Silent Dressage Guide

Silent Dressage is the most complex event in pony competitions. It is a nice change of pace from the other events as it is less demanding of computing power. What makes silent dressage special is the interaction between trainer and pony that resembles a delicate dance and can not be found in any other pony event. Unlike other competitive events silent dressage expresses and thrives on the D/s aspect of ponyplay.

A Training Guide by Katinka Teardrop

About this Guide

This guide is a general introduction to silent dressage and a training guide. It is not a rule set. It does not describe or recommend a particular style. Among the various rule sets listed in the reference section you will probably be able to find something to back up or contradict any possible style or variation. Different stables and trainers have developed their own styles over time, sometimes within, sometimes against the rules they claim to obey. Some of these styles may be older than the written rules. If you use dressage as a way to train your pony, to spend time with your pony, all styles are equally valid, or your own style is the only correct one. Either the glass is half full or half empty.

Overview

Silent dressage is performed by a handler and their pony in silence. In formal events, the pony and trainer are judged on a number of factors.

The event begins with a formal entrance where the pony and trainer start at marker A, and move onto the field and the pony or both perform a salute.

The rest of the event is about the trainer moving to a specific part of the arena based on the markers (letters) around the side of the arena. For formal events, the trainer (not the pony) will be notified of which behaviours are to be performed in advance.

The position of the handler in relation to the markers and the way they are facing will indicate which behaviour the pony will perform. When the trainer has moved to the next location and stopped, the pony will move to and stop on the coloured marker.

The pony will then perform the required behaviour, finishing on the appropriate coloured marker. The trainer will then move to the next location and the process is repeated until the end of the round.

When all of the behaviours for the event are completed, the trainer will move to the position at Marker A, the same position where the formal entrance occurred. This position will indicate to the pony that the event has concluded.

There is also a formal exit procedure for departing the arena. The pony and trainer will salute together to the judges and leave the field. When they have left the field, the event is over and pony and trainer will be scored on their performance by the judges.

Field

This image below shows the dressage arena from above.

In the left side there are slalom poles.
In the centre there is a circle, with traverse lines above and below.
In the right side, there is a figure of eight.
All around the side of the arena there are letters which are used to identify locations.

Definitions

Field (Arena)
The whole field, defined by the painted outline, including all elements and the Signs (which are outside the usable area).
Pattern (Course)
The figures as they are outlined on the field.
Marker (Dot)
The highlighted start - and endpoints of the patterns, marked by a coloured square, yellow in this example.
Sign (Placard)
The signs with the letters A to J that line the field.
Near End
The small side of the field with the 'A' marker
Far End (Slalom End)
The small side of the field near the slalom poles.

Dimensions

Sasaya's rules, and the SLDS rules derived from it, define the length of the line patterns as 10m, but leave everything else open. Ariel defines the specifications of her own field meticulously. Should you plan to build your own field, you are encouraged to look at Ariel's definitions to get a basic idea.

If you intend to participate in a test or competition you should always practice on the exact field that you will later perform on.

Behaviours

A pattern executed by a pony is called a behaviour or a task.

The behaviours are the core of a dressage performance. They are all clearly defined and the only thing left to personal style is how the pony is facing on the marker of the Circle and Slalom.

Forward Line (Passage): C and H

The pony starts from the C or H marker of the line facing the far end of the field. It walks along the line and stops at the far marker (D or G).

Backward Line: D and G

The pony starts from the D or G marker of the line facing the far end of the field. It walks backwards along the line facing the far end at all times during the figure and stops at the near marker (C or H).

Slalom (Agility): E and F

The pony starts from the E or F marker, facing the poles. Slaloms are done by alternatively going left and right around each pole, making a full turn at the far side, alternating left and right back, and stopping on the original marker.

The pony does a full turn at the end of the slalom to face the poles again. This is part of a school of thought that the pony starts and ends all behaviours facing the slalom poles.
The pony stops facing the outside of the field. This is required by the travers transition style.

Circle (Volte): C, D, G, and H

The pony starts from the near (C, H) or far (D, G) marker and walks three full circles coming to a halt on the same marker it started from. The pony starts to walk towards the sign that shows the letter of the figure.

