(no subject)
So I'm looking around for little local shows that I can attend with my horse next year. Mostly this is mental fantasy role-playing because we have no free time and no reliable trailer and no money for the project and so forth.
I located the Huntington Area Horseman's Association (not actually called that, because it would make their initials HA-HA like that nasty kid on the Simpsons) show bill. I am reproducing it here for your reading pleasure. Because not all of you are familiar with the requirements of various classes, I have italicized the unmounted classes and bolded the ones that are walk-trot only:
1. OPEN WORKING HUNTER OVER FENCES -Riders must choose 2’, 2’6” or 3” fence height
2. OPEN HUNTER SEAT EQUITATION OVER FENCES - Riders must choose 2’, 2’6” or 3” fence height
3. OPEN GAMBLER’S CHOICE JUMPING (note: rule change, see rules)
4. OPEN HUNTER HACK
5. OPEN ENGLISH WARM-UP WALK/TROT
6. ADULT RIDER ENGLISH EQUITATION
7. YOUTH RIDER ENGLISH EQUITATION
8. CHILDREN’S ENGLISH EQUITATION WALK/TROT
9. OPEN HUNTER UNDER SADDLE
10. ADULT RIDER ENGLISH ALL-DAY PLEASURE
11. YOUTH RIDER ENGLISH ALL-DAY PLEASURE
12. CHILDREN’S ENGLISH ALL-DAY PLEASURE
13. ADULT GROOMING & SHOWMANSHIP AT HALTER
14. YOUTH GROOMING & SHOWMANSHIP AT HALTER
15. CHILDREN’S GROOMING & SHOWMANSHIP AT HALTER
16. PONY HALTER
17. HORSE HALTER
18. MINIATURE HORSE HALTER
19. YEARLING HALTER
20. 2-GAIT 5 & UNDER HORSE & PONY PLEASURE
21. IN-HAND OBSTACLE TRAIL CLASS
22. MOUNTED OBSTACLE TRAIL CLASS
23. 3-GAIT 5 & UNDER HORSE & PONY PLEASURE
24. LEADLINE CLASS - RIBBONS FOR EVERYONE - NO ENTRY FEE. Open to all riders 4 to 10 years of age.
PROTECTIVE HEADGEAR and SADDLE REQUIRED. 1 rider per equine. Equine must be on lead line and lead by an adult.
An adult walker must also accompany each entry. NO EXCEPTIONS.
********** 15-MINUTE INTERMISSION **********
25. COSTUME CLASS (on probation, needs more entries to save it)
26. OPEN PLEASURE DRIVING
27. OPEN WESTERN WARM-UP WALK/JOG
28. OPEN JACK [BENNY] & PYYL[LIS DILLER] PLEASURE
29. OPEN UNSURE RIDER EQUITATION
30. OPEN WESTERN EQUITATION
31. CHILDREN’S WESTERN EQUITATION WALK/JOG
32. OPEN WESTERN PLEASURE
33. ADULT RIDER WESTERN ALL-DAY PLEASURE
34. YOUTH RIDER WESTERN ALL-DAY PLEASURE
35. CHILDREN’S WESTERN ALL-DAY PLEASURE
Now, there are 35 classes at this event. Of these, there are 24 *riding* classes (I'm not counting "leadline", costume, or pleasure driving). Of the 24 real riding classes, 14 of them are "walk-trot" only classes, classes that do not include canter or lope. (For our purposes, the "canter" and "lope" are identical, both terms referring to the three beat gait that is typically faster than trot and slower than gallop for most horses.) In most classes, horses are shown at three gaits: walk, trot (or whatever, some horses do stuff other than trot), and canter. In some classes, like hunter hack, a fourth gait (hand gallop) is added. Five-gaited Saddlebreds show at the walk, stepping pace, trot, canter, and rack. A very few oddball classes ask for different things -- as an example, Arabian native costume is shown (as I discovered to my lasting surprise) at the walk, canter, and hand-gallop but omits the trot.
