Read About Horse Show Secrets

Horse Show Secrets are keys to winning horse show contests. Here's everything you need to know about this competition.

Horse Show Secrets - Facts

1. Type of Competition:

   Horse shows are contests in which horses and ponies are judged according to their various skills. These shows can be specialized shows, which may have competitions of only a particular breed of horse. Such shows are called as breed shows. The quarter horse show of Minnesota and the Rocky Mountain Horse Show are examples. However, there are also horse shows that run into several days including several events, called as open shows. Open horse shows are conducted annually in Vermont, California, and Central Texas, among other places.

2. Location:

   Horse shows are conducted at many locations all through the American and European continents. In America, popular horse shows are conducted annually in Texas, Minnesota, Denver, Vermont, Florida and a host of other places.

3. History:

   Horse shows have always been conducted in history. However, its first civilized and regulated conduction can be traced back to the formation of the United States Equestrian Foundation (USEF) on January 20, 1917. The meet was conducted at New York, where organizers of about 50 horse shows met and debated over the rules of equestrian events during horse shows.

4. Sanctioned:

   Most prominent horse shows are sanctioned by the United States Equestrian Foundation (USEF). The USEF also provides judging for the shows it sanctions. The rules of equestrian events by which horses are judged have been formulated by the USEF, but the events themselves have been decided by the Federation Equestre Internationale, or the FEI.

5. Entrance Procedure:

   Generally, eligibility of horses in a horse show depends on its performance in the previous year. Depending on their previous victories, horses are entered. A horse that hasn't been a winner is selected according to whether it has been shown or not in the previous year. A new horse is selected according to recommendations. Entrance is done through stubs, or forms, which are available at horse shows approximately three months before the date of the show.

6. Classes:

   There are special breed horse shows which take only that particular breed of horse in their competitions. However, open horse shows will take in several classes of horses. The prominent horse classes are hunter or jumper class, trail class, equitation class, Western pleasure, English pleasure, halter class, draft class, etc.

7. Judging:

   Horses are judged according to their expertise in various equestrian events. Popularly, the events for which horses are judged are dressage, endurance, eventing, pleasure, show hunting, show jumping, reining, and vaulting. There is also a para equestrian event for disabled riders. These events have been devised by the FEI. One of the secrets in horse show judging is that the rider is judged during the mounting of the horse. An effortless mount wins more points. The obedience of the horse to its master is also taken into prime consideration.

8. Awards:

   Prize money for winning horses depend on the reputation of the event. It can vary from $500 to $5000 per winning horse. Horses are awarded color labels according to their performance. In USA, this code is blue for first place, red for second place and yellow for third place, while in the UK it is red for first place, blue for second place and yellow for third place.