Featured Article (October 2001)

Virginia Dressage

The Judge’s View

A component of dressage is perfecting your riding skills in order to bring out the best in every horse—horses that are now better than ever. The judges interviewed for this article share their observations about what they see in the dressage arena.

Libby Anderson - How a Judge Might Score a Movement and What Can Go Wrong.

Libby Anderson, a USA Equestrian Dressage “S” judge formerly from Australia where she had an active career as an animal nutritionist, author, and competitive Dressage rider, trainer and judge, now runs a training barn in Catharpin. She trains several riders and horses through the USDF awards, and all her FEI horses are trained from the ground up. She has benefited from the wonderful tuition of several international and national trainers. Libby’s influential mentors were Frans Maringer and Hubert Eichinger from the Spanish Riding School who taught her the basics and developed her philosophy of training a happy horse. Since then, Libby has judged and competed actively and has won the USDF Bronze, Silver and Gold Medals. She recently judged the 2001 Christopher Reeves Celebrity Freestyle.

“Believe it or not, dressage judges are always ‘on your side,’ looking to award marks wherever possible. Let me explain the Scale of Marks awarded for each movement. These marks are uniform around the world and were originally from the grading system of the Federation Equestrian International (FEI). The USA Equestrian follows the FEI guidelines. 10 = Excellent; 9 = Very Good; 8 = Good; 7 = Fairly Good; 6 = Satisfactory 5 = Sufficient; 4 = Insufficient; 3 = Fairly Bad; 2 = Bad; 1 = Very Bad; 0 = Not Done.”

“The judge starts with a mental image of the Excellent mark of 10. At the start of each test (except the musical freestyles) the first movement is always the entry. This includes: Enter at A; Halt at X; Salute; Proceed at working trot (in Training and 1st Level); at C turn either left or right. What can go wrong to detract from the Excellent mark of 10? Lets divide the first movement into three segments: the entry, the halt, and the trot and the turn.”

“Say our demonstration horse is about to enter and the judge has rung the bell. What are some problems that occur? Spooking at A, wobbly down the centerline, above the bit or behind the vertical, disobedient, or not moving freely forward and straight. Now, the halt consists of three parts: the transition into the halt, the quality of the halt itself, and the upward transition into the trot. Again several things can go wrong such as resistance or unsteadiness in the halt, the horse not being straight, square, or still, or the horse stepping backwards. The upward transition should demonstrate straightness, obedience, and forward motion, leading towards the turn at C. Still things can go wrong like resistance, disobedient, crookedness, a poor turn, and a lack of forwardness. This, finally, is the end of the first movement.”

“Our demonstration horse has done quite a fair job of the first movement. Lets say that he spooked a little at A. This is not a major fault. The horse (or rider) may have felt nervous and inattentive at the start of the test. The judge still stays on 10 and watches carefully. The trot up the centerline is fairly forward and straight. The transition into the halt is fluent, and the horse stands immobile with the hind legs underneath himself. The actual halt itself is not quite straight. After the salute, which is done well, the horse shows some unsteadiness in the bridle for the upward trot transition. A shake of the head and he proceeds nicely up the centerline and executes a pleasing turn at C. Take note that when a horses goes off to the right of the centerline, in front of the judge at C, in order to turn left at C, it show that the horse is not on the outside rein and unable to execute the turn correctly.”

“Given all this, the horse that spooked at A and was not perfectly straight in the halt (but not really crooked) and that was unsteady in the initial trot, the judge would feel comfortable awarding a 7 (Fairly Good) for the movement. If these problems were minimal then the judge could be justified in giving an 8 (Good). However if the problems were more marked, particularly a halt that is not straight then the judge could go down to a 6 (Satisfactory).”

“You can gain many marks by riding correct circles and turns and by preparing for all transitions so that they are executed on the marker in a soft and happy fashion. Certainly the half-halt should be seen and no transitions ‘on the hand.’ Ride straight and forward with a light, consistent connection. The judge and the rider are both looking for the same virtues: A happy and willing horse (no matter of the breed or age). All horses are capable of performing pleasing and fluent tests.”

