The demands and expectations from the rider and mount also are mutually exclusive in their complexities and in justifying the final outcome in the arena to those who don't belong to the inner circle of understanding.
How much of it is rider and how much the horse swings heavily 75 per cent towards the immaculately attired individual in the saddle.
"They [the horses] have to be mentally open when they are working with you," explains McIntyre, of Tauranga, not long after competing in the level 5D competition yesterday at the Hawke's Bay Showgrounds.
"It's very similar to working with husbands," Hamerton chips in with a sense of timing that would make many talkback show hosts chuckle with delight.
Jocularity aside, the dressage collective invariably aspire to achieve Grand Prix status in their careers.
McIntyre yesterday competed on Cavort, a 17 hands high level 5 gelding, who had a "super test" even though he finished 13th with a percentage of 62.476 although on Tuesday the Holsteiner (German)-bred horse was second in Tuesday's warm-up class.
On the 16hh, level 4 Dream of Angels, McIntyre settled for ninth to the tune of The Muppets TV show theme song although on Tuesday the Hanavarian horse was fourth.
Palmerston North's Penny Castle won the title on BL About Time (68.381).
Enter McIntyre to explain something those on the outside may struggle to comprehend.
"Cavort did a brilliant routine. It's a very subjective sport so different judges look at different things.
"Some [judges] like it [routines] flowing and soft while others prefer power and expression."
For the record, Cavort is the Kieran Read in rugby parlance while Dream of Angels is more in the mould of Aaron Cruden.
"Holsteiners are renowned for their muscles and Hanavarians are typically light, elegant and more expressive types," the 41-year-old says, adding three to five judges preside but in a marquee event a panel includes at least three overseas judges.
The overseas contingent are here from Finland, Sweden, Australia and India.
Like cricket batsmen after lbw decisions, riders tend to take the verdict on the chin with little, if any dissension.
"You hold yourself with dignity, go back to your truck and then have a small tantrum there," she says with a laugh.
Effectively, the judges are volunteers and do their jobs as they see it.
Grooming horses to Grand Prix level is an arduous labour of love and pain.
McIntyre reckons you can have a spectacular mount and a not-so-talented rider or vice-versa.
"It's all about feel. What you feel on top and what you see on the ground are very different," she says, emphasising making a rider look elegant and have an immaculate posture aren't everything.
Regrettably there isn't enough proper training in New Zealand. Neither is there a compulsion to fleece fresh ideas from overseas.
Consequently the overseas judges tend to keep dressage in the straight and narrow to ensure the discipline doesn't have a false sense of elite existence when not on the global stage.
McIntyre's horses are happy athletes but they can be grumpy even on competition days.
She once trained Maple Thorpe to GP level but tragically the horse didn't last.
"He had all the GP movements but was getting older so the body wasn't coping with the rigorous routines so I retired her with a lovely lady."
Her third horse, Abstract MH, a 6-year-old Hanavarian standings at 17.1hh, is her pride and joy.
She and husband Philip, an information technologist and British passport holder, will take the mare to settle in the Bristol/Gloucestershire area of England mid-next year.
McIntyre is the daughter of non-horsey parents, Diane and Ross, of Waipu.
"They say from the day I could talk I said pony, pony, horse, pony."
The parents thought she'd grow out of it but at 10 they gave in to buy her a 41-year-old horse from a neighbour.
"After 4 to 5 months, it keeled over when I came back from school one day. I thought he was sleeping funny."
It was "an ill-suited small hack", Blaze, next.
"I fell off him every day. He bucked me off, swiped me along fences. He was a delightful creature."
The following year McIntyre struck a chord with a "perfect pony", aptly named Sugar.
She went though the motions of pony clubs, graduating to eventing and showjumping but a knee injury saw her reluctantly opt for dressage.
The seven-time Hoy Show veteran's only regret is she didn't switch to dressage much earlier.
"It's extremely addictive."
Dressage, Level 5D (title yesterday): Penny Castle (Palmerston North) BL About Time 1, Nikita Osborne (Kerikeri) Alcatraz 2, Jacqui Winspear (Auckland) JW Darjeeling 3, Penny Castle (Palmerston North) Freespirit 4, Angela Lloyd (Hunua) Ruanuku R 5, Nicola Kitcheman (Hamilton) Fraggle Rock RE 6.
Level 4 musical freestyle (title yesterday): Julie Brougham (Palmerston North) Furst Fellini 1, Kaye Asham (Awanui) Dante MH 2, Wendi Williamson (Kumeu) Cortaflex Don Amour MH 3, Louisa Ayres (Waikanae) Playmate 4, Nicky Pope (Auckland) Saskatoon 5, Sharlene Royal (Kumeu) New World Frankie J 6.
Test 5C warm-up class (Tuesday): 1 Penny Castle Palmerston North BL About Time, 2 Anna McIntyre Tauranga Cavort, 3 Victoria Wall Albany Astek Gymnast, 4 Nicola Kitcheman Hamilton Fraggle Rock RE, 5 Fraser King Taranaki Campion KSNZ, 6 Penny Castle Palmerston North Freespirit.
Test 4C warm-up class (Tuesday): 1 Kaye Asham Awanui Dante MH, 2 Julie Brougham Palmerston North Furst Fellini, 3 Lisa Blackbourne Kumeu Lingh II, 4 Anna McIntyre Tauranga Dream of Angels, 5 Jacqui Thompson Upper Hutt Georgio, 6 Nicky Pope Auckland Saskatoon.
