3-Year-Old Western Pleasure

Goals

  1. To help develop Nebraska 4-H equestrians toward more sympathetic training programs.
  2. To help develop young pleasure horses with a sound base toward a more efficient, mature mount by:
    1. Developing softer and more lasting mouths.
    2. Developing more supple necks and bodies on their mounts.
    3. Develop a happier attitude and more natural head carriage with their mounts.
    4. Develop all gaits with the natural cadence, speed, comfort, and stride compatible within the horse's size and conformational limits.
  3. Challenge older, more experienced 4-H'ers who have acquired the skills needed to undertake a young horse training project.
  4. To provide 4-H'ers the opportunity to further develop a young prospect which may eventually replace their existing project horse. 
  5. The 3-Year-Old Western Pleasure Class is a continuation of the 2-Year-Old Project to increase the rider's knowledge and allow them to further train their pleasure prospect for further use.

Eligibility

  1. All Nebraska 4-H 3-Year-Old Western Pleasure Horses will be 3 years old by the calendar year starting January 1 of the year foaled. 
  2. Substantiated evidence of professional training on the mount, other than by the exhibitor, will hinder that exhibitor's eligibility to show in this class.
  3. The 4-H exhibitor in this class must meet requirement No. 1 and/or No. 2 on page 6.

Rules

  1. All Nebraska 4-H members 10 years or older may exhibit these 3-Year-Old Western Pleasure horses at the State 4-H Horse Show. For State competition, an exhibitor may enter the 3-Year-Old Western Pleasure Class in addition to another Pleasure Class (Western Pleasure/Hunter Under Saddle or Advanced Western Pleasure/Hunter Under Saddle). However, the horse ridden in the 3-Year-Old Western Pleasure Class CANNOT be ridden in any other Performance class.
  2. A Nebraska 3-Year-Old Western Pleasure exhibitor must be a Nebraska county certified Level III Horseman.
  3. All riding of the 3-year-old Western Pleasure horse must be done by the 4-H'er (i.e., no one else at any time may ride the horse other than the 4-H'er, including prior to the 4-H'er buying the horse). Violation of this rule will disqualify the 4-H'er and the horse from ALL competitions at the current State 4-H Horse Show.
  4. Nominated 3-year-old horses may be shown by the 4-H'er prior to the State 4-H Horse Show.
  5. The 3-year-old horse ridden in the 3-Year-Old Western Pleasure Class must have been registered in the 4-H Program by the same exhibitor as a 2-year-old to be eligible for the class.

Protest Policy

Any complaint/protest against eligibility of an entry in the 3-Year-Old Western Pleasure Class must be submitted in writing with a $25 fee. The fee is refundable if the protest committee rules in favor of the 4-H'er submitting the request.

  • Protests must be submitted to the show superintendent or state personnel.
  • Protests must be submitted in writing and presented by the 4-H'er only. Protests made by anyone other than a 4-H'er will be considered invalid.
  • The exhibitor or horse and the reason for the protest being filed must be designated.
  • Protests will be made with the understanding that the protestor's name will be shared with the Protest Committee.
  • In cases of protest, the exhibitor may be allowed to show, but the results of showing will be subject to change based on the outcome of the protest process. This allows for smooth operation of the show and facilitates appropriate processing.
  • Verification of the protest on eligibility of the entry may result in disqualification of the project.
  • Protests will not be accepted after the completion of the show.

Tack and Attire

  1. Refer to Western tack and attire requirements on pages 17-26.
  2. The 4-H armband is required.
  3. Horses to be shown in standard headstalls (brow band, shaped ear, or split ear). Smooth snaffle bit (no shanks) with broken mouthpiece (conventional O-ring, Eggbutt, or D-ring) with ring no larger than 4 inches and no smaller than 2 inches (1 inch from cheek, must be a minimum 3/8 inch diameter with a gradual decrease to the center of the snaffle). Optional loose curb strap (leather or nylon only) may be attached below the reins, no chain curb straps allowed. See illustration (page 19) of acceptable rein and hand position. 
  4. Bosals/rawhide or leather hackamore as described on page 21 are permitted.
  5. During the warm-up period, horses must be ridden with the same equipment required in the event.

Prohibited: Mechanical hackamore, twisted wire mouthpiece, any bit with shanks, martingales, nosebands, or tie downs.

General Regulations

  1. A pleasure horse should be a natural moving horse. Emphasis shall be placed on manners, movement, and attitude, as reflected in the horse's ears, mouth, tail, and way of going. Judges shall be instructed to pay particular attention to the above mentioned and any attempt to alter the above shall be judged accordingly.
  2. Horse must be sound of sight, wind, and limb.
  3. Horses are to be penalized for carrying their heads behind the vertical and for nosing out. 4. If a horse's mouth shows signs of broken skin, rawness or bleeding, the horse will be eliminated from competition.

Gaits

  1. The walk should be a comfortable, flat, ground-covering walk.
  2. The jog should be soft, relaxed and quiet with a definite beat. At no time should it resemble a running walk or be rough and stilted. The speed and stride should be compatible with the horse's size. (Example: a 14.2-hand horse and a 16-hand horse should not be expected to travel at the same speed and stride.)
  3. The lope should be rolling and comfortable with strong emphasis on a natural, three-beat, soft lope. A four-beat lope is not desirable at any time.
  4. The back: Horses should back on command quietly, willingly, and easily in a straight line without resistance (jawing, delay, and tossing of head are considered undesirable).
  5. IMPORTANT: If a horse and rider are traveling in a proper manner­ in all three gaits, they should not be penalized for passing another horse.

Class Routine

  1. Entries must be shown with both hands on reins, maintaining light contact with horse's mouth (see page 19 for acceptable rein and hand positions). The rider's hand should be carried near the pommel and not further than 4 inches out on either side of the saddle horn. Rider's hands must be steady with very limited movement. Rider's hands carried over the saddle horn are not in proper position and hands carried low on rider's thighs and away from pommel are not acceptable. Light contact of the reins is noted as a gentle drape from the rider's hands to the snaffle ring or bosal. A straight, taut rein is too tight, and a rein that drapes at its lowest point below the horse's shoulder is too loose. Neither is acceptable.
  2. All horses will be judged as a pleasure horse at the walk, jog, lope, and back as well as on all transitions between gaits. Horses must work both ways of the ring at all three gaits. The judge may, at their discretion, require the back of the finalists in the class. Horses must reverse to the inside (away from the rail). They may be required to reverse at the walk or jog, at the discretion of the judge, but shall not be asked to reverse at the lope or asked to extend the trot.
  3. A tight rein is never acceptable. Head carriage should be quiet and natural.

Nebraska 4-H Horse Show & Judging Guide