How Often Do You Get Different Feedback from the Judge Than You Get from Your Instructor?

Most dressage riders do not ride their horse forward enough.

There is a skill between having your horse forward enough or having the test with ‘running’ all over it.

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Are you wondering about movement comments on the specific ride? For example: your 10 meter circle gets a 5 and the judge says ‘needs more bend’ and your trainer says ‘eh, I think that was a bit harsh, you had decent bend’? If this is what you mean then I think this is often the amount of difference you’d also get riding from one judge to another.

Or are you wondering about comments on a specific movement where your trainer didn’t see the specific ride? For example: your 10 meter gets ‘needs more bend’ but at home your coach is always telling you to have less bend? If this is what you mean then i think videoing as others have mentioned can be helpful. often we ride differently at shows or we over-correct something we know an instructor has been telling us. Or maybe there is more nuance. Maybe you overbend in the neck, but not in enough bend in the body. In which case both might be right/saying more or less the same thing.

Or are you wondering about overall ways of going things? For example: judge says horse’s poll is too low but your trainer always wants you to lower the poll. If this is what you mean and this happens often, I would be a bit concerned and would talk to my instructor. It’s possible that the the instructor wants you to ride a certain way to correct a tendency you or your horse has knowing it’s not the long term goal, just a way to get to the long term goal. But then you should work with your instructor to make sure he/she is telling you the difference between what we’re doing for now v. what is considered correct/ideal riding

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It really doesn’t matter if the trainer is watching (mostly they were). Most people, myself included, ride differently in front of the trainer and a judge at shows. There are no “do-overs” at a show and continued success relies on your ability to put mistakes behind you. Also, most horses are familiar with the trainer’s ring but not as familiar with the show ring/surrounding environment. If the trainer isn’t there, then watching the test will help the rider understand the scores better if the score seems odd.

My point was that video taping your show rides and watching them with the test allows you to see what the judge saw at that moment in time. You don’t agree? Do you think everyone rides the same at shows and with their trainer as you claim to do? And all horses go the same way?

I’ve shown a lot. I always watch the test with the score in hand to understand the judges comments. Pro riders I showed with often did the same on new/young horses.

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Either you misread my post, which was addressed to the OP, or I mispelled « I concur »?

I was adding to your post…

And I believe it does matter that the trainer watch the ride, either live or from a video, and give feedback to the OP.

The OP is training with that trainer.
The OP wants to compete.
The trainer should be able to comment on the OP’s performance in the ring.

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I will say that while I knew I rode differently at the recognized shows (not so much at the schooling shows) compared to clinics or in lessons, I just couldn’t believe how differently until I saw myself on video in a test ride at a recognized show and compared it to a test that my coach filmed during a lesson only 3 days earlier. While it wasn’t so much about my position, mistakes, movements that were not performed correctly or bad habits creeping in, it was all about the overall impression. I could see that my body was not doing as well as my poker face impression during moments that my horse got tense. I definitely could see the vicious cycle I inadequately handled during the show ride - his tight back and mine were competing to out do each other. It was an eye opener and more than explained how I got such ‘wonderful’ rides at home or in a clinic setting compared to what I would get at shows…and though my horse and I were well seasoned…a stallion can and will pull your pants down in public even in the most subtle ways if you don’t have full controll over your feelings :wink: It completely justified why I was getting low 60s at the show when most clinicians, coaches et al kept exclaiming how we were a 70s team…

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And why the on line competitions videoed from home are not a real indication of competing away from home with some horses.

I don’t think I can like this comment enough.

The other one added to these remarks on the weekend by a “trainer” was that the people above her placed because they knew the judge.

I look at some tests and wonder if the judge was actually watching the same test as I was riding, but more often than not the feedback is very spot on. Sometimes the marks are a little ouch, but as has been said, video is such an important tool. You can sit there and look back at it and understand why it may have been given at the time.

There are also times where you just shrug and take it on the chin and try again another day. Maybe the judge had too much wine at lunch.

I have found that judges frequently (per their training) miss some of the details of what to do to fix problems- but they are supposed to be observing, not training. There have been some times judges misunderstood something because of not knowing history, but generally they agree.
I still remember my highest scoring test at training level, after my ride my trainer took me out the the warmup and had me trot a few figures with longer reins, and told me, “if you get that, with everything else you did, you will score in the 70s.” Get back my 69% test and the judge said the same thing.

I scribed for many years at a Gold show. Without exception, the next ride after scribing was always with a focus on forward!