Judy Westenhoefer - Common Mistakes at Lower and Upper Levels

Judy Westenhoefer has been teaching, training, and competing in Classical Dressage since 1968 and has been a USA Equestrian “R” judge since 1987. She is the recipient of the USDF Bronze and Silver Medal of Achievement in training and competition, and she was selected twice for training with what is now known as the USET Dressage developing list of riders. Judy’s Dressage background includes extensive training with Olympic coaches and trainers like Bengt Ljungquist, Karl Mikolka, Melle Von Bruggan, and George Heyser. She completed a 2-year live-in apprenticeship with Lilian Wittmack-Roye, the 6-time Danish National Dressage and Show Jumping Champion. Originally from Pennsylvania, Judy now resides at her Central Manor Farm in Bedford where she continues to breed and train Dressage horses. Judy is also an active judge and competitor. Earlier this year, she judged a recognized VADA show and will be a judge at the Colonel Bengt Ljungquist Memorial Championships.

Common Mistakes in Lower Level Dressage

The most common mistake in lower level dressage is a lack of true working gaits. Some riders have a tendency to ride at their own level of comfort and thus not push towards excellence or accuracy. For example, the working trot is not easy to sit, so the rider will hold the horse back, compromising the working aspect of the trot for a more “sit-able” version. Westenhoefer also notices that riders tend to lack accuracy when executing movements or the test as a whole. For example, circles become ovals and the value of corners, where the rider should bring the horse back underneath himself, is overlooked. Mistakes such as these come from a lack of proper basic training. Westenhoefer believes that the horse must go forward to the bridle with straightness and a ground-covering stride – the essence of working gaits. She notices that even the walk is often not as forward or ground-covering as it should be. The dressage horse should be accurate and confident and should maintain impulsion. The horse and rider should exude a presence and individual personality which demonstrate the partnership they have developed over the many years it takes to be a successful dressage team. When these basics are mastered, mistakes such as the ones listed above will be able to be resolved, and the horse and rider will be ready to advance, which leads to the next common mistake. Many riders and their horses are moving too quickly through the levels. Not enough time is spent on accuracy as the rider’s drive for ascension motivates her/him to fly up the dressage ladder.

Common Mistakes at the Upper Levels

In the upper levels, Westenhoefer notices a phenomenon she calls “pull collection.” This is where the rider attempts to collect her/his horse from the front to the back by pulling on the reins. Instead, the rider needs to push the horse into collection from the hind end forward. The horse must maintain a forward presence with a collected, yet long, top line. In “pull collection” the horse’s neck tends to be too short. This common mistake is again due to a lack of proper basic training in the beginning. Without proper collection, you cannot execute the movements accurately, no matter how hard you try. What will help you and your horse achieve a correct top line, strength, and proper collection? Gymnastic training.

Virginia dressage is heading in the right direction and is producing better dressage riders than ever.

This may be because there is an ever increasing number of them as well as the infusion of European methods. But as these numbers increase, the need for a more well-rounded and required instructor certification program becomes apparent. The USDF Dressage instructor certification program meets that need with a strong program that is continuously improving as it develops. The most common mistake made by dressage riders outside of the ring is their choice of trainers and horses. In a perfect world, beginning dressage students would have the luxury of riding an upper level horse and learning from a highly experienced, knowledgeable trainer. But these partners are not exactly abundant, easy to come by, or able to fit into our budgets, and so we do the best we can. In addition to the growing wealth of knowledge out there for riders and trainers, dressage judges are fortunate to have, what is regarded as, the best training program in the world, supported by the AHSA and the USDF.

Carter Bass — What is lacking in Dressage

Carter Bass, a USA Equestrian Dressage “R” judge since 1999 and a Dressage Sport Horse Breeding “r” judge since 1995, began her professional judging career in 1989. She took her first dressage lesson in 1965 and was showing through Intermediaire I by 1976. She spent much time training with the great Hilda Gurney and many other prominent Dressage riders. In addition to judging, Bass is an active trainer, an instructor, and sport horse breeder.

Improve the Basics

As the breeding of dressage horses in this country improves, producing more movement and size, riders need to work on their position – their feet and seat – in order to extract all of the talent these horses possess. “Riders need to further develop a secure seat, which comes from proper instruction and practice. People are riding tests above the level where they feel secure, which makes it difficult to judge,” Bass says. “Instead of taking the horse’s gaits up, riders are taking them down to their level. Go back and improve the basics, rather than worrying so much about the movements and getting through the test.” What are the basics? dressage horses should be freely moving forward with a swinging back, propelling themselves from the haunches through the shoulders to the bit and then back again, creating a circular pattern. They should possess an unrestricted motion while maintaining a proper self-carriage with rhythm and an elastic forward contact. Once the rider develops a secure seat, she/he will be able to apply the correct leg and weight aids needed to ask the horse for more forward motion and to stop riding behind the vertical. Many of us began riding hunt seat and are now finding ourselves having to relearn how to sit on a horse and apply the aids.

