Where are the volunteers who are going to do all of the suggested ideas? Shows have a hard time getting volunteers as it is, and some are not experienced horse people. It’s hard enough for an inexperienced volunteer to do a bit check. It’s crazy to expect them to do any more than put on gloves and peek into the horse’s mouth.
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Because many of us show alone without grooms or helpers to halter the horse for us.
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I’d rather have an enclosure with panels - I’m not excited about putting my horse in a stall that every other horse on the property has been in.
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Apologies, I will edit. What I meant was ‘individual gloved finger’ as has been done in the past how-ever many years previously.
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Not really - they use a fresh pair of gloves for every horse, just like a vet does.
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I am one of those people. I’ve never had a groom at any of my recognized shows. A halter by the warm up area isn’t a hill I’d die on personally. I’d rather focus my energy towards making the sport more accessible for all, including getting volunteers who want to actually do bit check. It’s not the most rewarding job.
I think we could find better solutions for the current rule suggestion, I’m all ears. A lot of posters are shooting down proposed ideas without offering their own solutions.
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It’s never going to happen because of the mentality already expressed in this thread about ground manners (or lack thereof) of dressage horses. But, really, the simplest, quickest option would be to ride to C after your test and drop your bridle for the judge, exactly the way exhibitors do in various western disciplines.
Don’t all jump on me now. I already said it won’t happen. But it would be the simplest method to ensure ALL bits were checked by someone (the judge) who knows what they’re doing. It takes almost no time at all.
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I would like to know what is the “problem” that this tack-check rule is intended to address. Like…how many riders are riding with unapproved bits?
As far as a suggestion for how to implement it, a simple random lottery as a rider exits the test determines if you leave with no action or get marked “to be tested.” Excel has a simple random number generator where you can easily create an indicator. I am sure there is an app for the iPad.
Since it seems the issue is the legality of the bit then as the rider exits the arena, an official and the In/Out gate can tag the bit/bridle with something like a “tamper seal”. Here is Uline’s version. The seals are all numbered, so a rider could not just pull it off.
The rider can then go dismount, untack their horse and bring the bridle/bit to be inspected at their convenience. This is where the “tamper seal” numbers are recorded and the legality of bit is determined. Amazon has them for $15 for a pack of 100.
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So ride down the center line, dismount and remove the bridle?
Because the average English bridle is not easily removed from on the back of the horse.
Do I now have to teach Dobbin to turn his head and stand there while I unbuckle his noseband while I am sitting on his back?
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This seems like a reasonable idea.
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This discussion could be tagged to “What is killing recognized dressage shows?”…the many layers of USEF rules, policies, procedures that are required by competitors (and show managers and show volunteers) who are starting to ask themselves, “is it worth it?”
The bridle inspection will be fine until there’s a situation at a show where the 50% threshold isn’t met because of a show incident or the inspector gets stepped on, and then what? Who does the USEF come down on? The TD? The Show Manager?
I asked the USEF who on their staff represented Show Management? When there’s a question of how a USEF policy is being interpreted by a USEF staffer, who on the USEF represents the “other side”? That would be NO ONE. Submit the Presidential Modification, pay the fee, and good luck.
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Simple on paper, but let’s think of the extra time and the logistics of this.
Instead of leaving immediately post test while the next competitor comes in for their go round of the outside of the arena, we are now holding up proceedings between each and every test. Does anyone want another horse in the arena area while they are unbridling their horse? No. Does the person about to come in want to fuss around for however many minutes while the competitor ahead of them fusses trying to get a bridle back on in the middle of the arena? No. Do we want more loose horses than already happen on show grounds? No. And what about the loose horse that comes barreling through the arena while Jane Junior or Celia Century Club just gets the bridle off.
And then the matter of making it reasonable for those that are not comfortable walking in boots or are more comfortable riding their horse back for safety reasons. Are we going to have a bunch of mounting blocks of various heights set up at the judge’s booths so we can just walk our horse over the little white fence and clamber back on?
It’s a downright silly idea no matter how many western sports do it.
I am all for manners. I regularly look down my nose at people who have not installed them in their horses.
I am also not an idiot who thinks foolish ideas that don’t account for those people, for horses being horses, and for shit that can go down with no planning for it should be pushed forward, problems be damned! Let them eat cake!
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Me: “This literally won’t happen for many reasons.”
People who absolutely must always have the last word: “Here’s all the reasons this won’t happen.”
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Yup.
I think of a show as a competition, but some people say they show to get feedback. Well for the $$$ that one shells out for entry fees, stall fees, trailering/gas costs, and maybe hotel, you can pay for a lot of lessons from S/I/O judges and get much better direct on-on-one feedback in a “test riding format.”
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This seems like a fair solution - at the shows I attend, I have to go to the office to pick up my score card (so I am already interacting with volunteers). It would slow down the process of picking up your test, but if other shows’ formats were similar perhaps it would be possible to mark a test as “do not return” (or log scores? I’m not certain how this works behind the scene) until bridle is provided. I’m not sure if other shows have the same mechanism for picking up tests though so maybe this isn’t a reasonable concept?
Tie inspection of the bit to the authentication of the scores, so if someone’s bit wasn’t inspected who was supposed to, their scores wouldn’t count? Again - I’m sure there are logistics that make this a nightmare in some form, but this general concept eliminates biosecurity hazards, sticking fingers in mouths, safety/convenience concerns about unbridling/haltering ringside, and the idea that inspection of at the stall might be easily cheated by those determined to do so.
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This exactly- leading to a SECOND trained official who will poke through your tack room (whose fault will it be when the dog gets out and runs in the road or bites someone?) or crawl through your trailer to inspect your tack. All the while, the show goes on, people have questions, the judge or manager needs to get a rule clarification, or someone is lunging in the wrong place. You the competitor will be paying additional charges to cover the fees for a 2nd official…
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Not to mention that if just one horse gets loose, they are putting many people at risk.
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The explaination we were given is that some of the newer “locking” bits , illegal for use as a bridoon, are hard to identify in the mouth, and some other snaffles are also hard to identify in the mouth.
This is a great idea. It should be presented to whoever is in charge. Perhaps present the idea to your local TD, if you know one.
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Thanks. Feel free to float it up the hierarchy. I haven’t shown since EPM derailed our journey and I really don’t expect to show again. I have a 7 yr old and am eyeballing a 3 year old to bring along. At this point, I really prefer to lesson, train, and learn from the horses.
I am not really sure what is the problem the rule is intended to solve, so there might have to be tweaks to address whatever is the issue.
I spent the last 10 years of my engineering career doing quality/mistake-proofing/process-improvement and there are simpler solutions than what is currently being suggested.
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