Prize money Payout:
Champion – 25% $2,500
Reserve Champion – 18% $1,800
3rd – 13% – $1,300
4th – 10% – $1,000
5th – 8.5% – $850
6th – 7% – $700
7th – 6% – $600
8th – 5% – $500
9th – 4% – $400
10th – 3.5% – $350
50% of the class will be paid (ex. If there are 20 entries all 10 will get paid out).
2022 Pattern:
Arabian Halter Association $10,000 In Hand Trail Extravaganza 2-Year-old Fillies/Colts & Geldings In-Hand Trail Class Information
In-Hand Trail Appointments
In-Hand Tack will include a suitable halter (leather preferred, with or without silver trim), leather lead (with or without a chain) to be used. If a chain is used with the lead, it must not be run through the horse’s mouth or over the horse’s nose.
In-Hand Attire
No crop, whip, chaps, chinks or spurs allowed.
In-Hand Trail – General
- Judges should consider the overall appearance of the horse, conditioning, grooming, and the equipment in the overall score. Also to be considered is the correctness of the horse while being led. For safety reasons, those handlers continuously holding the chain on the lead, tightly coiling the lead shank around the hand, or dragging the lead shank must be penalized. To include a walk and jog of suitable duration to determine the way of going. Management is encouraged to design courses that can be negotiated in ninety (90) seconds.
- A trail horse is one that can maneuver through a course of obstacles with physical skill, expression and a good mental attitude. It should travel through and between obstacles with an inquisitive desire to go forward without compromising its calm, relaxed attitude and way of going. It should approach each obstacle squarely with authority and correct form, with its own style, yet maintaining its willingness to be dictated to completely by the rider/handler with no apparent resistance. Maximum credit should be given to the trail horse that negotiates its way through an entire course efficiently, in a timely manner, without excessive hesitation, with curiosity, expression, smoothness and style; in a manner that raises the degree of difficulty without sacrificing carefulness, control, and/ or attitude. Ultimately, the trail horse is skillful, eye appealing, confident, and leaves one with the impression of being sure, safe and a pleasure to ride over a course of obstacles.
- All entered exhibitors will be allowed to walk and inspect the course with the judge and with the course designer, if present, prior to the start of the class.
- No time outs will be allowed.
- The order of go to be drawn.
- There is no rail work. Quality of movement and cadence should be considered as part of the obstacle score. Unnecessary delays while approaching or negotiating an obstacle shall be penalized.
- No horse shall be asked to repeat the course, except in the case of a tie.
- The course must be posted at least twelve (12) hours before the scheduled starting time for the class.
- There shall be a minimum of five (5) obstacles and a maximum of ten (10) obstacles on any course.
- The judge may alter the course prior to the course walk.
Trail Definitions
- Knockdown: When any component, element, or portion of an obstacle is displaced from its original position-by horse or rider/handler.
- Refusal: Any action taken by the horse to avoid performing an obstacle, part of a combination of obstacles or portion of a trail course. These actions may include, but are not limited to the following:
- Balking: (Any action that results in a horse blatantly and continuously refusing a rider’s/handler’s command).
- Evading or running past an obstacle to be negotiated.
- Each complete loss of the gate determined by the entry letting go of gate or dropping a rope gate.
- Any blatant action by the horse that demonstrates an unwillingness to approach, negotiate and/or complete an obstacle.
- At the judge’s discretion or when a judge has deemed three (3) refusals have occurred at an obstacle the exhibitor will proceed to the next obstacle. (In multiple judging situations the call judge will determine when to instruct the exhibitor to proceed to the next obstacle.) Any time a judge instructs an exhibitor to proceed to the next obstacle, a five (5) point penalty will apply for being asked to move to another obstacle and as such is not in accordance with course direction. This penalty is in addition to the two (2) five (5) point penalties received for refusals or blatant disobedience for a total of three (3) five (5) point penalties.
- Off Course:
- Taking an obstacle in the wrong direction.
- Deliberately failing to enter, exit, or work obstacle from correct side or direction.
