Pooing in dressage test how many points lost?

Rumtytum

Rumtytum

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'My' (wish he was) RS horse will not budge when he decides it's poo time, he's 18 and been a school horse for 10 years, I'm still a relative newbie and cannot get him to move. So today in Intro B he stopped in trot, did his dump, and off we went. All very quick but it was a stop and we got a 4. Does anyone know how many points are deducted for a stop? I've looked on BD but can't see anything. Just interested to know.
Thanks!
 
It will depend on the generosity, or not, of the judge, some will view it as a disobedience others will just see it as horses being horses and deduct a mark or two for the movement depending on how it effects that part of the test, it is something you may have to put up with and try to find ways of getting him to go before you start.
You will not be the only one to suffer this way, I have know a few that have a wee after entering or if they halt in a test, you have to ignore it and continue to ride as well as you can to try and pick up a few extra marks elsewhere.
 
Thanks very much for your reply bp. From what you say I think we lost a couple of points. He'd already done two poos so I thought I'd be OK for the few minutes the test took.
 
As BP said there is no specific rule regarding deduction of points for a poo break.

A few years ago I was doing a test and was cantering across the diagonal when I felt my horse suddenly start to put the brakes and ended up trotting verrrry slowly whilst he had his poo. The judge made quite a funny comment about it and I probably lost a few marks on what I would have had had we actually managed to canter across to where the trot transition should have been made.

I now vary whether I let the horses stop for a poo when schooling or not although it is more of a pain to pick them up if they haven't stopped. Judging from the droppings that I often find stretched across a stretch of field they are quite capable of pooving and moving when they want. In fact my mare would quite often have a poo in mid air over a jump.

I think however the habit is probably too well ingrained in your horse so you will just have to keep your fingers crossed for your next test that he doesn't feel the need to go.
 
Thanks eggs! My instructor had told me about horses like your mare who will poo mid air, I am jealous! She also said if he was my own horse we could probably teach him out of the habit but with so many different riders and lots of beginners on him it's very difficult. We've done a few Intros and up to yesterday the poo timing had gone perfectly, before and after the tests, it's just an ever present hazard. I swear he did it on purpose - he hates dressage
 
A friend of mine had her horse stop mid free walk to do a wee!!! When you gotta go, you gotta go! I dont think she lost any marks in fairness to the judge!
 
In my experience any break from the required pace is an automatic 4, and in essence this is what is happening. Doesn't make any difference whether it's a split second (as I know to my cost!) or 20 seconds for a wee break.
 
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