In the show ring, Bass sees a lack of accuracy. Riders go so far as to miss the letters completely, performing a transition, for example, way before or after the predetermined letter. Another area that perhaps causes riders to not perform as well as they could is that they are having their tests read to them. No points are docked for having the test read, but it can cause the rider some problems. If you don’t know where you are going, how can you prepare? In Virginia, about 50% of the riders memorize their test. Elsewhere in the country, that percentage is substantially less. Another common sight in the ring for Bass is the way people handle mistakes. If, for example, your horse breaks from the canter before E, do not let it slide or else you will sacrifice a second movement: the transition at E. Instead, try to get the canter back so you can perform the down transition correctly. Lastly, Bass likes to see a clear difference in the gaits. Go ahead, strut your stuff! But perhaps one of the simplest and best pieces of advice is: “If you can’t break 60%, don’t move up.”

Kathy Rowse — Thoughts for amateurs and lower level riders.

Kathy Rowse, a USA Equestrian Dressage “S” judge from Suffolk,

Be Prepared

Rowse sees the same mistakes everywhere she judges, however, there are certain areas of the country where the basic quality of riding is higher due to the availability and influence of good professionals on their students. The three most important points Rowse makes are: 1) Riders need to focus more on themselves and how they can improve in order to better influence their horse. 2) The basic building blocks of training must be more firmly established. 3) Riders need to be more aware of how to set up and ride tests with preparation. “At all levels,” Bass states, “I see horses and riders who are unprepared for their tests – unprepared in a lot of ways. The simplest way is that they show up late, without their reader, not knowing which test they are scheduled to do. Remember - getting to the ring organized and on time is the rider’s responsibility, not the groom, the parent, the trainer, the reader, or the ring steward. Riders should know their exact time, test, arena, and whom they follow in the order of rides. Riders who demonstrate a lack of preparation in this simple way seem, to me, to be unlikely to be prepared in their training either.”

A more complicated way of being unprepared arrives when riders are not comfortable with the test they are riding. “Because you can ride a shoulder-in on a good day does not mean you are ready to ride 2nd level,” Rowse explains. “Riders can never go confidently into a test if they are not 150% comfortable not only with every movement in the test but with putting each movement together, one after the other.” At the 3rd and 4th Level Rowse sees riders who obviously do not have a good working understanding of the positioning and aids for the half-pass in a trot or a canter. Comprehending exactly what these dressage movements are about is not always easy, however if you ride a test that includes a half-pass, “you should at least be able to demonstrate correct bending and alignment of the shoulders and haunches.” Rowse sees that riders often move themselves and their horses up to 1st or 2nd Level before the basic building blocks are developed and confirmed. “Horses need to be consistently rhythmic with an energetic and steady tempo, to develop thrusting power, to be soft and steady on the bit, and to demonstrate a degree of balance before even attempting 1st Level. We even see horses without these basic building blocks attempting 2nd Level, which has the added requirement of collection.” In order to be comfortable and competent, Rowse believes that a rider should show a bit below where they are schooling, which means that even on a less than perfect day they should be able to perform fairly easily. This can give both the horse and the rider confidence when other factors like the show environment or nerves come into play.

Who Has Responsibility for Mistakes? Rider or Horse

Is the rider always to blame for mistakes? Rowse states, “The rider is the one in charge, the director of the training or the test. Certainly, there are horses who are unfocused, heavy, stiff, or lazy by nature. The good and feeling rider brings out the horse’s good points to help improve his less desirable traits. It is human nature to perhaps blame the horse when, in actuality, the problems are generally a product of our less than perfect riding.” Rowse reminds us that it is very important for riders to always look at themselves and ask how they can improve their riding skills: Can I ride softer with my hands? What are my legs doing to influence the horse? How am I using my seat in this movement we are having trouble with? Is my half-halt correct and, if not, what can I do to improve it?

