what judges expect in FEI classes?/coach riding my horse

Okay, so, the BO is thinking my instructor needs to ride Rena for a MONTH! She said they expect different things in FEI classes, and it would be better and easier for me to learn if my horse knew it. So I was thinking, whats so different? I did second level lastyear, and obviously I need to get better to do FEI Juniors this year, but in FEI classes, what do they expect that is different? Do you think a kid could teach it?

And while I have your attention, what do you think of my instructor riding my horse for a month? I love my coach, but I think it will be really hard not to ride my horse for a MONTH! I would be able to ride different horses a bit, but MY horse. I was thinking maybe two weeks? And then maybe we could go for another two weeks if that's okay? I just don't want to pretty much die from not riding rena, or rena going crazy because she's doing just dressage, im a bi believer that horses need to have cross training. Me and my mom have been talking it over and just thinking about it, so I thought I would get your guys opinion aswell. I want to learn and my coach isnt pressuring me into training, she would be happy just to give me lessons. But I want to do well when we compete and go higher in dressage, but I have always taken pride in training my own horse, and well, if my coach trained my horse then I couldnt take so much pride in that!

So, I would appreciate your opinions and knowladge! Right now im kindove leaning towards just putting her in training for two weeks, and see how that goes? But that's just what im thinking. Thanks in advance!

Training a horse is easy compared to training the rider and while having a horse levels above you is nice it can prove difficult for the rider to "catch up" if the horse is goes too far above the riders ability.

A rider not well enough versed in riding a trained horse can ruin it very easily and I always advocate the rider be trained along with the horse. So the coach riding...probably helpful but with maybe two rides/lessons on your horse as it progresses would be far more sensible to me.

My instructor (who's opinion I respect a lot) says it makes much more sense to train both of us together - me and Jemma than for her to get on Jemma and train just her. She got on her just once and I could see she definitely would progress with my qh much faster than me, but taking lessons together we are learning as a team.

I mean I think it's great if your trainer can work with your horse, but it'd be even better if you could take lesson(s) on your horse in addition to that.

Okay, thanks guys :) I was wondering if there was anyone else out there who thought training the horse and rider made more sense! Right now she just started riding her once a week so I think im going to stick with that for a while :) Or maybe even have her ride her three times a week for a while or something...

Ridergirl23:
As a teacher, I ride the horse only to demonstrate a technique using the aids and to instruct the horse with the aids. Then the rider is expected to educate themselves and the horse as a team..................

Ridergirl - in FEI Juniors it is expected that the horse is already trained to the level and the rider is simply learning to ride on it. Most of the people you will be competing against are sitting on horses trained to Prix St. Georges.
With a horse that you are bringing up to the level without ever having ridden, let alone trained anything to the level my suggestion would be to ride something with training, trained by your coach, for closer to 2 months while your horse is being trained. Or don't show Juniors. The FEI is not something to scoff at.

As far as the cross training thing - yes it is important, for a young horse. As soon as they are decidedly in one sport it is too hard to expect them to develop and keep all the muscles developed which are required for each sport. While it is important to hack out on hills, cross training becomes un-necessary at about 7 years of age. Especially if you are wanting to do Juniors and be competitive your horse needs to be properly conditioned.

Good luck!

Okay thank you guys!!! The different opinions helped :)