Comment

Comment by Jan Jollymour on December 14, 2010 at 9:54am

Hi, Vickie:

 

Mary's given you really good feedback.  As a coach, I find that often riders are concentrating on specifc issues with their horses going into tests, and very often those specific issues are better dealt with, so the rider comes out of the test feeling quite fulfilled, only to discover that the score doesn't reflect their feeling about the test.  That doesn't mean that the score is wrong or that the rider is wrong, it's that the judge(s) may be focusing on other things than what the rider's thinking about.  I also find that often what the rider assumes is "better" are small details, rather than the big picture.

 

On the other hand, judges sometimes drop the ball.  We are human too, and sometimes we look at the scoreboard and think, Wow - how could I have ended up with that score on that horse??  One of the challenges dressage judges face is having to score each movement on each horse honestly and with a fresh perspective, while ensuring that all the horses end up in the right order.  That's a huge task, and sometimes we make mistakes.

 

One of the very best things you can do for yourself around these issues is to have your competition riders videotaped.  Going back over your test paper and reviewing the scores and comments with the visual is an enlightening experience.  I encourage all my riders to spend the extra $$ at competitions to have this done, it usually comes out to the cost of a lesson, but the learning generated is huge, and worth much more than the cost.  Often you will see immediately what the judge is talking about, and sometimes you will see that you ARE or WERE better than the score/comment you received, and in either case you are better able to make intelligent and informed decisions about going forward.

 

Keep Mary's comments in mind, as they contain real wisdom, and will help you maintain a solid focus on training and competition.

Comment by Mary McGuire Smith on December 13, 2010 at 10:31pm

Vickie, sometimes it is simply that the judge that you had at the last show generally scores approximately 10% lower than the judge before.  At least in the USA, that happens.  It is more important to take into account the entire experience--for instance, how did your horse score in relation to the rest of the class?  Did she end up in approximately the same place against the other horses she has shown against before?  (IOW, were all the scores about 10% lower than the other judge?) Or, it may have been that your horse objected to something (even slightly by being a bit more tense overall) on this particular day, or in this particular arena?  My point is, I wouldn't dispair over just ONE show.  Just rewind it in your head, and remember the ride as it happened, look at the comments on the test, and train for the next show.  If the scores are not what you expect at the next show, then maybe you might want to re-evaluate.  So just keep your mind open as you train your mare, but be sure not to over-react to scores that didn't live up to your expectations.  It is only one show--not a pattern yet.  :-)

Comment by vickie lawson on December 13, 2010 at 5:01am

how is it that i know my horse is going better and better. yet i go to a champs show and get marks 10% less than i got less than a month ago??

Comment by vickie lawson on December 2, 2010 at 4:19am

got my cd tonight (thanks charmaine for making it). now just have to hope it fits and we can make it work!! show is in 1 1/2 weeks!! ahhhh! it will be exciting!

Comment by Ward Edwards on November 28, 2010 at 8:28pm

I found Training the Young Horse: The First Two Years by Anthony Crossley to be quite readable and very informative

Comment by T on November 28, 2010 at 12:57pm

GREAT, Thank you very much, I have a keen young rider that would benifit from a good book.. :)

Comment by Mary McGuire Smith on November 27, 2010 at 8:10pm

Hi T, my favorite basic dressage book is "Principles of Riding", which is the German FN manual. A good book for the dressage exercises is Major Anders Lindgren's book "Teaching Exercises: A Manual for Instructors and Riders". They are both available on Amazon.com.

Comment by Ellin McGinley Daum on November 27, 2010 at 8:08pm

Right from the Start and In The Moment Dressage, both by Mike Shafer. You can find them and the DVD on his website.

Comment by T on November 27, 2010 at 7:53pm

Does anyone have any suggestions for good reading, favorite books for basic dressage.. Thanks.. T

Comment by vickie lawson on November 16, 2010 at 8:22pm

help- i need to make a kur. i have the video of the actual moves, but i need to do the music. i understand there are free programs to download on how to add the music....... ideas?

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• …
• 7
• 8
• 9
• 10
• 11
• …
• 32
• Next ›
• Page