Judges Sat In Cars....

[NoviceNic]

Captain is not happy with being MADE to ride towards C when the judges are sat there in the car. In all honesty, you wouldnt point your horse out hacking and make him ride into the stationary car would you.

Why do they sit there in a car on a warm sunny day? :rolleyes:

[antonia :)]

They only sit in there cars coz there sun-scared or shade-bathers :D
TBH if someone had an answer id love to read it coz it puzzles me

*Not out to offend anyone on here that are dressage judges :)*

[carthorse]

As someone who writes for judges I'm not a fan of warm sunny days :p. Plus if you'd seen how some people ride centre lines then you'd realise that there's lots of horses that have no problems going straight at a car - sometimes I wonder if they're using us as target practise :eek:

The problem is we've got to sit somewhere & most places don't have those nice little huts that the posh centres have. Can you imagine the carnage if we sat at a table at the end of the arena & a gust of wind blew the test sheets into the arena? Or how we'd write on a rainy day?

Anyway the car gives the judge a quick get away if some over-competitive mum is upset about her little brat's marks :D

[Ginger Thing]

Because if they sat in a couple of deck chairs, the rider (or their friends and family) would be able to hear every comment! And I wouldn't like to sit out in the blazing sun for several hours writing either, it's far more comfortable in a car, and with the windows down doesn't get too hot (but still makes it harder for people to hear what's said).

Cars are only used at venues which don't have purpose built judge's boxes, which are enclosed anyway.

I did do a test in an indoor a few weeks ago where the judge and writer actually did sit on 2 deckchairs at C - it felt most bizarre to ride past them :D

[S_F_S]

What the last two said! Best thing is to park up a car in your field and make him school around it until he doesn't think its anything out of the ordinary. I much prefer sitting in my car to boxes as I have all my creature comforts in there, and writer and I can say what we like without anyone hearing! :p

[Sophie..*]

Hehe Dougie was scared of this bright purple car once, he rufused to go past it haha, not ym best test!

[chickyd444]

i think they should sit on a couple of chairs in a field shelter ;):D i parked my car in me field a schooled round it in prep - he still freaked on the day LOL :rolleyes:

[KT C]

My horse regularly hacks on the roads - I he'd be far more likely to go towards a car than somebody sat in a deck chair! :p

[Jane.A]

I spend many hours judging from my car. No, its not ideal, on hot days I often sweat for 3-4 hours solid and have to ensure I remain well hydrated or I end up with a blinding headache. Then there's the drive home. Joy after a long period of judging, not. On rainy days I have often ended up with a flat battery from having to use the wipers to see what I'm judging. If I run the engine all the time I use yet more fuel and when you do all this for a mere 40p per mile it makes it even more uneconomic. Sometimes a hut on a rainy day is worse as the windows are rarely cleaned, and they steam up too. No system is perfect. If anyone has any better ideas I'm sure organisers wouls love to hear them. At least every competitor in that arena has to contend with the same thing. My horse prefers cars to huts, but its all part of the training that they learn to overcome these issues and become confident in their rider and go forwards whatever the situation.

[eventerbabe]

it's even worse if they are sat on hay bales :p first ever dressage test i did with bonnie she nearly decanted me spooking and running away from the judge and her killer bale of hay whilst we were walking round the arena waiting to start :p as others have said, i'd practise with a car at home :)

[NoviceNic]

Captain jumped out of his skin when they wound the window down. :eek::o

Thanks for the tip of placing my car in the field and then practising. :cool:

[Ginger Thing]

Captain jumped out of his skin when they wound the window down. :eek::o

Thanks for the tip of placing my car in the field and then practising. :cool:

And don't forget to practise with the windscreen wipers going - that's always a good one :rolleyes::D

[capalldubh]

Thanks for the tip of placing my car in the field and then practising.

Would suggest two things (1) use someone else's car and (2) use an unfamiliar field. You know the way that they can chew on umbrellas, sniff haylage bales and ping the lids of wheelie bins provided they're at home, but the same things are hideous monsters when encountered on a hack? ;)

[S_F_S]

I have to admit to getting confused in a strange car, not being able to find the wipers and flashing my lights at one competitor before - poor girl looked very confused and the photographer in the arena was wetting himself!!

[hmoses]

Can I just say thank you to nearly every judge I've ridden in front of for not beeping their horn when I've been at their end of the arena? My horse is traffic shy and a beep would definitely have resulted in us competing in the next county:eek:
The only problem I've had when riding a centre line is reflection off a windscreen causing weird effects. But practice makes perfect:)

[Valaraki]

Basically what the first two said.

Only advice, the more you do the better he will become and get used to them or like someone else said practise with a car of your own riding towards it.

[5.7FB+16.2FC]

I have to admit to getting confused in a strange car, not being able to find the wipers and flashing my lights at one competitor before - poor girl looked very confused and the photographer in the arena was wetting himself!!

LMAO!!! just spat tea everywere:D

[Brychen]

You should try my Sunday experience which was get half way through prelim 7 go to C in front of the judges car to do 30 metre circle with canter after X, find couple complete with two small children , baby buggy and dog have appeared through gap in the hedge and parked themselves between arena and judges car... bless pony he just sort of did a mild goggle but carried on regardless!

[hmoses]

I was stewarding a dressage comp in a country park once so there were lots of unhorsey people around. At one point a couple just strolled across the arena while a test was going on :eek::eek::eek:

Needles to say the competitor was allowed to start again and I spent the rest of the day jittering in case it happened again:confused:

[Smartie Pants2]

And don't forget to practise with the windscreen wipers going - that's always a good one :rolleyes::D

Brilliant, I had never thought of that, windscreen wipers to practise this week:)

[NoviceNic]

I was stewarding a dressage comp in a country park once so there were lots of unhorsey people around. At one point a couple just strolled across the arena while a test was going on :eek::eek::eek:

Needles to say the competitor was allowed to start again and I spent the rest of the day jittering in case it happened again:confused:

I got a little bit huffy with teenagers that were galloping their horses alongside the dressage arena. :o

[sjmcc]

id of been very peed off if someone walked threw while on my test i go into areana while the judges are marking last riders score sheet and ride back n forth past the box or car and eneything else i think she may not like the look of i think you have around 2 mins and the bell will ring for you then to get out n come in and start your test