Dressage...remind me, what's it all about?

[Kenzo]

I watched some riders yesterday riding some beautiful tests and some lovely horses, I think you learn a lot just sitting back and watching others as I'm not really into dressage as I'm pretty much useless at stuff like that and not really into it like most others who no doubt compete every week and take it all very seriously and quite rightly so but I also noticed something that made me feel that perhaps I worry too much about the small things which I thought was quite an important thing in dressage.

On quite a few occasions riders were, kicking and nagging with spurs on, literally every step the horse took no matter what pace it was doing and really tugging at the reins or one rein etc etc In deed these riders still managed to maintain lovely positions but the aids seemed a bit OTT or a bit rough with their hands which in my opinion kinda spoilt the picture (if you see what mean), which made me think gosh their must be some really tolerant horses about.

It just got me thinking that if I rode my own horse like that and any others that have rode in the past they would certainly have something to say about it, in fact my lad would problem dispose of me within seconds lol

even if I did clamp his mouth shut with a flash, I thought one of the main things about dressage was giving quiet and discreet aids, or at least not work as hard to create a horse working well for the rider, don't judges mark you down for this despite if these actions are making your horse go well? or can you pretty much ride how you like providing your horse performs well and your test was accurately ridden?

 

[Silverspring]

I really depends on the level of dressage you were watching. If it was Medium and the rider was tuggin on reins and clealry niggling with the leg then yes they would be marked down for not giving discrete and precise aids. If it was Prelim, Novice or even Ele it's unlikely the judge would be harsh unless they were pony club kicking and socking in the mouth.

As for the horse being tolerant, maybe they were riding lazy buggers that no matter how jaggy the spur the horse just couldn't care less. I competed dressage on the laziest WB know to man, I wore rather large (disc) rowled spurs to get a decent test out of him. At novice he would fall about all over the place (he was 4 and he had to canter on a 20 metre circle, he though I was crazy for asking such demanding questions!) and yes at times I had to tug a stronger contact to keep him balanced and in the arena...ah to have been allowed to just do a walk and trot test til my horse was old enough to canter 'safely'

 

[milliepops]

Funny old thing, dressage, isn't it. I had the same thought on the weekend watching the Inter 1 freestyle tests at Hartpury. A few of the riders were less than discreet with some aids, whereas others looked to be controlling their horses by telepathy. I know which I prefer to watch!

 

[mattilda]

I have a large WB Hanoverian dressage horse. He can be incredibly lazy at times and I feel that I am sticking my spurs into him every stride (not literally I hasten to add). He is also very smart and knows a lot more about this dressage malarkey than I do so I am sure our schooling sessions are not always a delight to watch! However, at other times he is a dream to ride and positively floats around with me just thinking of the aids and him doing them, doesn't happen too often though.
Maybe the riders you saw were having an off day with the horse, on the other hand they could just have been lousy riders!!

 

[Kenzo]

hmmm yes I can see your point then, but it was more so in novice than prelim actually but yes some horses are harder work than others.

 

[Kenzo]

Yes that is true, they all have their off days and 9/10 they always seem to pick em on competition days!

I wasn't making a criticism it just made me feel that I don't have to be so cautious/paranoid about my own hands and legs that's all.

 

[lexiedhb]

At 5ft 4- riding a 17hh warmblood sometimes you really really do have to do a fair amount of thelwell kicking to get your point accross!! LOL

 

[Silverspring]

[ QUOTE ]

I wasn't making a criticism it just made me feel that I don't have to be so cautious/paranoid about my own hands and legs that's all.

[/ QUOTE ]

I know, you are not the type to criticise

it doesn't matter how much you look at other riders and think 'god they are worse than me' you will still be paranoid about your legs and hands. When a rider stops worrying about such things they don't perform so well (at least at dressage)

 

[Kenzo]

[ QUOTE ]
At 5ft 4- riding a 17hh warmblood sometimes you really really do have to do a fair amount of thelwell kicking to get your point accross!! LOL

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes I can vouch for that too, I tried the WB on our yard last week in the school and boy he was hard work, it was like riding a elephant....a bit numb, but does have this wonderful canter but god does he take some shifting, you could clobber him with your diggers on and he wouldn't batter any eye lid he'd just slowly stroll along with his ears pricked forward without a care in the world....I don't think he knew I was even on him lol but at the same time it he didn't half lean on your hands but if you took contact and pushed him on, his front end just curled up and he still didn't move on, I think he was born with a pair of draw reins or something.

An absolute sweetie and and a total gent but not really my cuppa tea, but he'd probably give someone the most comfortable days hunting though and his nature is to die for but I just found him a bit ...duno really, bland? if that is the word to use.

 

[mattilda]

[ QUOTE ]
I wasn't making a criticism it just made me feel that I don't have to be so cautious/paranoid about my own hands and legs that's all.

[/ QUOTE ]

I did not think for one minute that you were!

I think there are some beautiful dressage riders out there and there are some godawful ones too. I think that as long as we are sympathetic to our horses we can't go too far wrong. Of course there will always be the days when they truly take the mick and some, err, slightly stronger discipline is required!!

 

[Kenzo]

''A horse's misbehavior will be in direct proportion to the number of people who are watching''

A great saying and so very true, always makes me smile when my lad puts on a nice display of un willingness

 

[alsxx]

I wrote recently at a BD event in a prelim and novice class. According to judge they are not allowed to write specific comments about what a rider is doing I.e too much contact, nagging with legs etc, which is why I guess at best you get comments like 'quietly ridden' etc. Interestingly though we did have to sit through quite a few horrendous tests with the judge slating them afterwards, yet nothing to summarise their thoughts was actually put on their test sheet. If it was me riding, I'd want to be told, but apparantly some riders don't appreciate this.

So I may be wrong, but I guess until judges stand up to riders some of the standard of riding is going to remain a bit 'hit and miss'.

 

[diggerbez]

[ QUOTE ]
I wrote recently at a BD event in a prelim and novice class. According to judge they are not allowed to write specific comments about what a rider is doing I.e too much contact, nagging with legs etc, which is why I guess at best you get comments like 'quietly ridden' etc. Interestingly though we did have to sit through quite a few horrendous tests with the judge slating them afterwards, yet nothing to summarise their thoughts was actually put on their test sheet. If it was me riding, I'd want to be told, but apparantly some riders don't appreciate this.

So I may be wrong, but I guess until judges stand up to riders some of the standard of riding is going to remain a bit 'hit and miss'.

[/ QUOTE ]

i think they should be allowed to comment if you are overly nagging or see-sawing- at the end of the day a good judge will be able to see if horse is lazy and needs a boot or whether rider has uncontrollable legs!

i'm not saying that they have to be nasty but you only improve with a bit of criticism! i wrote for a judge once (albeit unaffil but he is a reg judge) who gave someone a 4 for their riding in the collectives and recommended that they "did some more homework" before competing again. harsh but she was awful....