| Author |
Message |
    
Jo Sore
| | Posted on Tuesday, 9 September, 2008 - 7:43 pm: | |
Hi, must say I like having the sawdust there as it helps me with the circles, finding the centreline etc, ok so my ponies used to do a funny side ways look at it but they have got used to it now, I guess it’s like anything else be it white lines on the road or flowers and flags around the dressage arena, although some times one of my ponies still seems surprised to see the judges sat there! |
Carole Redgrave
| | Posted on Sunday, 7 September, 2008 - 10:38 pm: | |
Thank you Fiona for the explanation. I must admit I was expecting more of a response. Either to be shot down like a spy in the camp for daring to question " The Rules" or swamped by messages in support of doing away with the sawdust because most people I talk to agree it is a pain in the backstep! Perhaps drivers are still a bit "Discussion Forum Shy "? |
Fiona Powell
| | Posted on Thursday, 4 September, 2008 - 9:04 am: | |
Carole, welcome to our sport!
There's an unwritten extra dressage movement at the start of every pre-/novice test,
"Enter at A, working trot. Halt at 45 degrees within 3m of X and smile sheepishly."
Yes, open drivers' ponies still do it too.
I was told when I asked that it's because our arenas are so huge and so rarely level that the judge (especially at C) needs a marker to make X visible. Sometimes there's a heap or line of sawdust a few inches high to mark the spot - also at D and G, occasionally.
Sometimes organisers place a heap or line of sawdust outside the arena in the warm-up area so you can terrify your pony satisfactorily before you get into the arena.
re. hard hats - dressage and cones is supposed to be safer than the marathon(?) and we are in traditional dress for it, as are many top-level dressage riders when they perform, who don't always wear helmets... (That's the current reason, I'm told.)
Hope this helps a bit?
Fiona |
Carole Redgrave
| | Posted on Monday, 1 September, 2008 - 5:27 pm: | |
Hi All,
As a newcomer to the sport this year may I be allowed to make a comment on something that seems to be one of those traditional things that gets done because it's always been done? I'm referring to the tradition of having the Centre Line markings in the Dressage Arenas marked out with sawdust. My Backstepper also rides my Affiliated Dressage horse and they have never come across this practice. I am sure more horses would go down the Centre Line straighter without the sawdust there. Whose benefit is it for anyway? The driver or The judge? As some of you will know, there was a nasty accident at Henbury this weekend caused by the pony spooking at the sawdust and I had a close shave earlier this year when I did my first driven dressage test, luckily I was able to pacify my horse before he got too silly. However despite practicing at home with crosses made of sawdust he still looks at them in competion thus ruining what would otherwise be a reasonably straight line down the centre. Leading on from this, non-Driving friends have queried why there is no rule requiring Hard Hats for Dressage and Cones, just the Marathon? Like I said, this is just an observation from a newcomer so please don't think I'm knocking the sport it's fantastic and so are the people I've met through it. Incidentally, I don't suppose anyone who was at Henbury with a camera might have any pictures of us as I'd be willing to buy them. We were Number 8! |
|