Dressage - lousy score for riding

[Batgirl]

I've done a lot of writing over the years for judges from list 6 to two, and one thing I've found is that new judges tend to be harsher than some higher up the list. I thought it would be the other way round, but I think sometimes new judges are filled with evangelical fervour and like to be very judgemental and judge from the bottom mark up, whereas the higher list judges tend to see where the rider/horse has lost marks and judge from 10 down, if that makes sense.
This is a generalisation, and I've never written for higher than medium tests, but this is how it appears to me.

I would agree with this in some respects -it is a confidence thing - are they (whatever the list) confident enought to give the marks a movement deserves (either good or bad). Often it is the newer ones who have less confidence to give the good marks and can come out harsher.

OP Clicking should be obviously penalised on yuor sheet - you shoud get an error -2 (it was just an example of how it is not so black and white to have higher marks in teh test than for the rider mark)

 

[MagicMelon]

I rarely get a good "ride" score, I know I'm rubbish at dressage, dont really care, will just keep trying to improve To cheer you up, at least you didnt get a judge actually get out of their car staright after the test to tell you how nice the horse was and how dreadfully you'd ridden her! I did last year! That was a real confidence-ruiner!

 

[Farma]

I rarely get a good "ride" score, I know I'm rubbish at dressage, dont really care, will just keep trying to improve To cheer you up, at least you didnt get a judge actually get out of their car staright after the test to tell you how nice the horse was and how dreadfully you'd ridden her! I did last year! That was a real confidence-ruiner!

OMG that is shocking If it makes you feel any better a lady on my old yard had the comment, 'I suggest you go back to riding school before you attempt this again'!
I have to admit I have had some quite shocking riders who are on horses that potter round the test sweetly while they flap, pull and bounce all over them, its almost in spite of the riders rather than because of them that they go round the test, but you have to be constructive and encouraging as you just never know how delicate someones confidence is and above all you want people to be motivated to improve and then try again, not accept that they are no good and give up!

 

[Bernster]

OMG that is shocking If it makes you feel any better a lady on my old yard had the comment, 'I suggest you go back to riding school before you attempt this again'!
I have to admit I have had some quite shocking riders who are on horses that potter round the test sweetly while they flap, pull and bounce all over them, its almost in spite of the riders rather than because of them that they go round the test, but you have to be constructive and encouraging as you just never know how delicate someones confidence is and above all you want people to be motivated to improve and then try again, not accept that they are no good and give up!

Quite!

 

[Goldenstar]

I rarely get a good "ride" score, I know I'm rubbish at dressage, dont really care, will just keep trying to improve To cheer you up, at least you didnt get a judge actually get out of their car staright after the test to tell you how nice the horse was and how dreadfully you'd ridden her! I did last year! That was a real confidence-ruiner!

That's awful ,that would defiantly spoil my day out .
I don't think even my sense of humour ( and I do think dressage is a pretty silly pursuit viewed from the outside ) would save me if that happened to me .

 

[pepsimaxrock]

That's awful ,that would defiantly spoil my day out .
I don't think even my sense of humour ( and I do think dressage is a pretty silly pursuit viewed from the outside ) would save me if that happened to me .

I'd complain about that and never go back to venue. None of the judges I've written for would do that! X

 

[soulfull]

Firstly as said well done that she is up and out again.

Although you could say a 6 is satisfactory and not that bad at all I think you have been harsh done by. If the lowest mark in the test is a 6.5 and upwards to some 8's then how can your rider mark be a 6? You were doing the riding that got the higher marks so I don't see how the rider mark can be less than any other mark in the test. Inexperienced judging springs to mind.

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This ^^^^^

Glad your having fun again

 

[Pigeon]

So, a score of: "6 - Rider is not able to influence the horse effectively, exaggerated aids, very inaccurate and not performing some of the key movements effectively."
Means that the movements, scoring between 6.5 and 8, shows that the horse was influenced, to a degree, correctly and that the movements were not inaccurate and as I said, poor judging in my opinion.

Omg, I didn't realise that's what six meant. I thought it was adequate - "okay but not exciting"... Ew, that's scary, not sure I want to read this handbook, will be too scared to go in front of a judge!!

 

[Red-1]

I rarely get a good "ride" score, I know I'm rubbish at dressage, dont really care, will just keep trying to improve To cheer you up, at least you didnt get a judge actually get out of their car staright after the test to tell you how nice the horse was and how dreadfully you'd ridden her! I did last year! That was a real confidence-ruiner!

Ha Ha, a few years ago I was planning to do a BE event (which would have been a 3 hour drive each way and all-day attendance), but "life" matters intervened and I had to cancel.

There was a dressage "festival" that day we had qualified for that was a lot more local, and would only take a couple of hours to attend all-in, so I rang the venue, and they allowed an entry. As there was "other life stuff" going on I actually loaded totally un-horsey family into lorry ( surprise, today you are attending Dressage!), went to the venue, learning said long arena test on the way....

... We were late enough that I had 8 minutes to go when I mounted up.....

.... During the test I did make a mistake, the bell rang and I realised, and apologised, started again and finished said test. My horse was a pro, as ever, and when the scores came out we were only 0.2% lower than the last person who qualified, oops.

Bad enough, but I did not really need the judge to come out and tell me that I had let my horse down. I had to contain myself to say that I most certainly did not let him down, he was a happy chappie, I rode with no tension, I told him he had done well. I think he rather liked the break half way through the test where we had a nice social chat with the judge. He really did not give a monkey's what he did or did not qualify for!

Personally I think that despite other matters happening in life, we had a lovely day in the sun, with family. I guess it depends on where your priorities lie!