Showmanship

Showmanship at halter class shall be judged strictly on the exhibitor’s ability to fit and show a horse at halter. It is not a conformation class. The horse is merely a prop to demonstrate the ability and preparation of the exhibitor. The ideal showmanship performance consists of a poised, confident, neatly attired exhibitor, leading a well-groomed, well-mannered, and conditioned horse that quickly and efficiently performs the requested pattern with promptness, smoothness, and precision. The showmanship class is not another halter class and should be judged as such.

The general procedure and suggested outline is for halter classes and should be used as a fitting and showmanship guide for both exhibitor and judge. Fine or technical points should never be over-emphasized to the extent that they are given more weight than an effective job of presenting a clean animal nor should minor infractions result in the disqualification of an exhibitor. Conformation of the horse is not scored if serviceably sound. No consideration is given to the horse other than fitting and showing, and apparent manners as affected by previous training, etc.

Tack and Attire

Refer to Western, Hunter or Saddle Seat Tack and Attire for Halter and Showmanship on pages 17-26.

General Regulations

1. Only weanling foals and other fillies, mares, and geldings are eligible to show.
2. All breeds, including grade, and sexes are shown together. Classes should be divided by age of 4-H’er.
3. Western, Hunter Seat, and Saddle Seat showmanship classes may be held as combined or separate classes. Exhibitors must wear attire that is appropriate for the respective discipline being exhibited and that complies with the appointment requirements. Individuals are to be judged against the standards for the particular breed or type they most nearly represent.
4. Hold a separate class for showmanship. The ideal time to schedule a 4-H horse showmanship contest is the very first class of the show. It can be featured at a night show or at an ideal time for the most participation. It also will be most useful before conformation class judging and the performance classes.

Scoring Procedure

Appearance of Horse

1. Condition and Thriftness
   1. Horse should be thrifty and in good hard condition. An overly fat horse is not attractive (condition score 8-9), but even more serious is a horse shown in a thin, unthrifty condition (condition score 3 or below).
2. Grooming
   1. Hair coat is clean, well brushed, glossy, and free of stains, dust, and dandruff.
   2. Powder and coat dressing used sparingly.
   3. Mane and tail clean and free of snarls.
   4. Hooves trimmed to enable horse to walk and stand naturally. If shod, shoes must fit and not show undue wear.
   5. Hoof dressing permitted but should not score above hooves that are clean and polished in natural state.
3. Trimming and Braiding
   1. Mane
      1. Banding and braiding of manes is acceptable. Exhibitors are encouraged to follow breed standards.
      2. Forelock and mane of American Saddle foals and three-gaited American Saddlers are generally clipped. Five-gaited American Saddle Horses and American Saddlebred Pleasure Horses shall be shown with a full mane.
   2. Tail
      1. Tails should be cleaned and combed out. Exhibitors are encouraged to follow breed standards.
      2. Upper part of tail on three-gaited American Saddle horses may be roached while the upper tail of the hunter and jumper may be braided. Five-gaited American Saddle horses and American Saddlebred Pleasure horses are shown with a full mane and tail and must be carried naturally.
      3. Tails may be lengthened by hair-to-hair attachment but no attachment of any kind to the tailbone.
   3. Ears
      1. Inside of ears may be clipped or left unclipped on all breeds of light horses.
   4. Long Hair
      1. The bridle path, long hairs on muzzle, jaw, eyebrows and legs may be clipped on all breeds.
4. Tack
   1. Tack should be neat, clean, in good repair, and properly adjusted.

Showing Horse

1. Leading and Posing
   1. Exhibitor leads from the horse’s left side holding lead strap in right hand about 6 inches to 16 inches from the halter ring. Small exhibitors may use the longer hold on the lead. Excessive lead strap should be folded or loosely coiled in the left hand and for safety purposes not tightly coiled. Hand position on the lead normally remains the same when posing as when leading. At no time should the exhibitor change hands on the lead. When leading, the exhibitor should be positioned between the eye and the mid-point of the horse’s neck, referred to as the leading position.
   2. Train your horse to walk and trot out at the same rate as you do. The horse should lead readily at a walk or trot. You should walk and trot together so that your body is even with the horse’s throatlatch. Hold your lead arm so that the horse’s head and neck are in a direct line with the spine and line of travel. Do not get in front of the horse or try to pull the horse into a trot. Movement at both gaits should be brisk and sharp, as opposed to slow and dull.
   3. When leading to or from a judge or ringmaster, stops and turns are very important. Always allow plenty of space between the horse and judge. Stops should be executed squarely and without hesitation.
   4. Turns of greater than 90 degrees should always be executed to the right. Turning to the right allows the right hind foot to be used as the pivot point, allowing for a uniform, smooth turn. This results in the horse remaining in essentially the same tracks after the turn, providing the judge a good view as the horse tracks away.
   5. Class routines often require walking or trotting out of and back into the lineup of horses. Upon returning, the exhibitor should lead all the way through the line, stop, reverse to the right, and then lead into the line to set up.
   6. Keep your proper position in line and allow reasonable space (at least 5 feet) between your horse and the horses on either side. If asked to change positions in the line, back your horse out of the line and approach the new position from behind. If the judge requests you to line up head to tail with other horses, do not crowd the horse in front of you closer than 5 feet.
   7. Posing and Presentation
      1. Horse is posed with feet placed and balanced according to its type and use.
      2. Exhibitor keeps whereabouts of judge in mind and has horse alert and in position when judge looks at the horse.
      3. Exhibitor does most of the showing with the lead strap. The exhibitor should not touch the horse with their hands or feet, or visibly cue the horse by pointing their feet at the horse during the set up. Proper use of hands or voice is desirable.
      4. Horse is kept from contact with a competitor or encroachment of space rightfully belonging to another.
      5. Once set up, the horse should be presented in such a way as to not distract the judge’s attention from the horse. It is important to remember the primary objective is to show the horse. The judge should have a clear, unobstructed view of the animal at all times. The exhibitor must be in a position to watch both the judge and the horse at all times. The method of presentation preferred by most judges for youth exhibitors is the ”Quarter System”. 
         
