EC Question of the Week: How Many Times Do You Practice A Pattern?

Recently, we asked our readers:

How many times do you practice a required pattern and why?

We received plenty of great responses about the strategy involved in preparing to show a pattern!  Read them below, and thank you for sharing your approach!

• Laura Owen:  0. My horse is an anticipator. We practice all the elements but never in the exact order or a full pattern.
• Cor Inne Sabrina:  I wonder how different the placings would be at shows if the patterns were given in the morning an hour before the show started. And the answer is maybe 1 time if I get a chance to be in the arena before my go, but mostly just to get a feel for how I’m going to use the space in the arena. I try to practice every possible element/transition at home so there are never any surprises.
• Katharine Anne Driver:  As few as possible but as many as it takes.
• Michelle Walters:  In our barn, we practice full showmanship patterns as a group until our trainer is happy with our pattern. If he’s not happy, you get back in line. For me personally, this is great because you get to stand and watch your teammates and listen to their critique as well. There are lots of times I can take their critique and apply to my pattern.
• Jordan Melegari:  Twice, maybe three times…. Once to see where I stand, then I work on maneuvers that weren’t as good as I would like. Once I’m happy with that, I’ll run it again to see what else I need to do. If I’m happy with the flow and everything, I’ll work other maneuvers (or the same ones, just depends) and then be done. However, if that second pattern isn’t what I wanted, I’ll repeat what I did the first time. However, if there is, for example a jog circle in the pattern, I’ll jog it twice (or however many times it takes to keep my gelding on his toes) the second time through. Sometime I’ll add maneuvers to do the same thing as well.
• Megan Pendleton:  I practice it numerous times on the ground by myself. I want to make sure I have my timing and rhythm/flow down for the pattern before I bring the horse into it. Once I have it down without the horse I will then work the elements either individually or in sets to make sure they are fresh. I will do a full run through with horse 1 MAYBE 2 times just to see if I need to fine tune anything on me or the horse.
• Dustin Boehmer:  I have a lot of novices, so we practice all patterns at the walk. This seems to keep the old broke ones on their toes. While we walk, the exhibitors talk the pattern elements (and I’ll talk them thru more challenging aspects). When I feel like the confidence is there, we practice combinations of maneuvers in different orders or layouts. Then I have them put it all together for one final go. If there is still something to be worked we do that outside of the pattern, but before we’re done with our ride for the day.
• Chesna Wertz:  Never. My mare is a thinker, and once she thinks she knows the pattern, she’ll try to do it herself. We’ll practice certain combinations of the pattern that need worked on, but never the full pattern.
• Adriana R Grimm:  3-4 times max for the whole pattern. If I do more than that my horse will anticipate the next move. I run the pattern in my head many times. With my horse I’ll break the pattern down, and practice different pieces.
  

  Photo credit: Jessica O’Connor Equine Imagery

• LeAnne Boger Moseley:  With my horse, I practice the different elements but not in the exact order of the pattern. I might run through the pattern once or twice to see what I need to work on, then I go back to specific parts of the pattern. I will run through the entire pattern on foot without my horse many times.
• Caia Wells:  I will practice the whole pattern maybe 2-3 times in the weeks leading up to the show. My horse likes to try and memorize patterns and that has gotten us in trouble multiple times. I practice the whole pattern once when it comes out, then work on aspects we are weak on until the day or two before a show, where I will do the whole pattern again. That gives me the chance to put together what we’ve been working on, see if any changes need to be made, and work out any kinks. I will typically work on bits and pieces of the pattern until I get in the warm-up pen for the class, where I will run the whole pattern, usually stopping in the middle to do something different, or walk instead of trot to keep my mare from memorizing and making a bad choice in the show ring.  I will say Showmanship I am comfortable doing the whole pattern over and over, but I typically only do the actual SMS pattern work a few days before the show and once I get there. Before then it is all riding work, and the occasional ground work afterwards for 10-15 minutes.
• Marissa Campbell:  This definitely depends on the horse. Personally, I’ll walk a pattern out on foot a bunch of times at home. Then maybe 5 times in one ride at home, a few times one day at the show, and just elements/transitions before the class shows.
• Shawnna Burns: Honestly, I only practice, myself, the pattern alone. No horse or anything. Then I will run it with my horse once or twice. But after I figure out what needs work I only work on sections. If there is a lead change in a figure 8 and I bobble it I will pick up from the circle prior (or objective).
• Bonnie ‘Lehr’ Strain: Horsemanship or Equitation – Elements 1st, then pattern once. This way my horse won’t anticipate. Showmanship till “I” get it right.

And our favorite:

• Julie Louise Bernick:  I do elements but as long as it takes – if Kendra Weis says again, it’s again.