14 Tricks to Remember for Your Dressage Test

Tips & Tricks of the dressage arena

Remember the first time you competed? Or maybe you are nervously awaiting your first competition...

Here’s a few handy tips for your first day (and second, third, so on):

1. The number 1 rule is to stay on the horse and stay in the arena. Everything else is a bonus.

2. Presenting in clean boots, jacket and tack is not mandatory but shows you respect the sport. Make the effort.

3. There is etiquette to follow in the warm up arena. Try to follow it.

4. It is highly likely you will be competing against people with more practice or skills then you. This doesn’t make you a loser – the fact that you showed up at all makes you a winner. Everyone has to start somewhere and that start is never at perfect.

5. If this is your horse’s first time, likely he will be nervous too. Rule number 5 is to teach your horse to be curious so he will be less flighty.

6. Breath.

7. Remember which way to turn at C once you enter the arena. It makes all the difference.

8. There is maths to learn in the calculation of the accuracy of the movements. Sorry, but true.

9. There are also letters to learn, and they aren’t in alphabetical order.

10. During your test, there are areas where the judges can’t mark you on the form. Use those spaces to ‘tune up’ your ride.

11. Don’t forget to salute at the end of the test, and make it obvious.

12. Your test score will depend on a combination of accuracy and the level of training you are at with your horse.

13. Remember, dressage is founded on the art of training your horse. Prep and Prelim are the foundation of training that set you up for success. Therefore, the only thing that score should matter for is where you can improve your training, not how you can get a ribbon.

14. And don’t forget to smile. You are enjoying an amazing sport partnered with your best friend. Not many other people get to do that!

 

What do the Dressage Letters REALLY mean?

Recently, at our very first workshop, we were asked what the dressage letters mean. Or more specifically, why aren’t they A-B-C-D etc?

And it left us both a little stumped. Why isn’t it simple, and what do those letters mean? To start, let’s look at the dressage arena and the position of those letters.

In the 40x20m arena, the letters read A-K-E-H-C-M-B-F with D-X-G in the centre. In the 60x20m arena, there are a few extra letters: A-K-V-E-S-H-C-M-R-B-P-F with D-L-X-I-G in the centre. It’s certainly not straightforward, and no rhyme nor rhythm to the layout.

So where do these letters come from?

There are several theories as to where the letters came from, but unfortunately, the exact origin is no longer known.

The most plausible of the theories is to do with the Imperial German Court. Before 1918, markings where found on the walls of the stable yard of the Royal Manstall, which was used as an exercise yard and coincidentally measured thrice the length as the width – 60m x 20m! It appears these markings where to indicate the spot the groom would hold the horse in anticipation of his rider. The riders where (with the exception of A, which stands for Ausgang (exit) and C, which has no correlation):

• K – Kaiser: Emperor/King

• V – Vassal: Squire

• E – Ehrengast: Honoured Guest

• S – Schzkanzler: Chancellor

• H – Hofsmarshall: Lord Chancellor

• M – Meier: Steward

• R – Ritter: Knight

• B – Bannertrager: Standard Bearer

• P – Pferknecht: Groom

• F – Furst: Prince

There are no definitions for the centre line marker letters.

How can you remember the dressage markers?

When the letters have neither rhyme nor reason, it makes it difficult to imagine your dressage layout in the arena, and therefore your test. Unless you have a photographic memory (oh how I wish!), you may end up resorting to the use of a mnemonic – a phrase or short sentence that helps you remember initials or letters.

There are many examples of this, and feel free to share yours, but here are a few:

• Clockwise from entry: All King Victor’s Expensive Show Horses Can Manager Really Big Plastic Fences

• (or my personal favourite) All King Victor’s Expensive Show Horses Can Make Really Pongy Farts

• Centre Line: Doing Lots Xtra Is Good

How do you remember the letters?