The pony begins by facing the poles, and turns towards the direction of motion (for instance, towards the "C" sign for "Circle C", that is, clockwise around the circle) and turns to the poles again when it finishes the figure. This is part of a school of thought that the pony starts and ends all behaviours facing the slalom poles.
The pony starts and ends facing the direction of motion. This is required by the traverse transition style.

Figure Eight (Serpentine): B and J

The pony starts at the central marker facing the far end and starts moving forward to the sign with the letter of the figure (B or J). The pony walks until it completed the Figure Eight three times and stops on the central marker.

A serpentine is half of the Figure Eight, therefor the behaviour consists of a sequence of 6 serpentines.

Transitions

The process of the handler guiding the pony to the next behaviour is called a transition or tracking. In most cases this means to walk to another pattern, but exceptions are possible on the lines where both behaviours can be executed on the same pattern.

Straight Line

The pony turns on the spot on the end marker of the finished figure then walks a straight line to the start marker of the next figure. On the marker the pony again turns on the spot to face into the correct direction.

Since the camera in Second Life turns differently than the avatar, it is usually necessary to overturn a bit and then quickly turn back. This ensures that the avatar faces the correct direction, not just the camera.

Curvy

The pony starts walking from the current marker in the direction they are facing, then travels in a smooth, often S-shaped curve to the next marker, approaching so they already face the correct way. This is usually considered the easiest transition to execute.

This transition method can be extended to require the pony to travel along the middle axis of the field (through the markers of the serpentine and vaulte) whenever plausible.

Traverse

A systematic approach to transitions developed by Safra Nitely inspired by RL dressage.

The pony moves between behaviours according these rules:

The pony must not walk over the white markings that outline the edge of the arena.
The pony should take the shortest route around the edge of the arena between any two behaviours.
Ponies can legitimatly travers directly between 2 start points if they are on the same intersection between two of the side fence signs.
The pony should always enter the Figure Eight at the A sign, proceeding smartly to the starting marker.
The pony should always leave the Figure Eight either directly to the B or the J marker depending on where the handler is starting the next behaviour.
The pony should always enter the Circle task facing the same direction as the Trainer, using the marker nearest to the trainer.
Pony should always enter the walk backwards line from the nearest marker, so that they do not "travel"

Command

The handler commands the pony through the routine silently, that is without using verbal instructions (voice, local chat or IM). Some of the dressage rules mention the use of verbal commands as an alternative, but this is rarely used in practice and never in competitions.

Command is the main criteria the handler is judged upon. The responsiveness of the pony to the command is also judged.

While position is used to indicate which behaviour to execute, signals are used to indicate when they are executed or when to move to the next pattern.

Position

One component of command a handler uses during a routine is their position on the field. The pony will move to the marker closest to the handler and start the next behaviour from there.

For the lines and the slalom the proximity is enough to indicate the expected behaviour, although there is some fine print regarding the slalom that will be addressed later. If there is more than one direction to do a pattern the pony will usually start the way the handler is facing. Another school of thought is that the pony walks away from the handler.

There are other factors that influence the position of the trainer. Usually the trainer will face the sign that indicates the expected behaviour. One style recommends that the handler stands in a direct line with the marker and sign for esthetic reasons. Another style expects the handler to stand where the pony can see them to express the control over the pony. Obviously these two styles are mutually exclusive. Some trainers teach that handler position is paramount and if it interferes with the chosen transition style the pony needs to adapt their path, others expect the handler to consider the path of the pony and adjust their position to not block it.

TODO
Here we will discuss the possible positions for all patterns.
NEEDS PICTURES

Whatever style you adopt you should strive to make it consistent and clear to both the pony and the judges.

Signals

"Silent" dressage is, however, not absolutely silent: the handler may give cues to the pony via a whip or crop crack. In this guide we assume silent dressage where a whip crack is being used, but other types of signals are possible (e.g. a hand clap, a foot stomp, turning their avatar in a certain direction). In training verbal instructions may be substituted for whip cracks.