         In the quarters system, the horse is divided into four equal parts as seen in Figure A. (Note: Quadrants will be labeled A, B, C and D.) One line runs across the horse just behind the withers. The other line runs from head to tail. The exhibitor is always one quadrant away from the judge. When the judge is in A, the handler should be in B. As the judge moves to C, the handler should move to A. As the judge goes into D, the handler moves to B. When the judge moves to B, the handler crosses to A. Thus, the exhibitor stands on the opposite side of the horse when the judge is toward the front and on the same side as the judge when judge is toward the rear of the horse. At no time should the exhibitor change hands on the lead.

1. 
   
   For safety reasons, the exhibitor should not stand directly in front of the horse (See Figure B). As the judge views a horse directly from behind, the exhibitor should stand on the side they were standing on immediately prior to the judge’s movement to the rear of the horse. 
   
   Staring at the judge places more emphasis on the judge than on the horse, which is not an objective of the class. Therefore, an exhibitor should maintain eye contact with the horse. It is acceptable to glance at the judge from time to time, but this should not be continuous.
2. Cooperation with Judge
   1. Awareness of position of judge maintained but not made obvious.
   2. Horse kept posed well while judge is observing it. Horse may be permitted to relax somewhat while judge is observing other horses.
   3. Exhibitor steps aside if judge desires front view inspection.

Appearance and Merits of Exhibitor

1. Appearance
   1. Clothes and person neat, clean, and well groomed.
   2. Suitable riding clothes preferred. Chaps and spurs are not permitted.
2. Merits
   1. Responsive to judge’s and ringmaster’s requests.
   2. Recognizes and corrects faults of horse quickly.
   3. Not distracted by persons and things outside ring.
   4. Shows animal, not self.
   5. Displays a courteous and sportsmanlike attitude.
   6. May be expected to answer questions over project in close decisions.
3. Exhibitors are to be scored from 0 to infinity, with 70 denoting an average performance. Patterns will be divided into 6 to 10 maneuvers, as specified by the judge, and each maneuver will be scored from +3 to -3 with ½ point increments acceptable that will be added or subtracted from 70. Maneuver scores should be determined independent of penalties, and should reflect equal consideration of both performance of the exhibitor’s pattern and the form and effectiveness of the exhibitor and presentation of horse to result in the following scores: +3 Excellent, +2 Very Good, +1 Good, 0 Average or Correct, -1 Poor, -2 Very Poor, -3 Extremely Poor. Exhibitors overall form and effectiveness should also be scored from 0 to 5 with 0 to 2 Average, 3 Good, 4 Very Good, 5 Excellent.

Penalties Maneuver evaluations and penalty applications are to be determined independently. The following penalties will be applied for each occurrence and will be deducted from the final score:

1. Three (3) Points
   1. Break of gait at the walk or trot up to 2 strides
   2. Over or under turning up to 1/8 of a turn
   3. Ticking or hitting cone
   4. Sliding a pivot foot
   5. Lifting a pivot foot during a pivot and replacing it in the same place
   6. Lifting a foot in a set-up and replacing it in the same place after presentation
2. Five (5) Points
   1. Not performing the specific gait or not stopping within 10 feet (3 meters) of designated location
   2. Break of gait at walk or trot for more than 2 strides
   3. Splitting the cone (cone between the horse and exhibitor)
   4. Horse stepping out of or moving the hind end significantly during a pivot or turn
   5. Horse stepping out of set-up after presentation
   6. Horse resting a foot or hipshot in a set-up
   7. Over or under turning 1/8 to ¼ turn
3. Ten (10) Points
   1. Exhibitor is not in the required position during inspection
   2. Exhibitor touching the horse or kicking or pointing their feet at the horse’s feet during the set-up
   3. Standing directly in front of the horse
   4. Loss of lead shank, holding chain or two hands on shank
   5. Blatant disobedience including biting, kicking, rearing or pawing; horse continually circling exhibitor
4. Disqualifications (should receive the lowest ribbon placing — generally white)
   1. Loss of control of horse that endangers exhibitor, other horses, or judge
   2. Horse becomes separated from exhibitor
   3. Failure to display correct number
   4. Willful abuse
   5. Excessive schooling or training; use of artificial aids
   6. Illegal equipment
   7. Off pattern, including: knocking over or wrong side of cone or marker; never performing designated gait; over or under turning more than ¼ turn

Class Routine

Class routines may vary depending on the number of exhibitors and preferences of the judge. All exhibitors may be brought into the arena at the same time, asked to line up, and then worked individually. A second routine is for each exhibitor to perform the pattern individually as they enter the arena. Exhibitors then may be asked to remain in the arena for final placing or may be excused. With either routine, finalists may be asked back for an additional workout to determine the final placings.

Exhibitors should be asked to perform an individual pattern. Basic maneuvers that may be included in the performance are walking, trotting, backing, turning, stopping, setting up, and presentation. It is mandatory that the judge post any pattern(s) to be worked at least one hour prior to the commencement of the class. Pattern(s) should be designed to test the exhibitor's ability to effectively present a horse to the judge.