Anyone else hate BOTH of the Training level dressage tests?

[LR1976]

I thought it was just B that rode like crap and after a year of riding it finally figured out how to make it look somewhat respectable. Well now Training A is thrown at me again and EEWWW! (where's the little gag, puke smilie???) Thinking I shouldn't have waited until today to school it. Goes just fine until after the first canter circle and then horsey throws head in air, runs down long side, cuts corners, falls on forehad across diagonal, brakes down to a hideous unbalanced trot, and then throws himself into a flat, rushed left lead canter. :eek: Ok, so maybe it itsn't that bad but still... Just venting. I think I'm done now. Whoo-Hooo!!! Pumped for the weekend! :D :D

[purplnurpl]

I hated B enough that it made A just plain peachy. :lol:

[Maya01]

I have never seen the US tests, but the Canadian ones are decent, a little boring, but I'm pretty much a dressage queen (yah, shocking, an eventer who loves dressage :eek: we are out there) so all of the eventing tests bore me :lol:

[the lady of shalott]

I have never seen the US tests, but the Canadian ones are decent, a little boring, but I'm pretty much a dressage queen (yah, shocking, an eventer who loves dressage :eek: we are out there) so all of the eventing tests bore me :lol:

I thought I was the only eventer who loved dressage????

anyways... sorry to hijack the post ;) I hate B SO much. A isn't so bad, boring but I think it rides a lil better

[B-Man]

Funny someone should start this thread. I am memorizing and working on Test B, and having hateful thoughts about it. Not liking the stretchy circle between the canters and the walk right after ect....doesn't seem like it will ride well at all. Rode A in May and thought it was much better!

[KBG Eventer]

Training A is one of my favorite tests, and I'm not being sarcastic! :lol:

I don't like Training B though; it lacks a good flow. To be honest, it also has to do with my own personal riding issues. The canter lengthenings are hard because a lot of the time I end up making my horse faster and strung out instead of actually lengthening his stride. Our trot lengthenings can be great though!

ETA: Am I alone in thinking the trot lengthening in Test B is pretty hard since it comes right after the walk?

[LR1976]

Well fine guys. I was in the 'I hate B' boat last year. Now I guess I'm in the 'I hate A' boat all alone...whatever. :lol: :lol: :lol:

[retreadeventer]

Aren't they due to be rewritten for 2010?

[Long Shadow Farm]

Ugh..... one of the main reasons I am doing Prelim in the CTs around here. I hate hate hate the Training Dressage tests. I swear they do not ride good at all. I can seriously improve my dressage score by several points by doing the Prelim ones instead.

Bobbi

[caevent]

I CANNOT WAIT until the 2010 tests come out!!!!!! IMHO, most of the eventing tests at all levels are poorly written. I'll ride a USDF test over a USEA test any day of the week!

[FLeckenAwesome]

I dislike both... For some reason, I just can't get the nice lovely trot lengthen on the stupid circle. And I know... it's supposed to be easier, or how you learn the lengthen, or whatever... I just know that Fleck's got a decent lengthen on the straightaway but our circle lengthen sucks! Although, it's hard to get a really nice lengthen in the short arena anyways...we get a nicer score in the first level tests in the bigger arena usually ;)

I do NOT like the canter depart right after the trot lengthen though. And of course it's the right lead canter, which is our worst lead. I find it very hard to push for that lovely lengthen and then have to collect real quick, get him back into the corner, and back on the left bend, and then ask for a nice canter, all in a few short steps. I've figured out how to get it a little better by riding him into the left rein while I'm still doing my lengthen, but... I still think it's a tight squeeze.

It's a shame we can't ride the dressage in a full sized arena :)

[kschling]

YES!!!!!!!!!
The tests makes no sense and for a young horse they are very confusing. Last year Boyd was riding a training level test and his horse "thought he was finished" and jumped out of the arena.

[C.u.at.x.]

I hate Training test B as well, and it's not the canter or stretch trot in between canters that gets me, It's the two 15 meter circles in the middle of the ring! I can never get them the right size or shape!

[KaBoom!]

If you think training level is bad look at the beginning novice test. Love that short diagonal.

I hope when they write new test next year that they actually take into consideration the training level of the horse and not the fastest way to get in all the required movements in the shortes amount of time.

[slp2]

Nope. I only hate Test B. :mad: My dressage trainer cannot fathom what they were thinking when they wrote that test (with the possible exception of how many riders they can run through at a show because the test is so short). What I hate about B is that you never get a chance to establish the working gaits before you are asking for them to lengthen (ahem, on a circle???) or "stretch" down (immediately after the canter) or lengthen AGAIN (immediately after the walk). Oy! HATE. IT. I feel like I have to ride it like a "German auction rider". Because there is no way you keep your horse balanced through all of those movements with light and subtle aids--you have to use all the seat you've got! I heard some ridiculous theory that the reason they have us lengthen the canter on the circle is because they thought that eventers wouldn't be able to bring their horses back (aka stop them) if they asked for a lengthen on the long side. Really. IMO, if you can't stop your horse from running off in a dressage ring, you have no business going out on x-c. I don't know if that's true--but I have never seen a USDF test that asks you to lengthen on a circle. Shall I go on??? Obviously, you picked a scab for me! ;)

[the lady of shalott]

If you think training level is bad look at the beginning novice test. Love that short diagonal.

I hope when they write new test next year that they actually take into consideration the training level of the horse and not the fastest way to get in all the required movements in the shortes amount of time.

agreed BN is so hard to ride with that short diagonal, I've yet to find a way to make a decent turn onto it, since you have to whip out of the corner so bad :eek:

[pegasusmom]

I CANNOT WAIT until the 2010 tests come out!!!!!! IMHO, most of the eventing tests at all levels are poorly written. I'll ride a USDF test over a USEA test any day of the week!

My list of event tests that I hate is quite long - also includes BN A, Prelim A and Intermediate A. . .

[frugalannie]

I've ridden both this spring for the first time. I finally decided I wouldn't school Test B. We school the movements and the transitions, but not the test because the rapid changes really rattle my OTTB mare. She really wants to please, but never feels she's gotten it right in this test because I'm always asking for something else.

I really do understand time and space constraints, but on a big forward horse, this test is a real challenge. Hope the new versions will be more "training level horse" friendly.

[Eventer13]

I actually avoid events that use Training test B. HATE IT, can NOT understand what they were thinking when they wrote it. Especially the lengthening on a circle (and we can do a rather nice lengthening on a straight line) and the trot lengthening right after the walk, when you have very, very little time to prepare. Test A is OK, though.

And I hope they aren't so naive to think eventers can't reestablish a working canter after a lengthening. Really, that's a bit offensive.

[KateWooten]

Ah, well, I have a fantastic solution for BN A, with all those whippy little half diagonals. You just get a horse that is only half as long, and it rides like a full-sized test. Hurrah ! Mind you, then stadium gets rather large :lol:

[rhymeswithfizz]

Since we are griping.... That BN test A has a ridiculous movement at the end... upward transition to trot (from walk) right in the corner at K before going down the centerline. Seriously??? If my horse was balanced enough to make that upward transition on a 10 meter circle (essentially what they are asking for), then I sure as heck wouldn't be riding in BN!! LOL