Do Dressage judges take into account flies?

[RuthnMeg]

As title
So if your horse was 'swishing tail' and generally being bothered by flies - particually horse flies, would they mark you down or ignore it...if you see what I mean.
I did douse Meg in fly spray today, but we still attracted horse flies as we practiced our test for tomorrow, and obviously she didn't go as smoothly as she would have done if there had been no flies.

What do you think?

 

[Kat1e]

Shouldn't matter too much as all the horses doing a test will be bothered by flies so results won't be different. It's not like only one or two would be affected.

 

[Gilbey]

No they don't take flies as an excuse! Bit of a pest if it's a qualifier though!
Swishing tail could be marked as a resisitance....life sucks! Try dousing with fly repellant literally just before you go in, have a friend with a wipe for the face.

 

[quirky]

Not flies but my friend was doing her test indoors and somebody dispensed a can of pop from the machine near the judges. Her horse spooked and at the end of the test, she went to the judges and complained. They said everybody who did the test had the risk of that happening and she wouldn't be marked any differently.

So, on that theory, all will be treated the same I would have thought.

 

[Eriskayowner]

I had houseflies, horseflies and a hornet around me today - was not best pleased. Unfortunately I don't think that the judges will mark leniently though which is a shame

Good luck tomorrow hun x

 

[maxapple]

Its a bugger as my pony is really bothered by flies so is always tense and itchy in the summer dressage we do! I did my first ever winter one this year - and came 3rd out of a very large class, the difference was amazing!

I bath him in a special shampoo to help stop itching and literally cover him in fly spray - but everyone is in the same boat I guess. Horrid flies!!

 

[Divasmum]

They don't take flies into consideration or other things such as a sudden hail storm, thunder etc.

 

[RuthnMeg]

Arhh, seems like I am in for a dressage Meg special then!! lol Oh well, I'll expect the worse and hope for the best!!

 

[lizzie_liz]

Depends on the judge, but I was writing for a judge at Burgie CIC* other week and at Burgie there are a large number of swallows flying across the arena (food comes to surface due to horses vibrations). In many cases they were flying right by their feet, she was taking this into account to a degree, some horse might have stepped slightly sideways off the CL. But she did it for everybody in the class.