"Fluent" in a remark on a test -- what does it mean to you?

[MyssMyst]

For fun, I pulled the directives in the USDF dressage tests. Fluency does not show up at training or 1st level. In 1-3, for the leg yield, the directives indicate: Regularity and quality of trot; consistent tempo; alignment; balance and flow.

Fluency shows up for the first time in 2-2, in the half turn on haunches: Quality of shortened walk strides; tempo and regularity; activity of hind legs; bend and fluency in turn. Same in 2-3.

In 3-1, it shows up in the 10m half circle to half passes: Shape and size of half circle; alignment, bend, fluency and crossing of legs; engagement and self-carriage, and again in the turn on haunches: Quality of shortened walk strides; tempo and regularity; activity of hind legs; bend and fluency in turn. Lastly, in the changes: Clear, balanced, fluent, straight flying change; engagement and self-carriage. In 3-2, you have it in the half turn on haunches, then the half pass says this: Alignment and bend while moving fluently forward and sideways; engagement and self-carriage. Also shows in the changes. It’s in the directives for 3-3 on the half passes (both trot and canter), turn on haunches, and changes.

In 4-1, 4-2, and 4-3, it’s in the directives for half passes at trot and canter, walk pirouettes, walk-canter transition, and changes (and there’s a lot of changes in 4-3).

[Jenerationx]

@MegBackInSaddle

I’ve “liked” every post that is against the use of “fluent.”

Words mean things. “Fluent” for “fluid” in this context reminds me of “utilized” when “used” is more appropriate. (“Utilized” actually means misappropriated, like “utilized the shoe as a hammer,” but it’s come to mean “fancy word for used.”)

My favourite example of the badtardized word becoming the norm is my hubby’s (now shared) pet peeve. “Presently” coming to mean “happening now” (instead of “soon”) and “momentarily” coming to mean “soon” (instead of occurring for just a moment).

Captain of the plane announces, “We’ll be in the air momentarily.” Hubby, “[deep sigh] I hope he means ‘presently’.”

OMG… poor pilot. That’s a bad one. “Irregardless” makes me nuts.

[Kaspercat]

Maybe it’s a US/UK thing? Here in the UK ‘fluent’ is used to mean graceful, smooth and effortless movement regularly and that meaning of the word appears to be relevant to a dressage test to me.

[Branna]

@Kaspercat

Maybe it’s a US/UK thing? Here in the UK ‘fluent’ is used to mean graceful, smooth and effortless movement regularly and that meaning of the word appears to be relevant to a dressage test to me.

I agree with this, I’m in the UK & am used to “fluent” being used regularly. I have never seen or heard “fluid” used in comments and find it a bit odd!

[alibi_18]

@Branna

I agree with this, I’m in the UK & am used to “fluent” being used regularly. I have never seen or heard “fluid” used in comments and find it a bit odd!

I’ve scribed for British judges, that’s probably why I’m accustom to the term.

[mvp]

I don’t think fluent and fluid are synonyms. Sorry, but that’s the truth.

[MysticOakRanch]

Have to agree, I’ve scribed for several judges from other countries, and they use the term pretty regularly (and all at the FEI levels). I don’t think I’ve ever had a US judge use it.

[BigMama1]

@alibi_18

I’ve scribed for British judges, that’s probably why I’m accustom to the term.

Every Canadian judge I’ve scribed for used “fluent” frequently. The term is definitely taught here

[kande04]

I think it’s a learning theory term, or at least I hear it often to describe trained behaviors. So it doesn’t just describe the way the subject moves (fluidly), but also likely includes the response to the cues.

So if I was to describe a fluent behavior, it would be a “finished” behavior that didn’t need any further training.

[merrygoround]

That the test flowed well, transitions were smooth, horse relaxed!

Be happy.

[alibi_18]

@mvp

I don’t think fluent and fluid are synonyms. Sorry, but that’s the truth.

And if you check both words’ definition, fluent is appropriate.

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fluent

[AllWeatherGal]

@MegBackInSaddle

I’ve “liked” every post that is against the use of “fluent.”

Words mean things. …“Fluent” for “fluid” in this context reminds me of “utilized” when “used” is more appropriate. (“Utilized” actually means misappropriated, like “utilized the shoe as a hammer,” but it’s come to mean “fancy word for used.”)

I have long felt the same about “fluent”, but am coming around to liking the implication of demonstrated skill What brought it up most recently was writing the comment for a lengthened trot. That was a first for me at lower levels … it’s usually been for an up transition to canter.

As for utilized … as someone who writes/develops for mostly military audiences, I am aggrieved at being corrected when I employ the word “Use” instead of “Utilize”. The reviewers strongly believe that their world requires special meaning, S1000D specifications be darned!

[AllWeatherGal]

@merrygoround

That the test flowed well, transitions were smooth, horse relaxed!

Be happy.

Best comment on CoTH ever

[AllWeatherGal]

@MyssMyst

For fun, I pulled the directives in the USxF dressage tests.

And herein lies a problem – One of my favorite judges actually has scribes circle and underline appropriate directives. I think it’s such a good way to guide competitors to actually notice them.

However, fluent hasn’t come across my “desk” since I’ve been scribing for eventing the last couple of years and my own recent dressage showing experience is at Training Level.

Thanks for the fun discussion, all!

[MegBackInSaddle]

@AllWeatherGal

I have long felt the same about “fluent”, but am coming around to liking the implication of demonstrated skill What brought it up most recently was writing the comment for a lengthened trot. That was a first for me at lower levels … it’s usually been for an up transition to canter.

As for utilized … as someone who writes/develops for mostly military audiences, I am aggrieved at being corrected when I employ the word “Use” instead of “Utilize”. The reviewers strongly believe that their world requires special meaning, S1000D specifications be darned!

In reading this thread, I agree that I’m coming to see how “fluent” could be a good word in dressage, not as a synonym for fluid, but as you noted, to point to the mastery of a skill.

Lol! Hubby is military, and he has plenty of beef with some of the writing.

[sascha]

I think of fluent the same way I think of facility - where a set of skills is so well and properly learnt that one cannot see any of the work that went into building them, only the beautiful finished product can be detected. And for the one performing, they know they are fluent, or have great facility when they can use those skills at will with no apparent output of effort.

[Heinz_57]

@alibi_18

And if you check both words’ definition, fluent is appropriate.

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fluent

Aye, I looked it up too. I think the rub stems mostly from the fact that fluent is primarily used in common speech in the context of referring to language, writing or speaking, but rarely elsewhere. The two words have similar but slightly different meanings and aren’t necessarily interchangeable in all contexts. I can see how fluent on a score sheet could be seen as, perhaps, a notch above simply fluid; the entire body of the movement is fluent versus a particular moment being fluid, especially in multi-part movements.

Personally, the word makes me bristle most is ‘incentivize’. :lol:

[GrayCatFarm]

I would be thrilled to have either fluid OR flowing OR fluent show up on my remarks.

[mjhco]

May I recommend for those here in the USA please at least audit the L program sessions A through C.

[Zevida]

@chestnutmarebeware

I wonder if the judge was saying “fluid” and the scribe mis-heard? Otherwise, seems like a strange word choice.

As a scribe I think I “corrected” fluent to fluid several times before I realized no, they really definitely mean “fluent”.