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The aim of this section of our website is to respond to members’ queries and on occasion to stimulate debate. The advice given here is based on the writer’s experience. However, the BHDTA, as the sport’s governing body is the arbiter in respect of queries and should be consulted if the matter is one requiring an interpretation of the rules. Any advice given is at the member’s own risk.

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ASK THE EXPERTS

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Q. Are you allowed to use Muzzles at National level in dressage test? I tried to find the answer but failed to in the BHDTA Rule Book.

A. It may depend on the design of the muzzle, but Boyd used one of the plastic grazing muzzles which attach to the noseband with small straps on one of his team leaders for a few seasons at International level and nobody complained, so I don't think the National judges could either. The horse concerned had been a stallion and was inclined to bite his fellow leader when he got revved up!!! I have seen them used on other horses, presumably for the same reason/

June 2009
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Q. I have been driving a 22 year old pony for 8 years now and I've never been able to achieve a good head carriage from him, he's very sensitive in the mouth (currently driven in happy mouth) you cant ask for bend as it makes head go even higher, I can manage a bend after a long time just letting him chill, but as soon as i walk to go into a dressage test and start a trot he's back to hollow and head in the air, any advice?

A. HIGH HEAD CARRIAGE IN THE DRIVEN HORSE/PONY
Reasons to be hollow; Teeth, back or arthritic joints (particularly in hind legs) Weight of carriage and fitting of harness (does the pony go better under saddle or on long reins/lunge?) Badly broken (do you know its past?) or poor contact from driver’s hands Poor conformation All of these can lead to discomfort and tension.
You say you have owned this pony for 8 years and it is 22 now it is highly unlikely to change much in its ways as it has had many years to find its comfort zone whilst being driven, improvements will take time and it will need to learn to use new muscles.
That said there are a few things you can do to help your pony. Ridden schooling or lunging/long reining, there are many gadgets you can use to help your pony work longer & lower to strengthen its back – gadgets used incorrectly can cause a great deal of harm so you should seek professional help before trying any.
You say you can get your pony to go quite sweetly until you come back to walk (then you lose it), an exercise you can try is to work sweetly in the trot and gradually slow the pace down then quietly speed up before your pony gets tense – like a half halt. At first you just slow a little - gradually building up to nearly walking but not quite – then try a few steps of walk and very quietly back to trot. This takes time and just when you think you’ve got it you go to a show and just a little tension from you can spoil it so be sure to learn your test well and prepare your pony for each movement. Driver’s confidence plays a huge part in an animal going well.

A. Get teeth checked by good equine dentist, get back looked at by good back therapist, try lungeing in passoa or pad & side reins.

June 2009
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Q.For a movement with "reins in one hand", what is the penalty for putting reins in both hands and if you have had to put your reins in both hands do you have to attempt one handed again or, like putting a groom down, you've incurred the penalty so might as well stay with 2 hands and strive for better precision & pace?

P.S I've bought a rule book & tried RTFM.

A. Re one handed movements - There is no fixed penalty - as in putting a groom down, which is obvious - hands back on is a question of degree, so to speak. Not attempting to drive one handed at all at International level should get you the bell, 5 penalties, and the request to repeat the movement. At National level a fierce judge could do the same, but a more lenient one might just give you a mark of say 1 or 2, if you had made no attempt at all to drive the movement with one hand. If you start off OK, but then just need to put your hand back for a quick ' tweak' on the reins, and continue with one hand you should only lose 1 or 2 marks off whatever the quality of the rest of the movement is worth. If you need to go back to two handed again, or need to keep both hands on the reins for several metres then you may lose more marks, depending on the quality of the movement. On the whole you would be better off trying to do as much as possible with one hand. From the above you will see that just doing a good shape will loose you more marks, as the principle requirement of the movement is the ability to drive with one hand.

April 2009
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