- Negotiating an obstacle in the wrong sequence including skipping an obstacle unless directed by the judge.
- Not following the correct line of travel (i.e. the drawn pattern and Judge’s instruction/direction).
- Pulling gate when designated to push in course directions (or vice versa) or when using a rope gate, walking through gate when designated to back through (or vice versa).
- Side passing the wrong end of a horse in slot.
- Riding or leading outside designated boundary marker of the course.
Trail Scoring General
- All horses enter the arena with a score of 70. With each obstacle, the judge will instruct a scribe to assign a score as well as any appropriate penalties if one or more occurs. At the end of the work, obstacle scores will be totaled. Any penalties will then be subtracted to arrive at a final score. All horses are judged from the time they enter the arena until the completion of the last obstacle.
- Judge(s) may review official video (if available) on no score, zero, 10 point, or 5 point penalties only.
- Each obstacle will be scored as follows:
Half point increments can be used from +3 to –3.
+3 EXCELLENT: The horse approaches and negotiates obstacle in correct form with definite style. The horse performs in an efficient manner with curiosity and athleticism, while maintaining the qualities of an ideal trail horse. The horse’s performance over the obstacle is VISUALLY IMPRESSIVE.
+2 VERY GOOD: The horse approaches and negotiates obstacle in correct form with noticeable style. This horse definitely displays many qualities of the ideal trail horse. The horse’s performance over the obstacle is VISUALLY ATTRACTIVE.
+1 GOOD: The horse approaches and negotiates obstacle in correct form with some degree of style. This horse may display some qualities of the ideal trail horse but lacks those qualities to the degree they are exhibited by the Very Good or Excellent performer. The horse’s performance over the obstacle is VISUALLY PLEASING.
O AVERAGE: For the most part, horse approaches and negotiates obstacle in correct form. Minimal style is exhibited. If the horse’s performance displays any qualities of the ideal trail horse they are negated by slight errors in form. The horse’s performance over the obstacle leaves a visually NEUTRAL IMPRESSION.
-1 POOR: The horse fails in some way to approach and/or negotiate obstacle in correct form. There is a noticeable void in some of the qualities of the ideal trail horse. Willingness to guide or control may have been compromised but not safety.
-2 VERY POOR: The horse approaches and negotiates obstacle, but noticeably fails to do so in correct form. There is a definite deficiency in the qualities of the ideal trail horse. Safety may have been compromised. The horse exhibits noticeable resistance.
-3 EXTREMELY POOR: The horse approaches and/or negotiates obstacle in unacceptable form but avoids elimination. This horse’s performance is probably reckless, careless, and/or dangerous. The horse exhibits significant resistance towards the rider’s commands.
Scoring Penalties
In addition to the obstacle score, each entry may incur penalties for the following infractions:
- NO SCORE
- Illegal equipment. This includes any attachment which alters the movement of or circulation to the tail.
- Abuse to the animal inside or outside the competition arena and/or evidence that an act of abuse has occurred. This includes lameness and/or fresh blood in the mouth, chin, shoulder, barrel, flank, or hip areas.
- Disrespect or misconduct by exhibitor.
- No whips allowed in In-Hand Trail.
- ZERO SCORE
- Off course including Pulling gate when designated to push in course directions (or vice versa) or when using a rope gate, walking through the gate when designated to back through (or vice versa)
- Side passing the wrong end of horse in slot
- Working obstacles out of sequence
- Deliberately failing to enter, exit or work obstacle from correct side or direction
- Riding/leading horse outside designated boundary marker of the course
- Fall of horse or rider/handler. Equipment failure or loss of shoe that delays completion of course.
- Dropping a rein or the Lead that contacts the ground while the horse is in motion
- Two hands on reins (Exception: Snaffles or Hackamore) or changing hands on reins; except for junior horses shown with hackamore or snaffle bit, only one hand may be used on the reins, except that it is permissible to change hands to work an obstacle. Exception: Does not apply for English Trail or In-Hand Trail.
- More than one finger between split reins. Exception: Does not apply for English Trail or In-Hand Trail.
