |
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Post by sellyblue on Jan 6, 2012 18:35:31 GMT
Think I'm going to look into this for my daughter
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Post by nici on Jan 6, 2012 18:46:39 GMT
Cerys did her first LR walk/trot test when she was 3 I think! We didn't get round to doing any last summer, but she did a couple of walk / trot tests the year before when she was 6, and did very well. Canter wasn't balanced or accurate enough for prelims, maybe we'll have a go at those this season. One of our local clubs ran "have a go" dressage evenings in the summer, which were great as we didn't have to pre-book. I'm such a wuss with the weather that I don't do outdoor events in the rain, so I hate having to enter in advance for normal dressage  |
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Post by Em5 on Jan 6, 2012 18:53:55 GMT
Fab thankyou, are there any good websites to find dressage events which allow junior riders?.......
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siany
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Post by siany on Jan 6, 2012 18:59:16 GMT
I would go on to the websites for all the pony club branches local to you and look at their events diaries. Most of the branches round us do mini combined training or dressage etc. They usually have a lead rein section, and run the basic pony club d test walk and trot test. My daughters started them at 4 years old.
Also Riding Diary website very good.
Have fun!
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Post by Em5 on Jan 6, 2012 19:24:35 GMT
Thankyou, what is the dress code?
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Post by Em5 on Jan 6, 2012 20:06:39 GMT
Do you know what tack I would need to use, type of nose band, browbandetc. My pony is a Welsh sec a, not sire if That will make any difference. Thankyou in advance
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Post by Holly-Pop on Jan 6, 2012 20:41:09 GMT
my daughter does the BD intro tests and sometimes the prelim 7 and rides her section B in hanging cheek snaffle, a flash or cavasson noseband and a pink diamante browband with a plain white saddle cloth. As long as the pony and rider are well presented I think browband and nosebands etc are your own personal choice.
she wears a plain navy jacket, white jods and gloves, black joddy boots and either a white stock or a pink tie with small diamantes to match with the browband.
Hope this helps.
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Post by sageandonion on Jan 6, 2012 21:05:13 GMT
Oh Holly Pop I bet she looks absolutely divine!
Once your little girl gets into her dressage, you might like to think about putting together a little dressage to music test for her. What fun you will have.
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Post by Em5 on Jan 6, 2012 21:26:47 GMT
That sounds lovely holly pop, I've shown my daughter some dressage tests on you tube and she's really excited about it. My daughter would love to be able to dress our grey pony in pink as he's always shown plain as m and m. Thankyou for all your advice. What is the BD intro test? I've found a dressage event not too far away with intro test b.
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Post by Holly-Pop on Jan 6, 2012 21:42:29 GMT
British Dressage have two intro tests (Intro A and Intro B) which are both just walk and trot with a long rein and simple movements. The test at the event you have found would be the BD Intro B test. It's a nice little test, not too difficult or long, which i am sure your daughter will enjoy doing and she would be able to wear pink too!
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siany
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Post by siany on Jan 6, 2012 22:12:00 GMT
We too use a hanging cheek snaffle as our normal choice ofwilkie is not allowed for pony club dressage, although I think any bit allowed in lead rein class. Any noseband fine. No martingales or side reins etc. have fun!
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Post by belmont on Jan 6, 2012 22:18:14 GMT
Have a look at Interdressage.com - Its a wonderful place where you can flim a test at home, and they have a wonderful junior section and can even compete on the leadrein. So no stress of leaving home and the feedback is wonderful - i regualry use it as dont often have transport to go out places....
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siany
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Post by siany on Jan 6, 2012 22:25:08 GMT
Never heard of it, what a good idea! I'm going to have a look at that!
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Post by belmont on Jan 6, 2012 22:31:56 GMT
Offers tests of all levels from walk/trot up to advanced. Its a fab place - I compete both my lads on their  |
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Post by victoria (highhill) on Jan 6, 2012 22:36:39 GMT
my 7 year old has recently done her first two tests and loved it! Great knowing that if your time is 10 am you'll be finished by 10.05 - no waiting for hours for over running classes, no stress all semms very laid back - so far!! shame this sundays competition has been cancelled! i even found out a white saddlecloth for her for this week - and now its off!!
