What actually happens if you talk to your horse during a test?

tonitot

tonitot

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Just wondering what happens if you talk to your horse during a dressage test? Is it just frowned upon and you get marked down or can you actually get eliminated?

I ask because my mare gets very tense when we go to do a dressage test, not too bad in the warm up but very green and worried during the test (she's 7, not done many tests yet). She tries to listen but she does get very concerned, sometimes she is like this at home but if I talk to her she settles and relaxes. I want to try a prelim with her but I can see the canter part blowing her mind a bit, when this happens at home she has a small tendency to fly leap because I won't let her just gallop off, nothing big or dangerous as such, more annoying and once I start talking her she stops being silly and produces some nice work.

So, if this does happen in our tests I plan on talking to her and getting her to settle but what will the outcome of this be? I'm not really out to win, I just want her to learn that it's okay and not as stressful as she thinks :)
 
Technically you *should* be marked down. In reality, you need to learn the art of talking quietly without moving your lips! It also depends on the arena you are in. I did a test last year in a very new indoor arena, and every sound echoed really loudly (no dust to dull the echo!!) and I got marked down for talking to my horse. However, if the judge is in an enclosed judges box or a car, then it is much less likely that they would hear you to mark you down.

For your first few tests I wouldn't worry about losing a couple of marks for talking to her TBH - I would just crack on and do what you need to do to get round your test. Once you both have a bit more confidence in doing the test you can work on not talking to her during the test :)
 
If the judge hears you (or sees your lips moving :) ) you will lose 2 marks for that movement.

As above though, a very gentle humming or singing (!) can help to settle a tense horse and is unlikely to be picked up by the judge (in a car) - don't try it if they're in a booth or at a table!!
 
Under-the-radar said:
Technically you *should* be marked down. In reality, you need to learn the art of talking quietly without moving your lips! It also depends on the arena you are in. I did a test last year in a very new indoor arena, and every sound echoed really loudly (no dust to dull the echo!!) and I got marked down for talking to my horse. However, if the judge is in an enclosed judges box or a car, then it is much less likely that they would hear you to mark you down.

For your first few tests I wouldn't worry about losing a couple of marks for talking to her TBH - I would just crack on and do what you need to do to get round your test. Once you both have a bit more confidence in doing the test you can work on not talking to her during the test :)
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Thanks :) Where I plan on doing it is where we go for pretty much everything and it's an outdoor arena and the judge is in a judges box :) I have mastered saying "aaaaaand haaaaalt" without moving my lips which is very handy as she takes great offense to having a trot-halt transition sneak up on her, it's the only thing that works! I'll get practising with other words :D
 
Is there anyone else that she knows and trusts too?

Have them read the test even if you know it. We often do this and it keeps them a little calmer and not feeling so alone.

Re the talking, just learn to do it quietly and with little lip movement, your horse will hear you no matter how quiet you are.
 
I talk to mine when my back is to the judge. Not very helpful for half the test. Alternatively try scratching the bottom of her neck with one hand. Mine loves this. Not that I ever seem to get any decent marks so not sure it works but we are happy!
 
meardsall_millie said:
If the judge hears you (or sees your lips moving :) ) you will lose 2 marks for that movement.

As above though, a very gentle humming or singing (!) can help to settle a tense horse and is unlikely to be picked up by the judge (in a car) - don't try it if they're in a booth or at a table!!
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Oh dear, 2 marks, I'll end up with the worst ever dressage score! :D Thank you, think I'll work on the humming at home and see if I can perfect it :)
 
GlamourDol said:
Is there anyone else that she knows and trusts too?

Have them read the test even if you know it. We often do this and it keeps them a little calmer and not feeling so alone.

