[willeys bonanza]

I have been doing some low level dressage shows, training level. Anyway i wanted to get some different views. What should the judge be looking for in training level classes at schooling type shows? I had heard that in low level the judge should look at the responsivness of the horse and rider, and the pattern itself. However the past dressage show i was at the only thing the judge looked at was the horses gait.

I have a walker that i converted, and yes i know that he is not a dressage horse but the judge i had did not comment anything on my pattern but only on my horses gait. And i quote "Horse is obviously gaited, makes it hard to give good score" is what he put on teh bottom of my test giving me a 42%. Now this show was a winter schooling show, not a rated show or anything. There were people there that didnt have dressage saddles and formal dress was optional. The show before that was not at that barn, and i got a 56%, and the only bad comments were on my pattern.

Anyway what are your views on judging?

[idlewild]

Pretty much, when it comes to dressage judging. You are paying for an opinion. That's pretty much what it boils down to.

Sometimes that judge is more educated than some, or prefers a certain kind of mover over the other. Some judges like to score high, some like to score low, some are harsh, some are nice. At a schooling show you also may not be getting certified judges, or you may be getting someone who is going for their certification and is just practicing but is not certified yet. Through the USDF judge certification program we should hope that most judges will score about the same, but still, I don't think you will ever be able to override that particular person's personal preferences and opinions.

Your problem with having a gaited horse is that your horse will most likely have a tendency to move laterally, a big NO-NO in dressage. So, that is going to drop your horse's "gait" score way down, and when a horse doesn't have good gaits, it's hard to bring up the score on the pattern even if you do it 100% perfect.

There are so many variables when it comes to dressage judging, the judge themselves, you and your horse--you could be having a good day at one show, and at the next your horse is just the devil incarnate!

I figure, don't worry about it much, just get in there, ride my best, and hope the judge likes my horse!

[imjustjoking22]

Well if the horse is moving in a very "gaited" way it can make it hard to, for example, rate the quality of the horse's trot or canter, if that makes sense. If the horse is not properly trotting or cantering then a judge could feel that he/she is unable to give a valid assessment of those gaits. Since that is a big part of dressage (they look at the rhythm, and regularity of the gaits, the relaxation shown through the movement, and the quality of those gaits).

So unfortunately it is much harder to do dressage with a horse that is gaited- but I have seen some gaited horses successfully "converted" and so it is possible to be successful at dressage- you may just not be ready yet.

[horseyfrk145]

Judges have opinions, as stated by Idlewild - so some prefer certain gaits, breeds, even colors, high/low frames, etc, and many judges I think may not like a gaited horse so be prepared for a bit of harsh judging. Good luck.

[jmpappjmp]

Have you ever tried using a gaited breeds test? Instead of trying to do something that isn't natural for your horse. If he's naturally gaited.

http://www.nwha.com/dressage.html

I'm not sure what kind of gaited horse you have. But it's similiar to the regular usef tests.

One of the ladies that is going to our dressage series asked if her gaited horse could show. I said yes and I just gave the judge a copy of the test beforehand. She was like neat that should be different. I think it all depends on the judge and their attitude.

Hope that helps a bit.

[willeys bonanza]

jmpappjmp: i have looked at those shows but the problem is i also do english/western pleasure and most of those judges like him because he has a bit of a four beat canter, its amost gone when he is totally collected, but in pleasure its easy to sit so it helps my equitation and pleasure. the only problem is i have tried to get him a little bit back into gaiting so he will be five gaited but it hurts his canter so i dont want to get him totally into gaiting. Also we dont have tons of money, and we are just now looking for our own trailer and most of the gaited shows are pretty far away from where we live. I know that most people arent going to like him in the show rings, but it doesnt really bother me.


Anyway i just wanted opinions on how much the horses movement should play apart in low level dressage, such as if i had a normal horse but he didnt have a big gait.

[No1Dazy]

Gaits will ALWAYS play a role, in any level. Say you have 3 different horses that make a perfect 20 meter circle. All three have the circle accurate, round, good bend, and even in the tempo.

• Horse 1 is average in his gaits. This horse, if the circle is really that good, will most likely get a 6 or 7.
• Horse 2 is very fancy and flashy, with good length of stride and lots of suspension and engagement. For the same circle, this horse will get an 8. The quality of the trot is just better.
• Horse 3 displays some gaited characteristics during the circle. (Maybe a few steps that are not a true trot.) Since the dressage rulebook states that the horse must show three true gaits and these gaits must be walk, trot, and canter, this horse will be marked down a LOT. A generous judge might give you a 4 or 5.

Just my experience...

[No1Dazy]

I just wanted to add that I do believe that dressage should be about taking the horse you have and making him the best he can be.

The sad truth is that average quality horses have to work a LOT harder to compete with the ones who are truly spectacular. These average horses have to be that much MORE obedient, correct, and accurate in their tests to score as well.