Sneek Peek of the new tests...

The USEF website has the new dressage tests up. It seems likely Canada will use the same tests. It does seem that there are only 3 tests in Training to second level now.



The directives seem to be much more explanatory, the the cumulative scores have broken out the rider score into two parts, and the coefficients have changed.



You have to be a member to have an easy way to look at them, but here is a link to a few;



Training Test 1; now has a stretchy circle, as does Training test 2. The stretch circle comes after the canter which will be a bit of a challenge for young unbalanced horses. Training Test 3 is pretty much the same as the old training test 4.



First level 1: Totally different then the old one. Still no lateral work in it though, but lengthening at trot and canter included.



First level 2 has the basics similar to the old test 2 and 3. The new First level test 3 is something else though....leg yield from the corner to X, the figure 8 and X, then leg yield the other way. Still has the dreaded canter loop in it, similar to what we have been doing in lessons this week.

The main difference for First level though, is that you can now post the trot in first level.

Second level 1 is about the same as the old one, but they add the turn on the haunches to test 2, and test three has a harder counter canter than the old one did. Third level test 1 looks about the same as the old one, so that is still my goal for Tango for next year.

Not sure why, but I thought they were making the tests easier...

Karen