Huntseat equitation riders are often admonished by their coaches to sit up straight and maintain good posture. A graceful, erect upper body also complements a horse’s performance. Being a slouch in hunters-under-saddle or English pleasure classes tends to give...
"The judge just doesn’t like my horse.” Unfortunately that’s a common rationalization when a rider is perplexed about her horse’s lack of a ribbon in a hunter class. However, a prejudicial judge isn’t usually the problem. Instead, it’s often...
Q. At what age should a horse begin getting introduced to the cart?A. Horses can be started in harness as older 2 year olds, but keep in mind, their attention span--or lack of it--at this young age. In my...
Decorative markings brushed into the horse’s coat--quarter marks--enhance the conformation of a well-muscled hip and croup, and draw attention to the cleanliness and shine of a well-conditioned show horse. Quarter marks not only highlight a horse’s conformation and give...
Many saddle seat riders believe their sport is misunderstood by those unfamiliar with the discipline. Here, Carole Stohlmann, a United States Equestrian Federation "R” saddle seat equitation, Arabian, National Show Horse and Saddlebred judge from Oklahoma City, clears up...
The purpose of the showmanship class is for exhibitors to demonstrate their ability to show their horses, rather than showcasing the horse himself. In showmanship, the horse’s conformation is not judged. However, how the horse is turned out is...
Download a printable version of this pageIf you grew up riding hunters 20 years ago, chances are you mastered the art of braiding a hunter’s mane. It was simply part of a show horse’s turnout. But with unrated divisions...
Click here to download a pdf of this page.A neatly braided tail accentuates a hunter’s hindquarters. It adds to the overall picture of refinement and elegance, which makes it a pity that braided tails are rarely seen outside the...
He’s not known as being a very amicable horse. In fact, John Henry is liable to bite the hand that feeds him, literally, at his home in Kentucky Horse Park. But the cantankerous old man will have to accept...
The newest competitive event sanctioned by the American Quarter Horse Association is ranch sorting. Similar to the popular sport of team penning, ranch sorting involves a pair of riders, some cattle with numbers on their hides, a designated holding...
