inappropriate behaviour for dressage judges?

Well I was once told by a dressage judge that she had to mark my horse down as he didn't have the big warmblood paces that are, in her words, so desireable these days :confused: I had to go and ask her what she ment and she actually said that although my horse was very correct other people had spent money to get a horse with the wow factor. She then went on to tell me that people were paying 15,000 for novice horses these days :eek:

I said well thank you but my rescue horse who cost me nothing has been out winning Elementrys all over the place and I wouldn't swap him for the world.

Did have a chuckle about her after I had calmed down. Cheeky mare!
 
HappyHorses:) said:
Well I was once told by a dressage judge that she had to mark my horse down as he didn't have the big warmblood paces that are, in her words, so desireable these days :confused: I had to go and ask her what she ment and she actually said that although my horse was very correct other people had spent money to get a horse with the wow factor. She then went on to tell me that people were paying 15,000 for novice horses these days :eek:

I said well thank you but my rescue horse who cost me nothing has been out winning Elementrys all over the place and I wouldn't swap him for the world.

Did have a chuckle about her after I had calmed down. Cheeky mare!
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Flippin' 'eck! My scrap & I have no chance at all!!!!!
 
I am sorry you had such a bad experience. Yes in hindsight maybe you contributed to the situation when you argued back, but equally I would expect you were caught rather on the hop by the attitude of that judge.

I have ridden in both unaffiliated and affiliated. Also written for both affiliated and unaffiliated dressage and the golden rule was always ALWAYS... judge each movement. So, if there is a mistake, its one mistake and not the whole test. I have also, never been in a car with a judge who really has missed a movement.

I do agree that there are certain judges you learn to avoid and a friend who had a rather talented dressage cob, rapidly learnt where she would get good marks and where she could just forget it (so just for the record on a positive note, Mark Ruddock marks what he sees, not what he thinks it should be!). Said cob was out at Adv.Med. Could do the same test in 2 different venues and gain points in one venue and be bottom at another! - from just one week to the next and this was consistent.
 
After all the comments on here it appears that there are a lot of rude judges out there. I did feel bad afterwards about it all but on hindsight and on a different note, if these bullies aren't challenged they will carry on doing it.
 
At the risk of using the 'P' word, i once did an unaffiliated test and my horse was really green so was patting her quite a bit on the way round when we managed to walk/trot when asked etc, long story short got to the final halt and saluted and patted her and literally before i had even started walking out of the arena the judge leapt out of her car, sprinted over to me and started to yell at me that 'patting horses was cruel' and 'i was hurting her' and Parelli recommends you shouldnt pat but you should give them a scratch on the neck, and she was APPALLED by my behaviour it was tantamount to cruelty, she then started to slap me on the leg and on the back saying 'how do you like it' and then started to scratch my leg saying 'doesnt this feel better' :) It was the most bizarre, slightly terrifying, slightly hilarious thing that has happened to me. She finished by saying 'look into parelli, i havent marked you down this time but i will do if i see you patting her again'

I left the arena in shock!!! :)
 
I'm sorry - I had to smile as I pictured this ! it conjured up a multitude of images that I didn't out to think too much about. There are some seriously strange people out there aren't there?
 
Switchthehorse said:
At the risk of using the 'P' word, i once did an unaffiliated test and my horse was really green so was patting her quite a bit on the way round when we managed to walk/trot when asked etc, long story short got to the final halt and saluted and patted her and literally before i had even started walking out of the arena the judge leapt out of her car, sprinted over to me and started to yell at me that 'patting horses was cruel' and 'i was hurting her' and Parelli recommends you shouldnt pat but you should give them a scratch on the neck, and she was APPALLED by my behaviour it was tantamount to cruelty, she then started to slap me on the leg and on the back saying 'how do you like it' and then started to scratch my leg saying 'doesnt this feel better' :) It was the most bizarre, slightly terrifying, slightly hilarious thing that has happened to me. She finished by saying 'look into parelli, i havent marked you down this time but i will do if i see you patting her again'

I left the arena in shock!!! :)
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LOL, this made me laugh, alot!
I can just imagine me doing that to my customers whilst fitting saddles, I'd be arrested for touching them up! Oz :)
 
Was this a prelim test? I think its one ive ridden my horse jogged were we should have been walkin i was marked down and "no walk shown" was written in the comment box. Ive written for a few dressage judges and that seems to be the norm
 
between Foxhunter and Switchthehorse, this has turned into a hilarious thread... Judges are odd!

As an interesting aside, I once got a 7 and the comment "obedient transitions" for a "one horse length" walk movement. The odd thing is, I DID miss the movement - and I know that for sure as I double checked on the video camera after (long after as I didn't notice till I had left). Judges can miss things!
 
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