Black or a darker jacket, subtle shirt WITH a collar/tie and sleeve, preferrably lighter breeches. For intro levels, leather, not suede, halfchaps are acceptable. Gloves preferred but optional and will not influence your points/accomplishment. A running braid is beautiful and acceptable, try yarn or carpet thread tied in every few inches or so to help keep it from unravelling. Braid at the last minute.  I LOVE a running braid : ) Try to stay away from excessive bling. Judge wants to see your skills, not your cash flow.

Sheepskin is designed for and most effectively used by itself or directly against the horse's back but either way and with or without the square pad is acceptable. Conservative colours are your best bet when in doubt. Clean up with a trim, neaten the fetlocks leaving just afew hairs in a half inch tuft for rain/sweat run-off, close the ear and trim just the outside. Take the whiskers down to 1/4 inch if not comfortable with a clean shave. Tails are not required to be braided tho you can "bang" the end (one puts an arm under the tail at the head, the other blunt cuts the end, slight angle from back to front), to fall about 4-6 inches below the hock.  No boots/wraps/martingales in the ring.


Be neat and clean, have horse neat and clean and let the rest take place. I hope you have a GRAND time for yourself, don't worry too much about what you look like but more on how accurate your test is. Judges like accuracy. At intro level, they want to see that you at least understand the idea of it all and can get SOME of the elements correct with a few strides of consistency. This will show the development of your rapport with the horse, that you are both in the same book if not on the same page : ) The horse might not be in a formal and sustained "dressage" frame, not expected or even appropriate for intro level anyway, jmo... but if you are quiet, s/he is steady in gait, fairly accurate thru the test and balanced, that is a great beginning : )

Good luck to you, let us know how it goes, ay? Have FUN!!







-- Edited by justice on Saturday 26th of February 2011 10:08:33 AM

You do not have to braid at all, but it gives a better outline for the judge to see the neck (why not pull and braid??? ). Unless the horse is showing in 'breed classes', it does give a better appearance.

You can look at the usef site and read the dressage section as to what is expected (ie purity of walk/t/c as well as your turn out and legal bits length of whip/warm up etc. http://www.usef.org/documents/ruleBook/2011/08-DR.pdf

Good Luck!!

Congratulations! :) Very glad you had a great time, and lovely scores! :) Do you have photos to share, by chance?!

Fantastic! :) Very excited to see your video. The most important thing is that you had a (mostly) positive experience. :)