The "appropriate" Head-Neck-Position (HNP) in the dressage arena is fiercely debated. Previous studies already indicated that hyperflexion (rollkur or LDR) cause discomfort for the horses. The aim of the present study was to check the results of Kienapfel`s (2011) study concerning behavioral reactions of horses which indicate discomfort and further investigate the divergence of HNP and the resulting behavior between warming-up and competition. Of particular interest was the influence of HNP on the mark achieved in the competition. Therefore the behaviors of 180 horses were recorded for 3 minutes of active riding in the warming-up area and during the first 3 minutes of the competition. Both are compared to the achieved mark. Behaviors like tail-swishing, position of the ears, change in movement, different oral behaviors and head movements were observed. Furthermore, 105 scans were carried out at 3 events during 8 observation days every 15 minutes to determine the frequency of the scanned HNP in the warming-up area. Horses carrying their contour-line of forehead and nose "at/behind the vertical" and "behind the vertical." exhibited significant more behaviors indicating discomfort (unpaired t-test, p<0.05) than horses with their nose held "in front of/at the vertical.". The HNPs commonly were changed from warm up to competition: More horses were presented to the judges with the nose "in front of the vertical" or "at the vertical" than observed in the warming-up area (p<0.05). The HNPs had no directly visible effect (p>0.05) on the achieved mark in the competition, but a tendency was observed among riders in lower classes to get worse marks when they warmedup w ith the head behind the vertical. In higher classes the tendency was reversed. In generally horses in higher classes showed more behaviors indicating discomfort than those in lower classes (p=0.014). Nearly 70% of the horses had to carry their nose behind the vertical in the warming-up area. Less than 12% were ridden "in front of/at the vertical". These results seem to fall into the responsibility of the judges. Riding in a HNP with the nose-line behind the vertical is connected significantly more behavior indicating discomfort than in HNPs in front of the vertical. 70% of the horses in the warm-up area are ridden with their nose behind the vertical, which is in conflict with the FEI rules.
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