With this insight, Rowse makes an excellent point: “Horses always seem to improve when ridden by a more experienced and influential rider, so perhaps we should focus on improving ourselves to become more like those influential riders that everyone admires!” Sure, the ability of the horse is important, but lets not forget the equal importance of the rider. And how do we increase our ability? Concentration and focus! The most successful amateurs have incredible focus and a high level of concentration. Kathy sees many junior riders who pay close attention to detail and who do well. The unfocused teenagers don’t do as well. Dressage is more than a sport; it is a lifestyle. “You learn to sit up tall on your horse by doing it all the time in all activities of your life, not just while you are riding.” One often compromised necessary ingredient for a high level of concentration and focus is fitness. How can you concentrate on your accuracy when you are out of breath and your limbs feel like jello? “And dressage horses,” Rowse says, “need to have a fit cardiovascular system and the correct muscling through their top line and abdomen.” Now that the quality of dressage horses (of many different breeds) is rising, most of them could easily score a 7 for their movement. But this leads us to another common mistake: Instead of enhancing the gaits with good riding, we often see the gaits deteriorate. This ties into how comfortable to rider is with what she/he is doing.

Important Tips to Improve Your Skills

Rowse offers these tips to improve your Dressage skills: 1) “Learn to ride really effective half-halts from your seat, back, and thigh. Not the hands! The horse must give the correct response to the half-halt, which is to lower the haunches and come up in the shoulders while remaining soft in the hand. These half-halts must be executed frequently in the test – in every corner, before every transition and movement, and during the movements. I see a lack of effective and frequent half-halts in the tests. Riders tend to rush from movement to movement with little or no preparation, which results in little or no balance and suppleness.” 2) “Learn to ride your corners to set up every transition and movement. Many points are thrown away because riders don’t understand the angle and bend for shoulder-in, traver, or half-pass. At the upper levels many more points are lost with bad walk pirouettes or a collected walk that is tense and pulled together that causes a loss of rhythm.” 3) “Unless you are an extremely experienced rider you need to practice your tests with a person on the ground to give feedback.” 4) “Instead of focusing on each movement while you practice, focus on the preparation before the movement. Focus on the corners, the bend, the half-halts, and the details all along the way. It is important to practice how all the movements are connected together by the corners, short sides and half-halts in between!”

Barbara Wiefelstede

Barbara Wiefelstede, a USA Equestrian Dressage “R” judge, received her judge’s card in 1978. In addition to judging all over the country, she currently operates Chestnut Oaks Stables, a boarding, training, and teaching facility in Doswell.

Foundation, Foundation, Foundation

Again, Wiefelstede’s observations revolve around similar points. “At the lower levels riders generally don’t work their horses actively forward enough and they get too caught up in teaching the tricks rather than making sure the gaits have good rhythm, suppleness, forwardness, and balance,” Wiefelstede points out. “If you start with the correct basics, all the movements come very easily. If the foundation isn’t correct, nothing really works.” This is something that is magnified as you go up through the levels. She particularly sees this in the lateral work, which are some of the lowest scoring movements because lots of impulsion and suppleness are needed and are not demonstrated. “If your foundation isn’t strong, it will come back to haunt you through the levels.” At the FEI level she sees a loss of impulsion and, at times, a loss of purity in the gaits in that as the walk becomes more collected, it turns into a lateral walk. She also sees some loss of clarity in the rhythm and inconsistency in the tempo, which sometimes comes from riding too much in collection and forgetting the upward transitions forward. There needs to be a balance.

Wiefelstede sees many beginning riders who, if they aren’t doing well at 1st Level, move up to 2nd Level. Perhaps these riders just want to do the tricks. We see this a bit more in less competitive areas where riders, for example, get a good extended trot and so move to 3rd Level but overlook the fact that their horses are not on the bit. “After these people get some really poor scores,” Wiefelstede notices, “they burn themselves out and don’t tend to continue past 3rd Level.” When we see mistakes such as irregular circles or wobbly lateral work, they usually are the result of a lack of impulsion from behind. “When we start collection at the 2nd Level, people may think that collection means slower, when, in fact, it has to do with engagement. When the impulsion isn’t there, the movement and balance aren’t there either,” states Wiefelstede. These trends apply not only to the riders, but to the trainers as well. Trainers may have their students riding too much in the hand, in too tight of a frame too soon, or using incorrect aids.

But overall, dressage has much improved in this country over the past 20 years. We are moving forward – even in the lower levels. Most riders and trainers are now better educated, looking for good instruction, and staying away from what doesn’t make sense, or is perhaps less than Classical. “The USDF has done a great deal of good with its various seminars and symposiums,” Barbara point out. “The local organizations are putting out many educational opportunities like clinics, which expand our knowledge.”