Lameness in dressage test

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rachboc

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Entered an unaffiliated prelim dressage today. My horse is recovering from suspensory ligament damage but is back sound and working well. We've taken everything very slowly.

Took her to Felbridge unaffiliated dressage. Worked her in slowly and carefully. She can be tense but she was relaxed and going well. Her habit is hollowness and the muscles on the underside of her neck have been overdeveloped since we got her. However she was working into a nice contact as we've been practising.

We got 25 seconds into the test and the judge stopped it, rang the bell. I was mystified but went over and she said my horse looked unlevel when she turned the corner. She'd literally done down the centre line and turn left but ok. There was no hint of lameness in my opinion or anyone else's who was watching.

She then continued to say she was too short in the neck, poked about on the underside of her neck and said the muscle was "solid". I think she was implying we'd cranked a lameness horse into an outline and were some kind of horse abuser? (We were also in a non BD legal universal bit, ok my bad i didn't check)

So we did 25 seconds of a test and got sent home. Really disappointing. My horse isn't unsound, I don't crank her into an outline or abuse her in her training in any way (she's mostly ridden by my 13 year old who just has fun on her).

Obviously I was polite, but it felt unfair. I get that everyone wants abusive riders weeded out of the sport but really? We could even finish the test? My horse is now out in the field having a week off in the sun.
 
If the judge was concerned about your horse's soundness, she did the right thing by stopping the test. Continuing to work a lame horse would be a significant welfare issue, and none of us want to see that in any horse sports.

Now, you feel the judge was wrong, and that your mare is fine. You might be right - you should definitely get your vet to review your mare's progress in light of this incident. However, the judge is responsible for what happens in the ring at the event, and if they have genuine concerns, their only option is to stop the test.

There are a lot of things I might criticise dressage judges for. Stopping a seemingly unlevel horse mid test is not one of them.
 
Is recovering or recovered from injury? Do you have anyone videoing for you that you could check?
I’m with the others above, a judge pulling up a horse they feel is unlevel is not something I’d be judge bashing for, TBH the amount of unlevel horses you see when out competing I’d applaud any judge pulling them up. I’m not saying yours is /was lame but I’d say time for a quick vet recheck.
 
In my experience it's got to be visible lameness for a judge to pull a test up. I've seen horses showing occasional unlevel steps placed in BD and unaff competitions. It's a bug bear of mine. If a judge said your horse is unlevel or lame then they likely are. It often shows on a turn.
Your horse has a history of lameness and suspensory issues often recur especially if the horse has been worked incorrectly or is muscled incorrectly due to compensating.
Please get your horse reassessed by a good vet.
Your friends/family/audience are likely not seeing a subtle lameness. If you're turning up in wrong tack etc with a horse who's unsound you're likely not very experienced. We all learn all the time from more experienced people. I'm glad you had a judge who was brave enough to let you know. Your horse needs you to step up for him and get a lameness work up.
 
Ok obviously we'll get the vet out this week to check if we've missed anything.

Why mention the neck? Why mention short in the neck and solid muscle? What is she saying?
 
misst said:
In my experience it's got to be visible lameness for a judge to pull a test up. I've seen horses showing occasional unlevel steps placed in BD and unaff competitions. It's a bug bear of mine. If a judge said your horse is unlevel or lame then they likely are. It often shows on a turn.
Your horse has a history of lameness and suspensory issues often recur especially if the horse has been worked incorrectly or is muscled incorrectly due to compensating.
Please get your horse reassessed by a good vet.
Your friends/family/audience are likely not seeing a subtle lameness. If you're turning up in wrong tack etc with a horse who's unsound you're likely not very experienced. We all learn all the time from more experienced people. I'm glad you had a judge who was brave enough to let you know. Your horse needs you to step up for him and get a lameness work up.
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Not very experienced at dressage, yes. Had horses for 40 years....
 
rachboc said:
Why mention the neck? Why mention short in the neck and solid muscle? What is she saying?
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An overdeveloped or tense brachiocephalicus muscle in horses (under the neck) can be because they are literally pulling themselves up off their front feet to avoid pain.

