huh ok so celia doesn't like drafts....anything in particular about them she doesn't like? does she like tbs? how about the other judges?
Well, everyone has things they do and do not like about certain horses. Dressage, like hunters is very subjective. It should not matter what color your horse is, how tall your horse is, or what breed your horse is. Especially in the lower levels your horse should be judged on his training. A major key in dressage is relaxation. If the horse is tense or rushed but performs all of the required moves it could actually get a lower score than one that is relaxed and forward but maybe not entirely perfect. However, each level has a "purpose" and they should be reviewed and understood to get a better idea for what the judge is looking for.
There is a training scale and the horse should progress up that scale in order. Scores are given 0-10 for each move (and some for transistions or other hard moves there is a coeffiecient). Then also there are overall collective marks at the end of the test. One for gaits, one for submission, one for impulsion, and one for rider.
I don't think that the judges even intend to give certain horses lower scores, they just are falling into skin deep perception. Many judges also score andalusians lowly. Andalusians typically move differently from warmbloods in that their natural gaits are more animated and naturally collected. Since the lowerlevels want forward not collections many Andies suffer lower scores. Now, if the judge was perceptive enough to determine whether the horse was moving forward, with impulsion and freedom even though the stride isn't necessarily as ground covering as some warmbloods then you have a good judge. Klaus Balkenhol recently did and article on understanding impulsion for Dressage Today. (He is the coach for the USET dressage team.) I found two pictures in the article very telling. The pictures were of the hind feet of a horse in trot. One appears to be extending and moving very forward, but the toes are dragging. The other appears to be taking a short stride, but the hoof is clearly off the ground the joints of the leg are clearly flexed and the muscles are working. If those two horses were performing in the same class infront of the same judge the one with the shorter yet animated stride SHOULD receive the higher mark as it has impulsion. The other horse is lacking impulsion.
Sometimes this subtle difference is hard for people to see, even judges. It's amazing the differences in comments I'll get from judges regarding my horse's abilitly to work in a very uphill manner. Some have one basic comment on the test...on the forehand. I've worked very hard and Peanut is very rarely on the forehand and I can sure has heck feel it when he is. But, some people see a big horse and think he/she should be on the forehand and so they think he is.
Drafts and andalusians are not the only horses that commonly have problems with preconceived ideas in the dressage ring. Some QHs, Paints, and certainly ponies can too. As a whole the dressage world is getting better about adjusting what they think. Dressage was not designed for $80,000 horses. And, it's not exclusive to them.
Some local judges I really like are:
Nicky Vogel (r)
Betty Thorpe (r)
Judy Strohmaier (L)
Mikki Erriker (L)
I prefer S judges, but you don't usually see them at schooling shows.
Hehe, there have to be close dates for dressage shows as there are ride times and a limited number of entries (generally a full day is 50 rides). I think I can come, I guess I better find out for sure, huh?!
