Out in the open? That’s an unreasonable expectation.
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a 50% check before competing is to shows the management cares, but they need to have 100% of the top placers of a class, if found then there would be hell to pay
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A solution in search of a problem…
What was the pressing “need” that is being addressed by this “tack check?”…we already seem to allow overly tight nosebands even though the rules say
> Nosebands shall not be adjusted so tightly that it causes skin irritation. It must be possible to insert two fingers under the noseband on the side of the face below the cheekbone.
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That’s not how dressage scoring often works. With handwritten tests, the tests have to go back to the office so the scorer can calculate the total. This can sometimes take a long time depending on how many volunteers are available. No one knows the winner until all of the scores are calculated. It is unreasonable to make all of the horses wait around just in case they are at the top and therefore need a tack check.
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If we must dismount and unbridle, does the steward’s duties include a leg up, after we rebridle our now fidgety horse?
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Hmm. I did not say anything about in the open, and in the next line mentioned a temporary panel set up sounded perfect. Not sure where you / @sascha inferred out in the open. I don’t think it’s unreasonable to expect a horse to be able to do it, but I digress.
Something right next to the ring or adjacent would maximize an official’s time and efficiency, with minimal inconvenience to the competitor. In eventing there’s ear bonnet and bit checks right after dressage and those fit-as-hell 5* horses stand right there in a milling crowd practically at the in-gate while a TD checks their tack and a groom unbridles them. It can be done.
I was just looking for solutions for what seems to be a problem sourced by lack of availability, experience, and time. It would seem having a place adjacent to officials would be a better use of a official’s time than trying to go through tack stalls to find the horse’s tack. I can’t see the latter working, there’s too many moving parts and variables; whose to say you even find the right horse’s bridle, or find the right horse? How will it work for truck-in competitors? And, how can you insure no biological contamination going from stall to stall?
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A tack check which does not include the removal of the bridle is a whole different kettle of fish. I’d bet that most of us have gone through many, many of those without difficulty, including fingers in mouths for bit checks. Standing quietly, tacked, with rider still aboard is completely different to dismounting and taking the bridle off completely. FWIW, my horse will stand naked wherever I put her, but knowing her, no way in hell would I ever expect her to do it in a show atmosphere after just having ridden a test, not even in a temporary panel enclosure. Nope, no way.
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Did you read the rest of the sentence you quoted where I said they are unbridled?
If eventers can do it, dressage horses can do it. Eventers also literally do it in an open field right after an XC run.
As a past bit checker I would much prefer a haltered horse in an enclosure versus feeling around in a strange horse’s mouth. It’s risky, and riders don’t always have control of their horses. I can’t tell you how many times a competitor has let their horse walk right over me during bit check.
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Where does this happen? This is an existing rule?
Where is it listed? I’ve never seen this mandatory unbridling? Or seen it in person .
Who’s going to carry my halter all the way to warm up? I’m not taking my 3yos bridle off down by the dressage rings and standing there w my reins around her neck hoping I can get the bridle back on. Also, there is not an appropriate space for a stall by many show grounds dressage rings.
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Mandatory unbridling is not a required rule (well, other than the tack inspection for the ear bonnet/bit after dressage). Next time one of the major events streams, watch it. The camera often pans to the riding pair as they exit the dressage ring, and you can catch the officials going to the pair while grooms untack the horse and the rider dismounts. You can also catch it post XC if you watch XC day. It’s very common.
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Ok, so this is a rider preference. And for those people who don’t have grooms?
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Bring the halter with you, have someone hold it for you, or, if it’s a drug testing stall, just take the whole bridle off for inspection and re-bridle once complete? Those would be my suggestions.
There is no perfect solution here. Would you prefer to pay more for an official to come to your stall? Or have your time taken up by someone while you’re at a time crunch? How about if you trucked in, how does that work?
There’s really no perfectly convenient answer that is equally desirable for all parties (officials, competitors, grooms). Maybe you have an idea that serves the need trying to be addressed?
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Which is why I question the new rule. I don’t see an official finding where I randomly parked my trailer and rummaging through my tack room which holds 3 bridles for varying things.
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Right. It’s not a very wise use of an official’s time IMO. Especially if the impetus to this rule change was limited man-power. I also question the biological safety of doing this.
I truck in to most of my shows. I can’t envision how an official would be able to catch me or know what time is convenient to do so. If I’m not riding my test I’m already on my way back to the barn.
I also don’t want to leave my trailer unlocked/open for an official. Too much risk of theft.
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I am often completely alone at shows. Blaming riders for not having grooms or being unable to carry a halter and lead rope with them down to warm up or having poorly trained horses is I think unreasonable.
As is expecting me to leave my trailer unlocked for an official to somehow find.
Unfortunately things like this make showing unreachable for many.
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Bridling and unbridling ringside is different in terms of safety than in the stall or stabling area. For example, I don’t want someone who has just come out of the ring on their hot stallion to have to dismount and take his bridle off as my mare is going by into the ring. If someone is sent to follow him back to the stabling area and look at the bit after it comes out of his mouth there that is fine. Coming by the stabling area hours before or after a ride and asking to see the bridle is just silly. As others have pointed out it could be a different bridle from what you actually ride in. Also you can’t tell anything about the tightness of the noseband, etc. from looking at it hanging on a hook.
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This is what they do at cutting shows. You ride to the judge, pull the bridle, put it back on and go. And they do it on 3yr olds. 
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I don’t understand where you – and others – are suggesting I said to unbridle a hot stallion or horse in a ring. I suggested doing it in a drug stall or, if set up allowed, a temporary stall panel configuration adjacent the ring. As a competitor and past bit checker, this seemed a reasonable compromise in my mind for all parties.
However, other disciplines do it. I felt there was merit in pointing it out.
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At Dressage at Lexington this year, Janine was walking through the stabling and checking bits. Someone on our aisle had to borrow my weymouth because theirs was illegal (caught before they got in the ring so not DQ’d- an advantage of the pre-check). She also made a point of checking both schooling bits and actual show bits (I showed in a snaffle but had my double for schooling). Since DAL was smaller this year, it was more practical, but I don’t recall them doing that at GAIGs. I don’t know if she went out to the handful of trailer-ins or not.
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