First CDE & lots of questions..

[targetsmom]

I think I have talked my self into doing our Club's CDE on June 11 - actually an HDT and very beginner friendly. This is despite getting some not so great comments from the clinic we did last month. I could change my mind again.

The questions: I read and hear that the rein color for dressage and cones is supposed to be "brown reins" but 4 of my 5 harnesses came with half black/half brown reins, including the very high quality carriage driving harness I got for Christmas. So when they say "brown" does that mean the entire rein has to be brown? Or can the black/brown reins be used for dressage & cones? I assume they are fine for marathon??

For the marathon: I am only considering this CDE because Princess and I have already practiced on the site and she has seen several of the "hazards". It is held at a flat, grassy state park right on the Connecticut River and the marathon takes about 50 minutes. You have to do several laps of the big field and the route looks like it could be confusing. I am actually more worried about coming in with the right time, because of course I won't have a navigator to help me. Someone suggested that for training level just carry one stopwatch??? This person did it last year and said she just kept up a working trot and only 3 seconds off. But of course, Princess was faulted at the clinic for her lack of energy, so maybe that won't work for us. She does have more energy since I cut back even more on her daily Remission dose.

Any and all suggestions appreciated.

 

[RhineStone]

The questions: I read and hear that the rein color for dressage and cones is supposed to be "brown reins" but 4 of my 5 harnesses came with half black/half brown reins, including the very high quality carriage driving harness I got for Christmas. So when they say "brown" does that mean the entire rein has to be brown?

The black/brown is an older "trend", but as long as the hand end is brown, you are fine. And in a CDE, presentation is ONLY 10 points. Some ADTs/HDTs don't even count presentation. At training level, CDEs are won and lost in dressage, as the rest of the competitions are pretty much "pass/fail". Practice that and conditioning, and you will be fine.

I am actually more worried about coming in with the right time, because of course I won't have a navigator to help me. Someone suggested that for training level just carry one stopwatch???

We carry one count up watch and one countdown, but only because we have two Optimum Time watches I ordered from England for almost half of what they are here. The advantage of a third watch is so that you have one in case you get held up. Your time would stop in that case and you need to know how long that is, as well as stopping your own watch. But carry as many as you are comfortable handling.

Probably more important than multiple watches is a time card. That way when you are passing K markers, you can glance at your watch and time card to see where you need to be and whether you are ahead or behind time. We tend to let them go as fast as they want for the first half (still trotting), knowing that they will "pitter out" more for the 2nd half. I made my own time cards for each KPH, and laminated them so that the minimum and maximum time could be wrote on the cards. A spare number holder makes a good time card and green card holder. Otherwise, VSE people also rubber band the time card to their thigh.

Myrna

 

[targetsmom]

Thanks - that is a huge help!!! I will likely think of more questions, but meantime I just hope the weather stays nice so I can drive every day.

 

[Mominis]

My husband eventually wants to do CDEs with our youngest kiddo, so please keep us updated on how your first one goes. I'm so excited for you, best of luck!

 

[hobbyhorse23]

Ditto Myrna, she pretty much covered it.

You have to do several laps of the big field and the route looks like it could be confusing. I am actually more worried about coming in with the right time, because of course I won't have a navigator to help me. Someone suggested that for training level just carry one stopwatch??? This person did it last year and said she just kept up a working trot and only 3 seconds off. But of course, Princess was faulted at the clinic for her lack of energy, so maybe that won't work for us.

Something to consider is whether she'll perk up from being outside and actually going somewhere. Kody's always forward but good Lord, get him at the start of a marathon course and you can hardly hold him back! And it's not because of the hazards, he just loves to go down new trails and he's full of excitement to see new places. I let him set the pace for the first little bit and bank some time, then later when he's tired out or we hit hills or deep footing I can let him go a little slower and still average 9kph. You've also got to remember that 9kph is ridiculously slow for most minis; it's basically a jog trot. She could probably make it in her sleep. Most of us have to walk the last 500 meters in so we don't arrive too early.

Don't worry so much, you'll be fine!

Do have a time card though and do have a timer big enough to read. I bought one of the jumbo table timers because I found I couldn't read my wristwatch while bouncing down a trail; my eyesight is simply too bad. I have the jumbo timer as my main marathon timer, my wristwatch serves as a backup, and then I carry a stopwatch around my neck for any holds. I've been lucky and only had to use that one once, which is good as it resets itself every time the buttons bounce on my waistband.

Don't count on one of those as your main watch! The single best thing you can do IMO is train your brain using Soduko or some other memory game until you can more easily recall numbers. My memory sucks but after enough practice I can manage to juggle all those numbers in my head long enough to get through the marathon. Then they all fall out!

