dressage with my leg

[D&D]

im gonna have a go at a few preliminary dressage comps this autumn (along with my first few xc comps - 2ft lol) ive done some sj, aim to do a few low key small ode next year combing all three things

is my leg/ and my position gonna mark me down in dressage or foot position in stirrup, it is physically possible to get my heel down as ankle wont bend

thanks guys :)

ps just put a thread of how much riding has helped me in general x :) im excited and hypo, beware :p x

[NZdressage]

No, I cant see that it would esp at low level dressage. My trainer has her leg aputated from below the knee and has an artificial leg and she competes at grand prix dressage in able bodied comps. It goes without saying she cant get her heel down!
They usually mark your rider position after the horses marks and you should get marked around those. So if your horse gets 8, 7 ,8 in the bottom four marks then you would probally get an 7 or 8.

[andreaB]

at prelim there is only one section that marks rider in terms of seat , postition , effect of the aids etc

so in theory this is judging you as a rider not how the horse went , having said that even if your position is far from the classical ideal but your horse goes very well most judges seem to tend to give a mark pretty much consisitent with the marks for the movements in the test

so say you scored all 7's i would probably expect a 6 at worst for you even if some aspect of your position is somewhat awkward

[D&D]

cool thanks xx

so the fact that my horse can miss out corners and is happier to go up the gears as opposed to coming down is more of an issue ;)

[Bobbin]

I should think Drum Bums brakes will be more of an issue that the direction your foot is facing. I refuse to believe anyone can do a worse dressage test than the one I did on grass at the Taunton Vale Hunt show. It was awful and I still got 47%....and a commendation for 'a good try on an obviously difficult ride'

[KateWooten]

Well, I don't know ... I got 'Needs to go back to basics' on 'Intro A' (it's the very lowest walk-trot test !!!)

[NZdressage]

at prelim there is only one section that marks rider in terms of seat , postition , effect of the aids etc

so in theory this is judging you as a rider not how the horse went , having said that even if your position is far from the classical ideal but your horse goes very well most judges seem to tend to give a mark pretty much consisitent with the marks for the movements in the test

so say you scored all 7's i would probably expect a 6 at worst for you even if some aspect of your position is somewhat awkward

Yeah thats what I said, but its not very often that you will score alot different to your horses marks, you should never score more than 1 less after all you made the horse go like that.
It goes the other way where if the horse goes badly or difficult you should score a little higher but in most cases, you could have ridden it better.
I dont think the judge would mark you down because of your leg.

[Skyhuntress]

Well, I don't know ... I got 'Needs to go back to basics' on 'Intro A' (it's the very lowest walk-trot test !!!)

First test I took Limerick too, Training Level, I got a comment of "nice rider, but perhaps the horse would be better as a cart horse?"

[Jane.A]

I am grade 4 and have lower left limb problems too. I cannot flex ankle as don't have one:D. I also have nerve damage to foot and ride with a toe cap on my left stirrup to prevent foot sliding thru and getting stuck, I have a dispensation to do this affiliated and to use a whip in my left hand even in championships (not normally permitted) to re- inforce left leg aids. The rider mark is for position and effectiveness of aids, so basically if your horse goes well it matters not that your heel won't lower. Its more important that you sit square and don't collapse a hip as this will make your horse crooked and you'd be amazed how many able bodied riders have these kind of faults and no physical excuse! The rider mark like all the collectives should reflect the marks gained in the body of the test, but most riders tend to get a six, lower marks than that are reserved for abusive/ very unbalanced riders who impede their horse's movement.

[D&D]

cool - ill give it a go

er bobbing d has breaks now lol :D

[andreaB]

............ but most riders tend to get a six, lower marks than that are reserved for abusive/ very unbalanced riders who impede their horse's movement.

now thats interesting , luckily never got below a 6 , but would i be right to think that for a judge to give a 5 or less they are basically saying that the rider has fundamental issues with their riding that need to be dealt with or that they need to have more respect for their mount?