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Horse Show Events: Horse Property For Sale In AZ

By The Valley Solutions Real Estate Team

Real Estate Agent with HomeSmart

August 21, 2010 10:03 AM

Hunter Under Saddle, What do the Judges Look for?

No matter what breed you show or what level you perform; there are certain criteria that the judges will look for. The ideal hunter should show manners, willingness, quality of movement, and functional correctness. Hunters should also be suitable to purpose, meaning that the horse should be able ride the fields and be able to cover a lot of ground with minimal effort. The ideal hunter will also have a long and low stride. He will reach forward easily and smoothly. The rider will also be able to lengthen and shorten strides as necessary. The horse should move in a free-flowing manner and exhibit the correct gates. The quality of movement and the consistency of gaits are the most important features in the movement of the hunter and the judge will begin looking for those first.

The hunter should be obedient and have a bright expression. The ears should be alert and he will respond willingly with light contact from the leg or hand. The horse should also transition to faster slower gaits with ease. When the hunter is asked to extend the trot or hand gallop, he should do so smoothly and in the same flowing motion of his other gaits. The poll should be level, or slightly above the withers. Horses with a poll lower than the withers will be penalized. The head position should be slightly in front of or on the vertical.

Western Pleasure, What do the Judges Look for?

In a western pleasure class, the judge is looking for the best mover, for the horse with the most pleasing and comfortable gaits that is controlled on a loose rein and responds to invisible cues. The pleasure class is not one where the slowest-traveling horse wins, like some seem to believe.

Some riders try to make their horses travel extremely slow, which leads to certain problems, all of which will cost you points: horses that jog in front and walk behind, horses that four-beat at the lope, horses that don’t seem to cover any ground at all, horses that appear unhappy, pinning their ears, switching their tails, moving with their noses behind the vertical – all because their riders try to make them do something that’s unnatural for them.

In a pleasure class, horses are shown on the rail at the walk, jog, and lope, and in both directions. Over the loudspeaker the different gaits are requested: “Walk your horses”, “jog your horses”, and “lope your horses”. When the commando “reverse your horses” is being given, the riders are required to turn away from the rail, turn around, and go back to the rail in the opposite direction, all without breaking the gait they were in. The western pleasure class also includes a backup. This may be asked for on the rail (“stop your horses, and back up”) or from a line up. In the latter case, the commando “line up” is first given, and the riders are required to form a line in the middle of the arena, parallel to each other, and facing the grandstand. The judge will then step in front of each contestant individually, at which time the contestant is expected to back up his horse for as long as the judge is watching him.

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When you are in the area and want to see the available Horse Property For Sale please don’t hesitate to give us a call. We Specialize in Horse Property all over the valley and would be glad to assist you.

Mother/Daughter Team

“Horse Property Specialists”