inside of the circle, or down at the horse‟s head or shoulder
will be penalised.
The exhibitor is not to 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.
Appearance 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 penalised according to severity.
Tack should fit the horse properly, and be neat, clean, and
in good repair.
The exhibitor should perform the work accurately, precisely,
smoothly, and with a reasonable amount of promptness.
Increasing speed of the manoeuvres 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 penalised. The horse should perform all
manoeuvres in the pattern willingly, briskly, and readily with
minimal visible or audible cueing.
Failure to follow the prescribed pattern, knocking over or
working on the wrong side of the cones, or severe
disobedience will result in disqualification.
Excessive schooling or training, or wilful abuse by the
exhibitor is cause for disqualification.
Faults 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.
The stop should be straight, square, prompt, smooth, and
responsive with the horse maintaining a straight body
position throughout the manoeuvre.
The back should be smooth and responsive.
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 penalised severely.
The horse should step across with the front and hind legs
when performing the side pass, 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
for v&B