Training

Ask the Judge: rain gear, large classes, loose horses and more

Randy Roy is a senior international judge, course designer and author. He owns and operates Hunters Glen Show Stable in King, ON, with his d

By: Randy Roy | June 4, 2014

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you're listening to an article from horse sport.com. ask the judge: rain gear, large classes, loose horses and more by: randy roy. whose decision is it regarding riders wearing rain gear in inclement weather? as the judge, i would allow it in a hunter class, but i’m less inclined to do so for an equitation class, as it impairs my ability to fully see the rider. however, if it was an absolute downpour, i’d allow it. in extreme heat, horse show management, along with the judge, can waive jackets for all classes. a horse or pony enters the ring for a flat class wearing a martingale. do you run the class while eliminating them from judging, or do you inform them to remove it? i’m a nice guy. i’ll have the announcer or the in-gate person inform them to remove it so they can be judged. what happens when a horse hits a jump hard enough that a lower rail or gate falls? i would have to mark such a hard rub as a major fault and hopefully with enough good rounds this one would be out of the ribbons. advertisement scroll to continue with content a horse is cantering towards the first jump when it breaks into a trot. the rider picks up the canter again, makes a circle, and then goes to the first jump. how do you score this? you are allowed to circle before the first jump, so this would not be scored as a refusal. however, trotting after picking up the canter is breaking stride, which is an automatic score of 55. when there are a large number of entries in a flat class, do you judge them all together, or do you split the class? there are several ways you can manage this situation. you can work the whole group one way, line up your top ones in the centre, then work the remainder the other way, followed by your top group. or you can split the class and work them as two groups. you can also trot the whole group in both directions, then line them up and split them to canter in two separate groups. there should be a rule that states any flat class with over 20 horses has to be split either inside or outside the ring. (my preference is outside so the ring is less crowded and allows me a better view of the class.). during a flat class, one horse blows up or gets loose and upsets a number of the other horses in the process. how do you handle this? in the case of a loose horse, i will ask all of the entries to halt until the horse is caught. where one horse blows up, i will ask that entry to line up or give them the option of leaving the ring. i will then ask the remainder of the class to walk for several minutes until all have calmed down before continuing on with the class. i don’t penalize any of these horses for reacting to what happened. &&>

Whose decision is it regarding riders wearing rain gear in inclement weather?

As the judge, I would allow it in a hunter class, but I’m less inclined to do so for an equitation class, as it impairs my ability to fully see the rider. However, if it was an absolute downpour, I’d allow it. In extreme heat, horse show management, along with the judge, can waive jackets for all classes.

A horse or pony enters the ring for a flat class wearing a martingale. Do you run the class while eliminating them from judging, or do you inform them to remove it?

I’m a nice guy. I’ll have the announcer or the in-gate person inform them to remove it so they can be judged.

What happens when a horse hits a jump hard enough that a lower rail or gate falls?

I would have to mark such a hard rub as a major fault and hopefully with enough good rounds this one would be out of the ribbons.

Scroll to continue with content

A horse is cantering towards the first jump when it breaks into a trot. The rider picks up the canter again, makes a circle, and then goes to the first jump. How do you score this?

You are allowed to circle before the first jump, so this would not be scored as a refusal. However, trotting after picking up the canter is breaking stride, which is an automatic score of 55.

When there are a large number of entries in a flat class, do you judge them all together, or do you split the class?

There are several ways you can manage this situation. You can work the whole group one way, line up your top ones in the centre, then work the remainder the other way, followed by your top group. Or you can split the class and work them as two groups. You can also trot the whole group in both directions, then line them up and split them to canter in two separate groups. There should be a rule that states any flat class with over 20 horses has to be split either inside or outside the ring. (My preference is outside so the ring is less crowded and allows me a better view of the class.)

During a flat class, one horse blows up or gets loose and upsets a number of the other horses in the process. How do you handle this?

In the case of a loose horse, I will ask all of the entries to halt until the horse is caught. Where one horse blows up, I will ask that entry to line up or give them the option of leaving the ring. I will then ask the remainder of the class to walk for several minutes until all have calmed down before continuing on with the class. I don’t penalize any of these horses for reacting to what happened.