Saddle Seat - Show Classes

Show Classes

For information on horse gaits required by different classes, see: Horse gait

In the United States, the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) creates and maintains the rules for most breeds shown in saddle seat competition.

Classes under saddle may include:

• Three-Gaited: Open to American Saddlebreds, shown at the walk, trot, and canter
• Five-gaited: Open to American Saddlebreds, shown at the walk, trot, and canter, as well as the four -beat ambling gaits known as the rack (a fast, showy gait), and slow gait (four-beat gait with great suspension).
• Plantation Walker: Open to Tennessee Walking horses, shown at the Flat Walk, Running Walk, and Canter.
• Park: A class designation used in Saddlebred, Arabian, and Morgan competition, where horses are shown at a walk, trot, and canter, judged on their brilliant, high action.
• Pleasure: An English pleasure class designation used in almost every breed, designated classes where good manners and smooth performance are more important than brilliant action. Most pleasure classes require horses to show at a walk, trot and canter, often calling for extended gaits.
• Classic or Country Pleasure: This type of pleasure class that puts even greater emphasis on manners in the horse. The horse still has a high-set head position and somewhat animated gait, but animation is of less importance. Horses show at the walk, trot, and canter, often with extension, and are required to back.
• Equitation: judges the rider's form and use of aids.

Class terminology varies between breeds. For example, Saddlebreds may be shown in "English Show Pleasure" or "English Country Pleasure". Morgans have Park, English Pleasure, and "Classic" Pleasure classes. Arabians have Park, English Pleasure, and "Country" Pleasure classes. Tennessee Walkers exhibit in three categories: Flat shod, Plantation Pleasure, and Performance. Each class may ask for different variations of the gaits, extended gaits, and sometimes for any specialized gaits.

Any of the breeds used for saddle seat competition may also be shown in driving classes in harness, usually called "fine harness" or "pleasure driving", usually requiring a walk and two speeds of trot. Rules for horse grooming and handler attire parallel saddle seat rules.

In any competition, classes may be broken down by any of the following criteria:

• Age Divisions: may be divided by age of horse or rider. Horses may be divided into junior horses, usually age 4 and under, and senior horses, usually age 5 and over. Under the rules of the USEF, riders can be broken down into age groups as follows: 10 and under, 11-13, 14-17, 18-39 and 40 and over.
• Experience: divided by the experience of the horse or rider. The most common categories are: Maiden - never having won before in the division, Novice - never having won over 3 classes in the division, Limit - never having won over 6 classes in the division.