JOIN IN THE FUN AT INTERDRESSAGE


Here are a selection of Emails that Interdressage has received over the last few years.

Thank you so much for all your comments and help, we are trying them all, bit by bit excuse the pun. Yes April has had problems in her mouth, ulcers, tongue over the bit, refusing to go forwards etc she is an awkward pony to ride and were about to give up and just hack her until we came across Interdressage, we thought we would try one test and see what happened, we are over the moon with the comments etc and are now hooked. My other horse has just come back into work after a lot of time off with a skin allergy, so he is very rusty and unfit, but there is more to come!

Thanks again from a very happy new interdressager.
A.B-UK

Congratulations on the Interdressage concept. Wonderful idea. We profited enormously from it. I am English but live and work in Belgium. We are normally in England for a few weeks each summer and were introduced to Interdressage by Radway Riding School. 'V's Mum wasn't able to be with us and she was able to view the results including videos online in Belgium. 'V' benefitted from watching the videos of riders that did better than she did to learn.

'V' came on heaps this summer thanks to Radway and Interdressage. She will start riding twice instead of once a week in Belgium as of September. Thanks again and 'V' looks forward to participating in Interdressage again soon.

Best regards,
J. Belgium

I am writing to say how pleased I am with the whole organisation of Interdressage.
My horse is a terrible traveler, and I now don't have access to transport that is big enough to accommodate him anyway (he's a touch over 18hh!).
I have hacked to a couple of local riding club events, which is 1 1/2 hrs hack there, 1 1/2 hrs back, and makes for a long and tiring day for both of us. Plus, the events are held on our local county showground, and there is always something else going on too, like dog agility shows, food festivals, brass bands etc. This doesn't help when trying to work with a horse that's very sensitive!
I've always felt that my horse can work nicely, we know each other well, I've had him since a youngster; but on many occasions such distractions have hampered his performance, and therefore the feedback I get on score sheets can be quite upsetting to read, as I feel a lot of the time he's trying his best, but then a band will strike up and spook him, etc!
So, I would like to say how wonderful it is to be able to compete against other people in an environment where the horses are settled, and can show off their abilities fairly.
Also, I would like to say how well organized the Interdressage team appear to be, with quick score sheet returns, and it's nice to read kind and constructive comments and feedback, that gives you something work towards.
Therefore, I would like to say a big thank you and we will be entering again.

Kind regards,
L. UK

Received score sheet and very chuffed with our progress. Advice and tips are brilliant and will include them in our schooling. We look forward to next month's test and hopefully we will both have improved further. We had been struggling with the medium trot for some time but the advice on the last test really helped gel things together for us and we can begin on building it up from here.

Many thanks once more
K. UK

Thank you for that, I am soooo pleased with the result, not bad for a first attempt!!!  Your feedback is brilliant and very helpful; I shall be trying all the things you recommend.  Hopefully we will be back for another go soon.
Kind regards
N.P. UK

I am a regular competitor with Interdressage and read with interest your article in the recent magazine.
 
Interdressage has proved a great support for me and my friend who also competes. Whilst it is different from a 'real' competition in that you can chose the day, have another go if you forget the test etc, these same choices apply to everyone, so no-one has an advantage. For those of us unable to get to 'real' competitions Interdressage is a fantastic step forward and in many classes there are more entrants than at 'normal' competitions. It is also great fun to say you have competed 'internationally' as many riders enter from abroad.
 
The friendship and support between Karina, her team and us, the competitors, is great. Not being able to go to shows does tend to isolate one from those in the yard who can and do, so the forum and friendships made through it are the next best thing - in fact they probably are more so as contact is more often and easier.
 
Also the feedback you get from each test you do is amazing. Not only is it judged by a BD listed judge, something local shows do not always obtain, but another member of the experienced team writes tips and encouragement which can be up to a page long, something not available in 'real' competitions. So much so that when I got a 'normal' sheet back at another competition I felt short changed as the comments made would not help me better my training. As the judges can watch each test as many times as they wish a true judgement of your training is obtained and isn't that why we should be competing - to further our education.
 
I certainly hope Interdressage goes from strength to strength.
G.L.H. UK

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