Cheers!
First topic: My struggle with the new dressage ruling requiring judges to consider the use of half points for everything on the scoresheet.
Donna Kelly and I judged the early January show in Pinehurst to become, perhaps, the first two judges in this area to use the new scoring system. Several people have inquired about my opinion of the new system, including show management and the NCDCTA newsletter. I don't know Donna's opinion at this point. Personally, I thought it was fairly difficult. I was trained under the former whole number system and learned how to work in an easy groove. After the show or at breaks judges can go to the score boards to observe the final placings of their classes. We like to see that the final placing ended up being what we had designed in our head. That means our numbers equal our intention. Historically, I have done pretty well.
While judging I can generally make a solid, quick decision ( Is it a 6 or 7?) based on what I observed. However, with the half points, I felt like every score had one additional decision to make. Instead of deciding between two numbers, I felt like I was choosing between three numbers for the same visual input. If I were on the fence between a 7 and an 8, suddenly I had to choose between 7.0, 7.5 and 8.0. For me, that resulted in one more decision per every movement scored. Since the pace in the judges box is rapid, that additional decision slowed me down enough to knock me off my groove... a little. Fundamentaly, I think I still found the right marks as per what I saw... Maybe in the long run, I could learn to like the new system better as the decisions become more routine.
Scores can be influenced by "modifiers". They are all the little things that happen in a test to make it either more brilliant or more of a mess. For example, in first level test 1, you are required to depart into the right lead canter at A. (score the transitition). Then at E you circle right 15. That circle is the essence of the next score, but as we know there is a corner between the transition and the circle. If the horse stumbles in the corner because the rider has left him improperly balanced, then the judge can give a down modifier for the next score. First, I see the canter quaility as number. Lets say I am looking at a "7" quality canter (7 = fairly good). The rider steered a decent round circle but the horse lacked bend as he leaned into his turn. So, for the Criteria of that circle, (shape and size of circle; bend) I would be satisfied, but definitely not say it is fairly good in the bend department. Satisfied means a 6. The stumble in the corner was significant enough to warrent a down modifier. How much should I modify down? Previously I had to think in whole numbers, now I can think in halves. Was it bad enough to warrent a minus 1? Or should I only reduce it a half point.... hum... If the stumble was significant enough for a 1 point down modifier, my end formula for that movement is 7 (gaits) and 6 (criteria: shape, size, bend) equals 6.5 ...minus 1.0 because of the stumble in the corner. That makes me write down a 5.5 for the score. Previously, what would I have decided? Previously, if I was torn half way between two numbers, I would generally lean toward the higher. Now, I just choose the half point. Perhaps that means my scores will become slightly lower overall, but my placings will remain consistant. I am not sure how this is going to feel in the long run.
I am interested in hearing about your opinions of the new scoring system.
I think "placing" challenges will always exist. For example, if there is an elastic, good mover ridden by a sloppy, inaccurate rider competing against a weak, stiff horse ridden by a skilled, accurate rider, which one looks like he should win? If you stand by the sidelines and watch, most people will be impressed by the fancy elastic mover who appears most "dressagey". However, if you are sitting in the judges box looking at centerlines, straightness and accuracy, you may end up placing the weak mover with the skilled rider above him. Then, the lay-person on the sidelines, declares you to be an idiot. "The other guy was clearly more dressagey. The judge is blind." he says. I don't think half points will change anything here. People will complain about judging until the sun sets forever.
As a trainer of some people who enjoy competition, my advice is this: find a "dressagey" mover that you enjoy, and learn to ride it really, really, really well: bring to the performance the skilled, accurate rider. Then the layperson and the judge person may agree on your victory.
Topic two:
The secret to horse training... It was perfect weather and a smooth show. One horse stuck out in my memory. He was a naturally good mover with attractive presentation. His rider sat balanced, supple and was well dressed .... but the requirements of their tests revealed an interesting disconnect between them. I could see the subtle rider give the horse aids within her tidy equitation. I could see the beautiful animal "hear" and respond to those aids. But most of the time his response was wrong. When she closed her legs he sometimes engaged the muscles in his neck, or scurried his strides, or wiggled, or something else. When she closed her fingers on the reins he offered a variety of responses too. The horse did not choose the right response when he felt the "pressure" from his rider's aids. He was guessing. He appeared to be trying. In his training, he had not learned the correct answers. So, eventhough she appeared to be a tidy rider, her test was sloppy.
Here is the secret: There are only 4 aids a horse needs to know. The many applications of those aids create complicated grey areas... and a good rider needs to help the horse stay clear. Simplify. Simplify. Simplify.
1. The GO aid. The rider presses the inside of the top of her calf against the barrel of the horse equally on both sides while slightly opening or relaxing the fingers on the reins. A secondary GO aid is a bump with the calves or a flutter of the whip.
2. The STOP aid. The rider braces her hips/lower back to resist the movement of the horse with her seat. The secondary aid if the horse is hollow, or otherwise unable to obey the seat, is the tug on the reins by the riders hands.