Often silent timers are used to substitute explicit signals. The advantage of silent timers (usual two or three seconds) is that they can make a routine look more fluid and graceful. On the other side they are detrimental to the idea of direct control of the handler over the pony. A complete replacement of signals with timers also makes the criteria of Command and Responsiveness hard or even impossible to judge.

To start a behaviour both whip cracks and silent timers are commonly used. In both cases one is used persistently for all behaviours. The pony moves to the starting marker and silently counts two/three seconds and starts the behaviour. This shows a well trained pony. Or the pony moves to the marker and moves when the handler gives the start signal, this shows the handler's control over the pony and gives judges a clear indication to judge Command and Responsiveness.

Signalling when to move to the next pattern is more complex.

Silent timers are most commonly used, after the pony finishes a behaviour they count three seconds before they move to the next pattern. If the behaviour is a line with a very short duration this can result in the pony having to move before the trainer reaches the next pattern or wait longer then prescribed silent timer. Even if the handler starts to move while the pony is still moving timing is tight.

A more forgiving approach to use silent timers is where the handler waits until the pony has finished a behaviour then after their own silent timer moves to the next figure. Only once the handler arrived there and stopped moving the pony starts their own timer before they move to the next pattern. This can lead to a situation where the handler moves to a spot where a pony in mouselook could not see the trainer and has to turn to see them before it is time for the pony to move. While a pony not in mouselook can technically avoid this, from a perspective of roleplay or realism the issue remains.

The oldest rule set, that was later adopted by the SL Dressage Society, explicitly asks for the trainer to call the pony to the first pattern, but does not specify how the pony receives the signal to move the following patterns. This can lead to the inconsistent approach where the first signal to move is given with a whip crack, but later transitions are performed after a silent timer.

Whip cracks can also used consistently to signal the pony to transition to the next pattern.

If you use a whip or similar to signal transition you should aim to use a signal that has both sound and chat. Ideally the whip or HUD should be able to be switched to shout range. If the first behaviour is a slalom the pony will usually be out of normal chat range from the handler. Also the audience at competitions benefits from shout range whips and emotes.

Routine

A complete performance consisting of entry, five behaviours and exit is called a routine.

Assembly

The handler and pony take position outside the field near the 'A' sign.

In the rule examples you can find calls for the pony standing left of the trainer or right of the trainer. Both stand near the A sign or on opposing sides. Equal distance to the sign and border, or pony behind and to the side of the handler. Whichever way you decide to do it, you will do it right for some and wrong for others.

When I lead a pony to the field on reins, it almost naturally results in the pony standing behind me on the side I hold the reins.

Bonus points if the pony assumes a ready pose.

Dressage Order

During competitions and tests the trainer will receive the dressage order once the team is assembled and ready. This can be in the form of a notecard, a dedicated HUD or in IMs. The dressage order will outline in which order the behaviours have to be completed.

Example notecard here

Entry

The trainer and pony both step onto the field.

The handler signals and both enter the arena at the same time.
The handler enters the arena and signals for the pony to follow.
The handler leads the pony onto the field.

They stop between the outline and the Figure Eight.
They stop inside the Figure Eight.
They stop on the line of the Figure Eight.

They stop at the same distance from the outside line.
The pony stops behind and to the side of the handler.

The pony will perform a salute in direction of the Far End.
They both perform a salute in direction of the Far End.
The pony will perform a salute in direction of the judges.
They both perform a salute in direction of the judges.

The pony salute can take the form of a more or less precisely defined bow or curtsy. The handler either greets in the same way or has more freedom to also greet by tipping the hat or something similar.

Behaviours

The handler guides the pony from pattern to pattern to perform the behaviours in the order specified in the dressage order.

Exit

Once all five behaviours are finished the handler will return to the point on the field where they entered. The pony will walk over when ready and stand relative to the handler as described in the Entry section. The team will usually be expected to use the same style here that they used before.

The trainer will signal the pony to bow to the judges. Either the pony or both salute the judges, surprisingly everybody agrees that they salute the judges and not somebody or something else.

Then both trainer and pony will turn around and exit the field. Or they leave the field walking backwards which is often seen in practice, but not described in any of the rules.

