Dressage judge translation needed

[andytiger]

Hi dressage people what do you think irregular in trot means
Did 2 dressage tests today both prelims 1st test was fab score of 66% 1st in my section 2nd overall
However 2nd test different judge worst dressage score he's ever had 56% with comments of irregular steps should I be worried I'm panicking now I case he's lame and I couldn't tell he felt actually better in the second test than the first he was definitely more forward
I don't know what she means by irregular steps any dressage peeps know what she means and how I can improve it
Thanks for reading

 

[be positive]

Irregular can mean unlevel or lame but it is more likely that because the horse was more forward than usual he was rather unbalanced at times and slightly tense, bracing himself a little, which showed as a few irregular steps, if these happened on turns you may well have missed them but once the judge had seen the first bad stride they will have been watching even more carefully for more, ask your trainer to see what they think but don't panic yet.

 

[rachk89]

More than likely you just didn't have a proper rhythm in the trot. Going slower then faster then slower again. Unbalanced a bit too maybe started off tense. Wouldn't worry too much but check he isn't lame. They should have stopped you though if he was.

 

[Farma]

This was a massive issue for me and my horse for a while, we would either win with mega scores or be hammered down to 60% with numerous comments of unlevel steps, I spent a fortune at the vets trying to find out what was going on to no avail until after 2 years I went to a different vet after being actually eliminated for unlevel steps in a medium test and they found psd which affected her in the lateral work but not much at other times hence why it was so hard to pin point.
It might be nothing but after my very frustrating experience I would be looking for lameness especially if it's showing at prelim when there isn't much pressure on them.

 

[andytiger]

Hi please could you tell me what a psd is ???
And we're the tests you were hammered in on the same day as the ones you won or were these on different days
I had problems with a bruised sole a few weeks ago he was X rayed nothing showed up on the X-rays to cause any concern
I've trotted him up when we got home and lunged him on a circle on the hard and he seems fine to me I'm really worried now ��

 

[Goldenstar]

Its either the rhytmn changing or a euphemism for I think it looks lame .
If you have worried get a vet to take a look at him ridden .

 

[ycbm]

Hi please could you tell me what psd is ???

Proximal suspensory desmitis - strain of the suspensory ligament just below the knee or hock, much more common in hind legs than forelegs (I think).

It's often very difficult to spot because it is masked by bone and doesn't usually cause outright lameness until it is advanced.

 

[Farma]

Proximal suspensory desmitis - strain of the suspensory ligament just below the knee or hock, much more common in hind legs than forelegs (I think).

It's often very difficult to spot because it is masked by bone and doesn't usually cause outright lameness until it is advanced.

No it was front leg and never caused outright lameness just odd steps now and again hence sometimes doing really well and sometimes showing up.

 

[Farma]

Hi please could you tell me what a psd is ???
And we're the tests you were hammered in on the same day as the ones you won or were these on different days
I had problems with a bruised sole a few weeks ago he was X rayed nothing showed up on the X-rays to cause any concern
I've trotted him up when we got home and lunged him on a circle on the hard and he seems fine to me I'm really worried now ��

Yes sometimes on the same day, on the day I was eliminated I was 3rd in the class beforehand and had several occasions of 70+ in one class and 60 in the second it was very frustrating especially when the vets were giving all clear.
I don't mean to worry you and my horse is absolutely fine now just wanted to share my experience x

 

[Batgirl]

It is worth checking with the judge (if they are listed their contact details will be). I only use irregular if bordering on lameness. I use varying rhythm or tempo if a speed change. HOWEVER as some posters have said sometimes more forward can lead to unbalanced steps which can look irregular.

If it were me I would be getting my instructor on the case, do some on and back work to see if it will show up at home if you can't contact the judge.

 

[Tnavas]

Irregular - steps are slower and faster, rhythm is poor

Lameness would be defined us unlevel steps.

I wouldn't be worried but would work on improving rhythm so that steps are all of equal length.

 

[ihatework]

Personally I would read that as a question mark over soundness.

I wouldn't panic immediately but if you get a trend of that type of comment then I wouldn't ignore it and would have the vet involved

 

[Sukistokes2]

That was one of the ways the judge I was writing for yesterday, described lameness, as she said she is not a vet. She did speak to the lady concerned but the rider denied lameness and was quite put out when it was suggested. When I looked up the animal was uneven, another way we put it. However irregular steps could also mean a change of tempo. My horse did this in corners, again however it can also be a sign of lameness.

 

[Red-1]

Hi please could you tell me what a psd is ???
��

Jay had this, odd unlevel steps, not lame most of the time, it was when changing from right rein to left rein, a few irregular steps and then level again.

He had a full vet workup, and was found to have damaged his suspensory. It was not hot or swollen, but the scan did not lie, it was defo damaged.

As an unaffiliated dressage judge this would mean "lame" to me. As a previous posted said, I am not a vet, and can't actually put lame. If it was just balance I would put unbalanced, if varying rhythm then that is what I would put.

