New USEF tests are out!

[ironbessflint]

About to begin analyzing the differences. Favorite changes? Things you wish they'd have left alone?

[Ryeissa]

10m circles before and after LY- good (first level?)

Kept that damn serpentine C/W in second (vs counter-canter). Good thing I've been practicing.

Tests have better consistency in jumping btw levels- not so hard.

[Dresseur]

Got 'em! Will have to take some time to review them.

[StraightForward]

Thanks for the heads-up! So far, I'm seeing the trot loops in T-1 have been replaced by 3-loop serpentines. That is a lot of boring trotting for the judge to watch, lol. First-1 is looking very doable for us, once we develop the lengthening some more, and First-2 leg yields look much more reasonable that the LY out of the corner to X and back; I'm relieved to see that gone. First-3 seems a little odd, but pretty reasonable. Winter homework!

[Ryeissa]

1st 3 is MUCH better, some weird 10m circles at I . MUCH better than the "leave the wall at the corner LY zig zag",

[ironbessflint]

1st 3 is MUCH better, some weird 10m circles at I . MUCH better than the "leave the wall at the corner LY zig zag",

Yep, I like that they moved the leg yield away from the rail down to V. Will have a bit more time to straighten out of the corner, prep, and THEN leg yield. I don't think I mind the LY into the 10m circles.

They also changed the order of the canter work. Instead of circle-lengthen-loop it's now loop-circle-lengthen. I think I like that, and I also like that it starts with left lead now....our change through the trot will be much more controlled as we don't fall on our face quite so much on the left

AND they fixed it so you lengthen the trot on both reins now, rather than tracking left twice.

[HafDressage]

OMG YAY!!!!!

Okay well I'm super excited that 3-3 stayed the same!!!! It's a great tests and I'm glad they left it alone. Looks like 4-3 changed, which is super needed to, so I'm reading through that to see if it's more reasonable then the last version.

[HafDressage]

Okay so they definitely made 4-3 more reasonable. Thank goodness for that. So, seems like good changes to me so far.

[Ryeissa]

yup, I think I might be able to show 1st and not just skip it hahahaha. I like the circle work, since I do a lot of that already with my lateral stuff (half pass, SI, HI)

[MysticOak]

SO happy to see the simple changes taken out of Second Level 1 - I've been saying for years (decades even) that a canter/walk transition requires a high level of collection - more then should be required when "Dabbling" in collection (I consider 2nd level to be semi-collection, especially 2nd-1). It was such a HUGE jump to go from First to Second level - I think this makes it a bit more reasonable. I just attempted 2nd 1 and 2 last weekend on my Pony for the first time (I've ridden it on other horses, but it was HIS debut) - I think I'll wait until the new tests are in place before I try it again

I like the changes to First-3 - that zig-zag LY has been tried in several "variations" now, and it never seems to flow well. And thank you, thank you for getting rid of that canter transition, immediately to a circle - I HATED that, it just didn't make sense to me. Either pick up the canter ON a circle, or pick up the canter ON the straight away - but pick up the canter directly to a circle, I just kept going off course And saw so many people do it poorly - canter, fall in, attempt to salvage...

Training Level - I LOVE serpentines, seriously use them in warm up for all my horses... I'm not sure I'm in love with having TWO of them in a test - how long is that test suppose to be? But from a rider standpoint, I think it will flow nicely. And the old "single loop" serpentine was judged (and ridden) so inconsistently, so I guess I'm glad to see it go. Just curious - IF someone has to do Training 3 in a short court - will those serpentines become pretty difficult? That becomes 13 meter 1/2 circles...

Fourth-3 - oh, thank the dressage gods! Finally the marathon test that made PSG look easy-peasy has gone away. The 10 minutes of cantering has been reduced! The old GP rocker-reinback (which seldom was executed well at GP, so WHO thought it would do better at 4th level?) is gone! Can't wait to see how that one flows...

Overall, so far, I'm liking the changes. BTW, I think 3rd-1 flowed really nicely, so glad to see it hasn't changed...

[Ryeissa]

I agree with what you are saying.

I'm much more motivated to show. I'm in that gap between 1st and 2nd. Its like real riders designed them. They feel more like how my lessons flow.

[khall]

That medium trot down CL in 2nd level is weird. Never seen that before except in freestyles.

[Ryeissa]

That medium trot down CL in 2nd level is weird. Never seen that before except in freestyles.

yeah, agree. It would be harder to gague impulsion if the judge is only at C. Its my weaker area, so I won't cry about this

[blob]

That medium trot down CL in 2nd level is weird. Never seen that before except in freestyles.

yeah, agree. It would be harder to gague impulsion if the judge is only at C. Its my weaker area, so I won't cry about this

Which 2nd level test is this in? But also, not complaining, our medium trot is a definite low light.

[Ryeissa]

That medium trot down CL in 2nd level is weird. Never seen that before except in freestyles.

yeah, agree. It would be harder to gague impulsion if the judge is only at C. Its my weaker area, so I won't cry about this

Which 2nd level test is this in? But also, not complaining, our medium trot is a definite low light.

second 2 https://www.usdf.org/docs/showflash/web ... F_2LT2.pdf

D-I down centerline

[blob]

second 2 https://www.usdf.org/docs/showflash/web ... F_2LT2.pdf

D-I down centerline

Ah ok! Yes I must have glanced over it when I first read the tests. As awkward as it was, I do kind of miss the old 2-2. It was my favorite of the 2nd level tests despite it's slightly odd canter work partly because it was such a short, concise test.

I had hoped they'd change 2-3 some, it's a nice test in a lot of ways. But the canter tour in that test is just so, so long. it's longer than the canter work in 3-1 and 3-3. Maybe that just means I better lock in my changes so I can do third level and forget about second.

[Ryeissa]

just do 2-2 and 3-1?
overall I like 1st and 2nd levels much better than the 2015 versions. Not quite to third yet.

[Moutaineer]

I rather enjoyed 2-3 once we were solid in the counter canter and simple changes. It's an interestingly technical test. It's not THAT much canter work.

3-1 is so short it seems like it's going to be over before it's started... It's like "let's test if you have a flying change." The only really technically challenging thing is the flying change to collected canter to collected trot to extended trot section--which is really pretty hard, and darned near impossible if your flying change gets discombobulated.

[Ryeissa]

3-1 is so short it seems like it's going to be over before it's started...

hmmm maybe I should just do that one?

[blob]

3-1 is so short it seems like it's going to be over before it's started...

hmmm maybe I should just do that one?

that's how i feel! The shorter the better! Both for my show nerves and for my lazy horse!

[Ryeissa]

3-1 is so short it seems like it's going to be over before it's started...

hmmm maybe I should just do that one?

that's how i feel! The shorter the better! Both for my show nerves and for my lazy horse!

I have the opposite horse. CANTER. BEST. THING EVEA.....