Intense dressage training in 4 easy (!) steps

I worked out a long time ago that to compete in France, you have to try everything - often at short notice. So when a friend found there was a dressage competition just a week away, she asked if I wanted to go. 'Of course' I said – 'it's just Sunny I'm not so sure about!' So intense training needs to start straight away - and instead of being slightly "hippy" and riding him bitless, step one involves popping his snaffle bit in his mouth.

Step 2; it's been wet, so schooling in the field is out of the question – but no problem – I'll practise what I used to preach and school on a hack. It's so easy to incorporate a few transitions, leg yields, shoulder in, working your horse in a collective outline.... blah blah blah!!

So off we go, Lola bounding ahead and already clocking up 10 km in circles. I stop to say hello to a local riding club owner, and with the aid of his map we chat about the local tracks. 15 minutes later (or20 km later for Lola who's still circling and bounding around) we set off again. 'Ok' I think, now for some dressage practise ... then bump into Alain (our local farmer), and have a mutual grumble about tractors and why mine won't start. Advice taken, sorted. Let's set off again.
It is a lovely sunny day, slightly nippy but you can feel the sun on your face. I find a dry patch of track and we decide to have a collected 'dressage like' canter - which turns into a gallop with loopy reins, me laughing and Lola racing alongside. Stopping at the top of the hill, I look around and think how lucky we are to live in such a great place – but with the afternoon drawing on and Sunny in need of a 'relax', we wander through the woods and turn for home. I get back and then realise I'd forgotten to do my intense training; oh well, there's always tomorrow. This pattern continues for the rest of the week, and I'm now sure Sunny and Lola are in cahoots – every time I give myself a mental kick up the bum and collect my reins, Lola runs off and we always seem to end up cantering after her!
Right - step 2 of the intense training hasn't quite worked out. Not to worry - I'll just skip to step 3, and ride in the dressage saddle. And, of course, now feeling so much more 'dressagey', I can forget the rest of step 3 and move onto the final stage.
So now the day of intense training step 4 arrives, and I'm really, really going to do this one; a pre-competition lesson at Beaumont Equestrian Centre. It's a slightly soggy day and the field is quite slippery, so we all take it carefully. Sunny puts his head and neck into a swan-like outline and we glide around (excepting with the odd bambi esque slip) – and I am sure it looks like we have spent hours, days or even weeks practising. The group have to ride the dressage test together, and for some reason I'm the leader (nothing whatsoever to do with being the bossy one). For a while, all's well. I've promised Isabelle that I know the test, everything is going according to plan and I have my English friends following me. And then whoops - I stop, completely lost – as is everyone else happily trailing behind me. A quick debate in English, a few shouts in French from Isabelle and I discover where I went wrong. Off we go again, riding around like butterflies* (*see previous blog) and through the now steady drizzle, Isabelle's encouragement makes us feel positive. We're having fun and enjoying ourselves, and our lesson finishes with everyone riding their test without a single mistake. So, voila! - my intense training programme is a complete success and we are totally ready for our competition (hopefully!).