Unlevel steps would be noticeably unlevel, as in can identify which leg. If it is bad then the test would be stopped.

Irregular steps is milder, where leg cannot be identified, but horse is compensating somewhere.

 

[ester]

did you lunge on the soft as well as the hard? Some issues show up better on a surface.

Do you have access to someone experienced that could watch you ride and see if they can pick anything up?

 

[Pearlsasinger]

We have had a vet out to one of ours who has treated with acupuncture because we noticed irregular steps in trot sometimes when ridden, it seemed to be a recurring problem. However we have since bought a Solution saddle and the mare is so much freer in her way of going. I would start with a really thorough saddle fit check, our saddle supposedly fitted but with hindsight was obviously causing the problem.

 

[Micropony]

This has been a really interesting thread, I would have understood "unlevel steps" to mean "your horse looks lame to me love" but I would have interpreted "irregular steps" as a comment about inconsistent rhythm, I.e. a training/rider fault. Really interesting to hear from people who are judges what they mean by these and similar comments.

 

[LizzieRC1313]

This was a massive issue for me and my horse for a while, we would either win with mega scores or be hammered down to 60% with numerous comments of unlevel steps, I spent a fortune at the vets trying to find out what was going on to no avail until after 2 years I went to a different vet after being actually eliminated for unlevel steps in a medium test and they found psd which affected her in the lateral work but not much at other times hence why it was so hard to pin point.
It might be nothing but after my very frustrating experience I would be looking for lameness especially if it's showing at prelim when there isn't much pressure on them.

PSD is SUCH a nightmare like that. Mine would go beautifully one day and then a few days later be absolutely rubbish. It was so annoying. He always a nightmare jumping. Suddenly started bronking in the school which was so out of character for him and we decided to get him investigated -diagnosed with bilateral PSD. Now I'm not sure how long he's had it for but I'll always worry that any horse with any sort of performance related issue has it. No easy fix either.

 

[andytiger]

Hi everyone thanks for your replys I have emailed the judge and waiting for a reply so I'll see what she says
I have spoken to my trainer and some people at the yard and they seem to think that irregular means a irregular rhythm like I said in my post he seemed more forward perhaps this made him lose his balance making him irregular I'm hoping it isn't anything serious

 

[andytiger]

did you lunge on the soft as well as the hard? Some issues show up better on a surface.

Do you have access to someone experienced that could watch you ride and see if they can pick anything up?

We lunged in the school and on hard he floated around the school

 

[ester]

Hopefully it was just tension/not flowing/test complications then .

 

[Aspire]

When I use the term 'irregular' I mean exactly that, the strides are not uniform and I suspect a soundness issue as opposed to balance . I use 'losing balance' or 'tempo varying' to describe exactly that. I got 67% in one test and 59% in another on same day at affiliated Elementary. Got 4's for his walk work in second test (3 marks for walk in said test so dragged down score) I queried judge and asked was he lame, did he go lateral? She replied not as such, he just tracked up better with one hind leg than the other. Was not best pleased, but subsequently horse on occasion felt a little 'off' and started to show some stride difference in medium trot etc. Investigations showed spavin forming. On reflection the judge who had marked us down on some movements had perhaps had a keener eye? You don't say in what pace the comments are made, or if it's throughout. If you have lunged and are happy horse is fine then put it out of your mind and continue working. It's prelim, so effectively a horse at the start of their career and with stiffnesses, tension and balance issues often seen. If you get repeats of the low marks then perhaps a work up by the vet may be in order.
.

 

[kc100]

Get all the proper checks done (vet/saddle/physio/teeth/farrier etc) and get your trainer to have a look at him when ridden - I know its not what you want to hear but more often than not, these judges see so many thousands of horses each year they have a much better eye than we do for any signs of lameness/tension/stiffness etc.

Irregular steps doesnt 100% mean lame - and the judge will stop the test if they are certain the horse is lame. It just means that the steps were irregular in their rhythm/tempo, that could be down to lameness, or it could be down to a whole host of other issues. BD doesnt allow judges to write 'lame' on a test sheet as ultimately the judge is not a vet so cannot make such claims. If the horse is showing clear signs of discomfort through uneven steps (lameness) then they are allowed to stop the test on the basis of the horse's welfare. But it has to be so very obvious for a judge to stop a test; in your case it clearly wasnt obvious enough to be a major concern for the judge.

As someone else has said, perhaps the second judge has a better eye than the first judge. They could be more experienced and therefore have spotted something that the other judge missed. From my experience, when a judge gave me a flat 60% on a horse that was usually 65%+, with the comment 'tight through the back' for pretty much every movement, I got the horse checked out by the physio who confirmed there was some tightness, after further investigation with the vet he was developing arthritis in the hocks which was translating into stiffness in the back as he was compensating for the pain in his hocks.

So more often than not, the judge is correct as much as we would love to think they are wrong! Get the horse checked out, in all areas - could be something as simple as the saddle not fitting properly if the horse has changed shape; so its worth just getting everything crossed off so you can put it down to being more forward and a varying rhythm.