BD judges - advice please

[Judie]

Hi guys, need some advice from you as judges please.

I'm doing my first medium test at the weekend and having worked quite hard on the half passes I am now struggling with the extended canter, well the transition back to collected then straight to trot. Any advice on how to work on this throughout the week please?

Also as a judge, knowing this movement is going to be my weakess area, how should I ride it on the day, should I go for a shy extension with a smoother transition or go for the extension and hope he doesn't load his shoulders and I loose the transition altogether?

Thanks a lot

 

[Tempi]

ive just entered for my first medium (on 9th september) its 71, which one are you doing? With my transition from medium to collected im going to just bring her back slightly a couple of strides from the marker and then really sit on the back on the saddle and hope that she comes under me into collected and dosent break. probably not the right thing to do but im only riding it HC as i dont want to get points at medium level yet!

Can i hijack and ask what a judge expects to see in travers aswell?

 

[Judie]

Hi P-G, do you mean the 9th December? I'm doing M61 & M64.

The medium to collected I'm not too worried about it's extended to collected I'm having trouble with, I have got to go from K - R in extended then, just before R collect and then trot at R, so either I don't show much extension or the bringing back will be really unbalanced, I suppose I will have to extend to X then start bringing him back, I'm sure I'll get marked down for bringing him back too soon..

Good luck with your M71, my instructor always tells me I ask for too much angle in the travers so I will be interested to see what the judges advise.

 

[Tempi]

yes, 9th december!! Our extensions (trot) are rubbish so im not holding out for them, my canters are ok tho. Im hoping to pick up marks on other bits, altho if i get over 59% il be really happy!

I know what you mean about the travers, as i always get told off for too much angle aswell

 

[tigers_eye]

As an eventer (it's ok, I won't take offence if you dimiss my advice

) I've had to ride my fair share of travers. Watching it a very common fault is that the horse isn't demonstrating a uniform curve, and some head tilting can result. I think if both your horses tend to over-do it rather than under-do it then you can focus on riding the movement forwards which should help. Can you get someone to video you from C before your tests to see if you can spot any easily-rectified faults? In oneof the advanced tests that BE uses I seem to remember we had to gallop across a long diagonal (sorry - extended canter), then collect before K, then walk at K. As long as you rode it with a fairly hefty half-halt - enough that you felt you could actually acheive a transition to walk - that seemed good enough for a 7+. I think the point of the movement is to prove the horse is still listening after being asked to extend, the requirement to collect is so that the movement is actually feasible. Does any of that sound right to you?!

 

[DressageChick]

Re the extended canter to collected to trot- It's hard to advise properly as don't know how unbalanced transition is if you go for it in the extended etc. Obviously the judge will want to see a good extended for a good mark, you will just have to play it and see how much extension you can get while keeping balance in the transition- that's something you will have to feel, as we can't see. BUT if you are getting an unbalanced transition this would indicate to me that the extended canter is not properly from behind and balanced itself. Does that make sense?

In the Travers the horse should be slightly bent round the inside leg. The horses outside legs cross in front of the inside legs. The horse stays looking in the direction he's going. The Travers is on 4 tracks but only just four tracks- not a pronounced four track, the tracks of the inside fore and outside hind are on seperate but very close tracks. The judge will be looking for suppleness (giving the bend), that is is technically correct and that the energy and contact is maintained throughout the movement

 

[Judie]

Thanks DC - yes you're right about the balance of the extended canter as he tends to fall slightly on his right shoulder, I'll focus more on the actual canter and the rhythum which hopefully will help the transition down. Don't get me wrong we don't fall in a heap or anything but I like things to be seamless! (not sure if that's a strength or a weakness

).