University equestrian team help?

Question

I am joining the equestrian team at the university that I am attending. The tryouts/evaluations are this Saturday, but I have a horse show the same day. One of the managers is considering coming to the horse show and watching me ride my own horse instead of rescheduling an evaluation just for me.

My horse had surgery on his right hind leg when he was younger, and about a month ago it started becoming sore. I am finishing the show season with him then starting on a different horse for next year. Because of his leg, he does not have much impulsion/movement that you want in a dressage horse. He does the gaits and figures no problem, but will not be very forward.

My question is... will she mark me down because I can not get my horse to move to the expectations? I can control him well and we make a good team. I'm just worried she won't consider me for the show team because of my horse not being forward enough.

Sorry this is so long. Don't sit here and say I should know how to make him move, blah blah. I've been riding for over 15 years and I've been working this horse since he was 5. It is just a recent problem and I'm not going to push him to the point where he is uncomfortable.

Answer 1

If you get the opportunity, explain the situation to the manager. Remember- they mainly look at you- so if they realise that the horse can't physically move to the expected standard, they will want to see you make the best of it, and send him on in the best way possible for his ease of movement. As long as you get the chance to explain this to him, and ride in a quiet and effective manner, with your horse, then you should have no problems.

Answer 2

I think that you should explain to the evaluator that he has these problems and that if this would be a problem then you would be glad to reschedule the date of the evaluation and be judged then on a different horse

Answer 3

At my school, you aren't placed by how well you do in shows. It's really not that big of a deal if you aren't placed in the lesson group that you would do best in; you can ALWAYS switch to a different lesson!

What they do to make lessons out of university groups is to place people together who will work well together. Not everyone in the same lesson will be exactly at the same level.

So don't freak out about it. :) She just wants to see how YOU look on a horse, not your ability to get the horse to be forward. Even I have problems getting some of the lesson horses going at a "hunt" pace.

Some lessons are going to be really easy for you, and some are going to be really hard. That's how riding is!

So calm down, you're just being placed where you would learn best!

Answer 4

If your horse still has the ability to perform his test, then it should be fine. The manager should be judging your riding ability, which should include your ability to keep your horses impulsion forward and up hill, but his slightly slower gaits shouldn't keep you off the team. However, he or she may be more critical of you since you are riding your own horse rather than a team horse.