Tail swishing and dressage

[Dizzydancer]

Hi

How much of an issue in dressage is tail swishing? Horse has no physical issues (they have been x rayed Etc and recently had back done) heard it can be seen as a disobedience issue??

Thanks

 

[hcm88]

It can be a sign of tension, discomfort or anger. Some judges may pick up on it in a test if it's noticeable. I have never had one that swished normally, but I vaguely remember Mary King mentioning one of her old horses swished his tail purely out of habit throughout his dressage tests and judges would comment on it, not realising it was normal and not a bad sign!

Have you had saddle checked? Does horse do it whenever it's ridden or just in school/tests?

 

[Dizzydancer]

Hi
It is a friends horse who I have just started ridig for her she says he does it when not in work then once fit he stops doing it, don't know about saddle I imagine it possibly does need checking- looks ok but he has piled on a few pounds while off work so I guess that is a possibility as to why!
He does it when ridden mainly in school but does do it a bit out hacking old videos of him show less swishing when he was in work.

 

[Cortez]

Tail swishing is a definite no-no, it'll be noted under the marks for submission. Regardless of Mary King's thoughts, it is a sign of annoyance and not "normal".

 

[Golden_Match_II]

To be honest I'd just make sure the horse is comfortable (check tack, maybe get the physio out,) and then just get on with it. If you do a lovely test with the odd tail swish then chances are they might dock a mark for submission or something, but you'd still get a fair mark. One of mine used to swish loads with the flies in summer, but would still get good marks overall even if they did mention it in the comments.

 

[Goldenstar]

Tail swishing can indicate effort and it can indicate pain and it can indicate annoyance My young ID was a tail swisher in canter when he arrived he found cantering hard as his training has progressed it has stopped .
Today I think judges would look at tail swishing in the context of the whole picture of the horse in the movement being marked .

 

[Dizzydancer]

That's great thanks! Yeah I think he does find it hard he does it mainly in canter and in his transitions. So I guess that would go with effort being used! Will get owner to get him checked out tack wise then go from there

 

[Chirmapops]

Today I think judges would look at tail swishing in the context of the whole picture of the horse in the movement being marked .

Yep, this. If his ears are back and he's grinding his teeth and he's swishing his tail, then obviously big loss of marks for tension. If he's looking OK but maybe a bit tight with a swishing tail then the judge will probably take that as a sign that there's a bit of tension and you'll lose a few marks throughout your test. If he does it in the transitions then it'll clue the judge up to look closely at those and see if he's behind your leg. If he looks super happy and chilled, but still swishing, it'll probably be overlooked, or only half a mark lost in the collectives. There are very few black and whites in dressage - otherwise we could all be marked by computers and wouldn't need judges!

 

[MyBoyChe]

Ive often noticed GP dressage horses tail swishing during tests and they never seem to get marked down for it. In an otherwise fit and happy horse I always thought it was almost a concentration thing, they seem to do it the most when they are really trying. In almost any other sphere it would be a sign that something was wrong, at the least a sign of bad temper, but it seems to be different in dressage.

 

[Cortez]

Ive often noticed GP dressage horses tail swishing during tests and they never seem to get marked down for it. In an otherwise fit and happy horse I always thought it was almost a concentration thing, they seem to do it the most when they are really trying. In almost any other sphere it would be a sign that something was wrong, at the least a sign of bad temper, but it seems to be different in dressage.

It should be NOT different in dressage, but dressage judging these days "allows" a lot of things that would make the old masters spin in their graves. Modern competitive dressage leaves a lot to be desired in terms of animal welfare and what is morally right to do to horses. If a horse is swishing it's tail it is not comfortable or compliant.