Should Shows Eliminate Halter Classes

"Main ring" halter as it has become allows the horse to "enhance/change" his confirmation by learning a specific pose. A truly good horse does not need the pose and would be equally as correct, typey and beautiful without it.

This year while waiting in the paddock for a class I over head a halter trainer discuss "selling" the horse to the judge with the "performance" (i.e., snort & blow entrance and pose). The real issue is that there are a lot of professionals who make a TON of money getting this pose out of a horse. Some horses do it naturally. Most do not.

Thus, SHIH where the horses are judged in a much more natural stance with importance placed on movement according to confirmation--judged by judges who notice the slightest muscling change (i.e, more muscle on the left versus right shoulder) has become popular. Not necessarily because of the score card, but because people feel that they can compete regardless of their horse--as long as the horse moves well, cooperates on the triangle and stands to be judged.

As long as main ring allows horses to be "shown" out of confirmation faults (and while most horses in "pose" are nice--some are not so nice), we are not truly getting to the goal of a "halter" class which is to place "breeding" animals according to those who best exemplify the breed standards--the average person is not going to want to compete and the classes will remain empty. Also, truly the current system could be considered to do a disservice to breeding--as many people evaluate their breeding choices based on show ring winners.....

In Kentucky, we have KAHABA--a Breeder's Incentive program. Personally, I've been dragging around a non-halter horse and putting him through halter classes because he gets a point for just completing the class. At the end of the year, points are translated into dollars. That makes entering a halter class--no matter the outcome worth while. Otherwise, this horse would have sat home all year working on becoming a performance horse where he will eventually excel. KAHABA points are awarded only for certain A shows and other shows recognized by the KY State Fair Board--many county fairs. We actually had 25 Arabians/HA's show up at one County Fair for the Arabian halter class! They had to split it. I believe this program is working to put horses back in the ring and get them in front of the public. It's certainly gotten me there with a less than competitive horse....

It would be extremely difficult for AHA to really truly take a stand and change how halter horses are shown. But, unless they do, the average person will continue to not enter halter unless they have a local program (like KAHABA--in a not so halter area) where they can compete. Afterall, we go to the show because we like our horse. We believe they are good. The show just asks for someone else's subjective opinion.