April
14
How long does it usually take you to move up a level in dressage?
Also, what breed of horse do you ride in dressage (because obviously that makes a difference). Thank you very much for answering!
The standard answer from any professional is that you move up a level a year. Many people skip showing at training level entirely, or show training level their first spring out and by fall have moved to 1st level. So training and 1st level get combined into the first year.
Of course this is assuming that you are following a professional’s training program. Taking regular lessons, probably paying for the trainer to be doing training rides on your horse (unless you are a VERY good rider yourself), and starting out with a quality horse. This generally means an expensive, well-bred warmblood with exceptional movement. If your horse is not bred for dressage, you will work longer and harder to overcome these obstacles and never may get to the higher levels. If you are not in a regular training program (which generally means at least half-training if not full-training board at the trainer’s farm) then it will take longer. Once a week lessons are not really enough. You will make progress but it will take longer.
Of course if you have successfully trained a horse up through the levels before, that will help. If you are just learning and you want to progress as fast as possible, I’d suggest buying a schoolmaster horse that already has the experience to teach you the movements. Ride with your trainer several times weekly, because sloppy riding and mistakes can easily ruin a trained horse. Get your trainer on the horse as often as possible to keep him "tuned up." Be prepared to spend big bucks on this. Full training board generally starts at $1500/month. A decent warmblood with basic dressage training may be had for around $50,000 but it will cost much more to get an upper level schoolmaster.
If you don’t have this kind of money, be prepared to join the rest of us in the real world who have to make haste slowly. I’ve been taking dressage lessons for over 10 years and I’m just finally getting to play around with some 2nd/3rd level stuff in lessons. Meanwhile I have watched others with less drive and determination get to the FEI levels in the same amount of time just because they have the money for the expensive horses and all the training. Unfair but that’s the way of the world.
April 14th, 2010 at 7:50 pm
Depends on how fast you and your horse learn, and what habits you may have. My mare and I have finally made a break through, she will bend to the left and be on the bit at the same time, and I can hold a correct contact and position. We school 1st/2nd level movements, haven’t done any shows this year. We’ve been training hard to correct this since end of March.
My horse is a Trekahner, I also have a TB but he’s just doing basic dressage and flat work because we are retraining him.
References :
April 14th, 2010 at 8:02 pm
My dressage instructor says that most people can do Training and First Level in one year, and then move up one level per year after that. That assumes regular training.
References :
April 14th, 2010 at 8:34 pm
The standard answer from any professional is that you move up a level a year. Many people skip showing at training level entirely, or show training level their first spring out and by fall have moved to 1st level. So training and 1st level get combined into the first year.
Of course this is assuming that you are following a professional’s training program. Taking regular lessons, probably paying for the trainer to be doing training rides on your horse (unless you are a VERY good rider yourself), and starting out with a quality horse. This generally means an expensive, well-bred warmblood with exceptional movement. If your horse is not bred for dressage, you will work longer and harder to overcome these obstacles and never may get to the higher levels. If you are not in a regular training program (which generally means at least half-training if not full-training board at the trainer’s farm) then it will take longer. Once a week lessons are not really enough. You will make progress but it will take longer.
Of course if you have successfully trained a horse up through the levels before, that will help. If you are just learning and you want to progress as fast as possible, I’d suggest buying a schoolmaster horse that already has the experience to teach you the movements. Ride with your trainer several times weekly, because sloppy riding and mistakes can easily ruin a trained horse. Get your trainer on the horse as often as possible to keep him "tuned up." Be prepared to spend big bucks on this. Full training board generally starts at $1500/month. A decent warmblood with basic dressage training may be had for around $50,000 but it will cost much more to get an upper level schoolmaster.
If you don’t have this kind of money, be prepared to join the rest of us in the real world who have to make haste slowly. I’ve been taking dressage lessons for over 10 years and I’m just finally getting to play around with some 2nd/3rd level stuff in lessons. Meanwhile I have watched others with less drive and determination get to the FEI levels in the same amount of time just because they have the money for the expensive horses and all the training. Unfair but that’s the way of the world.
References :