You can cover your entire cart and/or legs with cheat sheets though, as long as you can read them and remember where the information you need is.

I find highlighters to be helpful.

Leia

 

[targetsmom]

Thanks for the additional comments Leia! I think (as usual) that you nailed it when you predict that Princess will perk up when she gets to travel new trails! She is so much like Target, who just LOVES to explore new trails; we have had so much fun trail riding over the years. I would MUCH rather have a horse like either of them, that looks lazy at home, but seem to have the right amount of energy at shows versus the ones that go NUTS in new environments.

I am going to start practicing with a timer soon. For now, I am just driving to get her conditioned plus ready for 2 Pinto shows before the CDE. So I am using the show cart and practicing dressage, cones and obstacles. This keeps us from getting bored anyway.

 

[targetsmom]

I have changed my mind again, and will not be entering this CDE - or any CDEs with Princess. I am posting this in the hopes that other people can learn from my mistakes.

Yesterday we drove in a different pasture, more like the conditions at the CDE, and used a GPS for timing. The FASTEST that Princess could trot around the pasture was 9.2KpH, so there is no way she could make the time for a marathon. And that was in the lighter show cart with bike tires. I am glad we found this out now before we spent a lot more time on conditioning. (She CAN go faster on the driveway, but the marathon is in grass).

The irony of this is that it shows me that we have selected our horses for the wrong traits. We look for minis that have a slower tempo than many minis you see, along with a stride that tracks up and/or easily over reaches. But now I realize that the faster tempo (that clinician's are always trying to slow in other people's minis) is what you NEED in order to make the times in marathon and cones. I guess this was what the clinician and the spectators were trying to tell me last month.

 

[jegray21]

Our first HDT the judge actually came and talked to everyone about their dressage test! It was great. We did not do the marathon, I thought it was too much for my boys all in one day. In the cones the best advice I got was keep the red on the right! That way you know if you are going through the cones the right direction

good luck! I had so much fun

 

[RhineStone]

The FASTEST that Princess could trot around the pasture was 9.2KpH, so there is no way she could make the time for a marathon. And that was in the lighter show cart with bike tires. I am glad we found this out now before we spent a lot more time on conditioning. (She CAN go faster on the driveway, but the marathon is in grass).

The irony of this is that it shows me that we have selected our horses for the wrong traits. We look for minis that have a slower tempo than many minis you see, along with a stride that tracks up and/or easily over reaches. But now I realize that the faster tempo (that clinician's are always trying to slow in other people's minis) is what you NEED in order to make the times in marathon and cones.

Well, I have a few thoughts. First, with conditioning, horses can go faster. All of our horses were MUCH slower when they first started. At Alax's first shows, he wasn't even in the ribbons in Cones or cross country type courses, but now he is usually the top of the class. He got faster when he learned to use his butt to push the cart instead of pull with his front end, and his hind end muscles developed more. And he is MUCH, MUCH, MUCH faster away from home, because he has adrenaline pumping, just like Leia mentioned about Kody.

Second, I think you are right in looking for a mini that tracks up. I don't agree that a faster tempo is what you need, moreso greater push, forwardness, and length of stride. If a mini is short strided, he will have to take many more strides to go the same distance as one with a longer stride, therefore increasing the potential of tiredness. Forwardness is probably the big one, though. Minis (or any horse) that you have to "push" to keep going just aren't going to cut it on the marathon. I have a little mare that probably wouldn't "make time", but she would be great at dressage (other than marks for forwardness....

).

Can you do a Combined Test? This is just dressage and cones, and sometimes organizers let drivers do this with their greener horses that aren't ready or conditioned for the marathon. Also, remember that in Training level, it is basically won in dressage, so if you had an awesome test, i.e. good bending, proper circles, hit the mark at X, etc. (which I don't do well....

) and get say in the 40s or 50s, you have "fudge room" for penalty points for time. And also remember that you don't get eliminated for being late, just "penalized'.

I guess I wouldn't throw the whole thing away just yet!

Myrna

 

[targetsmom]

Well, there is another ADS event the following weekend, starting Friday, so I was not planning to do both. But that event offers every class separate (and much cheaper). My original plan was to do training level dressage plus cones on Friday. OR I could do Turnout, Reinsmanship and Progressive Cones on Saturday.

 

[RhineStone]

I could do Turnout, Reinsmanship and Progressive Cones on Saturday.

I don't think ADS Pleasure Shows don't take as much "prep" (conditioning) and "brain power" as CDEs, but CDEs are usually more "laid back" and don't take as much "primping". Which one is it? Orleton? Why don't you do the whole weekend?

 

[leeapachemoon]

Orleton is a great show! I highly recommend it if that is the one you are considering.