When further testing is called, does the judge have the option of flatting or jumping? If so, what should you ask for, and why?
If my winner is far ahead over the jumps and the rest are far behind, I will usually flat them instead of risking losing my winner. When there are good jumping rounds, then I will go ahead and further test them over jumps. If the weather or footing is not good, I will flat them rather than jump them for safety reasons.
In a jumper medal class, the rider comes into the ring and the horse spooks and spins before going through the timers. How do you score this?
In a jumper class they are not penalized because they are judged only after passing through the timers. In an equitation class, however, this would be considered a major fault, as they are judged from the time they enter the ring until they exit the ring.
What do you think of trainers yelling out instructions to their students while the student is on course?
Trainers usually do this after an error or fault has been committed, so it will be reflected in the placing in any case. However, if there are instructions being vocalized and there has not been a fault committed, it is not appreciated and the result will not be a favourable placing, either.