The judge was probably pointing out physiology which is consistent with pain issues, in combination with the horse moving with some lameness, in their opinion.

We did a rehab for a mare whose initial symptoms were going hollow and bracing with her neck, and had gradually became lamer and lamer in front.

In your shoes, I'd x-ray front feet for foot balance because that's always useful anyway, and get some good images of the joints too. We managed to intervene early with the mare that came to us, and she did come sound but it required a full body approach because her lameness was in both front feet so it wasn't presenting as anything obvious but she was using her whole body to compensate so was very stiff and uncomfortable all over.
 
I wish that more dressage judges had the balls to pull up lame horses mid test. Usually they don’t dare, leaving the scriber (me) to write ‘rhythm varying’ on movement after movement…

IME your horse must have been pretty darn lame for the judge to pull you up.

Time for a proper evaluation by the vet.
 
Bilateral lameness is not the easiest to spot, particularly in the front (coming from someone who missed this themselves!👆)
Frustrating as it was I think I’d be thankful to the judge, I agree the neck comment was probably due to a possible compensation for the lameness? Not an expert though so I could be wrong!!
 
Tiddlypom said:
I wish that more dressage judges had the balls to pull up lame horses mid test. Usually they don’t dare, leaving the scriber (me) to write ‘rhythm varying’ on movement after movement…

IME your horse must have been pretty darn lame for the judge to pull you up.

Time for a proper evaluation by the vet.
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Yup, can relate to this! Even worse when you know they're going jumping next.

My favourite was the judge that told me a horse can't be lame in front if its head isn't bobbing in trot. I'm not sure if she believed that or just said it because I asked if the horse was okay.
 
I've not been pulled up but I have had a judge talk to me after a test - it's a horrible feeling and the first instinct is to be defensive and think 'but my horse isn't lame!'. In my case, the saddler had been out the week before and given me some terrible advice that resulted in a very sore back. The judge was absolutely right, but it didn't feel good in the moment.

Take this as an opportunity to re-evaluate your horse's progress, it may be that the rehab needs adjusting and more attention paid to their movement patterns. It's also a good reminder to check rules before doing a test as unfortunately you would have been eliminated for the bit anyway. BD have a handy tack guide here: https://files.britishdressage.co.uk/Tack-and-Equipment-Guide-2025-2.pdf
 
OP in your post you mention almost as an aside that your horse has had over developed muscles in the underside of her neck since you got her. Do you mean she came with them, or she has developed them since you have owned her?

If she came with them I think she has probably got very long term soundness issues going on. If she has since purchase developed them it is either an unsoundness issue that has occured since you got her, or someone is riding her like a chimpanzee on horseback. 🙁
 
misst said:
In my experience it's got to be visible lameness for a judge to pull a test up. I've seen horses showing occasional unlevel steps placed in BD and unaff competitions. It's a bug bear of mine. If a judge said your horse is unlevel or lame then they likely are. It often shows on a turn.
Your horse has a history of lameness and suspensory issues often recur especially if the horse has been worked incorrectly or is muscled incorrectly due to compensating.
Please get your horse reassessed by a good vet.
Your friends/family/audience are likely not seeing a subtle lameness. If you're turning up in wrong tack etc with a horse who's unsound you're likely not very experienced. We all learn all the time from more experienced people. I'm glad you had a judge who was brave enough to let you know. Your horse needs you to step up for him and get a lameness work up.
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literally this.

if a judge has actually pulled ypu up, the horse is lame. they don't do it on a whim.
 
It may seem the judge only saw your horse going up the centre line and turn left but they may have spotted it while you were walking/trotting around waiting for the bell.
I'd be disappointed to be pulled up but I'd be glad someone had the balls to say something.

I took my pony jumping yesterday. 20cm cross poles and 45cm. She was a bit sluggish. She went in, pooped and then went like a rocket. She jumped the cross poles and had one down which is unusual. I had friends watch her to get their thoughts and they agreed she wasn't quite extending one hind. I took her for a walk but she still wasnt quite right so I scratched from the 45, took her back to the trailer and gave her a handful pony nuts, her net and wither scratches.

