Western show attire consists of MANDATORY boots with heels, cowboy style hat or safety helmet, long pants, and a long sleeve shirt with collar.

 Horses must be ridden with either split or Romel reins, and a bit of some type, or Bosal. Horses can be ridden Western in a snaffle at any age, two handed. 

Training tack allowed in Open Practice Class only.

 TRAIL CLASS - Western tack and attire, pattern will be posted day of show, contestants are furnished with a small "pocket pattern".

1. This class will be judged on the performance of the horse over the obstacles, with emphasis on manners, response to the rider, and attitude. Horse shall be penalized for any unnecessary delay while approaching the obstacles.

2. Credit will be given to those horses negotiating the obstacles with style and some degree of speed, providing carefulness is not sacrificed. Credit will be given to horses showing capability of picking their own way through course when obstacles warrant it and willingly responding to rider's cues on more difficult obstacles.

3. Horses with artificial appearance over obstacles shall be penalized as should exaggerated standing in stirrups and leaning forward over horse's neck by the rider.

4. Six obstacles will be used. Gait between obstacles shall be at the discretion of the judge. The course used will be posted one hour before the class. Failure to follow the course shall be cause for disqualification. Failure to complete an obstacle shall count against the horse and rider. The course shall be reset if necessary after each rider.

5. Score sheets will be furnished to the judge. A score of 10 points per obstacle will denote a perfect score.

6. The following obstacles can be used:

   1. Opening, passing through, and closing gate (changing hands on the gate or turning loose of the gate is a penalty.)

   2. Ride over four (4) logs or poles. These can be a straight line, curved, or zigzag. The space between the logs is to be measured and the path the horse is to take should be the measuring point. The space shall be: walkovers -15-24 inches, trot-overs - 3 ft. 6 inches, lope-overs 6 to 7 ft. No elevated are allowed while mounted. Elevated lead-overs are permitted.

   3. Back through "L" shaped course.

   4. Back through and around three (3) markers set either in a triangle or line.

   5. Ground tie horse.

   6. Pick up slicker and put it on.

   7. Pick up sack of cans or other obstacles. May be asked to carry them to another place.

   8. Cross over bridge, plastic, etc.

   9. Pull obstacle.

   10. Sidepass, turns on fore and hind quarters

   11. Other obstacles deemed safe by Show Management.

7. Each contestant is allowed no more than four (4) minutes to complete the course. Three attempts are allowed for each obstacle.

WESTERN EQUITATION - Western tack and attire

Riders will be judged on seat, hands, and ability to control and show the horse. Results as shown by performance of the horse are NOT to be considered more important than the method used by the rider.

Rider should sit in the center of saddle with legs under rider forming a straight vertical line through ear, center of shoulder, center of hip and back of heal. Stirrup length should allow heals to be lower than toes, with slight bend in the knee, and the toe directly under the knee. Body should always appear comfortable, relaxed and flexible, and the back should be nearly flat. Stiff and/or arched looser back should be avoided. The feet may be placed-home in the stirrup with boot heel touching the stirrup or may be placed with ball of the foot in the stirrup. Riding with the toes in the stirrup will be penalized.

HANDS: Both hands and arms shall be held in a relaxed easy manner, with the shoulders back and down, and upper arm in a straight line with body, the arm holding the reins bent at the elbow forming a straight line from the elbow to the horse's mouth. When using a romal, the rider's off hand shall be around the romal with at least 16 inches of rein between the hands. Wrists are to be kept straight and relaxed, with thumb on top and fingers closed around the reins. One finger between the reins is permitted when using split reins, but not with the romal. Some movement of the arm is permissible, but excessive pumping will be penalized. Reins are to be carried immediately above or slightly in front of the saddle horn. Only one hand is to be used for reining and hands shall not be changed. Reins should be carried so as to have light contact with the horse's mouth. At no time shall the reins be carried more than a slight hand movement from the horse's mouth. Excessive loose reins will be penalized.

POSITION IN MOTION: Rider should sit to jog, not post. At the lope, he/she should remain seated. Rider should maintain vertical position at all gaits. All movements of the horse should be governed by the use of imperceptible aids. Exaggerated shifting of the rider's weight is not desirable. Moving of the lower legs of riders who are short or small shall not be penalized.

MOUNTING AND DISMOUNTING: to mount, take up the reins in the left hand and place hand on the withers, grasp the stirrup with the right hand and insert left foot into stirrup. Placing right hand on the horn, mount. To dismount, rider may either step down or slide down. The size of the rider must be taken into consideration.

Clothing must be neat and clean. The saddle must fit the rider.

The judge may ask each rider to work individually in any maneuvers he/she feels necessary. Maneuvers may include walk, jog, lope or gallop in a straight line or curve, figure eight, stop, back, turn on haunches, spin, rollback, turn on forehand or rear quarters, simple change of lead, side-pass, flying lead change, counter canter, dismount, mount, and ride without stirrups. The use of markers may be used to help standardize patterns and guide riders, but may increase the degree of difficulty somewhat.

The judge may post a pattern one-hour before the class begins. Judging of individual work will begin at the indication of the judge, and will stop at the signal from the ring steward. Failure to complete the pattern will be a disqualification.

WESTERN PLEASURE - Western attire and tack.

Walk: A natural, flat footed four-beat gait.  The horse must move straight and true.  The walk must be alert, with a stride of reasonable length for the size of the horse.

Jog: A smooth, ground-covering two-beat diagonal gait. The horse works from one pair of diagonals to the other pair. The jog should be square, balanced and with a straight, forward movement of the feet.  Horses walking with their back feet and trotting on the front feet are not considered performing the required gait.  When asked to extend the jog, the horse moves out with the same smooth way of going.  The head is not carried lower than the withers.

Lope: An easy, rhythmical three-beat gait.  Horses moving to the left should be on the left lead.  Horses moving to the right should be on the right lead.  Horses traveling a four-beat gait and not performing the proper lope.  The stride should be natural, relaxed, and smooth.  The speed should be natural to the way of going.  The head of the horse should be carried at an angle the is natural, and suitable to the horses confirmation at all gaits.

1.  This class will be judged on the performance of the horse at the discretion of the judge. Entries will be penalized for excessive speed or being on wrong leads.