Tension in Dressage

Melodra said:
It’s easy to be a keyboard warrior but perhaps you should take a step back and consider the impact of you and your friends deliberately hanging up to misinterpret, attack an individual because you don’t agree with them.
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Pot, kettle and black. You have deliberately attacked posters for their views when these have not coincided with your opinions. No, I'm not going to multiquote as I just cannot be bothered any longer.
Again, perception, look it up.
 
Melodra said:
I queried the scoring as I found it odd which is why I raised it as a debate....if you look back through my comments (and yours originally) there are some decent explanations as to why neither is correct but in the context of a test one could potentially score higher. We then descended into a horse being kicked along = soft, submissive and harmonious.

As for taking the positive comments only, I’ve said I agree with her feedback regarding tension and not just the good parts so not sure how you’ve got that impression.

In fact you are cherry picking...because time and time again you’ve ignored the fact this is an inexperienced horse and the judge saw no fundamental issues...only that what he was showing was promising and he would relax with experience.

Yes, I am upset. It’s easy to be a keyboard warrior but perhaps you should take a step back and consider the impact of you and your friends deliberately hanging up to misinterpret, attack an individual because you don’t agree with them.
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Melodra (well named, BTW), nobody has attacked you. Nobody. In fact I'm pretty sure most of us are quite worried about you because your responses are way over the top and quite, yes: melodramatic. You, on the other hand have variously name-called, used rude language, and misquoted, twisted and obdurately ignored all reasonable explanations for something that you purport to misunderstand.

Seriously, have that cup of tea.
 
The Xmas Furry said:
Pot, kettle and black. You have deliberately attacked posters for their views when these have not coincided with your opinions. No, I'm not going to multiquote as I just cannot be bothered any longer.
Again, perception, look it up.
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Why have I "liked" and even thanked them then. Liar. And you wonder why you have people in tears.
 
Goodness, what a melodrama!

For what it's worth, I have a buzzy Welsh/Arab/Appy mare who displays tension in tests. We have gone from having occasional mid 60s tests, paired with plenty of much lower scores when the tension bubbled over. We're now consistently gaining upper 60s and early 70s tests at prelim, and above mid 60s at novice. What has worked for us is slowing everything right down (especially in the trot, using my rising rhythm to dictate her rhythm), allowing her time to balance. In tests now if things get tense, we slow everything down, almost too much, get our focus back, and then pick up the tempo slightly again with better balance. The photos below show the difference this has made (and it didn't come overnight!). I bought the first picture as it made me laugh and knew it would be a good one to look back on to see our progress. There's around 2 years between the two. I know the frustration of having a talented horse but not being able to demonstrate it in competitions, but with patience it does come.

1545400966269.png37734059_1142916615847364_1879050532757176320_n.jpg
 
Cortez said:
Melodra (well named, BTW), nobody has attacked you. Nobody. In fact I'm pretty sure most of us are quite worried about you because your responses are way over the top and quite, yes: melodramatic. You, on the other hand have variously name-called, used rude language, and misquoted, twisted and obdurately ignored all reasonable explanations for something that you purport to misunderstand.

Seriously, have that cup of tea.
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You've done this to more than me though haven't you? Might have thought it was just me had someone else not told me you bullied them off the forum when they were going through a particularly difficult time. Gas lighting now.
 
OP can you either elaborate on your insider info that you apparently have against people on this thread or else stop going on about it, because at the moment it just comes across like inflammatory nonsense.
 
Nice Christmas Baubles said:
Goodness, what a melodrama!

For what it's worth, I have a buzzy Welsh/Arab/Appy mare who displays tension in tests. We have gone from having occasional mid 60s tests, paired with plenty of much lower scores when the tension bubbled over. We're now consistently gaining upper 60s and early 70s tests at prelim, and above mid 60s at novice. What has worked for us is slowing everything right down (especially in the trot, using my rising rhythm to dictate her rhythm), allowing her time to balance. In tests now if things get tense, we slow everything down, almost too much, get our focus back, and then pick up the tempo slightly again with better balance. The photos below show the difference this has made (and it didn't come overnight!). I bought the first picture as it made me laugh and knew it would be a good one to look back on to see our progress. There's around 2 years between the two. I know the frustration of having a talented horse but not being able to demonstrate it in competitions, but with patience it does come.

View attachment 28286View attachment 28287
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Thanks so much for this. Have found so far using the rise really helps with him, he prances about on the spot with too much hand, but I think I probably need to be more proactive about it during a test, when my own nerves probably get in the way as well. She is beautiful.
 
Melodra said:
You've done this to more than me though haven't you? Might have thought it was just me had someone else not told me you bullied them off the forum when they were going through a particularly difficult time. Gas lighting now.
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I haven't "done" anything other than what everyone does on this forum, reply to posts and express opinions. Discussions on here can be robust at times (this one for instance), do you feel bullied? Because I can honestly say that I don't see anyone bullying you, not me, not anyone.
 
Cortez said:
I haven't "done" anything other than what everyone does on this forum, reply to posts and express opinions. Discussions on here can be robust at times (this one for instance), do you feel bullied? Because I can honestly say that I don't see anyone bullying you, not me, not anyone.
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You wouldn't, but you have done it before.