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Post by lottieloo on Jan 6, 2012 23:05:55 GMT
Us too, we normally do showing, but this dressage lark is great and you even don't have to plait! My 8 year old has been doing the BD Intro tests and has really enjoyed them, we need to progress to a test with a canter or two now. Think she looks so smart in her show jacket with a stock, she even wants her hair in a bun with a hairnet - no pigtails and ribbons! Ponies are wearing Fylde show saddles, hanging cheek snaffles and the obligatory white square - although we went posh and bought white Polypads, but we have to remember to make sure the Polypad name cannot be seen!
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Post by nici on Jan 6, 2012 23:07:00 GMT
Do you know what tack I would need to use, type of nose band, browbandetc. My pony is a Welsh sec a, not sire if That will make any difference. Thankyou in advance You can turn out as for a showing class (tweeds, shirt & tie). Cerys has a navy jacket and doesn't get many opportunities to use it (we have small natives so show in tweed), so when she's done either dressage or SJ she's worn navy, with a stock for dressage.  I found a lovely little Shetland size white dressage square last year, but we haven't had a chance to use it yet. |
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Post by lottieloo on Jan 6, 2012 23:11:59 GMT
Forgot to say, the best thing that my daughter loves is the fact she can use her diamonte browband which was a Christmas pressie! It is so dinky just brown leather with a twinkling pattern across the front, not the sort we use for showing and too good for everyday use!
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Post by nici on Jan 6, 2012 23:14:38 GMT
We too use a hanging cheek snaffle as our normal choice ofwilkie is not allowed for pony club dressage, although I think any bit allowed in lead rein class. Any noseband fine. No martingales or side reins etc. have fun! Yes, if you normally use a wilkie for showing, please remember that it is not dressage legal for competitions run under BD rules, and most are, even unaffiliated. |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 7, 2012 7:46:15 GMT
my 7 year old has recently done her first two tests and loved it! Great knowing that if your time is 10 am you'll be finished by 10.05 - no waiting for hours for over running classes, no stress all semms very laid back - so far!! shame this sundays competition has been cancelled! i even found out a white saddlecloth for her for this week - and now its off!! Crofton has Intro running next weekend. I am taking Sam - so we could meet up. Just to clarify something mentioned in an earlier post - ALL unaffiliated dressage is open to children - its just some have rossetts / places specially for juniors  The more little ones that turn up - the more likely the venues are to give out junior places Absolutely no wilkies allowed in any dressage, along with no martingales BUT a neck strap is allowed |
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Post by Em5 on Jan 7, 2012 8:06:41 GMT
Thankyou so much everyone for your help, and love the pic nici :-) my daughter will love being able to wear navy jacket and stock and a coloured browband instead of usual tweed and plain.
SHould the white dressage numnah be a numnah style and discreet or a saddle cloth style and does the colour of girth matter? I show in a brown girth and my pony is a grey.x
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Post by culcheth1 on Jan 7, 2012 8:37:58 GMT
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Post by caroline123 on Jan 7, 2012 8:55:09 GMT
If you do pony club dressage, our pony club will expect you to plait up too, I remember having golf ball size plaits on Barnie as I refused to pull his mane. Think i might have white saddle cloth and girth some where!
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Post by haggismarmite on Jan 7, 2012 9:12:14 GMT
Agreed pony club do run under different rules, and in fact the test we did at an event with them allowed wilkies, in fact any bit at all - very surprising!
And yes ours makes us plait up our poor Sect B for anything if we are representing them, eventing, dressage etc.... even though they look terrible.
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Post by emma3870 on Jan 7, 2012 9:54:04 GMT
Agreed pony club do run under different rules, and in fact the test we did at an event with them allowed wilkies, in fact any bit at all - very surprising! And yes ours makes us plait up our poor Sect B for anything if we are representing them, eventing, dressage etc.... even though they look terrible. Wilkins aren't allowed at pony club for dressage. Our pc dony allow them in tests |
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Post by sageandonion on Jan 7, 2012 11:44:51 GMT
Any videos of the little ones doing their tests?
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Post by Holly-Pop on Jan 7, 2012 12:12:56 GMT
Have not got a video but here is a couple of photos (hopefully!)   |
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