3. The LEFT aid. This is two parts.
A) A left rein pressure takes the horses' head and neck to the left position (lateral yielding to the rein). There is a leading rein, a direct rein, and indirect rein pressure. He needs to understand that he should yield to all three.
B) The rider's right leg pushes the horse to the left (lateral yielding to the single leg pressure).
4. The RIGHT aid.
A) A right rein takes the horses' head and neck to the right position. (lateral yielding to the rein)
B) The rider's left leg pushes the horse to the right. (lateral yeilding to the leg).
All dressage movements are created by combining the above mentioned aids. Combinations often create confusion. Especially if the rider gives the aids with some lack of clarity. It takes a very balanced, independent seat for a rider to give all the aids with perfect clarity. How can the leg aids be crystal clear if the rider grips her legs? Lack of clarity creates resistance. Resistance is a delayed response, an opposite response, a minimal effort response and the like. If a horse has resistance, and it is not due to a physical problem or illness, it is because of a misunderstanding or disrespect of one of the 4 aids. Therefore, the correction for resistance is for the rider to figure out which aid is misunderstood, misinterrpreted, or ignored. Then, teach the horse the desired response (to a clearly applied aid) using a sensitively applied secondary aid, repeated until his response becomes crystal clear. Reward! Make sure you articulate your reward clearly in body language too.
When the horse is honestly on the aids (prepared in his mind and body to respond instantly and correctly to the 4 aids), he is "on the bit" and will demonstrate the attractive, well known carriage as such. Simply because he is listening. There is no formula for getting a horse on the bit other than clear training his obedience to the aids.
A beautiful, balanced, skilled rider cannot mount a wild mustang and use aids to create desired movement no matter how good she is. Because he would not be clear on the correct responses to her pressures. But, he can be taught the responses. Then, when she gives the aids clearly to him, the horse can comply without resistance. He will flex his neck in preparation for her lateral aids, he will cadence his gaits in rhythm with her seat as she balances him between stop and go aids. All the beauty of dressage will appear as if by the horses' will. It is all because of clarity of the four aids: stop, go, left and right.
Train your horse to respond perfectly to these aids given at a subtle volume, and you have created a dressage horse.
Fuss at him randomly, and you may get the arch of the neck, hit or miss, a good day here, a bad day there. Teach him to comply with the aids with a ready state of mind, then you can use the aids to bring him all the way through the levels of dressage. This is why they say dressage is good for all horses: because all horses benefit from clarity in communication. Next time you feel resistance, ask: which aid is most unclear to him at this time. Then stop the exercise you are doing, and re-train the aid that was confused. Simplify. Simplify. Simplify.
First topic: My struggle with the new dressage ruling requiring judges to consider the use of half points for everything on the scoresheet.
Donna Kelly and I judged the early January show in Pinehurst to become, perhaps, the first two judges in this area to use the new scoring system. Several people have inquired about my opinion of the new system, including show management and the NCDCTA newsletter. I don't know Donna's opinion at this point. Personally, I thought it was fairly difficult. I was trained under the former whole number system and learned how to work in an easy groove. After the show or at breaks judges can go to the score boards to observe the final placings of their classes. We like to see that the final placing ended up being what we had designed in our head. That means our numbers equal our intention. Historically, I have done pretty well.
While judging I can generally make a solid, quick decision ( Is it a 6 or 7?) based on what I observed. However, with the half points, I felt like every score had one additional decision to make. Instead of deciding between two numbers, I felt like I was choosing between three numbers for the same visual input. If I were on the fence between a 7 and an 8, suddenly I had to choose between 7.0, 7.5 and 8.0. For me, that resulted in one more decision per every movement scored. Since the pace in the judges box is rapid, that additional decision slowed me down enough to knock me off my groove... a little. Fundamentaly, I think I still found the right marks as per what I saw... Maybe in the long run, I could learn to like the new system better as the decisions become more routine.
Scores can be influenced by "modifiers". They are all the little things that happen in a test to make it either more brilliant or more of a mess. For example, in first level test 1, you are required to depart into the right lead canter at A. (score the transitition). Then at E you circle right 15. That circle is the essence of the next score, but as we know there is a corner between the transition and the circle. If the horse stumbles in the corner because the rider has left him improperly balanced, then the judge can give a down modifier for the next score. First, I see the canter quaility as number. Lets say I am looking at a "7" quality canter (7 = fairly good). The rider steered a decent round circle but the horse lacked bend as he leaned into his turn. So, for the Criteria of that circle, (shape and size of circle; bend) I would be satisfied, but definitely not say it is fairly good in the bend department. Satisfied means a 6. The stumble in the corner was significant enough to warrent a down modifier. How much should I modify down? Previously I had to think in whole numbers, now I can think in halves. Was it bad enough to warrent a minus 1? Or should I only reduce it a half point.... hum... If the stumble was significant enough for a 1 point down modifier, my end formula for that movement is 7 (gaits) and 6 (criteria: shape, size, bend) equals 6.5 ...minus 1.0 because of the stumble in the corner. That makes me write down a 5.5 for the score. Previously, what would I have decided? Previously, if I was torn half way between two numbers, I would generally lean toward the higher. Now, I just choose the half point. Perhaps that means my scores will become slightly lower overall, but my placings will remain consistant. I am not sure how this is going to feel in the long run.
