Horsemanship

Judges evaluate the rider’s overall effectiveness, including balance, posture, hand position, leg use, timing of cues, and accuracy of the pattern. Riders should demonstrate clear, subtle communication that allows the horse to perform willingly and smoothly.

Excessive cueing, imbalance, inconsistent aids, poor timing, or incorrect pattern placement will lower scores. The rider should appear organized, prepared, and in control at all times.

Ranch Horsemanship is scored using AQHA-based maneuver scoring, beginning with a base score of 70. Each maneuver is evaluated based on the rider’s execution, correctness, and effectiveness.

Higher scores are earned by riders who demonstrate accuracy, smoothness, and correct fundamentals while guiding the horse through the pattern with minimal visible effort.

Rider Position & Effectiveness

Correct position includes a balanced seat, shoulders aligned over hips, eyes up, and quiet hands. Legs should remain stable with heels down and consistent contact.

Hands should be steady and appropriately spaced, allowing for soft contact or drape depending on the horse’s training level.

Tips for Common Pattern Elements

• Transitions:

  • Prepare early, apply clear cues, and maintain balance through transitions. Abrupt or delayed transitions will be penalized.

• Circles and Lines:

  • Maintain correct shape, size, and straightness. Look ahead and guide the horse with subtle aids rather than overusing the reins.

• Stops and Backs:

  • Stops should be smooth and controlled. Backs should be straight, deliberate, and responsive without resistance.

Correct position includes a balanced seat, shoulders aligned over hips, eyes up, and quiet hands. Legs should remain stable with heels down and consistent contact.

Hands should be steady and appropriately spaced, allowing for soft contact or drape depending on the horse’s training level.​​

• Transitions:

  • Prepare early, apply clear cues, and maintain balance through transitions. Abrupt or delayed transitions will be penalized.

• Circles and Lines:

  • Maintain correct shape, size, and straightness. Look ahead and guide the horse with subtle aids rather than overusing the reins.

• Stops and Backs:

  • Stops should be smooth and controlled. Backs should be straight, deliberate, and responsive without resistance.

SHW431. WESTERN HORSEMANSHIP. Available only in the amateur and youth divisions, western horsemanship is designed to evaluate the rider’s ability to execute, in concert with their horse, a set of maneuvers prescribed by the judge with precision and smoothness while exhibiting poise and confidence and maintaining a balanced, functional and fundamentally correct body position. The ideal horsemanship pattern is extremely precise with the rider and horse working in complete unison, executing each maneuver with subtle aids and cues. The horse’s head and neck should be carried in a relaxed, natural position, with the poll level with or slightly above the withers. The head should not be carried behind the vertical, giving the appearance of intimidation, or be excessively nosed out, giving a resistant appearance.

SHW431.1 Pattern. It is mandatory that the judge post the initial pattern to be worked at least one hour prior to the commencement of the class; however, if the judge requires additional work of exhibitors for consideration of final placing, an additional pattern may be posted. All patterns must include a walk, jog, lope, and a back. Pattern(s) should be designed to test the horseman’s ability. All ties will be broken at the judge’s discretion.

SHW433. SCORING: Exhibitors are to be scored from 0 to infinity, with 70 denoting an average performance. Patterns will be divided into 6 to 10 maneuvers, as specified by the judge, and each maneuver will be scored from plus 3 to minus 3 with 1/2 point increments acceptable that will be added or subtracted from 70. Maneuver scores should be determined independent of penalties, and should reflect equal consideration of both performance of the exhibitor’s pattern and the horsemanship form and effectiveness of the exhibitor to result in the following scores: -3 extremely poor, -2 very poor, -1 poor, 0 average or correct, +1 good, +2 very good, +3 excellent. Exhibitors overall horsemanship form and effectiveness should also be scored from 0 to 5 with 0 to 2 average, 3 good, 4 very good, 5 excellent. Exhibitors should also be judged on the rail, and their pattern score and/or ranking may be adjusted as appropriate.

SHW434. Overall Presentation of Exhibitor and Horse. The exhibitor’s overall poise, confidence, appearance and position throughout the class as well as the physical appearance of the horse will be evaluated.

SHW435. Presentation and Position of Exhibitor. Appropriate western attire must be worn. Clothes and person are to be neat and clean. The use of any type of artificial aid or magnetic device will result in disqualification.

SHW435.1 The exhibitor should appear natural in the seat and ride with a balanced, functional and correct position regardless of the maneuver or gait being performed. During the railwork and pattern, the exhibitor should have strong, secure and proper position. Exhibitors should sit and maintain an upright position with the upper body at all gaits.

