Understanding Horse Show Judging

Hey Everyone hope the last couple days have been treating you well had some more thoughts to share!
Showing can be a wonderfully rewarding and inspirational experience for riders. It can also be a source of great stress and confusion. Many new riders start showing without having an understanding of the rules for horse show classes and, as a result, do not understand why some issues may be judged—in their perspective—more harshly in one class but not in another.

Often, judging is a matter of not only finding the winner—either the best horse or rider in the class—but it is also a matter of weighing the offenses of those who do not win the class. Faults are weighed against each other; for example, a rider’s heel coming up and leg moving a bit back on jumps is less of an offense than a rider who gets left behind. The greatest offenses could include a dangerous ride, an abusive rider or a rider who very much gets in the way of his horse (like the one who gets left behind).

For example, in hunt seat equitation divisions, the rider is judged on position and control. Additionally, diagonals and leads count (as does dropping one’s head to check if one is on the correct lead or diagonal!) In equitation over fences divisions, refusals, break of gait and wrong leads are faults.

In hunter classes, such as hunters under saddle, hunter hack and hunters over fences, the horse’s movement and attitude are judged. The hunter should look like a willing participant in the show with an alert, quiet, relaxed, balanced and happy expression and way of going. As a good mover, he’s obviously not lame or stiff. He is balanced and not on the forehand. He’s softly round and traveling on the bit instead of hollow backed and evading the rider’s contact. Pinned ears, tail swishing, spooking, bucking, kicking out, and inability to maintain a consistent rhythmical gait are penalized. In the over fences classes, unsafe form is flawed such as dangling legs and lying on the side over the fence. A nice hunter over fences jumps in a calm rhythmical approach without rushing to the base and popping over the jumps. He tucks his legs up and uses his neck and back in a soft roundness over each fence. Refusals, bucking and taking down rails as well as missing lead changes are all faults. Horses showing dangerous behavior such as lameness, kicking or rearing, will be eliminated.

When selecting classes, riders need to know what equipment is allowable and what equipment is not. For example, dressage shows are very strict about bit rules, and riders must ensure that their bits are regulation dressage bits. Similarly, in hunter under saddle classes, martingales are prohibited. Boots on horses are allowed in jumpers and equitation over fences but not in hunters. And certain bits that are allowable in jumpers may not be approved for hunters over fences.

When you are entering classes in a show, to save yourself from confusion, heartache and wasted money, study up on the show requirements for winning those classes as well as the prohibited or penalized issues in those classes. If you know before you go, you’ll have a much happier experience!
------------------------

Stop by and visit my new "facelift"

Let me hear your input.http://www.equinefieds.com/

List - Buy - Sell Everything Equine for Less