[email protected] BTe and Be [email protected] 16 October 2013 • USDF ConneCtion n early every dressage test, from training Level through Grand Prix, has two scores for

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16 October 2013 • USDF ConneCtion

nearly every dressage test, from training Level through Grand Prix, has two scores for rid-

ing the center line and halt at X. Te 20 points that can be earned or lost in this exercise can make the diference between winning a class or placing further down the ranks.

in more than 30 years of judging dressage tests in competitions rang-ing from schooling shows to fve-star CDis with olympic gold medalists competing, i have seen a lot of center lines and halts, and i have given every score from 1 to 10. in this article, i’ll explain why competitors gain or lose points and how riders can get the best scores possible.

The Perfect 10

As a judge, my frst consideration is the criteria of the movement. Te horse should enter in the gait pre-scribed and then (except at train-ing Level, in which walk steps are al-lowed) come directly to a halt. Tis means no unclear, shufing steps. Te halt should be at X—meaning that the rider’s body is directly over X—not before or after. After the halt, the horse should move with a clear transi-tion directly into the gait prescribed.

it sounds easy, but doing it well takes much practice. Let’s go through the many ways that competitors can lose points. As with most aspects of dressage, many relate to problems with the basics—the elements of the performance that make up the rungs of the pyramid of training.

Problems, Causes, and Training Solutions

Inaccuracy. it is amazing how many riders—even at Fei levels—halt a horse’s length or more of the mark. When judging from B or e, both of which are directly across from X, this inaccuracy is quite apparent.

Lack of straightness. Tis is most noticeable to the judge at C. Lack of straightness can take diferent forms. Weaving back and forth or drifting of the center line to one side means that the line of travel is not straight. Alter-natively, the horse’s body alignment might be crooked, with his haunches to one side of the forehand while trav-eling, during the halt, in the transi-tions, or any combination thereof.

What causes these straightness problems? Weaving may result from the horse’s reluctance to go toward C, stemming from either anxiety or

a simple preference to be elsewhere. Te cause must be addressed, and the rider must also get the horse better on the aids and in front of the leg to elicit cooperation. A frightened horse must, of course, be treated very diferently from one that simply regards his stall full of hay as preferable to the dres-sage arena.

Many horses drift to one side as they travel down the center line. Sometimes this is pilot error, but more often i fnd it to be the result of a crooked rider. if the rider’s weight is of to the left side of the horse’s back, for example, the horse tends to drift to the left to balance himself under the weight.

As a horse and rider come to-ward me, it sometimes appears that one stirrup is two holes longer than the other. As they turn at C, i can see that the saddle is a couple of inches of center because the rider has collapsed over one hip and has taken the saddle with her.

Crooked riders are the most com-mon culprit in the case of the horse that travels on three tracks (instead of the required two) in trot or canter. occasionally the rider may actually be centered but the horse lacks equal pushing power in both hind legs, but this is rare.

When a horse travels straight but becomes crooked in the transitions or the halt, there are several possi-ble causes. A crooked rider is always one. Another is the rider who sits in the middle of the horse but applies the aids unequally: one leg or rein is stronger, or one leg is placed a bit further back than the other. other times, it is the horse that is developed unequally. if one side of the back or hindquarters is less developed than the other, the horse will avoid using the weaker side when he is asked to “sit” and take weight behind during the transition to halt. A crooked tran-sition forward out of the halt might indicate that the aids are being ap-plied unequally, or it might be that the horse’s pushing power is not devel-oped equally on both sides.

the judge’s box

Be Tere and Be SquareA judge’s guide to improving your halt scores

By Jayne Ayers

BALANCED: Breanna, ridden by Kathleen

Raine, demonstrates a square halt at the 2012

USEF Dressage Festival of Champions

JEN

NIF

ER B

RYA

NT

USDF ConneCtion • October 2013 17

transitions down and up are key elements in all dressage training. Tey are one of the main exercises used to help the horse to develop strength over the topline, to shift weight onto the hindquarters, and to push of from behind and propel himself forward with what we call impulsion. Correct transitions that further the gymnastic development of the horse can only be done when the horse is straight. in or-der to correct problems with straight-ness, the cause must be determined frst, then addressed appropriately.

Loss of connection. Another one of the basics that may sufer in the en-try and fnish of each test is “through-ness,” also called contact, connection, or being on the bit. Although there may be nuances of meaning among these terms, all refer to the process by which the rider creates energy with the driving aids, thereby causing the horse to propel himself energetically with the hind legs, with that energy transferred through a supple, swing-ing back to an elastic connection be-tween the bit and the rider’s hands.

