Do you get positive comments on your dressage sheets?

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Notimetoride

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We're doing reasonably well at unaff prelim - upper 60's. However I never get positive comments on my sheet. I get compliments in the judges comments at the bottom, but never for the individual movements. Instead i just get a blank box with a 7 / 8 score. Why can't judges sometimes put a simple 'nice' or 'v good' or something ? If you read just the comments you'de think i had done badly, but the score shows i did well. I don't get it ? Also, I will get a 7 or an 8 with a blank box so I'm left wondering how i could have improved it. A blank box doesn't tell me much. Feeling a little puzzled at the moment
 
Have you ever written for a dressage judge? There is barely enough time to give the numerical score, let alone a fulsome comment......The scores themselves have meaning (8 = good; 7 = fairly good; 6 = satisfactory, 5 = sufficient, etc.) which lets you know how you are doing. "Nice" isn't really a very useful comment, and "v good" = 9. The place for comment is at the bottom of the test sheet.
 
The comments are to tell you what you did wrong. Like "fell out" or "drifted left" or "not quite square". Sometimes the movement is good enough that a comment isn't required but are not quite perfect. The scores tell you whether it was good, sufficient etc. You aren't going to improve if the comments on your sheet are just "well done", "good effort" or "nice".

The box at the bottom is the judge's thoughts overall. Ordinarily, if you're looking for a compliment beyond a mark of 7 or 8, it will be in there.

I don't get why you are puzzled.
 
I agree with the others, I wouldn't expect to get them next to the movement. I thought that space was to tell you what you could have done to get a 7 or 8, so if you have that mark assume it was good!
The only positive comment I would expect to see here would be 'better this way' i.e. a comparison with the movement on the other rein.
 
I've been training with a list 1 judge and just had a look at the sheets for the tests I've done with her. She almost always gives a positive comments when the mark is 7.5 or above (not for many movements!) marks at 7 and below she gives a comment telling me what I need to do to get a higher mark. The comment at the bottom gives a very useful overview with something positive as well as a general comment on where I need to improve. You may find that if you do affiliated comps you might get more feedback but frankly if I get a 7.5 or an 8 I'm very happy, don't need a comment. Some years ago I saw Ruth Edge win a National championship, think it was elementary or medium, she scored around 73% if I remember correctly so she was just a bit better than "fairly good"! It was a lovely test.
 
Cortez said:
Have you ever written for a dressage judge? There is barely enough time to give the numerical score, let alone a fulsome comment......The scores themselves have meaning (8 = good; 7 = fairly good; 6 = satisfactory, 5 = sufficient, etc.) which lets you know how you are doing. "Nice" isn't really a very useful comment, and "v good" = 9. The place for comment is at the bottom of the test sheet.
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This in general, although judges are being encouraged to try and comment on the 7/8's where possible. In reality there often isn't enough time, but we know a comment along the lines of 'more engagement/suppleness etc for a 9' or suchlike is appreciated!
 
I seem to have complementary test sheets, especially in the bottom collective marks. The other may have areas for improvement, but then where the movement is repeated there is often a positive there too, such as straighter, or better length of stride or whatever needed improving in the first half of the test.

If I got below 67% and there was not plenty of comments about what was wrong I would feel cheated, as there would be no guidance as to how to improve.
 
I sometimes get good comments in those little boxes but it depends on who is writing. A quick and experienced writer and I will get more comments, good and bad. A slow and inexperienced writer and I won't.
 
thought the judge made the comments, are you saying the writer edits them depending how fast they write??
rachk89 said:
I sometimes get good comments in those little boxes but it depends on who is writing. A quick and experienced writer and I will get more comments, good and bad. A slow and inexperienced writer and I won't.
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oldie48 said:
thought the judge made the comments, are you saying the writer edits them depending how fast they write??
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Sometimes I wish you could, some judges, usually the higher listed ones, say very little, others ramble on constantly and it can be a struggle to put all the comments down, I was told 6 and below needs a comment, 7 and above does not so you will get fewer positives than constructive criticism, the positive comments are normally written in the collectives by the judge at the end if the score is good.
 
oldie48 said:
thought the judge made the comments, are you saying the writer edits them depending how fast they write??
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The judge I know if the writer is fast, will whisper some comments to them as he goes along while he gives them a score. Just one or two words, its nothing much, but its something. But he wont if they are slow, otherwise they would miss everything.
 
rachk89 said:
The judge I know if the writer is fast, will whisper some comments to them as he goes along while he gives them a score. Just one or two words, its nothing much, but its something. But he wont if they are slow, otherwise they would miss everything.
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I write on a reasonably regular basis and for different BD judges - I write what the judge says, I am quite sure that I have never had a judge temper the amount of comments according to my speed of writing,

be positive said:
Sometimes I wish you could, some judges, usually the higher listed ones, say very little, others ramble on constantly and it can be a struggle to put all the comments down, I was told 6 and below needs a comment, 7 and above does not so you will get fewer positives than constructive criticism, the positive comments are normally written in the collectives by the judge at the end if the score is good.
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I thought similar re the marks needing a comment although if it is very good then I would expect to write/receive at least a one word narrative.
 
