Ranch Riding Events:
Since the AQHA Open World Show in 2012 approved this class, Ranch Riding has exploded into the horse show world! Horses are judged on their abilities to work at a forward, working speed while performing required and optional maneuvers. The best ranch riding horse should simulate a horse riding outside the confines of an arena and reflect the versatility, attitude and movement of a working horse.
In the Show Pen:
The AQHA Rule book states that ranch riding horses imitate working horses in a ranch, within the confines of an arena. This includes moving forward in a variety of gaits, like walk, jog, extended jog, lope, and extended lope – speed is important. The challenge is to make gait transitions look flowy and effortless with the horse’s willing cooperation. Horse and rider also must demonstrate smooth lead changes and 360-degree spins. Patterns vary and may include obstacles, like poles or logs that rider and horse must walk over or side-pass silently, cross “bridges,” open and close gates, and more. You could say that Ranch Riding combines elements of western pleasure, trail, to succeed in ranch riding you must have a trained horse that moves well.
Other ranch riding classes, like ranch trail, ranch rail and conformation are also gaining popularity. The King Performance Horse Show Team has been showing Pattern classes in Ranch Riding since it became an AQHA class and recently we have added the other Ranch Riding classes – Ranch Trail, Ranch Rail and Conformation.
Ranch Trail:
Also a pattern class, Ranch Trail gauges the ability of horse and rider to navigate obstacles commonly found in daily ranch work, like opening and closing gates without allowing the cattle to escape, dragging objects, “roping” an immobile simulated cow, winding around bales of hay or other obstacles, and other creative maneuvers. All this while paying attention to elegant gait transitions, flowy lead changes and 360-degree spins and other Ranch Riding elements. This class is challenging and fun.
Ranch Rail:
If you ever played “Simon Says” as a child, Ranch Rail will be easy to understand. In this class, participants enter the arena and line up against the rail and announcer calls out a variety of gaits that the participants must execute. The challenge is to perform the correct gait while showing the ability to extend each gait called with the proper form and speed. Gaits are walk and extended walk, trot and extended trot, lope, and extended lope.
Ranch Conformation:
Prime Example of the “look” of a “Ranch Horse
According to the AQHA “To be eligible to compete in the ranch conformation class, the horse must be shown in at least one class one of the other categories the day of the show.” Also, per the AQHA, “Judges are looking for balanced, structurally correct horses with adequate muscling.” You need to show your horse in a working halter at a walk and trot and then line up for the judge to inspect the horse.
Reining:
Reining dates back from life of the “rancher” as the horse was a critical everyday tool working a livestock ranch. Just like in the Ranch Horse events, these horses were bred to be sturdy, quick, responsive, and agile to be able to herd and move cattle and other livestock across the range. In the Reining show pen today, you will see these equine athletes perform a number of large fast circles, 360-degree spins, and of course the world famous sliding stops!
In the judge’s chair, they are looking for the “Best Reined Horse”. Therefore, we would like to quote NRHA(National Reining Horse Association) stating “To rein a horse is not only to guide him, but also to control his every movement. The best reined horse should be willingly guided or controlled with little or no apparent resistance and dictated to completely.” – NRHA
If you want further information about Ranch Riding or Reining, please visit the links below:
https://www.aqha.com/ranch-riding1
