If so, I have cliniced with him and found him a real advocate for the horse.
He has a very dry sense of humor, which might have been reflected in your comments.
Even if it was not Himself judging, IIWM, I’d be thrilled with the #s, and approach him after the show re:comments.
”‹”‹”‹”‹”‹
I watched the video-a lovely mover, you have a figure to die for that paints a pretty picture on a horse, and I like your elastic following seat in the canter. Honestly, I mean this- just a lovely pair.
Ok, time for butthurt. I wonder, since that initial halt is not forward, and then she falls apart coming out of it, that while judges are supposed to judge only the last movement, that was a poor first impression to make. The overall impression is of a horse who would very obediently give you too much and curl. She needs to be invited to be up and out- and whomever just posted about the slightly closed throatlatch above, I entirely agree. She’s a NICE mare, and I think judges very much advocate for the horse and giving you some food for thought. oh wait wait, some butthurt for thought. We go ride tests because we are willing to power through the butthurt to the teaching moments. We don’t learn a lot from the butthappy comments, I mean they are nice, yet how are we to learn and grow if we don’t ask others to hurt our butts from time to time? Manage your responses to the butthurtitude, seek the kernels of fact and truth, and you shall see your way free of the butt, and you won’t hurt anymore in no time!
PS- I also suffer with depression. Sucks, doesn’t it? Now go ride your horse.
How many tests in your career have you done? I can’t imagine being disappointed in a rider score of 7/7.5… I have gotten everywhere from 3 to 7, and a lot more in between than at the higher end… I’ve had horses leave the arena, jump out, and not stop – this is a good test. :lol:
Nice mare, nice riding, and nice test. I agree with the judge about the BTV but, this is what tests are for – to give you an unbiased, objective review of your progress, and to provide meaningful feedback for you to work towards. Save this video so two years down the road, you can look back on it and see how far you’ve come.
What is her breeding? She’s a nice mover.
I have a feeling he was both looking for something to comment on for you to work on to improve since that was a VERY nice test, and just making sure you were aware of what he saw could maaaaybe end up as an issue.
I’m jealous, you are such a lovely rider on a lovely horse, I feel like such a sack of potatoes on a moose compared to you!
Maybe it’s time to take up a different sport if that’s how dressage makes you feel! :o It’s supposed to be fun and challenging, not torture. It isn’t supposed to make us feel butthurt or unworthy. Somewhere along the lines, chasing ribbons and scores has made a lot of us forget that horses are FUN.
There are these things called jokes and banter. Maybe the Google can help you out 
dialing down deets
I’ve done many many shows but mostly when I was younger. This year is the first time I’ve consistently rode and competed in over a decade. And when I was a kid/teenager, I’d cry at shows all the time. If I felt the test was bad, I’d go off to the obscurest corner of the show grounds to cry while cooling out. Haha I just remembered that - so actually I’m doing much better now, comparatively :lol:
Disclaimer: I didn’t watch your video. Sometimes when judges see a nice horse they go after the rider more than the horse. They basically are telling you, you have a nice horse and there’s a lot of potential, so you have to ride the horse to that potential. (Easier said than done right!) I have a very nice horse that I retrained from hunter to dressage. When I showed him (even this year), there was at least one test per show that had a comment about my riding or equipment. I’ve had multiple judges stop and talk to me before or after my ride. I felt like I was being picked on! I took it with a grain of salt and shrugged it off knowing what I have been through to retrain the horse and not having a lot of experience with the horse away from home. You just have to be patient, especially since you haven’t had her that long. And if you know she’s tired or tight going into her test, know that you may get some comments like that. Again take it as a fair comment and move on. You know your horse.
OK, now this more complete quote provides more context. This was clearly, IMO, a thoughtful comment complimenting your horse.
Judges don’t “go after” either the rider or the horse. They comment on what they see.
Sheesh! :rolleyes:
Lovely horse, lovely test, lovely rider. 
It seems that word choices here are the issue. Having used strong words like “ruin” and “wreck” in your comments may have simply been quick choices on his part without recognizing they could be interpreted as destructive instead of constructive words. Kind of like using “butthurt” instead of say, “aggrieved”. 
(As a 55 y.o., I use butthurt a lot. It’s quick and evocative when I don’t have the time to wax eloquent.)
Aw, don’t get all butthurt about me using words you don’t like! Also, maybe Google can help you look up the definition of joke? I don’t think it means what you think it means? You seem to have banter down pat though. Phew. That’s the hardest step of the humour training pyramid!
ETA : I’m changing part of my comment because I read the whole thread and looked at the video.
You clearly not riding BV on purpose and frankly, nothing in that test gives that impression.
The 5.5 for the halt is fine. Your entrance was ok, your halt was fine, she sucked back at your aids but afterward was straight and ok.
(A 4 would be warranted only if you hadn’t stopped much and came in zigzagging…)
After seeing the video, I can only believe that the judge’s comment was, like others said, to be understood with humour.
Also, you can definitively ask the show organizer to speak with the judge right after the show is over (or at breaks between classes, if yours is over).
You are such a love. Thank you for all of this lovely attention. Have an awesome day!
The video provided indicates this was a rated show at a facility I recognize, also I don’t think this judge does schooling shows.
Before people get their panties in a twist judging the judge, I’ll point out that This judge is the author of much of the L program materials.
@the sandiest shoes , you might want to be a tad more careful about what you post; I could pretty easily figure out your and your horse’s name from the little bit you posted. (show last weekend, score, judge’s name and the video where I recognized the venue).
Willing horse with good basics. Rider needs to work on geometry - the serpentines should be ridden as 3 20 meter half circles. That means you need to ride 6 feet to the X side of the P-V line and S-R line. Your first loops are too small and you end up riding too many strides on the long side by B or E. Similarly, 20 meter circles at B or E do not go all the way to P-V or S-R line. I do like that you cut the first and last corners in your serpentines.
This will become more important when you have a side judge, but you were filmed from there, so that’s where I judged from.
I too, thought the horse’s poll was too low at times and the back was a bit tight.
Very nice horse, but remember where you are going - start to think about more uphill balance. Soon enough you will be riding lenthenings and those need the shoulders more up. You are riding a bit behind the motion in canter. I would love to see you be more upright in your body with more elastic connection in your arms. Remember your elbows act as shock absorbers. At times your arms appear locked and you rock your upper body against the canter. This will improve as you gain more independence in your aids.
Good luck!
FWIW, I loathe ‘butthurt’ also. So many less vile words in the dictionary…
I think what @PonyApocalypse19 is saying is that the comments might address the rider instead of the horse.
Ex. « on forehand » could instead be read « reins too long, rider’s pitch forward.
« above bit » could be « unsteady hands / restrictive hands »
« BV » could be « restrictive hands / too much pulling / harsh riding »
And judges do go after riders sometimes, for different reasons. This weekend, my judge wanted to make sure one young rider would understand that she must stop looking down.
She had me wrote « Look up » in every box.
It wasn’t meant as a mean comment at all. The judge added at the end that she’s such a lovely rider, she should ride with pride, with her head up and look forward. It would also be beneficial to her riding as well.
I changed my post.
I’m surprised you’re offended by this. Getting yelled at by old Germans is such a big part of our culture as a sport, I’m all out of tears from back when I had an ego. Now that I KNOW I’m the problem there’s nothing left to do but agree with Herr Judge.
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