SHW435.2 The rider should sit in the center of the saddle and the horse’s back with the legs hanging to form a straight line from the ear, through the center of the shoulder and hip, touching the back of the heel or through the ankle. The heels should be lower than the toes, with a slight bend in the knee and the lower leg should be directly under the knee. The rider’s back should be flat, relaxed and supple. An overly stiff and/or overly arched lower back will be penalized. The shoulders should be back, level and square. The rider’s base of support should maintain secure contact with the saddle from the seat to the inner thigh. Light contact should be maintained with the saddle and horse from the knee to mid-calf. The knee should point forward and remain closed with no space between the exhibitor’s knee and the saddle. The exhibitor will be penalized for positioning the legs excessively behind or forward of the vertical position. Regardless of the type of stirrup, the feet may be placed home in the stirrup, with the boot heel touching the stirrup, or may be placed with the ball of the foot in the center of the stirrup. The rider’s toes should be pointing straight ahead or slightly turned out with the ankles straight or slightly broken in. Riding with toes only in the stirrup and riding without contact of bottom of boot securely on pad of stirrup, will be penalized. Those exhibitors that can maintain the proper position throughout all maneuvers should receive more credit. When riding without stirrups, the exhibitor should maintain the same position as previously described. Both hands and arms should be held in a relaxed, easy manner, with the upper arm in a straight line with the body. The arm holding the reins should be bent at the elbow forming a line from the elbow to the horse’s mouth. The free hand and arm may be carried bent at the elbow in a similar position as the hand holding the reins or straight down at the rider’s side. Excessive pumping of the free arm as well as excessive stiffness will be penalized. The rider’s wrist is to be kept straight and relaxed, with the hand held at about 30 to 45 degrees inside the vertical. The rein hand should be carried immediately above or slightly in front of the saddle horn. The reins should be adjusted so that the rider has light contact with the horse’s mouth, and at no time shall reins require more than a slight hand movement to control the horse. Excessively tight or loose reins will be penalized.

SHW435.3 The rider’s head should be held with the chin level and the eyes forward, and may be directed slightly toward the direction of travel. Excessive turning of the head to the inside of the circle, or down at the horse’s head or shoulder will be penalized.

SHW435.4 The exhibitor should not crowd the exhibitor next to or in front of them when working on the rail and should pass to the inside of the arena. When reversing on the rail, the exhibitor should always reverse to the inside of the arena.

SHW436. Presentation of Horse. The horse’s body condition and overall health and fitness should be assessed. The horse should appear fit and carry weight appropriate for the body size. A horse which appears sullen, dull, lethargic, emaciated, drawn or overly tired should be penalized according to severity. Tack should fit the horse properly and be neat, clean and in good repair.

SHW437. Pattern Performance. The exhibitor should perform the work accurately, precisely, smoothly, and with a reasonable amount of promptness. Increasing speed of the maneuvers performed increases the degree of difficulty; however, accuracy and precision should not be sacrificed for speed. Exhibitors that perform the pattern sluggishly and allow their horse to move without adequate impulsion, collection or cadence will be penalized.

SHW437.1 The horse should perform all maneuvers in the pattern willingly, briskly and readily with minimal visible or audible cueing.

SHW437.2 The horse should track straight, freely and at the proper cadence for the prescribed gait. Transitions should be smooth and prompt in the pattern and on the rail, and should be performed when called for on the rail. The horse’s head and neck should be straight and in line with their body while performing straight lines and slightly arched to the inside on curved lines or circles. Circles should be round and performed at the appropriate speed, size and location as requested in the pattern. The counter-canter should be performed smoothly with no change in cadence or stride unless specified in the pattern.

SHW437.3 The stop should be straight, square, prompt, smooth and responsive with the horse maintaining a straight body position throughout the maneuver. The back should be smooth and responsive.

SHW437.4 Turns should be smooth and continuous. When performing a turn on the haunches, the horse should pivot on the inside hind leg and step across with the front legs. A rollback is a stop and 180 degree turn over the hocks with no hesitation. Backing during turns will be penalized severely.

SHW437.5 The horse should step across with the front and hind legs when performing the sidepass, leg-yield and two-track. The side pass should be performed with the horse keeping the body straight while moving directly lateral in the specified direction. When performing a leg- yield, the horse should move forward and lateral in a diagonal direction with the horse’s body arced opposite to the direction that the horse is moving. In the two-track, the horse should move forward and lateral in a diagonal direction with the horse’s body held straight or bent in the direction the horse is moving.

SHW437.6 A simple or flying change of lead should be executed precisely in the specified number of strides and/or at the designated location. A simple change of lead is performed by breaking to a walk or trot for one to three strides. Flying changes should be simultaneous front and rear. All changes should be smooth and timely. When a lead change is a required maneuver, it may be designated as a simple change or the exhibitor has the option to perform either a simple or flying lead change.

SHW437.7 Position of the exhibitor and performance of the horse and rider on the rail must be considered in the final placing.