prelim dressage test

[bubblensqueak]

in a prelim dressage test, what are you marked on? does it matter if your horse is on the bit or is it more about fluency and rhythm? would you do better if the horse was working on the bit? what about intro, would i score higher if my horse is in an outline?

 

[Leandy]

A horse which is working correctly as defined by the scales of training will always score more highly than one which is not. So a horse which is in a correct outline, straight and accepting of the contact and the aids will score more highly than a horse which is not but it depends what you mean by "in an outline". A horse which has had its head pulled in but at the expense of tension and crookedness and harmony will not score as highly as one which is in a more natural frame but swinging freely through the back, straight and accepting of the bit and the aids even if its head is in front of the vertical.

 

[eggs]

At affiliated they would certainly be looking for and rewarding a horse who is working correctly 'on the bit' for the level. As Leandy said above, this doesn't just mean having the head pulled in. Keeping a good rhythm will also help the marks.

At unaffiliated it is a bit more of a lottery as you can get BD judges and you can also get some-one's mate who rode as a child and anything else in between.

 

[Leam_Carrie]

My first dressage lesson got told I couldn’t do a test until my horse looked less like a giraffe! In terms of outline it’s better to have rhythm and working over the back in a novice outline (nose poking out a bit), than get them to hold themselves in a nice shape but not be working through the back.
You get marked on lots of things - correctly doing the movements (e.g circle) and then marked on things like rhythm, rider position etc. Have a look at some BD tests.
Main difference between intro and prelim is canter.
I’d say have a go at unaffiliated at a friendly centre and then work on the things the judges flag.

 

[Lady Jane]

A horse which is working correctly as defined by the scales of training will always score more highly than one which is not. So a horse which is in a correct outline, straight and accepting of the contact and the aids will score more highly than a horse which is not but it depends what you mean by "in an outline". A horse which has had its head pulled in but at the expense of tension and crookedness and harmony will not score as highly as one which is in a more natural frame but swinging freely through the back, straight and accepting of the bit and the aids even if its head is in front of the vertical.

Spot on explanation. My rather lovely good moving horse was beaten by obliging furry ponies when he had a naughty day which meant lovely work interspersed with head waving which meant I pulled his head down for safety to keep feet on the ground!

 

[mavandkaz]

At prelim, rhythm and straightness will see you score higher then being 'on the bit' - providing your not at the extreme of being hollow and giraffe like.
My cob scores well at prelim (and novice) as she is straight, rhythmical and so we can ride accurate tests. She is generally Infront of the vertical, although is now showing more consistency with being 'on' the vertical. She pushes through from behind, usually has a good even contact, but is ever so slightly 'pokey nosed'.
She will beat horses who look like they are on the bit, with big paces, but they tend to be more inconsistent in their way of going, and can end up behind the vertical.
We have done a couple of elementary tests and it is now that her head position is costing us marks.

 

[Chianti]

I was told by a judge that at prelim judges are looking for accuracy so a rider should really try to make changes of pace and direction at the marker.

 

[Littlebear]

I’ve judged a lot of prelims, as others mention look up the scales of training, rhythm being number one is really important in a prelim. Accuracy costs people tonnes of marks so if you can master those at least.
Outline is a tricky one at prelim because some people spend a lot of time pulling the horse into an outline at the expense of rhythm and harmony, when suppleness is developed the outline will come so keep an eye on the bigger picture as the judge will be.
If both the horse and rider look happy to be there and working together not against each it’s always nice to see which will boost your collectives in terms of rider marks x