They can both turn on the spot, or the handler turns on the spot and the pony walks a semi circle to keep their relative position.

Judging

Judging is based on how both trainer and pony walk the field.

The rules below are an edited and slightly simplified excerpt form the Dressage Rules & Policy used by the SLDS.

It should be noted that both Sasaya's original notecard and the Alikat book name different "categories" and also define them slightly different, the Alikat book also shows scores higher than 5.

There have been calls to simplify the scoring or drop certain categories. Even the judging and scoring are not set in stone and nobody should be surprised or upset if event organisers adopt a different system.

Scoring

Judging will be on a scale from 0-5
0 meaning that the move was not completed
5 meaning it was completed flawlessly
Each score is given in whole numbers only, so no 4.5's or 2.5's etc

Behaviours

Moves will be judged in the following manner and cannot be scripted:

1. Prancing in a straight line, using a forward motion for a predetermined set distance of 10 meters. The pony will be judged on how close they start and stop on the marked stops on each line, and on how tightly they follow the line.

2. Prancing in a straight line, using a backward motion for a predetermined set distance of 10 meters. The pony will be judged on how close they start and stop on the marked spots for each line, and on how tightly they follow the line.

3. Moving in a circle around a reference point with an even circumference, completing three turns. The pony will be judged on how they prance on the line, and how close they start and stop on the marked spots on the circle.

4. Moving in a figure eight with the circles circumferences of each one being even, completing three turns. The pony will be judged on how they prance on the line, and how close they start and stop on the marked spot on the figure eight.

5. Moving on a slalom course, moving in between pylons as tightly as possible. The pony will prance up once, turn around and prance back. The pony will be judged on how smoothly she/he moves, and how close they start and stop on the marked spots. Speed for the slalom course will not be judged.

Event Rules

There will be three judges for each dressage event.

The judges will be able to observe the complete dressage arena. Judges will not be allowed to be a trainer or a pony for the dressage they are judging. Only the trainer and pony will be allowed on the dressage arena during a current round.

The pony and trainer will not be allowed to leave the Dressage arena during a round. Fully crossing the arena boundaries with both hooves or both feet will lead to a deduction of one point from the total final score for each round.

Competitions

Usually competitions and tests will have three judges.

As mentioned before, make sure to practice on the exact same field that the competition will be held on. Make sure you know and understand the rules used. It never hurts to talk to the judges beforehand, to verify they use the same interpretation of the rules and what style they prefer.

It is not unheard of to encounter judges who are in ignorance of the written rules, assuming honestly and in best faith the style they have been taught and practiced for years is the one described in the rules.

References

Dressage Rules & Policy, (05/11/2006) by Mel Melville
Dressage (1 + 2) from 2007-01-13 by Sasaya Rothschild
Dressage Rules & Policy (I + II) from 2007-05-02 by Sasaya Rothschild and others
Here the dressage section of the Alikat book would go.
Dressage Instructions V2 from 2008-11-17 by Velvet Asp
The SLDS dressage rules would go here (Dressage Rules & Policy) with added pictures from 2011-02-22 by Zobo Shephard
Silent Dressage Rules and Information from 2012-07-10 by Ariel Erlanger
Silent Dressage with Travers from 2012-10-31 by Safra Nitely
Dressage Rules Draft from 2013-05-28 by Katinka Teardrop
Dressage Rules from 2014 by Mikky Heron
Silent Dressage - With Travers Edited from 2015-05-12 by Safra Nitely
SL Dressage Society Rules and Policies
Silent Dressage - With Traverse Amended from 2019-04-10 by Safra Nitely

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Silent Dressage Guide

About this Guide

Overview

Field

Definitions

Dimensions

Behaviours

Forward Line (Passage): C and H

Backward Line: D and G

Slalom (Agility): E and F

Circle (Volte): C, D, G, and H

Figure Eight (Serpentine): B and J

Transitions

Straight Line

Curvy

Traverse

Command

Position

Signals

Routine

Assembly

Dressage Order

Entry

Behaviours

Exit

Judging

Scoring

Behaviours

Categories

Event Rules

Competitions

References

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