I am interested in hearing about your opinions of the new scoring system.
I think "placing" challenges will always exist. For example, if there is an elastic, good mover ridden by a sloppy, inaccurate rider competing against a weak, stiff horse ridden by a skilled, accurate rider, which one looks like he should win? If you stand by the sidelines and watch, most people will be impressed by the fancy elastic mover who appears most "dressagey". However, if you are sitting in the judges box looking at centerlines, straightness and accuracy, you may end up placing the weak mover with the skilled rider above him. Then, the lay-person on the sidelines, declares you to be an idiot. "The other guy was clearly more dressagey. The judge is blind." he says. I don't think half points will change anything here. People will complain about judging until the sun sets forever.
As a trainer of some people who enjoy competition, my advice is this: find a "dressagey" mover that you enjoy, and learn to ride it really, really, really well: bring to the performance the skilled, accurate rider. Then the layperson and the judge person may agree on your victory.
Topic two:
The secret to horse training... It was perfect weather and a smooth show. One horse stuck out in my memory. He was a naturally good mover with attractive presentation. His rider sat balanced, supple and was well dressed .... but the requirements of their tests revealed an interesting disconnect between them. I could see the subtle rider give the horse aids within her tidy equitation. I could see the beautiful animal "hear" and respond to those aids. But most of the time his response was wrong. When she closed her legs he sometimes engaged the muscles in his neck, or scurried his strides, or wiggled, or something else. When she closed her fingers on the reins he offered a variety of responses too. The horse did not choose the right response when he felt the "pressure" from his rider's aids. He was guessing. He appeared to be trying. In his training, he had not learned the correct answers. So, eventhough she appeared to be a tidy rider, her test was sloppy.
Here is the secret: There are only 4 aids a horse needs to know. The many applications of those aids create complicated grey areas... and a good rider needs to help the horse stay clear. Simplify. Simplify. Simplify.
1. The GO aid. The rider presses the inside of the top of her calf against the barrel of the horse equally on both sides while slightly opening or relaxing the fingers on the reins. A secondary GO aid is a bump with the calves or a flutter of the whip.
2. The STOP aid. The rider braces her hips/lower back to resist the movement of the horse with her seat. The secondary aid if the horse is hollow, or otherwise unable to obey the seat, is the tug on the reins by the riders hands.
3. The LEFT aid. This is two parts.
A) A left rein pressure takes the horses' head and neck to the left position (lateral yielding to the rein). There is a leading rein, a direct rein, and indirect rein pressure. He needs to understand that he should yield to all three.
B) The rider's right leg pushes the horse to the left (lateral yielding to the single leg pressure).
4. The RIGHT aid.
A) A right rein takes the horses' head and neck to the right position. (lateral yielding to the rein)
B) The rider's left leg pushes the horse to the right. (lateral yeilding to the leg).
All dressage movements are created by combining the above mentioned aids. Combinations often create confusion. Especially if the rider gives the aids with some lack of clarity. It takes a very balanced, independent seat for a rider to give all the aids with perfect clarity. How can the leg aids be crystal clear if the rider grips her legs? Lack of clarity creates resistance. Resistance is a delayed response, an opposite response, a minimal effort response and the like. If a horse has resistance, and it is not due to a physical problem or illness, it is because of a misunderstanding or disrespect of one of the 4 aids. Therefore, the correction for resistance is for the rider to figure out which aid is misunderstood, misinterrpreted, or ignored. Then, teach the horse the desired response (to a clearly applied aid) using a sensitively applied secondary aid, repeated until his response becomes crystal clear. Reward! Make sure you articulate your reward clearly in body language too.
When the horse is honestly on the aids (prepared in his mind and body to respond instantly and correctly to the 4 aids), he is "on the bit" and will demonstrate the attractive, well known carriage as such. Simply because he is listening. There is no formula for getting a horse on the bit other than clear training his obedience to the aids.
A beautiful, balanced, skilled rider cannot mount a wild mustang and use aids to create desired movement no matter how good she is. Because he would not be clear on the correct responses to her pressures. But, he can be taught the responses. Then, when she gives the aids clearly to him, the horse can comply without resistance. He will flex his neck in preparation for her lateral aids, he will cadence his gaits in rhythm with her seat as she balances him between stop and go aids. All the beauty of dressage will appear as if by the horses' will. It is all because of clarity of the four aids: stop, go, left and right.
Train your horse to respond perfectly to these aids given at a subtle volume, and you have created a dressage horse.
Fuss at him randomly, and you may get the arch of the neck, hit or miss, a good day here, a bad day there. Teach him to comply with the aids with a ready state of mind, then you can use the aids to bring him all the way through the levels of dressage. This is why they say dressage is good for all horses: because all horses benefit from clarity in communication. Next time you feel resistance, ask: which aid is most unclear to him at this time. Then stop the exercise you are doing, and re-train the aid that was confused. Simplify. Simplify. Simplify.
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