Dressage judge- Horse lame.

I

IGWLC

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Hi, looking for some advice on judging at an unaffiliated dressage competition today. Test was p4 and the judge was pleased with the horse's movement, relaxation e.t.c. My second test was with a different judge and was p13 and the judge said the horse didn't look sound... Other judge hadn't said anything and everyone else there said the horse didn't look lame at all- only this one judge. Any ideas on why this happened? Looked fine in the warm up as well and wasn't ridden heavily it anything. He's Spanish so owner thought it could have something to do with judge not being used to his slightly unusual gaits. Got off afterwards walked him around e.t.c and no sign of lameness at all! Has anyone had any experience of a similar situation? I'm very curious as to why he could have looked lame... But only to one person at the whole competition. There's also a video of him doing part of the test and he doesn't look at all lame to me. Of course we were marked down a lot for that particular test and I would like to get to the bottom of this to avoid being marked down in the future. Thanks!
 
If you can post the video, do...but I would suggest that the judge, as you say, was allowing his/her eyes to be deceived by the Spanish movement. It's wouldn't be the first time and definitely won't be the last time that an experienced horseperson that is used to other types, thinks that an Iberian is unsound!
 
I'm by no means any kind of expert and don't know you or your horse but I have noticed that young/novice/green horses can look slightly 'off' when really they are just a bit stiff or unbalanced. Maybe the first judge allowed for that but the second didn't? Or as above, the spanish movement isn't something the second judge is used to?
 
I bet he dishes. My PRE dishes and lots of people don't understand it and thinks it looks 'weird'.

I would trot him up and if he's not lame, sadly accept that the judge clearly doesn't understand an Andalusian's gait & chalk it up to experience, this is what I'm fully expecting when I start to compete next year :(

The good news is that there are more Spaniards on the scene so I hope this won't last!
 
Did the judge just put this in the comments? If he/she thought it was lame, why didn't they stop your test? If they aren't going to stop your test, it seems a bit pointless saying it on the sheet ...
 
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