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Grabbing the pommel in a test

Someone posted this in the “No Stirrups November” topic in the H/J forum.

It’s actually legal in dressage competition to steady yourself by grabbing the pommel. This was told to me by a well-known judge.

It might be legal, I guess, in that you won’t get eliminated, but if a judge sees it don’t expect much in the way of a rider score.

Thoughts?

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I have a hard time believing this too.

If you need to steady yourself by grabbing the pommel, perhaps you aren’t ready for competition.

I mean, maybe in the event of some sort of spook or something. It’s not my typical reaction though.

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Maybe this is what it’s about?

1.4. Safety strap. For purposes of rider safety, a short strap in front of the pommel may be attached to the D-rings or to the stirrup bars.

Found here… the text is in red, I can’t figure out what that means. Was it added in May or is it part of upcoming changes?

https://www.usef.org/forms-pubs/sAH3nOVD85c/dressage-attire-equipment-booklet

I’ve heard of looping a finger under a grabstrap.
But can you have those in competition?

Yes, absolutely. And I know some people have looped a finger under their grab strap (which I call the OH, SHIT! strap :rofl:), in shows. That is very different, however, from grabbing the pommel. You can’t pull yourself into the saddle with a grab strap the way you can when you grab the pommel.

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Exactly.

Seems to me that says you can have it, but not what happens if you use it (a little vs slot)?

Red text means it’s a rule change.

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Maybe Shelly could’ve used a strap…:grimacing::grimacing::grimacing:image

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Not cool. We all have our moments.

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They’re gonna to be blingy and crystal encrusted in no time

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I doubt it. They’ve been around forever.

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oh. perhaps i misunderstood. i thought it was a new rule-change that made them allowable in the ring now.

In a quick look through the rules I don’t see anything in the dressage rules about holding the pommel. There is some mention in the Western and Paso sections about where the riders hands must be.

So I think you’ll lose points in the rider score (and probably other places if your lack of balance is affecting the horse) but it’s not prohibited.

Is there a rule against riding one-handed? You might run afoul of that depending on how you do it.

All in all… this is probably not a test that is going to score well. If there is no outright prohibition more than likely the judge is going to be giving low scores and hoping that everybody stays right side up until it’s over.

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Yes, with a few very specific exceptions.

Riding with both hands is obligatory at all national and International Dressage Events. However, riding with one hand is permitted in the Freestyle Tests and when leaving the arena. Individuals holding a Federation Dispensation Certificate may use bridged or special adaptive reins for use with one or no hand(s), if their physical limitations require such and the equipment is listed on the Dispensation Certificate.

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DR 117.4

  1. Riding with both hands is obligatory at all national and International Dressage Events. However, riding with one hand is permitted in the Freestyle Tests and when leaving the arena. Individuals holding a Federation Dispensation Certificate may use bridged or special adaptive reins for use with one or no hand(s), if their physical limitations require such and the equipment is listed on the Dispensation Certificate.
    Apart from the halt and salute, where the athlete must take the reins in one hand, riding with the reins in both hands is obligatory in Dressage classes, but a discreet ‘pat on the neck’ for a well performed exercise, or for reassurance, is perfectly acceptable (as is the situation of an athlete needing to wipe a fly from their eye, or other situations such as adjusting clothing, saddle pads etc). However, if the rider intentionally takes the reins into one hand in order to use either the reins or the other hand to produce more impulsion from the horse, or to promote applause from the spectators during the test, it will be considered a fault and will be reflected in the mark for both the movement and the collective mark for ‘Rider’.

I’ve held the bucking strap in a PSG test on the first extended trot diagonal going towards the corner where the photographer had crouched down. I had a spooky horse and could just imagine him spinning me off if the photographer moved.

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This is exactly the kind of situation the rule says it’s for.

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This strap is for grabbing when you are having a scary moment. Bling and crystals are great lots of places, not so great when you have to grab something in a hurry.
In other words, the Oh $hit Strap is not the place for bling.

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I had no idea a grab strap was even allowed. I have never seen a dressage rider grab pommel outside of a longe seat lesson. I do agree that some dressage riders balance on the horses mouths and water ski.

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