Using the voice in dressage

khalswitz

khalswitz

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So, I am cautiously planning a first dressage outing for my super sharp TB. It will either go well, or disastrously, but it's worth a try. On discussion with my instructor, she suggested using my voice as it seems to work to keep him calmer - however I thought you weren't allowed to use voice aids in dressage?

She doesn't do dressage herself, she's a SJer, before anyone slams. And tbh we've gone out jumping a couple of times now and I'm starting to get the hang of settling him, but with no jumps to concentrate on if I can get away with voice aids I will... it's a BRC run unaffiliated dressage class, will just do Intro for the first one I think!! Also planning not to take him in the warm-up ring at all, as this is what freaks him out... fingers crossed this won't backfire on me...
 
You will get penalised for using your voice, if the judge hears or sees you, but if it helps him relax surely that is better than a stressed horse, use everything you can for his first outing the more he settles the better he should be in future, forget about the marks and think about what you are gaining. I use my voice discretely at times, as well as the odd pat or wither rub and have never really had it marked down unless really obvious when near the judge.
 
Just do it discretely! I tend to quietly use my voice with my stressy horse, when I'm riding away from the judge so they can't see/hear me. I seem to have mastered the art of saying a quiet "woah, good girl" without moving my lips ;)
 
As others have said really - yes you do get penalised for using your voice, even at unaff (unaff tend to run BD rules) - I write for a lot of judges and if they catch the rider using their voice they will always write it on the sheet and never look too kindly upon it.

So you just have to master being discreet - for an Intro test there will only be 1 judge at C so when you are up near A with your back to the judge they wont be able to hear or see you talking! A subtle click or 'good boy' quietly wont do any harm, as long as they cant see you doing it.

As for the warm-up - as long as you find somewhere else to warm up then you should be fine, but if you plan on literally getting him off the trailer/lorry then straight into the test personally I would say that would be very detrimental to your performance in the test. He wont have time to settle in the new surroundings so will still be on edge from travelling and being in a new place. Warm-ups are also crucial for giving the horse chance to soften, stretch and loosen up, I know if I took my super sharp WB x straight into a test without a warm up she'd go round with her neck stuck in the air like a giraffe, rushing every movement and hollowing in every transition.

She needs 20 minutes at least to chill out, start listening to me and start getting her brain into gear - rather than spooking at every bush/white board/animal she sees. If you want to start taking him out competing more frequently, whether in dressage or SJ, he needs to get used to warm up arenas so rather than avoiding it forever he needs to start to learn. If he can get stressy with other horses coming too close, put a ribbon in his tail (green or red) and warn other people warming up that he can kick etc if someone comes to close. Focus on asking for lots of transitions and working towards getting him to stretch long and low in walk and trot so he begins to relax. Keep his mind occupied with the work you are asking from him - if he is too busy thinking about what you are asking he wont have time to get stressed by other horses in the warm up. Transitions, lateral work, circles and serpentines, changing the bend - all these kind of things help to keep the horse's brain occupied.

If I were you and had a horse that couldnt warm up with other horses around it, then I'd be taking him out as often as possible just for the purpose of getting a good warm up eventually, the test bit would be irrelevant really as the warm up strategy needs to come first before you are going to get a good test out of him. Perhaps try test riding clinics or training evenings/days at your local RC so he can get more experience of warming up around other horses without the pressure on yourself of doing a test afterwards.
 
Thanks for the feedback everyone. I agree that better to have him more relaxed and lose a few marks! I'll try and be subtle ;)

WRT the warmup, I have tried red ribbons as he can actually get so panicked he double barrels other horses if they canter past him from behind - people just seem to ignore them, it really shocks me! I have tried cracking the warm-up again and again, and yet even if I do manage to get him even slightly settled, the minute we go in the ring we lose anything we've gained. My best results with him jumping (which is what we've focussed on as he loves it and concentrates better than on the flat) have been when we've literally had a trot about behind the horse box, and then ridden straight into a small height class as a warm-up. Hence my suggestion of essentially doing the same before a dressage test.

If he warm-up ring isn't too busy we might manage it, but when there are lots of horses he does panic - an ex-racer so I think he thinks he's back at the races, just tenses up and wants to shoot off, when I sit in and hold him he either does some cracking bucks or occasionally rears. I've been taking him to PC rallies to try and get him more used to the other horses - he does eventually settle when we're jumping but haven't yet managed to get a sensible flatwork session out of him if we don't jump first. Hence why I thought some RC unaff dressage might be the way to go - at least he's in the ring on his own... I eventually want to event him, which he's got more than enough talent for and XCs like you wouldn't believe, it'll be the flatowork we have to crack... although he is fab on the flat at home.
 
Ah ok, understand now - in that case I'd probably suggest you do 2 classes if possible when you go out for dressage comps, that way you can use your first class as a 'warm up' and then the 2nd will be where you get the better marks (hopefully!).

Another idea - have you tried jumping him before a dressage competition? One of my old share horses used to feel so much better if we'd had a jump before doing flatwork, he became much rounder and softer and in general was easier to ride. If your test isnt until later in the afternoon then having a short jumping session in the morning might help, or if your test is in the morning then try jumping the night before and see if that makes any difference.
 
Both very good ideas - will try that. Never thought of jumping him first, that could help... And we will keep working on the other horse problem, like I said doing rallies and group lessons etc whenever possible, have signed up to some RC clinics for the next few months so hopefully we can crack it eventually. Will plan a good jump session before the dressage, and enter for two tests... Fingers crossed we might be able to warmup at the far end of the lorry park before going in! Thanks very much for the suggestions :)
 
do be discreet, I have been eliminated for use of voice - it may have been related to what I was saying to him as well as how often, but worth being subtle.
 
I've mastered the art of talking to them without moving my mouth haha! as long as they don't hear you then you're fine! I've never been eliminated, just do it quietly or when you're facing away from the judge :)
 
Oh LOTS of people use their voices, often at quite high levels, they've just got very clever at not letting the judge hear! If you are not concerned about actually winning, why not go HC and chat away to him at your heart's content? I'd use the outing as a training exercise and concentrate on having a happy, settled pony as the end goal.
 
I have been known to hum whilst schooling tense horses, and would recommend it as an easily concealed, relaxing use of the voice! You can also say A----le very easily without moving your lips!
 
I just recently got away with 'Arghh ******* me' while cantering a 20m circle at 'c'. Pony bucked, stopped dead I nearly went out the front then tried to regain my composure and carry on.
It was outdoor and quite windy though which probably helped, although I only lost a mark for breaking canter so not sure she was actually paying attention.
 
I occasionally use my voice if I really need to, not been picked up on it yet! It's not anything like "TROT ON", more a quiet "good boy, listen". I agree, if it will help him relax, chat away, and if you get penalised, so what :)
 
I lost 2 marks using my voice on a ttense TB and I was heading away from C, so be careful. I think it's a harsh ruling and with my TB I can't afford to throw away marks
 
RE the warm up you may find dressage to be a lot quieter then a show jump warm up, less mad people bombing around jumping. Everytime my boy has been showing off how good his handstands are quite often we get the warm up to ourselves or at the very least a very wide birth.

Good luck :)
 
Thanks everyone!! I will try and be subtle with the voice, but I think ultimately the first few times its more important he's happy than marks! Lots of 'good boy's :)
Will just judge the warm up on the day, see how busy it is, and will enter two tests just in case we need one to warm up, but if he is good in the first one then we can just withdraw and end on a good note :) will let you all know how we get on!!
 
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