based upon its conformation.

their resemblance to the breed ideal and that are the most positive

characteristics: the horse should possess eye appeal that is the

result of a harmonious blending of an attractive head; refined throat

latch; well-proportioned, trim neck; long, sloping shoulder; deep

heart girth; short back; strong loin and coupling; long hip and

croup; and well-defined and muscular stifle, gaskin, forearm, and

chest. These characteristics should be coupled with straight and

structurally correct legs and feet that are free of blemishes. The horse

should be a balanced athlete that is muscled uniformly throughout.

is conformation, or its physical appearance. While it could be

assumed that most horses with several years’ seasoning and past performance

have acceptable conformation, the goal in selection should

always be to find the best conformed horse possible.

of the following four traits: balance, structural correctness,

breed and sex characteristics, and degree of muscling. Of the four,

balance is the single most important, and refers to the structural and

aesthetic blending of body parts. Balance is influenced almost entirely

by skeletal structure.

any chain through the mouth including but not limited to lip chains:

with any chain through the mouth with the sole exception that they

may be shown with lip chains with unsecured keepers so long as at

least two links of the chain remain outside of halter before attachment

of keeper or leather part of lead shank.

horse approaches, the judge will step to the right (left of the horse)

to enable the horse to trot straight to a cone placed at 50 feet (15

meters) away. At the cone, the horse will continue trotting, turn to

the left and trot toward the left wall or fence of the arena. After trotting,

horses will be lined up head to tails for individual inspection by

the judge. The judge shall inspect each horse from both sides, front

and rear.

testicles. All mares and stallions shall be examined for parrot

mouth. All lame horses, cryptorchids and parrot-mouthed horses

should be excused from the ring prior to final placing by the judge.

in a head to tail order according to preference.

halter class.

be exhibited in the same class.

separate classes for each sex in each age division:

Weanling:

1) fillies 2) colts 3) geldings

Yearling:

1) fillies 2) colts 3) geldings

Two-year-old:

1) fillies 2) colts 3) geldings

Three-year-old:

1) fillies 2) stallions 3) geldings

Four-year-old and older:

1) mares 2) stallions 3) geldings

Broodmares: Mares which have produced a full term foal

in the current year or the previous year. Mares may be any age. Mares

shown in the broodmare class are not eligible to compete in any filly

or mare class listed above, nor is any mare shown in any filly or mare

class listed above eligible to compete in a broodmare class.

all first and second-place class winners of that sex division

shall return to the ring, with first-place class winners in one line and

second-place horses from each class in another line.

and Reserve Champion in each sex division in open, youth and

amateur divisions having three or more entries.

mare or gelding from the first-place class winners in the respective

sex division. If first place horse does not return for any reason, the

second-place horse will move up to first-place line and be considered

for Grand and Reserve. The third-place horse cannot move up to second

place in the class. All first-place horses will retain points in their

respective class.

the class from which the Grand Champion had been selected and

place it in the line with the first-place class winners, to be judged

equally for the title of Reserve Champion stallion, mare or gelding in

the respective sex division.

has qualified two or more horses for Grand and Reserve Champion,

only another amateur or youth may assist that exhibitor as long as

the amateur or youth who originally qualified the horses leads one of

the horses in that class.

will so note the awarding of the title of Grand Champion and Reserve

Champion Stallion, Mare and Gelding on the performance record only

when at least three horses are exhibited in that sex division.

their individual halter class at that show.

or entries justify them, but no points will be awarded for Register

of Merit or Championship.

younger of either sex, per dam, may be shown. The dam need not be

shown. The entry at the show must be made by the owner of the dam

or by someone with written permission from the owner of the dam,

but it is unnecessary for the produce to be owned by the owner of

the dam.

either sex, per sire, may be shown. The sire need not be shown. The

entry at the show must be made by the owner of the sire or by someone

with written permission from the owner of the sire, but it is

unnecessary for the get to be owned by the owner of the sire.

for any of the events listed in rule 417, except western pleasure, reining

and working cow horse events which may be divided into three

classes as per rules 451(q), 452(m) and 463(b). No two-year-old may

be shown in any performance class prior to July 1 of its two-year-old

year, except in Showmanship at Halter.

in junior classes.

in senior classes.

classes or all three classes (senior, junior and snaffle bit/hackamore)

may be combined only when there are two or less entries in one or

both divisions, or all-age classes split at the direction of the judge and

the show management with the unanimous consent of all exhibitors

involved in the class (or classes) in question. If a show wishes to combine

a junior and senior bit reining class and has a hackamore/snaffle

bit reining class, the hackamore/snaffle bit class still will be recognized

as an approved class. Entries will be accepted after a class is

combined. If classes are combined and additional entries are accepted

such that there are now three or more entries in both open classes

or youth divisions, classes must be split back the way they were

originally offered.

the order of competition shall be determined by show management

drawing lots. Horses entered in any class must be assembled

in ample time for judging to start on time and continue without

delay. They must remain in readiness until dismissed by the judge. A

tardy contestant may be denied competition.

riding and working hunter classes available to exhibitors in a random

order and position. Working order for this class also may be

random.

one hour prior to the class commencing.

except in pleasure driving where they will be driven, and in showmanship

where they are led with a halter.

each horse in the finals, or, the score in the finals only will determine

the final placings; consistency of performance to be recognized as a

major factor.

than a walk, where horses are worked on the rail.

the finalists in the class where backing is required.

horse is ridden with a hackamore and has an open, raw or bleeding

sore that comes in contact with the hackamore, or if the horse

appears sullen, dull, lethargic, emaciated, drawn or overly tired.

bleeding.

carries its tail nor for normal response with its tail to cues from its

rider or when changing leads. A judge may, at his/her discretion,

penalize a horse for excessive or exaggerated switching or wringing of

the tail or for a seemingly dead tail that merely dangles between the

legs and does not show normal response.

148

for disqualification in all classes except for team penning. A horse is

considered having fallen when he or she is on their side and all four

feet are extended in the same direction. Rider is considered to have

fallen when he or she is not astride.

class, it shall be disqualified.

horses in a class, but each horse may have only one rider per class. In

individual open working events (reining, working cow horse, western

riding, barrel racing, pole bending, jumping, working hunter,

trail, calf roping, dally team roping - heading, dally team roping -

heeling, team penning and cutting) a rider may:

junior and one is senior; or two are senior and one is junior.

two are junior and two are senior horses.

In addition: In all youth, novice youth, amateur and novice

amateur individual working performance events, a youth or amateur

may show up to two horses regardless of sex, except in youth, novice

youth classes where stallions are prohibited.

may show only one horse, either in the Select or All-ages. In individually

worked Amateur performance classes offered as Select, only

two horses may be shown. No more than two horses may be shown

in Amateur Division classes.

amateur subdivision of any type of event. (Example: A horse ridden

in a reining class by a youth in the 11-year-old and younger group

cannot also be ridden in a reining class by a youth in the 15 through

18-year-old group.) However, the same horse may be shown in a

novice class, then shown by another exhibitor in the youth or amateur

division.

or fastened in the saddle in any manner or by any means during

youth or novice youth competition.

actual class by the same rider who rode it in the elimination.

Barrel Racing.

horse in cutting, heading and heeling must be an American Quarter Horse.

enter the show arena until they exit the show arena.