Western

   Competition for western riders exist in the following forms:

   Western pleasure - the rider must show the horse together with other horses in an arena at a walk, jog (a slow, controlled trot), and lope (a slow, controlled canter). In some breed competitions, a judge may ask for a gallop, and (rarely) an extended trot. The horse must remain under control on a loose rein, with low head carriage, the rider directing the horse with nearly invisible aids and minimal interference. With an emphasis on slow speeds and great control, pleasure classes can be quite large, with USEF rules only requiring a class to be divided if there are more than 50 horses in the ring at the same time.

   Reining - considered by some the "dressage" of the western riding world, with status as a new international sport at the World Equestrian Games, reining requires horse and rider to perform a precise pattern consisting of circles at a lope and gallop with flying changes of lead, rapid "spins" (a turn in one spot on the haunches), "rollbacks" (a rapid turn immediately followed by a gallop in the opposite direction) and the crowd-pleasing sliding stop (executed from a full gallop).
 
  Cutting - this event highlights the "cow sense" prized in stock breeds such as the American quarter horse. The horse and rider select and separate a cow (or steer) out of small herd of 10-20 animals. The cow inevitably tries to return to its herd mates; the rider loosens the reins and leaves it entirely to the horse to keep the cow from returning to the herd, a job the best horses do with relish, savvy, and style. Depending on the level of competition, one to three judges award points to each competitor.

   Team penning- a timed event in which a team of 3 riders must select 3 to 5 marked steers out of a herd and drive them into a small pen. The catch: riders cannot close the gate to the pen till they have corralled all the cattle (and only the intended cattle) inside. The fastest team wins, and teams exceeding a given time limit are disqualified.

   Trail class- in this event, the rider has to maneuver the horse through an obstacle course in a ring. Horses must cross bridges, logs and other obstacles; stand quietly while a rider waves a flapping object around the horse; move sideways, often with front and rear feet on either side or a rail; make 90 and 180 degree turns while moving backwards, open and close a gate while mounted, and other maneuvers relevant (sometimes distantly) to everyday ranch or trail riding. While speed isn't judged, horses have a limited amount of time to complete each obstacle and can be penalized for exceeding the allotted time.

   Halter - here the horse is shown in a halter by a handler controlling the horse from the ground using a lead rope. In regular halter competition,also sometimes called "conformation" or "breeding" classes, the conformation of the horse is judged, with emphasis on the both the movement and build of the horse.

   Halter Showmanship - In showmanship classes the performance of the handler is judged, as well as the cleanliness and grooming of horse, equipment and handler, with the behavior of the horse also considered part of the handler's responsibility. The competitor is judged on his or her ability to present the halter horse to its best advantage. The horse is taken through a short pattern where the horse and handler must set up the horse correctly at a standstill and exhibit full control while at a walk, jog, turning and often backing up. Clothing of the handlers tend to parallel that of western pleasure competition. Halters are often leather ornamented with silver. Showmanship classes are particularly popular with children who do not yet have the skill or confidence to succeed in riding events.

                                                         Kates Horses