 Western horsemanship is a class designed to evaluate the rider's ability to execute. In concert with their horse, a set of maneuvers prescribed by the judge with precision and smoothness while exhibiting poise and confidence. Riders should maintain a balanced, functional, and fundamentally correct body position. Riders will complete a pattern. After each rider completes their pattern, they will ride on the rail as a group and often travel in one direction to showcase the various gates. Remember that this class is based off of rider body position, communication with the horse, and pattern precision. Although you are not evaluating the quality of the horse's movement like in Western pleasure, you should still evaluate if the horses are on the correct lead while loping. In this video that discusses how to judge horsemanship, we will cover rider body position, holding the reins, and scoring. Each topic we will go through proper versus improper comparisons to help you visually see what to judge. We will then discuss the scoring systems and penalties. We will also orient you to the scorecard, often used to judge this event. The first image we see here is the ideal position a rider should be in when in the saddle. The shoulder, hip, and heel are all in line with each other. The heels are down and her back and abdomen are engaged. Her hand placement on the reins is relaxed and level. In the second photo we can see her shoulder and hip are in line with each other, but the heels are too far forward. The third photo shows her shoulder, hip, and heel all in line with each other, but her heel is not pressed down. Without the pressure of her heel being pressed down, she loses stability in the stirrup. Also, when looking at her hand placement, her free hand is too high. She needs to bring it back down level to her rainhand. When judging each rider, you should strive to see position number one, which again is the ideal position a rider should be in. Again, the first image we see here is the ideal position a rider should be in when in the saddle. The shoulder, hip, and heel are all in line with each other. The heels are down and her back and abdomen are engaged. Her hand placement on the reins is relaxed and level. The second photo we see her position in the saddle is correct, but she is looking down instead of out or forward. And her free hand is at her side where it should be level with her raining hand. Finally, the third photo she is sitting correctly in the saddle and she is looking out or forward, but her rainhand is held higher than her free hand. These should be level. Once again at number one, we have our ideal saddle position compared to photo two, where she is sitting too far forward in her saddle, which pushes her stirrups back, causing the heels to come up. In photo number three, we see the opposite of photo two. Our rider is sitting back into the saddle, slouching her shoulders, and pushing her heels too far forward in the stirrup. In the first photo, we see the ideal position a rider should be in. The shoulder, hip, and heel are all in line with each other. The heels are down and her back and abdomen are engaged. Her hand placement on the reins are relaxed and level. The second photo we see our rider arching her back excessively, forcing her heels to pull back and decreasing the stability in her saddle and stirrups. The first photo, our rider is holding the rain in one hand with adequate thumb pressure, and the reins are laced between her pointer finger and middle finger, allowing for good pressure to the rain and connection to the horse. The second photo we see, the rider is loosely holding the reins in one hand, pinching the rain between her thumbs and pointer finger, creating a disconnect of communication from her hand to the rain to the horse. The middle finger is barely holding up the rain, causing unclear direction to the horse. In the first photo, we see a rider holding the reins with two hands, firmly grasping the reins between her thumb and fingers, allowing the rain to pass through her hand with evenness and rain length in both hands, keeping her elbows in towards her sides. The second photo we can see the reins are not uniform, they are loose and uneven in the rider's hands. Her grasp is too loose and her elbows are sticking too far out from her body. When judging a rider's rain handling, you want to see them expressing photo one. Again in photo one, we see a rider holding her reins with two hands, firmly grasping the reins between her thumb and fingers, allowing the rain to pass through her hands with evenness and rain length in both hands, keeping her elbows in towards her sides. In the second photo, our rider is holding one rain in each hand, causing lack of instruction to the horse and increasing the risk of dropping a rain entirely. In photo one, we can see the rider leaning to the left in the saddle, decreasing her balance and stability, as well as dropping her hip which can confuse the horse when paired with other signals. In photo two, look at the reins below the horse's throat latch. The reins are uneven, one is lower than the other, indicating the rider is holding one side of the reins more loosely than the other rain that is higher. This can cause confusion when attempting to give the horse a direction. In Western horsemanship, scoring is based off of 0 to infinity with 70 denoting an average score. When judging, you begin with a score of 70 and either add or subtract individual maneuver scores. The F and E score and the penalty points the rider received while they completed their pattern. Each maneuver in the pattern will be scored from plus 3 to minus 3 with half point increments that will be added or subtracted from 70. Plus 3 is excellent, plus 2 is very good, plus 1 is good, 0 is average or correct, minus 1 is poor, minus 2 is very poor, and minus 3 is extremely poor. Maneuver scores should be determined independent of penalties and should reflect equal consideration of both performance of the exhibitor's pattern and horsemanship. Exhibitors should also be judged on the rail with special attention to the correct lead at the loop. Rail performance can help break close pattern scores or adjust final class placings as appropriate. The form and effectiveness score or F and E score is based on the overall horsemanship form and effectiveness of the exhibitor. We will show you where the score goes on the scoresheet. 0 to 2 is average, 3 is good, 4 is very good, and 5 is excellent. Maneuver evaluations and penalty applications are to be determined independently. The following penalty applications will be applied for each occurrence and will be deducted from the final score. 3-point penalties or minor penalties could be break of gate at the walk or jog up to two strides or tick or hit of cone. 5-point penalties or major penalties could be not performing the specific gate or not stopping within 10 feet of designated location. Moving on to 10-point penalties or severe penalties, this could appear as loss of rain, holding the saddle with either hand or spurring in front of the cinch. Penalties resulting in a disqualification will often place last on the scorecard. One example that is important to look for is to be off pattern, including knocking over or being on the wrong side of a cone or marker, never performing a designated gate or lead, over or under turning more than a quarter turn. This is especially important to know your pattern and look for this in a judging contest. This is an example of a score sheet you might use to help you judge horsemanship. This is the same score sheet you use to judge classes such as showmanship or equitation. On the far left column, you will see the working order or the order the riders will ride their pattern. Here we have maneuvers listed out. There are 7 total maneuvers in the pattern. Remember that each maneuver is scored from plus 3 to minus 3 with zero denoting average or correct. For example, we can tell that the judge scored maneuver 6 at the extended jog plus 2. This means that the maneuver was very good. Penalties are scored separate of maneuvers, with some patterns having no penalties. Here we can see the judge gave a penalty 5 in a maneuver score of minus 1 for maneuver 4 or the left lead lope. The F&E or form and effectiveness score is placed here after the pattern is complete. This was a good rider, so the judge gave an F&E score of 3. After the pattern is complete, total the amount of penalties received and place them in the column. Here is where the final score is calculated. Remember the scoring is based on the scale from 0 to infinity and 70 denoting average. By totaling the maneuver scores, penalties and F&E score, you will get your final score. You are welcome to write notes in the comment section and to use scratch sheets of paper. It is important to take detailed notes on each class. Here is an example of a filled out score sheet after patterns have been completed. Remember that the rail work can help break closed pattern scores or adjust final class placings as appropriate. Let's say that in this class the rail work was consistent and did not warrant changing my final placings. You should place these horses in order from highest to lowest scores. Horse 4 received a penalty score of 0 or a disqualification during maneuver 6 and should be placed last. Remember to use the working order numbers from the left column. Your placing should be 3, 1, 2, 4. Thank you for watching. Be sure to check out our other livestock and horse judging videos at the Alabama Cooperative Extension YouTube channel.