I forgot what a thick skin you need for dressage!

JadeyB

JadeyB

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Has anyone else ever had this... you and your horse start doing enjoying dressage then all of a sudden, you get ripped to pieces by a judge!

I went to a comp at the weekend, it was a very big class with some high level riders (despite being unaffiliated) and we were doing a novice (which we won last time out) and were having a bash at our first Elementary. I was really pleased with my horse (and myself for remembering the test) but the judge absolutely slated us and we came almost last in both tests! All of the test comments were very negative and in the summary it was said my horse was irregular behind and should be scoring 8's and 9's!

i've watched the video's and admit i could have ridden more forward but he's a huge horse so it always feels like you're going faster than you are, but it didn't look awful. :(
 
OP, 'irregular' is another word for 'lame' in horse speak. Can you see it on the video?

If the horse was obviously lame, the judge should have halted the test. Actually, the test should have been halted even if the lameness was slight, IMHO.

Sometimes, though, it is not 100% clear if the horse is struggling with the demands of the test, or if it is actually lame.
 
Dressgae is only a test against yourself!

I never compare tests unless from the same judge, as the marking is so vastly different from one judge to the next.

However as has been mentioned have you checked your horse is completely sound?
 
Another who would want to get a lameness work up on your horse. Irregular behind is another way of saying 'unlevel behind' or 'lame behind'.
 
He's was sound after the test, we checked him as soon as i got the test sheets, and he looks sound to me on the video but i've asked a friend for a second opinion this evening (given a day off). He gets a little stiff behind because of his age/size and i was rushed a little into the second test where this was mentioned because we'd been given an earlier slot at short notice so i didn't have much time to re-warm up which wouldn't have helped. But thanks for your concern. :)

you're right, i shouldn't compare comments from different judges, it's just a bit frustrating to go from one extreme to the other. ho hum, will stick with the fun stuff for a few months then try again, maybe avoiding this judge if possible! ;)
 
hee hee! i know, I watched my friend's kids compete with show ponies and some of the stuff that went on was awful!
 
wow thats brave (to post the video ;-)), my only other comment would be that as you are moving up a level (if my understanding is correct) then the judge would be expecting a better quality of work.
 
Bit dark vid, but I can see very inconstant with hind legs, looked stiff to me in right canter. I would be asking my vet to have a look, might just be lack of warm up you mention, but no harm in checking up!
 
The quality of the video isn't great which makes it tricky.

He is lacking push/impulsion in the trot, although I was expecting to see him more unlevel, just a couple 'loss of rhythm' moment for me in the trot.
The walk didn't look great but it could be the video quality.
The canter took me by surprise, no jump, little hock flexion and actually I can fully see why the judge may have been hinting to you that all is not well.
 
He lacks flexion in the hindlegs, he's hardly ever tracking up in the trot work and the canter is very short behind. Horse is certainly not coping with this level of work, he looks bilaterally lame, what is commonly called 'stiff'
 
He looks stiff behind especially near hind as others have said he is dragging it slightly. Also in the first trot I noticed that the horse isn't covering ground with his hind leg and not really tracking up.

I would get a vet to check him to see what they say
 
What a lovely obedient horse. I can see some unlevelness behind and toe dragging in both walk and trot. He is not really using his hind legs in canter. Almost as though they are joined together at the top. So he definitely has some bilateral lameness behind. Also, he swishes his tail a lot in the transitions and even more so in the rein back (where he has to take more weight behind). Despite all this he is really trying hard for you. It could be that this step up in levels is just too much for him to cope with physically. What is sound for a dressage horse and sound for a hack or even hunting are on two different levels.
 
What a sweet horse! I'm afraid I have to agree with the near hind comments, it really doesn't push off under him. Also he just lacks that bit of 'oomph' but then if he is uncomfortable behind he won't be working through properly. I would get him checked out - he is lovely though :)
 
Bit shuffly from behind on the near, same opinion as most. Walk and trot maybe would pass as lazy, slightly stiff trot. Canter makes me think there's a bit more to it though. Very short.
 
Oh dear OP, it looks like you need a thick skin to post on here about needing a thick skin to do dressage.
 
He's not as lame as I feared he might be but he is not right. As others have said, it is most noticeable in the canter, but also shows on walk and trot a little.

He is a lovely horse, though. I would get a good vet to check him out, you don't want to be working him if he has an injury.
 
Lovely horse op! Afraid I agree with most of the others about him not being right behind :/ how old is he? He moves like a horse I knew who had hock spavins.
 
Lovely horse, OP, but I'm afraid I agree with the others that he doesn't look quite 'right' in the video. It could, of course be the video but there is no harm in checking it out?


Bigbenji said:
He moves like a horse I knew who had hock spavins.
Click to expand...

His movement reminds me of my gelding, who has hock spavins. Especially that first walk, and the canter later. How old is he, OP?

Although, difficult to diagnose from a video and I don't want to make you paranoid! It could be nothing, or it could be a slight stiffness from something brief, or it could be something. The only way to be sure really is to have a workup - if you decide to have one, I hope it goes well as he looks to be a real sweetie.
 
Sorry, have to agree, he looks lame / stiff in two different ways, short on is inside hind and toe dragging on his outside hind.

Lovely horse and really trying for you but if he was mine i would be getting the vet out for a lameness workup and going from there.

My mare toe dragged, upon examination she had fractured her hock, your lad is not as bad as my mare (she was toe dragging and swinging her leg out), but the movement suggests something hock related.
 
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