- Fingers between closed reins. Exception: Does not apply for English Trail or In-Hand Trail.
- Failure to maintain 16 inches of rein between hands when using romal reins except to work an obstacle. Exception: Does not apply for English Trail or In-Hand Trail. Note: Neither a “no score” nor a “zero score” penalty may receive an award in that class. A “zero” score may advance in a multiple-go event.
- Baiting is not allowed in In-Hand Trail.
- 10 POINT PENALTIES
- Temporary loss of control, stampeding, running through or jumping over entire obstacle when jump is not called for. This penalty can be awarded when an entry has completed an obstacle and has sufficiently destroyed the obstacle or where it is impossible to ascertain if the obstacle has been completed in any manner.
- blatant disobedience (kicking, bucking, rearing, biting, striking, horse leaving designated ground tie area).
- 5 POINT PENALTIES
- Each refusal. Refusals are cumulative. After three (3) refusals at a single obstacle or when deemed necessary by the judge, the judge will ask the contestant to proceed to the next obstacle for a total of 15 penalty points. When the refusal is the result of a complete loss of the gate the entry may retrieve the gate and continue. If they are unable to retrieve the gate and the judge asks them to move on they will have been deemed to have earned three refusals for a total of three (3) five-point penalties.
- Horse places two or more hooves outside of a confining element.
- Horse misses/evades an element/component of an obstacle that is part of a series.
- Rider/handler loses drag or object being carried.
- Horse performs obstacle at the wrong gait or lead.
- Rider spurring or obvious cueing or touching of horse in front of forward cinch including, but not limited to use of free hand to instill fear or praise.
- Handler touching the horse with either hand in In-Hand unless instructed by the judge, course designer or performing a side pass.
- 2 POINT PENALTIES
- Horse/handler knockdowns or obviously displacing the original configuration of an obstacle.
- Horse places one hoof outside of a confining element.
- Horse breaks gait for more than two strides. When an entry is transitioning down from a lope to a walk, a couple of steps of jog is acceptable and will not result in a penalty; however, the judge may take that transition into consideration in the maneuver score. The same would be for when a horse momentarily hesitates before undertaking a series of walkovers, or any other maneuver from a walk. A momentary halt is not considered a break of gait, and, in fact, is desired. If the entry takes two or more steps back, it would be considered a refusal and be subject to a five-point penalty.
- Rider holds saddle with free hand. (Exception: over a jump, elevated jog over(s) or elevated lope over(s).
- Horse approaches obstacle at wrong gait or lead. During transition areas between obstacles, if horse is, for instance, loping where a jog is called for, or jogging where a walk is called for, a two point penalty has occurred.
- 1 POINT PENALTIES
- Horse double strides or adds strides or adds steps. (Walkovers, jogovers, lope overs, tires).
- Horse skips slot (walkovers, jogovers, lope overs)
- Major hit or stepping on an element of an obstacle, log, pole, cone or obstacle by horse/handler.
- Each time horse switches leads where not called for, picking up wrong leads, or cross leading. NOTE: If a horse switches leads and must be broken down to correct the lead, then two penalties have been incurred (The first for switching leads (1 point) and the second for breaking of gait (1 or a two point penalty depending on the number of strides)
- Horse breaks gait for two strides or less. When an entry is transitioning down from a lope to a walk, a couple of steps of jog is acceptable and will not result in a penalty; however, the judge may take that transition into consideration in the maneuver score. The same would be for when a horse momentarily hesitates before undertaking a series of walkovers, or any other maneuver from a walk. A momentary halt is not considered a break of gait, and, in fact, is desired. If the entry takes two or more steps back, it would be considered a refusal and be subject to a five (5) point penalty.
Possible obstacles:
- Opening, passing through and closing a gate
- Carrying object from one part of arena to other
- Placing blanket or pad on horse’ back
- Walk over a tarp
- Weave through cones
- Going over logs
- Back through – straight, L-shaped, T-shaped or in a zigzag
- Gate
- Walk & trot throughs
- Side pass
- Turning in a 6’x6′ Box- done without entering the box