Dressage explanations please??

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SpruceRI

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For all you judges...

1) If my halt doesn't end up square, am I better to fiddle to make it so, or just stop and salute?

2) When doing a loop, should my horses' head bend in the direction I'm going, ie for a 10m loop towards the centre line, bend towards the centre and then bend back again to the outside on my return to the track?

3) Half 10m circles. If you draw these on a piece of paper there is no straight bit at X (centre line) but my past Dressage teacher said I should do 3 straight lines on the centre line before bending and tracking off the other way. Sometimes I get good marks for this and sometimes I don't. What should I be doing?

Thanks
 
On the half 10m circles - you should aim to ride straight for a few strides to show you have changed the rein - that's what I have always done, and it usually says to ride a few straight strides in the test?

Not completely sure though. And as for the square halt - I would personally leave it as it is, but if you can on the horse you are riding, fiddle but very subtly.
 
(Not a judge)

1) Id just leave it, unless your horse is very good at being corrected, you'd probably just end up more crooked & it will look messy!

2)I think that is correct (if I understand you correctly.) Basically you need to show both inside & a slight outside bend....

3) Not sure what you mean by "3 straight lines" but as far as I am aware you want to ride straight for 2 strides over the C/L
 
1. If your halt wasnt square and lets say I gave you a 5,
if you corrected the halt without too much fuss I would increase the mark and comment 'well corrected'.

2. Correct, you need to show bend.

3. You will need to ride around 3 strides up the centre line otherwise your 2nd half 10m circle will be too small. Ask your trainer to draw it in the school surface by dragging her foot so that you can follow it.
 
Thanks All

Llwyncwn: On the times when my horse hasn't stopped square and I've corrected it, sometimes I've had the comment you mentioned but last weekend my friend heard the judge give me a 7 even though horse was straight but not square. I corrected to straight and square and she downed the score to a 6.

Hence question. Is it just judges decision or are there set 'rules' on this?

Jemayni - I meant 3 strides, not lines! - So I'll carry on doing what I do on this score I think.

Thank you
 
1) Only correst to a square halt if you can achieve it by the horse stepping forward to square halt, i.e. don't go forward more than to come square. Do not fiddle or step back as this should drop the mark!
2)yes the horse should show a slight change of bend into the direction you are travalling when doing a loop, unless doing a canter loop when it is better if you change the bend but more acceptable at lower levels if the horse still looks slightly in the direction of the leading leg if this means the horse stays more balanced.
3) The horse body should be momentarily straight on the centre line, I think of just doing it enough to look the judge in the eye and give them a big smile!

Hope that helps
 
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