Dressage
1. The object of dressage is the development of the horse into a happy athlete through harmonious education. As a result, it makes the horse calm, supple, loose and flexible, but also confident, attentive and keen, thus achieving perfect understanding with his rider.
2. The freedom and regularity of the paces.
The harmony, lightness and ease of the movements.
The lightness of the forehand and the engagement of the hindquarters, originating from a lively impulsion.
The acceptance of the bridle, with submissiveness throughout and without any tension or resistance.
3. The horse thus gives the impression of doing, of his own accord, what is required of him. Confident and attentive, submitting generously to the control of the rider, remaining absolutely straight in any movement on a straight line and bending accordingly when moving on curved lines.
4. The walk is regular, free and unconstrained. The trot is free, supple, regular and active. The canter is united, light and balanced. The hindquarters are never inactive or sluggish. They respond to the slightest indication of the rider and thereby give life and spirit to all the rest of his body.
5. By virtue of a lively impulsion and suppleness of the joints, free from the paralysing effects of resistance, the horse obeys willingly and without hesitation and responds to the various aids calmly and with precision, displaying a natural and harmonious balance both physically and mentally.
6. In all the work even at the halt, the horse must be “on the bit”. A horse is said to be “on the bit” when the neck is more or less raised and arched according to the stage of training and the extension or collection of the pace, accepting the bridle with a light and soft contact and submissiveness throughout. The head should remain in a steady position, as a rule slightly in front of the vertical, with a supple poll as the highest point of the neck, and no resistance should be offered to the rider.
7. Cadence is shown in trot and canter, and is the result of the proper harmony that a horse shows when it moves with well-marked regularity, impulsion and balance. Cadence must be maintained in all the different trot or canter exercises and in all the variations of these paces.
8. The regularity of the paces is fundamental to dressage.
Jumping
1. A jumping competition is one in which the combination of horse and competitor is tested under various conditions over a course of obstacles. It is a test intended to demonstrate the horse's freedom, its energy, its skill, its speed and its obedience in jumping and the competitor's horsemanship.
2. If a competitor makes certain faults such as knocking down an obstacle, refusing, exceeding the time allowed, etc. he incurs penalties. The winner of the competition is the competitor who incurs the least number of penalties, completes the course in the fastest time or gains the highest number of points, depending on the type of competition.
3. It is not intended to standardise jumping competitions, since variety provides a precious element of interest for competitors and spectators alike, which must be preserved at all costs.
4. Other competitions or variations to the special competitions may be authorised by the Secretary General in consultation with the Chairman of the Jumping Committee, provided their conditions comply with the requirements laid down in the General Regulations and the Rules for Jumping Events. Detailed conditions of each competition must be set out clearly in the schedule and in the programme of the event. Organisers are not permitted to organise show competitions unless the FEI has approved the conditions according to which these classes may be run. Organisers wishing to organise events or international competitions for five-year-old horses must apply for permission to the FEI through their NF. The conditions according to which these competitions may be run must be approved by the FEI.
5. Competitions must be fair for all competitors. It is, therefore, essential that strict and detailed rules are established to regulate them. For this reason the rules, which follow must be respected, except when the FEI has authorised certain relaxations which are justified by local conditions.
6. The use of similar sounding words in English and in French, which do not have exactly the same meaning can easily cause confusion.
Eventing
Eventing constitutes the most complete combined competition, demanding of the competitor considerable experience in all branches of equitation and a precise knowledge of his horse's ability, and of the horse a degree of general competence, resulting from intelligent and rational training.
In the Dressage Test, each competitor's good marks awarded by the judges are converted into penalty points. They are recorded for inclusion in the final classification and published.
In the Cross-Country Test, each competitor's penalties for faults at obstacles are added to the penalties that he may have incurred for excess time on Cross country or any of the four phases. They are recorded for inclusion in the final classification and published.
In the Jumping Test, each competitor's penalties for faults at obstacles are added to the penalties that he may have incurred for excess time. They are recorded for inclusion in the final classification and published.
(BOCOG)