Leaving dressage for a while

[Magic]

Just wondering if anyone had taken a holiday from dressage and did you go back with renewed enthusiasm?!

I'm sure I've said before that my heart is not totally in it. I was just having a think to myself and wondering why i'm not excited by going out competing this weekend and it is because we're doing dressage. I was even thinking why had I not gone to central and west fife or the grass sickness show and I started to feel excited about showing and was looking for other shows to go to. So, I have come to the conclusion that this saturday will be the last dressage trip out for a while and that the holiday will do us both good!

Last weekend on our way to the strathearn riding club show my little horse lept into the lorry and was so excited about going out - that for me is what its about for both of us ;D

[oldmoss]

Magic, Toby and I have not competed (full stop) or ridden since November last year, due to my eye accident, then his wither infection, no saddle and now my knee op

Things were really bad from summer onwards last year due to never getting a saddle to fit and having a badly fitting Wow which caused our marks to drop from nearer 70% to 55-60% in our novices - this was at the stage where at the beginning of summer we were doing some elementaries and doing well in them and then it just all went completely wrong
and I have a very unhappy horse who just did not perform like he had done

In a way I am glad that all these things happened meaning that Toby and I have both had a break from competing but we are looking forward to getting going again, but to be honest I'm not sure when I will actually enter a competition. I hope to be back riding in another 2 weeks so am just planning on getting him going well again and am even considering affiliating him and entering some prelim affiliated to take the pressure off us again - although he's still eligible to be honest to do prelim unaffiliated, I know several folk will whisper/talk about us and at least if affiliated I will get more consistent judging etc.

I defo feel after the terrible time both Toby and I have had that the break from dressage has done us good ;D

I think you know yourself and your horse and if you are not happy competing in dressage then you are not going to ride to your best ability and help your horse perform either - I do find dressage fairly frustrating at times myself

[casper]

I've not taken a break but cut down my dressage - I do love it but it can be a little dull and frustrating when you don't progress!

I've kept up my lessons and am now doing more SJ/XC - we're no where near as good at this as we are dressage but it's such good fun that I don't mind and I don't care about placings etc whereas with dressage I have a specific aim of a score or placing!

Won't do any harm to get out and about doing something different over the summer - there is always plenty of dressage on in the winter!

[lyndab]

Well i wouldn't have taken a break if i wasn't pregnant really missing it,I get so jealous when my sister and friend at the yard are off to comps on the weekends and i'm just being a happy hacker.Trot it starting to get uncomfortable and i have to canter off his back so unable to and do any dressage.

[eirewhisper]

If you're not enjoying it then it'll do you both the world of good to have a break When you come back you be all fresh and enthusiastic again. The thing with dressage is you;re only really competing against yourself to improve on your marks so you must see improvements or it all gets very frustrating.
Enjoy your showing!

[Kath the Magic Dragon]

I took an enforced break - Flash damaged his suspensory ligament June 2002, got him fit...did his check ligament 2003...got him fit...did his check ligament late 2003...LOL!
Anyway, we did eventually get out competing again, Obviously he'd been hacked in between each injury but not really schooled - and he wasnt a horse that tolerated a lot of time in the school - and he came out at Medium in his last year (which we'd been playing at before) and stormed it! He was amazing
Sadly then he broke his leg and the next time i tried to travel him he had an awful panic attack, so we stopped competing

[Magic]

Thanks guys! I feel better now Ive made a decision. I dont know when it got to the point of not having fun and its nothing magic is doing, I think maybe I just did it on overkill and also flew up the levels a little too quickly I think I should have taken my time and learned more rather than pushing through from prelim to medium in a year. I also put alot of pressure on myself to do well which is ridiculous we aren't ever going to make it to the olympics or anything and in dressage you do sort of get swept up in the whole qualifiers, if I dont get over 60% Im rubbish nonsense. I just want to have fun so maybe taking a step back will do the trick and I will love it again in the winter!

[posie]

see i think you should not do tomorrow and come and play at the grass sickness show on sunday ;D lol
then how abotu belkello?
actually - not doing that now = going to try the SRDC show instead

[Magic]

Yeah might be going to the SDRC show what and where is balkello? You'll need to pm me all the shows that are around about us as im clueless!!!!

[posie]

Jun 4, 2010 13:17:47 GMT Magic said:

Yeah might be going to the SDRC show what and where is balkello? You'll need to pm me all the shows that are around about us as im clueless!!!!

balkello is a lovely little xc i'm not going as need a week off things - then doing SRDC then 2 weeks off for hen do's!

[Magic]

thats maybe what I could do go xc and then scare myself back into the relief of going dressage! haha I am tempted to not go and just go to the grass sickness show

Forgot to mention that we have our first side saddle lesson on monday which Im very excited about ;D