Question: How can I tell when my horse and I are ready to move from showing in walk-trot classes to training level classes?
Answer submitted by Kerry Petty:
The basic rule for moving up is that you are schooling at home a level above what you are showing. This however, can be tricky from walk-trot to training level more than any other level.
I would like my students to have the following to show training level 1 and 2
A – walk, trot rides feel easy with all the figures and transition
B – walk, trot scores should be solidly in the mid to high 50’s – 60’s if your horse has good gaits
C – the canter is controllable and steerable
D – you can get both leads 75% of the time
E – you are comfortable riding the canter and not fearful of the speed
F – you are not steering the horse at the canter with the reins because you are hanging on with your legs locked to just ‘ride’ the canter
G – you can do a trot to canter transition without pulling on the horse’s mouth
The later 3 may sound silly but this is when as a judge I see dangerous or frightening things happen in the show ring. If you are doing these 3 things at home and then you add the tension of the show ring many times the horse will react to these issues by really getting fast or bucking or balking to get away from the rider’s aids. Then the rider tries harder to pull harder and things can get dangerous.
As a rider you want to go into the ring knowing you can do all the things in the test. Then you have the confidence to ride well and you give your horse confidence. When you go into the ring only hoping or praying that you will get that lead or be able to control the horse you are better off doing another year at walk – trot.
Answer submitted by Margaret Spencer:
There are several checks to moving up from walk/trot to training level. Let’s start with your tests. Are your scores in the mid 60’s? Is your horse steady in its gaits, meaning the rhythm is the same in both the walk and the trot throughout the test? Are the comments on your tests telling you that you are performing well?
Let’s look at the purpose of training level. “To confirm that the horse’s muscles are supple and loose and that it moves freely forward in a clear and steady rhythm, accepting contact with the bit.” Now let’s take it apart, ‘muscles are supple and loose’, this means no tension, but relaxation without being lazy. Next, ‘freely forward’, this means the horse is willing, not rushing and you do not have to push each stride. Then ‘clear and steady rhythm’, clear means distinct footfalls, and steady rhythm means your horse does not go faster in some places and slower in other places. Last “accepting contact with the bit”, now this one is harder. Does your horse keep its head steady all the time, when turning and when doing transitions? Contact with the bit is not just tight reins but a horse that stays connected through its back to the bit. When the head is unsteady then the throughness is broken.
Although you should be able to do all of this at the walk/trot there is an added difficulty when you add the canter. Ideally the horse should to into and out of all three gaits quietly and in balance. If you horse is quiet, willing, and steady at all three gaits while doing circles and straight lines, you should be ready to ride training level.
Each level is a progression of training of the horse. We do not expect perfection before moving up, but we want to accomplish the requirements of each level. It is by striving to do better that we may improve.