Horse eventing question?

Question

I am taking my young Quarter Horse to his first (and my first!) eventing competition in a few weeks. My question is - what do the judges mainly look for in dressage? I know that forwardness is key, but do they really look for the horse being on the bit, too? What else do they want to see? Thank you!!

Answer 1

Yes, the judges want to see the horse on the bit as well. They are also looking at how the horse responds to the aids, as well as YOUR position and how well YOU use your aids to communicate with your horse. Judges evaluate overall manners, suppleness, and of course, your appearance ( that's why being dressed correctly and having clean, well-fitted, safe tack is a MUST) as well as how well you remember the test movements.  Make sure that your horse is braided for this part of the competition, especially if you are competing at a USEA or USEF sanctioned event or horse trial.  Also, remember that you need to pay attention to the little details, like not using your voice during your test, and like making sure that you halt squarely at  X when you enter. These things will allow you to get better scores, and increase the likelyhood that you will go into the speed& endurance phase with the possibility of a good placing at the end of it. Another thing to pay close attention to is punctuality. Lateness is usually HEAVILY penalized, so make every effort to be ON TIME for your test.  Good luck at your first event, and I hope this helps.

Answer 2

This is the horse racing section. You will probably get better answers in the Pets>Horse category.