When basic dressage went wrong..
Lo and behold, I am actually an approved lower level dressage judge. I've also taken the initial showjumping course designing diplomas. But it is fair to say I did not build nor judge for many, many years now.
Even so I am an active horse person, and quite updated on current affairs. Which is the reason I needed to raise an eye brow while following a recent online discussion.
The discussion was about hosting, as well as to get people to actually enter, lower level dressage competitions.
Competitions of the sort one normally find at the local riding club.
You know those in-house events for both private horse owners as well as the ones renting a horse or pony from the riding school to participate.
Back in the days when I worked full time as a riding instructor our riding school made tons of money in hosting events like these. It did not matter if it was dressage or jumping, people signed up like crazy!
Fast forward till today
These days it seem it is not as easy as back in the days. Fair enough, time's are changing and both kids, and adults, are no longer interested in spending as much time in the stable as my generation did.
What didn't change that much are the dressage tests from my younger years. The actual movements and where to do them and such may have changed. But looking at the general impressions on the tests from where I grew up the tests are basically the same as they ever were.
General Impression
Horse’s gaits (purity and regularity) and tempo
Horse’s frame (submission to the bit) – x2
Rider’s seat and posture – x3
Rider’s influence (accuracy and effectiveness of the aids) – x2
Accuracy of the performance (corner turns, riding between movements, and following the test patterns) – x2
Only the first score, the horse's gaits (purity and regularity) and tempo, is directly related to the horse itself.
It doesn't even come with any kind of koefficient which makes it having quite the small influence of the end result.
The difference in getting a 10 for the horse's gaits, versus getting a perfect 10 all through the other four criteria's, all linked to the rider, is huge!
Good riding versus a flashy horse
Which is why I was so surprised reading a comment from someone suggesting to offer the "alternative tests" that have been created to promote good riding more than a flashy horse.
I wouldn't be me if I didn't dug these tests up, and what I found was not only the tests but also the following explanation from the national federation behind them.
The purpose of this dressage test is to promote good riding, focusing on the rider's seat and influence on the horse. The judging format can be seen as a step in the training process toward the traditional evaluation, which primarily rewards gaits and the execution of movements. Here, the quality of the horse or pony is not the determining factor, but rather how a well-trained horse can clearly demonstrate the rider’s correct influence.
That is exactly what has been judged since I don't know, Fred Flintstone invented the wheel maybe? This is exactly what they taught me and my fellow wanna bee dressage judges on our training sessions.
Knowing these things is what gave us the approval to judge in the first place!
What the heck went wrong along the way?
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These are the actual judging criteria's from these alternative tests.
Judging Criteria
Rider’s Seat
Rider’s core connection to the saddle and suppleness
Leg position and angles
Upper body posture
Head and hand position
Balance and relaxation
Rider’s Aids, Feel, and Influence
Coordination and effectiveness of weight, leg, and rein aids
Ability to use aids independently of each other
Contact with the horse
Effect of the Rider’s Influence on the Horse/Pony
Tempo
Execution of movements and the horse’s frame
Overall Impression
Harmony between rider and horse
Precision of the performance
The only thing removed from the general impressions from the official dressage tests is the first, very much insignificant for the overall score, judging criteria of the Horse’s gaits.
Lower level dressage was never about flashy horses.
Dressage as a whole was never about flashy horses.
So let’s not pretend we’re reinventing the wheel here.
Good riding has always been about the rider’s influence, not the horse’s price tag or head-turning gaits and movements.
These “new” tests are just dressing up old truths in fresh formatting.
On the other hand. If it gets more people up in the saddle, as well as getting more shows back on the calendar, at the same time as the attention sets focus on actual riding skills instead of all "the bling", I’m all in.
But let’s not forget what we’ve known all along: dressage, just as any other discipline, starts with a patient rider. Always has, always will.
What do you think? Please leave a comment in the comment section 👇🏻
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