| Dressage judges are
horsemen in the traditional sense of the word. They are educated
people. They try to be sympathetic to the difficulty of
classical dressage and to the pressures placed upon trainers, riders
and horses. Judges are also human ... and how can a judge fail
to flinch when he or she has seen a training sin perpetrated
repeatedly, and watches the competitor prepare to commit the error yet
again? Judges deserve the chance to air their
observations and opinions, so here they are: the things that
Senior judges across the U.S. would improve (or stamp out), if only
they could!
Sandra Hotz, "S"
"I would like to see a greater number of riders who are
performing tests appropriate to their level of riding.
"For example, riders who
have trouble sitting, have unsteady hands, and whose horses are
uncomfortably hollow-backed and not on the aids are not, in my
opinion, ready to show, let alone in the more advanced tests. (I
have seen this at all levels, including FEI!) These riders would
do better to work more on correct basics at home and then, when they
can perform with reasonable correctness and harmony of aids, enter in
a test which is at or below their current level of riding.
This takes honest evaluation by a qualified trainer who is not afraid
to let the rider know where he/she actually is and what level can be
performed without harming/confusing the horse. Moving up one level
each year is fine as long as the riding/training is moving up in
quality as well.
"Additional note:
if the horse appears to be unhappy, the riding needs serious
improvement. When I see a horse in obvious distress due to
incorrert/unclear aids and/or poor seat, it makes a very negative
impression. I can easily overlook little mistakes within a test,
as long as the rider/horse combination appears to e ready for the
level entered and can present a harmonious picture."
Lorraine Stubbs,
"S" & "I"
"One problem I would like to see less frequently in the
dressage ring is the open, resistant mouth. This is a very
common sight in the ring these days, and you're i the minority if your
horse has a closed, soft/relaxed mouth. The tongue-out syndrome
is an associated fault which I'd like to see disappear.
"In classical training,
the horse should accept the bit with a closed mouth; the tongue should
remain quietly inside the lips between the bits. When the tongue
comes out, it's usually because of a combination of the following
faults:
1. The bit is incorrectly fitted.
2. The bit size is incorrect.
3. The noseband is too loose.
4. The rider is heavy-handed.
5. The horse has muscle pain somewhere in his body -- the tongue
comes out on the side which is stiff.
6. Incorrect training techniques with not enough attention to
half-halts.
"An open mouth often
occurs at the same time as tongue-out, but not necessarily so. I
see far more open, gaping mouths than I see tongues coming out.
I don't just mean open, resisting mouths in transitions -- but the
entire test! Often good horses, performing well at a high level
of proficiency, receive high scores while having their tongues
out. Judges score what they see, and if the tongue is out to one
side, then often the judge on the opposite side of the arena doesn't
see it, so the marks will differ.
"It is a serious mistake
to ignore the gravity of the open mouth/tongue-out syndrome, which is
symptomatic of greater problems ... namely, that the horse doesn't
accept the bit correctly, which is one of the foundation principles of
the classical training system."
Kathy Rowse, "S"
" Most of the problems that we see in the show ring are
traced, really, back to problems with the rider. Sure, there are
issues with our horses, but ...
"So, my recommendation to
improve the worst flaws I see is having the riders begin to focus more
on themselves instead of their horses. i.e. Their position,
their aids, and the way they apply their aids. Conrad Schumacher
says that good riding is the combination of the right aid, at the
right time, and in the right volume. If a rider does not have an
independent seat, effective leg and soft, feeling hands, then there is
no way that he or she can apply right aids so that the horse can learn
and perform at his best.
"Why do so many horses
perform with basic training problems at every level and then, as soon
as a more experienced trainer gets on the horse, these things have a
way of disappearing? It's not because of any tricks, but because
the trainer (hopefully) has a more advanced position and more
effective aids. The more a rider develops a quiet, following
sat, soft shoulders and elbows, forward feeling hand, a quiet
non-gripping leg -- then the more he or she will be able to influence
the horse to improve himself.
"And I'd be so happy to
give more 8s at C!"
The rest of this article
continues on page 26, March/April, 2005 issue of Hunter &
SportHorse. Judges: Jeff Aston Moore,
"S"; Debbie Riehl-Rodriguez, "S"; Marlene
Schneider, "S"; Jayne Ayers, "S" &
"I"; and Elizabeth E. Madlener, "S" tell
what changes they would like to see in the dressage arena.
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