It's disappointing but it's the best for their welfare. If I had been stopped before I got to the first jump and told she looks unlevel, I'd have hopped off, thanked them and hugged my pony in apology.

I hope your pony is OK.
 
Disappointing for you OP but Felbridge is a good competition centre with events being run at least weekly, I'm sure they would only have experienced judges there so I would take on board their comments. Also I'm not sure you would have been able to continue anyway if you had a universal bit in, as you now know they are not allowed.
 
misst said:
In my experience it's got to be visible lameness for a judge to pull a test up. I've seen horses showing occasional unlevel steps placed in BD and unaff competitions. It's a bug bear of mine. If a judge said your horse is unlevel or lame then they likely are. It often shows on a turn.
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Also the judge is sat at C so slap bang in front of you which means a subtle head bop is more obvious to them than onlookers. Pulling up after the turn would have me thinking the judge is wondering lame / not lame down the centre line then saw a misstep on the turn and decided to ring the bell.

I do at least 1 test for e-riders a month and movement patterns when you watch back on video are eye opening. I had one where the judge marked us down for inconsistent contact all the way through it. I knew it hadn't been our best but I could watch that specific test back alongside one where we had scored over 70% and the difference was so marked I sent both links across to my physio friend to see what she thought. Sometimes we get a bit oblivious to the way our horse moves - especially if its the only one we are riding.
 
rachboc said:
Not very experienced at dressage, yes. Had horses for 40 years....
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Sorry you had a disappointing day out, it must have been very frustrating to get pumped up, early start, get ready, travel & then come straight home again, especially if it's not something you're used to doing.
Your choice now- you don't need to be defensive you can use this to learn & grow.

You already said you're getting the vet back out. I do hope your horse will be sound again soon.
Why not look up the rules/required tack etc before you travel?
For the future, you were probably too surprised this time but generally a judge won't mind being asked what they mean, if it's obviously in the spirit of wanting to learn, not being argumentative.
Did you have someone with you? It can be really useful to have someone on the ground, just for general help but also videoing the test so you can go over the judges comments back at home while looking at the relevant parts of the test.
Do you have a riding club you can join, or another way to get regular company and help? Mine do "mock test" evenings.
Can you find an instructor who would help you get ready for the next test?
 
Sorry you had some ‘issues’ but don’t knock the judge! It seems you were already given benefit as you were in a non BD legal bit, the conformation of your horse caused the judge to wonder about the set up and then the horse was noticeably lame on turning. What was the judge supposed to do? I may have let you continue a few more strides just to confirm but don’t forget you will have / should have ridden around the outside before the bell and although not marked as part of the test unless the judges has their eyes closed it’s still possible to notice if a horse appears level. Going down the centre line would have been sufficient to confirm.
 
Posture - including overdeveloped underneck muscles - often suffers a long time before actual lameness, so they're strongly related. Assessing whether the horse is moving correctly is informed by posture and musculature, and not just a trot up especially as carrying a rider makes most "compensatory" movement patterns worse, even if the saddle fit is perfect.
 
SEL said:
Also the judge is sat at C so slap bang in front of you which means a subtle head bop is more obvious to them than onlookers. Pulling up after the turn would have me thinking the judge is wondering lame / not lame down the centre line then saw a misstep on the turn and decided to ring the bell.

I do at least 1 test for e-riders a month and movement patterns when you watch back on video are eye opening. I had one where the judge marked us down for inconsistent contact all the way through it. I knew it hadn't been our best but I could watch that specific test back alongside one where we had scored over 70% and the difference was so marked I sent both links across to my physio friend to see what she thought. Sometimes we get a bit oblivious to the way our horse moves - especially if its the only one we are riding.
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I have to say that while I have some reputation on the forum for spotting faulty movement patterns the ones I was least able to spot were the ones I owned! I don't know if it's familiarity or what.

One good trick is to turn your back or shut your eyes and listen instead of watching, especially in walk. "1,2,3,4" is what you want. The prevalence of "1,2, , 3,4" is very high.
.
 
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