I understand that you can't do any obvious corrections during the ceremony, especially since with a fractious horse it just tends to snowball . . . my mare is more likely to start nudging my elbow out of boredom or rubbing her itchy places on my side or searching my pockets for possible treats . . . if she were a caparisoned horse (she is black after all) the poor handler's uniform would be covered with foamy green smudges all down his right side . . . yuck!
Maybe that's why they hold them so short ;~D
No corrections, but no comfort either. A lot of it was nervous fidgeting.