@Annie10 I think that was SillyHorse’s point. Many dressage riders salute by sticking their arm stiffly out to the side. I have seen it plenty of times even though that is not what the rule book states. So why do many people do is wrong.
I just did a Google search Dressage Salute images. Most show the stiff arm salute away from the body.
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Ah ok. I have not seen that done, only down the body
I don’t understand why the judges accept this stiff-armed salute. It’s not what is described in the rules.
I think people exaggerate the arm to make sure the judge sees it. I have a very subtle salute, and have had “salute?” commented on my test before. 
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That’s interesting. I always salute the way it’s described in the rule book, and have never had a judge not see it. How would you describe your subtle salute?
I have actually forgotten to salute at the start of a test. It was a 3rd level test, so not my first rodeo, oops. (New horse, first show, brain in neutral.)
The judge rang me off course, made me go round and do it again, and then gave me a 5 and a 2 point error of course deduction, which was a bit painful as we are normally up there in the 7.5s on our entry… Maybe she thought she’d cure me from ever doing it again…
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Transfer reins to my left hand, drop right arm straight down my side, and nod. I don’t feel like I rush through it (the halt is actually one of my horse’s best movements!) but I think I’ve gotten that comment twice and went back to the video to make sure I did in fact salute! But there was no point deduction so it seems like the judge for whatever reason just wasn’t sure.
We were doing practice tests with a clinician (I think Kathy McClatchy) and one woman did a very elaborate bow. She swept her hand down and back and bowed her head really low. She was told to come back in and do a simple hand drop to leg, slight nod and take up the reins. It was explained that the excessive bow movement took the rider out of place and changed the weight so that would cause her to use time trying to get back in balance.
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I don’t know how you could do it any better, unless you’re nodding is too slight. I nod kind of slowly, I guess.
In thinking about it, I realized that the judge always acknowledges my salute. Most times, the judge is standing when I come down the center line and gives a little head bow and sits to let me know s/he saw the salute.
Maybe she really wanted to dismount and curtsey, lol.
MARINE CORPS UNIFORM REGULATIONS (263 pages, See Chapter 11)
Where in Ch 11?
Side note, why do the other services have such LONG dress and appearance regs? It’s not that complicated, guys!
I was trying to understand what you guys were saying (I was thinking like parrallel to the ground straight out and never saw that) so I looked it up and there’s a whole Youtube video on how to do the salute (incorrectly):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWlxzZ9Li9w
I wonder if that angle came from a mix of long arms needing to angle past the leg and (as mentioned later in the video) not wanting the judge to miss the salute if the hand is straight down and the horse moves its neck.
I’ve always done hand straight down, palm facing back of horse, nod, wait for judge to nod, pat horse, walk fives steps forward, immediately start removing gloves as horse turns herself around and heads out.
Yes, for both first and last movements. I’ve never had a judge miss it.