Really, how weird. I've written for several judges and I write what they tell me, they've never checked how fast I can write, they just assume I'm capable!TBH I've never struggled to get a comment down.
rachk89 said:
The judge I know if the writer is fast, will whisper some comments to them as he goes along while he gives them a score. Just one or two words, its nothing much, but its something. But he wont if they are slow, otherwise they would miss everything.
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Yeah guess it is weird but this guy can have anyone writing for him and sometimes if it's a helper at the yard who isn't very knowledgeable then they struggle to keep up. He just sees how they do for a while and if they seem to be doing ok he will ask them to write more. Just the way he does it.
 
So, (as an example) on my last test I got a 7 for my enter at working trot etc, but with a blank box. I got quite a few 7.5's again with blank boxes. So why wasn't it a 10? If it wasn't worth a 10, I surely should have been told how I could improve it?
Don't get me wrong, I was perfectly happy with my score and placing (3rd), but blank boxes dont really help me improve
 
OP I know what you mean. I remember one test that I felt had gone ok but the scores were a bit meh and hardly any comments. I remember thinking in one test I got a couple of 6.5s and it was hard to see what stopped me getting a 7.

My instructor said technically as 6 is good they don't have to give a comment.

I have written a few times for one judge who does make a lot of comments so sometimes it is hard to get it all down! But for the 7 and above movements she doesn't normally say anything unless she was particular wowed by something.
 
Notimetoride said:
So, (as an example) on my last test I got a 7 for my enter at working trot etc, but with a blank box. I got quite a few 7.5's again with blank boxes. So why wasn't it a 10? If it wasn't worth a 10, I surely should have been told how I could improve it?
Don't get me wrong, I was perfectly happy with my score and placing (3rd), but blank boxes dont really help me improve
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If you're getting 7+, the chances are that you're executing the individual movement correctly, so no comment is required, but it is overall paces and way of going that are lacking in some way - and these are covered in the comments at the end.

Scores are typically very narrow - on many sheets there will only be variation of one or two marks for every score you get - so it's often about improving the horse's overall way of going rather than getting a better shape to your circle.

The BD judges' handbook tells you exactly what each score means and what the judge needs to see for the next mark up.
 
Theocat said:
If you're getting 7+, the chances are that you're executing the individual movement correctly, so no comment is required, but it is overall paces and way of going that are lacking in some way - and these are covered in the comments at the end.

Scores are typically very narrow - on many sheets there will only be variation of one or two marks for every score you get - so it's often about improving the horse's overall way of going rather than getting a better shape to your circle.

The BD judges' handbook tells you exactly what each score means and what the judge needs to see for the next mark up.
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The judge is there to assess your test, they will make comments as and when required but they are not there to train you how to ride a better test or improve the scores, that is the job of your instructor.

Sorry wrong quote, meant to add the post from Notimetoride.
 
Notimetoride said:
So, (as an example) on my last test I got a 7 for my enter at working trot etc, but with a blank box. I got quite a few 7.5's again with blank boxes. So why wasn't it a 10? If it wasn't worth a 10, I surely should have been told how I could improve it?
Don't get me wrong, I was perfectly happy with my score and placing (3rd), but blank boxes dont really help me improve
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Then get your test videoed and book a lesson with the instructor of your choice! Judges are not there to teach and when I was judging (80s and 90s) we were told that there was no need to give a comment for a six or above.

Also, if you get a writer who has never performed the task before, as a judge you are beholden to ensure that they perform adequately. Sometimes a newbie will get lost, lose their place, be wondering how to spell rhythm and miss a comment. Also, some come to writing with the idea that they want to watch all the tests and discuss with the judge in order to improve their own understanding of dressage - fine, but sit in the back seat please and observe! :)
 
If you are talking about the judges comments at the bottom right of the sheet, then I nearly always get the same comments 'lovely quality horse', 'must be ridden more between hand and leg', and 'horse not in consistent rythym'. But then it normally ends with 'well done' or 'good effort'/'well tried' so its a fair balance of both.

I am working more on my fitness at present, and hopefully if I can shift this weight I will be a better rider as I will be more in balance. Then I can have some flatwork lessons in the summer and get the horse working better.

I had my last two tests filmed. It came in quite useful as I was able to show the vet a completely sound horse in the first test, and a lame horse in the second test before we were pulled up, so we were able to ascertain that the huge shy that he did after his first test was the shy that caused him to sprain his suspensory branch in, as nothing else could have caused the lameness!
 
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Notimetoride said:
So, (as an example) on my last test I got a 7 for my enter at working trot etc, but with a blank box. I got quite a few 7.5's again with blank boxes. So why wasn't it a 10? If it wasn't worth a 10, I surely should have been told how I could improve it?
Don't get me wrong, I was perfectly happy with my score and placing (3rd), but blank boxes dont really help me improve
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The reason you are on 7/7.5 rather than 8/9/10 will pretty much be the overall way of going of your horse. That will be covered in the collectives.
 
Don't forget to have a read through the blurb in the 'Directives' column next to each mark. This is what the judge is looking at and basing their mark for each movement on. If you watch a video of your test and watch each movement taking into account those directives this should give you some indication of why the mark is what is it.
 
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