You're not going to admit to it, but you must know it's true. I do, I know what's in my inbox, so your protestations just make you look like a liar to me. Keep up your front if you so wish, but it's dishonest.
 
Melodra said:
You wouldn't, but you have done it before.

You're not going to admit to it, but you must know it's true. I do, I know what's in my inbox, so your protestations just make you look like a liar to me. Keep up your front if you so wish, but it's dishonest.
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I think you need to give a little insight into who has accused these people of being bullies because you sound like you’re fabricating this as a way to stoke an argument.
 
Melodra said:
You wouldn't, but you have done it before.

You're not going to admit to it, but you must know it's true. I do, I know what's in my inbox, so your protestations just make you look like a liar to me. Keep up your front if you so wish, but it's dishonest.
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I have literally no idea what you're on about. If I was of a sensitive nature I would be sitting in front of my computer screen in tears now........but luckily I am a grown up.
 
Melodra said:
Thanks so much for this. Have found so far using the rise really helps with him, he prances about on the spot with too much hand, but I think I probably need to be more proactive about it during a test, when my own nerves probably get in the way as well. She is beautiful.
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Sing, hum, count, talk to yourself (internally) through every movement of the test. Most of all stay focused on riding every step of the test at the tempo you want. I found the tenser she gets, the more unbalanced she gets, and then she gets tenser still.
 
J_sarahd said:
I think you need to give a little insight into who has accused these people of being bullies because you sound like you’re fabricating this as a way to stoke an argument.
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Exactly

Melodra said:
You wouldn't, but you have done it before.

You're not going to admit to it, but you must know it's true. I do, I know what's in my inbox, so your protestations just make you look like a liar to me. Keep up your front if you so wish, but it's dishonest.
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You now sound like a petulant year 10 or 11, behave for goodness sake. Sigh..
 
Cortez said:
I have literally no idea what you're on about. If I was of a sensitive nature I would be sitting in front of my computer screen in tears now........but luckily I am a grown up.
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Why does it not surprise me you have zero empathy for people you've upset?
 
Just to try and wrestle this thread back into the realms of sanity, a long time ago
Melodra said:
Why does it not surprise me you have zero empathy for people you've upset?
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How have I upset you? Seriously, line all of my responses to you up and read them through: where is the upset?
 
Nice Christmas Baubles said:
Sing, hum, count, talk to yourself (internally) through every movement of the test. Most of all stay focused on riding every step of the test at the tempo you want. I found the tenser she gets, the more unbalanced she gets, and then she gets tenser still.
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Thank you, that sounds like a plan, instead of stressing internally about forgetting the test, or about him being excited, which I'm sure doesn't help!
 
i dont think anyone on here has been bullying, if you had put a video of your horse on we could have seen what the tension was like and maybe give you some more idea of what the judge saw. we didnt see your horse or the others being kicked so can only give our opinions as to why they were marked higher than you. i stand by my original post as had recently been writing for a good judge at a lower level. she marked all fairly IMO but did mark the tense horses lower as they were not only tense in their necks but in the whole body while some of the kick along types, although not in a correct outline were swinging through their backs and gave an overall more harmonious picture. i will say again, please volunteer to write for a judge and you will understand where i (and many others ) point of view come from. i also do not agree with hefty kicking and force and always prefer a harmonious picture with no horses being BTV and tense which is how i felt the glocks stallion went on tuesday. if i had been judging he would have been place much lower, but i am not a judge. by the way, if there is a clique i havent seen any sign of it...
 
At the end of the day a tense/excited horse has a mental issue somewhere with the whole process and this is a worse sin that a horse who needs an ugly leg aid. If a horse has tension, either the horse finds the environment is stressful or overwhleming, the moves are difficult, the horse is picking up riders nerves etc. All of which are a very weak foundation to show harmony and are marked harshly to make riders overcome them before moving up.

Excitement doesn't not show happiness in a dressage horse, it shows a horse with some issue going on. I know a few genuinely happy dressage horses (i don't own any unfortunately:p) and they all are totally chill in the ring as they love going in front of an audience and showing off. they are 100% in their bodies and seem to absolutely relish using their athleticism and showing off.

prelim level is marked mainly on rhythm and relaxation. At the end of the day a tense horse is not displaying these two things, regardless of all the other positives it may have. if a horse is tense/excited , its breathing is shallow and its rhythm is stilted and off beat.
 
Just to try and wrestle this thread back into the realms of sanity, a long time ago (30 years) I used to train a pure bred Arab, he was competing at PSG (I believe, at the time, he was the only Arab at that level). Competing, but not winning, despite him being a very pleasant, non-stressy type of guy, and feeling really soft in his way of going, I was getting "tension" noted in the comments regularly. I asked the judge (try this, they are usually happy to discuss, unless you are spittle-flecked and aggressive...) who replied that Arabs were always going to have this problem as they particularly hold tension in their backs (possibly due to conformation and tail carriage). That horse worked all the way up to GP, but I stopped competing as it was a hiding to nothing. Not saying it was fair, or correct; just the way it is.
 
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