Guidelines

The Guidelines app is a tool to help Icelandic horse sport enthusiasts judge horse performances shown under the international rules for competition, FIPO.

The app provides a page for each demand in a FIPO test (i.e. slow tölt, fast tölt, canter, trot, pace, etc). For each demand all of the evaluated aspects of the trait are listed along with the possible observed outcomes. As the user touches the guidelines the range of allowable marks is shown on the scale at the top of the traits list.

Prime judging criterion
The prime judging criterion must be the harmony between horse and rider. The rider should handle the horse with fairness, delicacy and respect; be its true leader rather than its dominator. At all times the rider must put the horse’s welfare paramount and guard its health and safety. The horse should be able to fulfil its tasks with pleasure; be calm and supple, but also confident, attentive and keen.

Main judging principle
The main judging principle is the judge’s duty to make a well balanced, objective and fair assessment that does the entire performance justice.

Object
The object of the guidelines is to provide sport judges with a tool that enables them to adjudicate in the spirit of the prime judging criterion and the main judging principle.

Key elements
The guidelines are based on certain key elements that must all be taken into consideration when making a well-balanced assessment. Those key elements are:

• Riding skills and connection
• Beat and balance
• Suppleness and relaxation
• Outline and movements
• Correctness and precision of the execution

Firewalls
All the key elements must form the basis of the assessment. Therefore good qualities of one element should in principle not compensate for significant shortcomings of other elements. To prevent this happening, firewalls have been placed between the requirements and/or restrictions that have been laid out for each key element. Those firewalls cannot be crossed and will guide the judge when determining the range of possible marks.