Te rider should have devel-oped this connection before entering the arena. Te challenge is to main-tain it through the transitions and in the halt. All may seem fne while the

horse trots or canters in, but then so many things can go wrong to make the halt less than a 10!

Te United States equestrian Fed-eration Rule Book (DR 102.1) puts it this way: “At the halt the horse should stand attentive, engaged, motionless, straight, and square with the weight evenly distributed over all four legs. Te neck should be raised with the poll as the highest point and the head slightly in front of the vertical. While remaining ‘on the bit’ and maintaining a light and soft contact with the rider’s hand, the horse may quietly chew the bit and should be ready to move of at the slightest indication of the rider.”

Tink back to your last foray into the show ring. Did your halts feel just like that description? if so, you are well on your way to earning that 10. But it can’t be done without consistently good, correct connection. Many horses resist during the transitions, drop the poll in the halt, open the mouth, cross the jaw, drop the back, leave the hind legs out behind—the list of possible shortcomings is long. Te key to cor-recting them is to develop an honest and correct throughness in all of the work. Te center line and halt often tell the tale of where the problems in the overall work might be. [

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the judge’s box

Lack of immobility. Te USeF

rules also state that the halt must be

shown for at least three seconds, and

shown throughout the salute. immo-

bility can be a problem for some of

the keener horses, who want to get

on with the job, especially in the en-

try halt.

i have found a trick that works for

many of these eager beavers. First, ride

actively into the halt in the normal way.

Ten, as soon as the horse has halted,

signal to him that his job is done by let-

ting tension out, relaxing your whole

body a bit before you start to salute.

if you deliberately hit “pause” in this

way, it is a clear signal to the horse that

he is of the hook, no more correc-

tions needed, and he can wait for your

next command. if you hold too much

tension, even the slightest wiggle may

make the horse think that there is more

to do to make things right, and he may

move around as he tries to fgure out

what you want.

Tis approach can also be used to

help those anxious riders who rush

the halt and salute, never allowing the

horse to really settle. Keep in mind

that i seldom see a halt that is too

long. Te entry halt is a great time for

a rider to take a deep breath and refo-

cus on the test ahead.

Maintaining the halt is just as im-

portant at the end of the test. it is al-

ways sad to have to take of points for

a halt at the end of a good test when

the rider is so eager to reward the

horse with a pat that the halt is nev-

er truly established, with all four feet

still and square. if you keep in mind

the three-second requirement for

clear immobility, you are likely to earn

more points.

Lack of impulsion. other basics

that determines the score for the cen-

ter line and halt are the quality of the

gaits and the impulsion. Te judge

does not start judging until you enter

the arena, but the quality of the trot or

canter on the last turn into the arena

cannot help but give the judge a clue

as to what to expect from the horse’s

performance. Give it your best! i

sometimes see riders who, during the

entry, hold back from developing the

impulsion that they will produce later

in the test. impulsion is just as impor-

tant here as in the rest of the test. So

are the correct rhythm and the free-

dom of the gait.

At the end of the test, i sometimes

see the rider focus on “getting the test

over with.” She loses extra points by

letting up on the request for engage-

ment, collection, and precision. Ride

all the way to the end!

Maximize Your Halt Scores

Tere are things you can do to maxi-

mize your halt scores even if you are

not ready to earn a “10.” For instance,

it is very hard for the judge at C to de-

termine whether the halt is square be-

hind if the horse is perfectly straight.

if trying to correct the halt to make

it more square might cause the horse

to become crooked, then leave it

straight.

if there is only one judge, know

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USDF ConneCtion • October 2013 19

that it is very difcult to determine

from C whether the halt is exactly at

X. if you have to choose between a

smooth, straight halt and making it

happen right at X, fuency will prob-

ably earn more points than accuracy.

Finally, don’t forget that the turn at

A is part of the score for the frst halt.

Be sure that your horse is balanced

and bent correctly and that the turn is

accurate.

Practicing good center lines and

halts is something all riders need to

do on a regular basis so that it be-

comes second nature to do them well.

Te focus can then be on the chal-

lenges of the rest of the test. s

Jayne Ayers, Dousman, WI, is an FEI

4* and a USEF “S” judge. She is co-

chair of the USEF Dressage Commit-

tee, a faculty member of the USDF “L”

Education program, and a member of

the USDF “L” Program Committee.

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