The judge rings the bell.
You set off down the centreline and then your mind goes blank!
Which way to you turn?!
Arghhhh, is it left or right at C?!
Then what?!
Do you struggle to remember a dressage test?
There’s nothing like that sinking feeling when you realise you have ZERO idea where you’re meant to be going. Even competitive dressage riders can experience these lapses. Whether dressage is your first love or if you’re just riding your dressage tests so you can go cross country, no-one wants to experience that panic when you realise you have no idea where you’re meant to be going. Rest assured having difficulties remembering a dressage tests is a really common problem.
Knowing your test inside out is crucial, you really don’t want to lose 2 marks for an error of course, when it can be avoided with some simple strategies.
How do you remember a dressage test as easily and effectively as possible?
We all process information in different ways depending on which Representational System we prefer (subconsciously) to use. Some of us are Kinaesthetic (prefering to move and touch things to learn), while others are Visual, Auditory or Auditory Digital. You might know which Representational System you favour from previous learning experiences. If not you figure it out. Think about the language you use, do you say things like “I can see a way forward” (visual), “This feels wrong” (kinaesthetic) or “This really doesn’t sound right to me” (Auditory). This gives you a clue as to which Representational System you prefer to use.
There are many different ways to remember a dressage test; they key is to find the right solution for you. So read through these strategies and pick a few that you think could work for you and give them a try!
Ideally you should know your test really well. When you’re competing you’ll be more nervous and perhaps your horse will be a little on edge too. This means it can be harder to recall information, as your mind is already dealing with a lot of stimulus. Knowing your test inside out means you don’t have to think about it too much, and you can focus on yourself and your horse.
Strategies to help you remember a dressage test
Give yourself time
Learning under pressure is never ideal. Start learning your dressage test a few weeks before the competition. You’ll be more relaxed, so you’ll take in the information and process it easier. The more time you have available to prepare, the better your performance will be on the day.
Use your own words
Dressage tests are written in a formal language will can make them harder to remember. Taking time to write the test out in language that’s more casual could help you process it and then make it easier for you to recall it when you need to.
Remember how it feels
By memorising not only the pattern of the test as a pattern, but also what it looks and feels like when you ride it, you’ll help it sink into your subconscious. The more vivid you can make the experience the easier it will be to recall. Go through the test step by step, as you approach B what should you be doing? How are you going to make that circle the best it can be? What should your hands be doing?
Watch someone ride the test
This is especially useful for visual learners, but most people can benefit from seeing someone else ride the test. It can help you bring the test to life and can consolidate the pattern for you. If you can’t watch someone else, then video yourself riding the test and then you can watch it back.
Chunk it
It can be quite a feat to remember one long dressage test. Breaking the test up into small chunks and memorising each small chunk can be super helpful. You can then link the chunks together to build up to the full test.
Draw it out
This has always been a personal favourite of mine. Drawing the test out over and over again is an effective way of learning a dressage test. You can use different coloured pens for each pace. You can purchase dry wipe boards sold specially for this purpose or you can make your own with a £1 wipe board from the Pound Shop. Use a permanent marker to draw your arena and letters and then you can draw your test with non permanent markers.
Use laminated test diagrams
Another option is to buy laminated diagram test sheets. You can buy these in a folder from the British Dressage Online Shop or at Dressage Diagrams. These are great for visualising your test (handy to take to competitions too, as the lamination means they aren’t going to get wet or damaged).
Work out the pattern
Normally, the tests will follow a logical pattern where most figures are repeated on each side. The movements are designed to be ridden in a certain way, so understanding why you might ride a canter transition in a corner at a basic level, or why you might have a small circle before a leg yield will also help you to remember those movements.
Ride it on a different horse
You can obviously ride the test on the horse you’ll be competing, but some horses begin to anticipate. So if you ride another horse then this horse can be used to practice on.
Ride it on foot!
Time to get to your feet and into a large space where you can ride through the test on foot.
Watch the competition
When you arrive at the venue make sure you have enough time to watch 2 or 3 people complete the test. If you watch one, and they don’t go well or go wrong, this might stress you out. So watching 2 or 3 will help refresh the test pattern for you and keep your nerves under control too. Practice predicting where they will be going next. Hopefully you’ll be right!
Quiet recall
Every night before you fall asleep, shut your eyes and ride through the test in your mind. You can also do this throughout the day if you have 5 minutes to spare – even when you’re sitting in your call.
Finally, test yourself!
Regularly testing yourself can help you to feel confident that you do know the test and it will also consolidate the pattern. Test yourself by running through the test start to finish.
Last minute reinforcement
When you’re at the competition and you’ve warm up, go through your test. You can either do this physically by riding the movements or in your mind. This is to reinforce the pattern.
Try to keep calm, your ability to remember a dressage test will improve the more you do it and if your calm and relaxed you’ll be much more likely to be able to recall the test information.
If the judge rings the bell because you have gone wrong, stay calm and move on immediately. You can change the part you can only control the controllables, so focus on doing the best you can on the next movement. If you go totally blank, then you can always ask the judge to remind you of where you should be going.
Good luck and happy competing!