This was a question on a quiz I saw:
“If you perform a movement in your dressage test that is basically accurate, but is showing some weakness in the training scale, what score would the movement get?”
There is no other information available, such as the movement in question or the severity of the weakness. What say you, judges?
a question like this cannot live in isolation.
score not solely on “the movement” itself but also aspects into and away from the movement letter to letter. Is this a low level test or higher. Is it the first time the weakness shows or has this training shortcoming shown in multiple places
perhaps the answer is less about “the score” than answering how you derive the score
Yeah, that’s not an answerable question. There are no automatic scores.
The formula they teach in the L program is Basics + Criteria (for the movement, per the test sheet) +/- modifiers.
“Basically accurate” is a modifier in most instances, unless it’s a part of the criteria such “shape and size of the circle” at training level. Some weakness in the training scale is a Basic.
Yes the question is too general. I would add that it also depends what part of the training scale is weak. Problems lower down the training scale would be scored harder. For example a problem with rhythm is more serious than impulsion.
Oh, I agree that the question is lacking information and that it is unanswerable. It’s unfortunate, because it was written by an L with Distinction graduate.
What was the quiz for?
Totally agree that the question lacks specificity. That said, and not knowing the purpose of the “quiz”, I’ll go out on a limb and say a 6. What I was taught in the L program is that if you can recognize the movement, and the horse’s gaits are regular (not unsound), barring any big problems, it should score a 6 but depending on the “weaknesses” it might score a 5.
If there was truly a weakness in the training scale, it should exist in more places than a single movement. If something appears in a single movement, I would not call it a weakness but more a momentary lapse in the event.
For fun. And $10. 
Id say it depends.
Lets talk half pass left F-X
Movement accurately ridden F-X.
Scenario 1 - horse puts his head straight in the air and is hollow entire time. Thats a 3 for me. (Connection and relaxation)
Scenario 2 - horse’s haunches lead or trail a bit - maybe a 5.5 or 6 depends on how long. A lot - then 5 or 4. (Straightness)
Scenario 3 - horse loses energy in movement - 6 to 5 to 4 again depends on degree ( Impulsion)
Scenario 4 - Angle or bend change slightly - down a half point. (connection)
Scenario 5 - horse bops into canter for 1 step then back to good half pass - down a point or more (loss of rhythm)
All problems with the training scale. But to be a weakness in the training scale, vs a momentary weakness in the training scale,
they need to persist through test. Impossible to answer question.
I’m confused by this example because in scenario 2, unless the horse is perfectly straight you can’t get more than a 6, but then scenario 4 you are also penalized for changing the angle or bend.
seems the rider can’t win there? You can’t fix it because that’s a loss of connection but if you don’t fix it you get a 4?
This seems right to me. The rider can win by maintaining the correct positioning for the whole movement.
Let’s say rider everything else is going fairly well and horse/rider would be on a 7 for this half pass. Let’s say the haunches lead for the first step off the rail, then the rider fixes it. This might take it down to 6.5 if the rest is good. If the haunches keep leading the whole way and the horse never shows correct positioning for the movement, well, we’re now down in the 5 range. Add a head toss because it’s hard for the horse to hold the haunches-leading position, and now we have a connection issue that’s dropping things towards 4.
It sounds like one of those questions found in some professional assessment tests. There is no truly correct answer, but you must answer. The real test is if one can make a decision and choose an answer, regardless of what the decision is. They don’t care what answer you give. Just that you answered.
Could it be that kind of test?
Perhaps I worded it poorly.
Foe scenario 4, think of an apostrophe moving sideways. Your apostrophe has a certain curve at the start but the shape opens progressively as the movement goes on. Its still is an apostrophe, just not the same shape. That’s what I mean by bend or angle changing during the movement. It can change without actual loss of the haunches. Not always true, but sometimes true lol.
Not sure if this helps or not…
Now if the haunches begin the movement or trail throughout the movement with no correction then you are in low score territory. If it’s a half step at the start that is well corrected, it can maybe improve to a 7, but it would depend on the rest of the movements quality. I’m not going to penalize an 8 half pass down to a 6 because of one half step of incorrect positioning at beginning.
You’re right, it does sound like that. But no, there was a “correct” answer.
As a retired teacher who wrote her own curriculum and tests, I chuckle over questions like this. Writing test questions is way more difficult than you might think. Sometimes you are thinking along certain lines as you write a question. It may seem straightforward to you because you mind is in that framework. This is why I always had somebody else look at the questions before giving the test. Still had some ambiguous ones slip through as my reader might have had the same mindset as I did. Ended up giving credit for different answers for that question if they made sense from another POV.
MsM that is great insight and a great example . The OPs friend may have been doing something for fun, but it is an example when knowledge needs to be tempered with caution
being educated does not mean you can write good, valid questions. Test writing is a skill unto itself.
As a retired teacher believe me I have seen some doozies written by “educated” folks… in fact I have heard of some questions on various judge exams that were not well written…
I have to wonder about the judging creds of those answering and discussing the various “scenarios” above… just because I am curious. NOT disputing any “score”, just curious as to your methodology arriving at the score.
And what if the horse is an amazing mover, with those momentary lacks? (specificly not the scenario with head in air and hollow!!)
Afaik dotneko is an R judge.
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