(“My horse is young. That qualifies him. I’ll enter it.”)

Are you aware of the USEF and FEI young horse tests? Perhaps you’ve seen them in a show prize list. If you are accustomed to the regular USEF dressage tests, the young horse tests will seem strange to you. There is still a prescribed pattern which must be ridden, but unlike the normal tests, the horse is not scored block by block.
If you don’t know any better, you may say to yourself, “My horse is young. That qualifies him. I’ll enter it.” That may not necessarily be a great idea.

The purpose of these tests is to winnow out the special, athletic horses that can be fast tracked towards the international levels. They are tests which particularly reward good breeding. As such, uphill balance and movement are highly prized while minor
misbehaviors are overlooked.

Consequently just because you have a four-year-old horse doesn’t mean he should be doing the four-year-old test. It is approximately the degree of difficulty of a first level test one. There are perfectly nice horses who will satisfy these requirements eventually, but it is unfair to ask many of them to do it at such a young age. However,
horses whose breeding and conformation predispose them towards success can do this work much earlier and more ably. It is for these horses that these tests are designed.

A pair of judges preside. They sit together and discuss the scores they wish to give for each gait, submissiveness, and the overall impression. In addition to the written test result, they are obligated to make an oral critique while the rider is still in the arena,
both for his or her benefit and for the spectators. If you have a horse who doesn’t quite measure up, you still have to sit there under the spotlight as the judges administer the bad news in front of everyone.

I am not saying you shouldn’t enter the young horse tests, but you should be aware of what you’re getting into. Read the Directive Ideas on the actual test sheet. If buoyancy, expression, and airiness don’t immediately come to mind when you think of your horse, you can probably find other classes for which his talents are better suited.

[Note: This link will take you to a USEF Test for the 4 Year Old Horse with commentary— https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAoF8jpNnJY&feature=youtu.be]