Comments on: Horse Show Solutions: Suitability Counts

By: PKL

PKL — Sun, 29 Mar 2015 07:25:12 +0000

I think that judges should be looking for a “natural” breed look. When has anyone seen a QH walking with its mule nearly touching the ground. Or gaited horses, walking with its knees nearly touching its chest. These are man made looks. Our 4-H group, is ask to ride bareback, or with just a halter on.

By: Shelby

Shelby — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 19:20:58 +0000

I have a 5 year old quarter horse mare that I bought when she was a weanling. She is my first horse and I have trained her myself and broke her to ride. Yet, this matters little to the judges of course. It’s very frustrating to see riders who only do so well because they are riding a horse that is so dead broke, a person who has never ridden before could get a blue ribbon in the class. Even more frustrating is the fact that at every show I go to, audience members and fellow exhibitors compliment me on my horse, my riding, etc., but the judges have a completely different view. My worst experience was in a trail class where my horse and I made only one small error, while another rider’s horse spooked and reared in the middle of the course; I was given last place while the misbehaving horse was several places above me.

By: Debbie

Debbie — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 08:17:32 +0000

I have to disagree with this article. I ride a BLM Mustang. She’s 14.3 if she stands up really tall and might weigh in around 900 lbs. I show her in Western performance classes where a QH or other stock breed would definitely rule and she wins. She wins because she does the best job and isn’t that the objective of the judges—to pin the horse that does the best job? Too many judges have “breed prejudices” and it shows in their work. How many of you have an Appaloosa(a real one with spots), a Pinto or some other horse with a lot of chrome and a lot of talent that won’t get pinned because the judge believes the “proper” horse for the job should have little or no white? It happened to me when I tried to use my very talented Appaloosa mare in hunter classes—we consistently did at least a job that should put us in the ribbons yet we were excused because my mare wasn’t the “right” color or the “right” breed.

By: Liz

Liz — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 14:46:54 +0000

I agree w/ K, New London and the others. A lot of riders are anything but rich, so we buy horses that suit US. My horse is pretty much all around, so he can ride English or Western, trail class or barrel racing. I don’t think it would be fair if a less “suitable” horse did perfect, but didn’t get a ribbon because another horse was more “suitable”.
U can’t fix a horse’s conformation. Anyways, the article was good.

By: K

Fri, 24 Jul 2009 17:15:05 +0000

I also think that judges should pay more attention to the horse & rider’s performance rather than appearence. ‘Cause it just seems like predjudice any other way, even if the judges say it isn’t. And some people just can’t afford to buy a horse that the judge will think is “suitable” & are probably attached to the horse they already have.

By: Tommy

Tommy — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 08:37:24 +0000

cool

By: Kaitlin

Kaitlin — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 16:46:13 +0000

This was a very informative article, and I appreciate all of the insight it gave. However, I must say that I don’t completly agree with it. My horse is a big horse because it’s hard to keep her weight down. According to this article, a judge would score her low in a jumping class due to this. But my horse is a great jumper. She really enjoys it and we have come a long way together in the jumping ring. When she is looking her best, she has a hunter’s conformation, but that is not often. I just think judges should look more at the performance than the appearance.

By: Kate

Kate — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 04:21:16 +0000

Well, I think that judges should concentrate on wether or not the horse and rider get the job done or not. If their ‘un-suitability’ is really an issue, it will prevent them from performing well. There is no need to place someone out of the ribbons because their horse is the wrong size, for example, if they performed well.

By: jennifer

jennifer — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 10:20:01 +0000

great article

By: Ashley

Ashley — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 12:41:13 +0000

I don’t think judges should be able to mark you down for being smaller with a big horse. I’m only 5’3 and petite, and happen to have a very difficult to ride 17.3hh thoroughbred, but we work together very well because of how much we’ve worked. Other then that this was very informative and a great article.