Re the talking, just learn to do it quietly and with little lip movement, your horse will hear you no matter how quiet you are.
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Unfortunately there isn't anyone else and when we did our first test we had my friends instructor call the test for us. My horse didn't know her but kept rushing and hanging towards her anyway, I guess she wanted some company and saw her as a safety blanket. Going to practice talking quietly :)

Madali said:
I talk to mine when my back is to the judge. Not very helpful for half the test. Alternatively try scratching the bottom of her neck with one hand. Mine loves this. Not that I ever seem to get any decent marks so not sure it works but we are happy!
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I did this last time we went out, it did work well but as you say, only for half the test! She does like a scratch so I'll use that one too :)
 
I once swore very loudly in a test when my horse decided he'd had enough and bombed off across the arena. In that particular situation, use of voice wasn't mentioned... But I would avoid if possible as they are supposed to mark you down (my judge I think was being sympathetic).
 
Under-the-radar said:
Technically you *should* be marked down. In reality, you need to learn the art of talking quietly without moving your lips! It also depends on the arena you are in. I did a test last year in a very new indoor arena, and every sound echoed really loudly (no dust to dull the echo!!) and I got marked down for talking to my horse. However, if the judge is in an enclosed judges box or a car, then it is much less likely that they would hear you to mark you down.

For your first few tests I wouldn't worry about losing a couple of marks for talking to her TBH - I would just crack on and do what you need to do to get round your test. Once you both have a bit more confidence in doing the test you can work on not talking to her during the test :)
Click to expand...

Well yes, as above. But a very "well known rider" was giving a lecture/demo once and said they had one horse that wouldn't halt unless it heard "woa" so she had master the art of not moving the lips and being very quiet, but audible to the horse!
 
You can be sneaky, talk in a low tone whilst facing away from judge! In my experience unaff judges don't really mind, esp if it's evidently a green horse. I chatted away to Pip in his first few tests, even subtly asking for trot from a canter that felt a bit wild and I didn't want to pull on his head! And judge didn't mention it :p I think they can dock you two points, though I imagine they're more inclined to do that if it's a command rather than a reassurance.

I've sworn in tests too... I think they were beyond salvage though so didn't matter...
 
Thanks everyone :) I think I'll practice talking without moving my lips and have a play with my horse to see just how quiet I can get away with being. I will talk to her in our next few tests until she feels like she's settling :) Will just have to hope I have a nice judge who won't be mean and take away my precious points! :p
 
Depends on where you are competing and how loud you talk, I tend to do it away from the judge, but at places like Fenning and Milton, they can't hear you unless you shout and move you lips obviously, just saying, not like we cheat or anything ;) I did utter the phrase '******ing b***ard' at Fenning when he did a canter spook halt and was not marked down for the bad language, just the spook and wrong leg after!
 
Most unaffiliated judges seem to ignore it, can't really comment on affil. but the only affiliated tests I did, I think I laughed though the 1st one (I figured finding pony's antics funny beat crying about them!) and only had to mumble a bit in the 2nd - judge either didn't notice or thought I was mad & simply ignored it!
Alternatively, if in doubt you could always mention to the judge when you go in that you WILL be talking to your horse during the test, as you feel it's more important that she learns it's not stressful now than it is to get top marks?
I know I'd always rather be marked down for talking than something else. I'd rather my horse be happy :)
 
My horse was very very naughty in a test and I eventually lost my rag and told the B......d to bl....y well get on with it. It was clearly audible but I wasn't docked 2 marks, however my collective for submission was a 3! I saw the judge later that day and she said she didn't feel it was fair to dock me for using my voice as she would have done too.
 
Having said what I said earlier, my friend has been marked down on two occaisions for it, once BD and once unaffiliated. Both times she had the penalties marks applied, rather cruelly and it was only an unaffilliated prelim she got two sets of penalities deducted for talking, so a total loss of 6 marks. She got a sub 50 score and was very demoralised.
 
Why don't you take your horse out for a few intro tests first to get it settled? No canter so a lot less stress.
 
Thanks everyone :) I will just talk to hee, stuff it!

Gamebird, we have done a few intro tests (both A and B) and she was tense in them but it didn't help that we had hacked there and ended up in a rush both times we went, meaning I couldn't warm up properly to settle her. We will do a few more Intro tests but I really want to give prelim a go so thinking of doing intro the next few times we go and then doing an intro and a prelim :)
 
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