The Western Riding class once became a highly competitive class with the competitors all but racing neck and neck through the class.
The class was designed to show a horse's quality of lead changes, not how fast you could work the pattern.
Today, there is a greater emphasis on working the pattern correctly rather than quickly.
The Western Riding horse should have quality lead changes, quality movement and mannerisms.
The scoring system for your breed's Western Riding class will be outlined in your rulebook.
For most classes, the class is a performance of a horse that is sensible, well mannered, free and easy.
The horses complete a pattern individually that is prescribed by the judge of the show.
Incomplete or incorrect lead changes are highly penalized in the class.
The individual maneuvers within the pattern are scored either on a positive or negative scale.
The horse is judged on quality of gaits, changes of leads, response to the rider, manners, disposition and intelligence.
The horse should also complete the pattern at a reasonable speed for both the horse and rider in a sensible and easy flowing pace.
Credit is given to those horses that emphasize ease and smoothness.
They should also have well-cadenced gaits and precise lead changes.
The horse must change precisely in both the front and hind end.
The lead change should occur precisely between the two markers.
Points will be eliminated if the horse changes before the center or after the center of the markers.
The horse's head carriage should be relaxed and responsive.
There will be moderate flexion at the poll and the horse will respond to the hands of the rider willingly.
The horse may be ridden with light contact or on a loose rein.
The horse should also cross the log at both the jog and the lope without breaking gait or changing stride length radically.