d) Will disqualify a horse if the horse appears sullen, dull,
lethargic, emaciated, drawn or overly tired;
e) Will disqualify a horse any time a horse’s mouth is
bleeding;
f) Is not to penalise a horse for the manner in which it
carries its tail nor for normal response with its tail to
cues from its rider or when changing leads.
83.5 The fall, of a horse or rider being judged, will be cause for
disqualification in all classes except for team penning.
A horse is considered having fallen when it is on its side
and all four feet are extended in the same direction.
A rider is considered to have fallen when he or she is not
astride.
83.6 Any time a horse‟s mouth is tied or fastened in a
performance class, it will be disqualified.
83.7 An exhibitor cannot be tied, buckled or fastened in the
saddle in any manner or by any means. (Exception RWD
classes)
83.8 If there is elimination, each horse must be ridden in the
actual class by the same rider who rode it in the elimination.
83.9 Barrels can only be used in Barrel classes and in a trail
class as an obstacle. Chairs cannot be used as markers or
obstacles in any class.
84. HALTER CLASSES
A halter class is defined as a class where the horse is
judged based upon its conformation.
84.1 The purpose of the class is to preserve Australian Quarter
Horse type by selecting well-mannered individuals in the
order of their resemblance to the breed ideal and that are
the most positive combination of balance, structural
correctness, and movement with appropriate breed and sex
character and muscling.
84.2 The ideal Australian Quarter Horse shown at halter is a
horse that possesses the following characteristics: the
horse should possess eye appeal that is the result of a
harmonious blending of an attractive head; refined throat
latch; well-proportioned, trim neck; long, sloping shoulder;
deep heart girth; short back; strong loin and coupling; long
hip and croup; and well-defined and muscular stifle, gaskin,
forearm, and chest. These characteristics should be
coupled with straight and structurally correct legs and feet
that are free of blemishes. The horse should be a balanced
athlete that is muscled uniformly throughout.
84.3 Conformation is defined as the physical appearance due to
the arrangement of muscle, bone and other body tissues.
a) While it could be assumed that most horses with
several years‟ seasoning and past performance have
acceptable conformation, the goal in selection should
always be to find the best conformed horse possible.
b) Rating conformation depends upon objective evaluation
of the following four traits: balance, structural
correctness, breed and sex characteristics, and degree
of muscling. Of the four, balance is the single most
important, and refers to the structural and aesthetic
blending of body parts. Balance is influenced almost
entirely by skeletal structure.
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