Newsletter Editorial, October 19, 2026: Allowing Horses to Chew on the Reins Starting in 2027 in the Grand Prix—Why Judges Are Needed

Anyone competing in a Grand Prix starting January 1, 2027, will spend a little more time in the dressage arena than before. A circle with the reins left loose will become part of the Grand Prix, and crossing over at a canter will be mandatory in the Grand Prix Special. Some of these elements will also be included in the lower-level classes in the future.

The rule change has been met with widespread approval. The article featuring reactions from the dressage world is probably the longest one we’ve published so far. It’s a read on what I believe to be an important topic. Our data analyses show time and again that EQUI PAGES readers take the time to read comprehensive articles all the way through. (You can find out what the rule change is about here; we’ve summarized what riders, trainers, and judges have to say about it here.)

Not a given?

The research was eye-opening. I must have been a bit naive in the horse world over the past few decades. Because I wouldn’t have thought it possible—yet it was confirmed to me from a wide variety of sources—that: Allowing a horse to chew with the reins out of the hand is by no means a given in daily training, as I had assumed. Time and again, the point was made: yes, the good ones can do it—but the others are now forced to grapple with it. “You practice what you’re tested on.”

That’s why, according to its proponents, the horses benefit from these new challenges. But there are also other voices—those who believe the sport is being pushed in the wrong direction by outside influences. Still others focus on the substance of the issue. As you can see, this is a major issue. And that’s why we’ll, of course, continue to follow it closely.

Align Correctly

My personal opinion, as of today, Monday, October 19: I don’t think this is just a token gesture. I’m certain that the judging will be the deciding factor. It’s still not clearly defined—at least not publicly, though there may already be drafts—how this “lesson” is to be evaluated. Riding Master Martin Plewa has clearly outlined the criteria. I have concluded from this that it must be clearly and unambiguously established: If the nose is even slightly behind the vertical, no more than a 6 (satisfactory). If the nose tilts clearly behind the vertical but everything else is in order, no more than a 5 (sufficient). If the horse’s movement pattern changes significantly—if it loses momentum or becomes more hurried—no more than a 5—if at all. If the curb rein is taut, no more than a 5. If at least two of these—let’s call them “poor”—executions occur, no more than a 4 (unsatisfactory).

That may sound draconian to some, and I can already hear the response, “Go try that yourself first,” but only if this assessment of suppleness and self-carriage is truly understood, evaluated, and—in the event of failure—penalized as such by the judges can the lesson truly contribute to the sport’s further development.

Celebrities

It’s not as if there weren’t already plenty of moments when consistent judging could highlight training flaws. The backward shuffling of some celebrity couples, who still get a 6 even though it looked like a 5 or a 4 to everyone in the audience. The walk—whether in front or behind—is consistently short-long with a fixed shoulder, unbalanced, and thus clearly lacking in rhythm, falling far short of the training scale—a 7 for celebrities, a 6 for those who “just ride along” (a 4, rightly so, at a rural competition in an L-level dressage test). If letting the horse chew with the reins out of the rider’s hands were to join this ranks, then it would indeed be what critics say: a complete waste of time.

But I’m hopeful that won’t be the case.

Thank you!

On a completely different note: It’s time to say thank you again. After the third quarter, it was time for us to take stock: Where do we stand with EQUI PAGES? We’ve found that we’re (very) far ahead in the rankings of German-language websites dedicated to equestrian sports and breeding; on average, more than 100,000 unique users have visited EQUI PAGES* at least once a month. More than half a million pages are viewed on our site every month. Our little project, which we launched in January, has developed well. In the ranking of ALL German websites, we’re in 12,280th place—let me put it this way: Spiegel, Welt, DIE ZEIT, Tagesschau, and the rest—better watch out. 😉

And we say: Thank you! Thank you for your trust in our work. That’s what motivates us every day.

With that in mind—see you next Monday!

Jan Tönjes

jan.toenjes@equi-pages.de

*Statistical analysis by SimilarWeb, July through September 2026

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This article was first published on October 19, 2026. Every Monday, Jan Tönjes provides commentary on the week’s events in our weekly newsletter on EQUI PAGES.

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