My problem here is that more than half of the riding classes omit work at the canter. I don't get it. I could see a walk-trot English class and a walk-trot Western class but that damn many of them? For fuck's sake, people, learn to bloody well canter. You can't ALL be novices.
I located the Huntington Area Horseman's Association (not actually called that, because it would make their initials HA-HA like that nasty kid on the Simpsons) show bill. I am reproducing it here for your reading pleasure. Because not all of you are familiar with the requirements of various classes, I have italicized the unmounted classes and bolded the ones that are walk-trot only:
1. OPEN WORKING HUNTER OVER FENCES -Riders must choose 2’, 2’6” or 3” fence height
2. OPEN HUNTER SEAT EQUITATION OVER FENCES - Riders must choose 2’, 2’6” or 3” fence height
3. OPEN GAMBLER’S CHOICE JUMPING (note: rule change, see rules)
4. OPEN HUNTER HACK
5. OPEN ENGLISH WARM-UP WALK/TROT
6. ADULT RIDER ENGLISH EQUITATION
7. YOUTH RIDER ENGLISH EQUITATION
8. CHILDREN’S ENGLISH EQUITATION WALK/TROT
9. OPEN HUNTER UNDER SADDLE
10. ADULT RIDER ENGLISH ALL-DAY PLEASURE
11. YOUTH RIDER ENGLISH ALL-DAY PLEASURE
12. CHILDREN’S ENGLISH ALL-DAY PLEASURE
13. ADULT GROOMING & SHOWMANSHIP AT HALTER
14. YOUTH GROOMING & SHOWMANSHIP AT HALTER
15. CHILDREN’S GROOMING & SHOWMANSHIP AT HALTER
16. PONY HALTER
17. HORSE HALTER
18. MINIATURE HORSE HALTER
19. YEARLING HALTER
20. 2-GAIT 5 & UNDER HORSE & PONY PLEASURE
21. IN-HAND OBSTACLE TRAIL CLASS
22. MOUNTED OBSTACLE TRAIL CLASS
23. 3-GAIT 5 & UNDER HORSE & PONY PLEASURE
24. LEADLINE CLASS - RIBBONS FOR EVERYONE - NO ENTRY FEE. Open to all riders 4 to 10 years of age.
PROTECTIVE HEADGEAR and SADDLE REQUIRED. 1 rider per equine. Equine must be on lead line and lead by an adult.
An adult walker must also accompany each entry. NO EXCEPTIONS.
********** 15-MINUTE INTERMISSION **********
25. COSTUME CLASS (on probation, needs more entries to save it)
26. OPEN PLEASURE DRIVING
27. OPEN WESTERN WARM-UP WALK/JOG
28. OPEN JACK [BENNY] & PYYL[LIS DILLER] PLEASURE
29. OPEN UNSURE RIDER EQUITATION
30. OPEN WESTERN EQUITATION
31. CHILDREN’S WESTERN EQUITATION WALK/JOG
32. OPEN WESTERN PLEASURE
33. ADULT RIDER WESTERN ALL-DAY PLEASURE
34. YOUTH RIDER WESTERN ALL-DAY PLEASURE
35. CHILDREN’S WESTERN ALL-DAY PLEASURE
Now, there are 35 classes at this event. Of these, there are 24 *riding* classes (I'm not counting "leadline", costume, or pleasure driving). Of the 24 real riding classes, 14 of them are "walk-trot" only classes, classes that do not include canter or lope. (For our purposes, the "canter" and "lope" are identical, both terms referring to the three beat gait that is typically faster than trot and slower than gallop for most horses.) In most classes, horses are shown at three gaits: walk, trot (or whatever, some horses do stuff other than trot), and canter. In some classes, like hunter hack, a fourth gait (hand gallop) is added. Five-gaited Saddlebreds show at the walk, stepping pace, trot, canter, and rack. A very few oddball classes ask for different things -- as an example, Arabian native costume is shown (as I discovered to my lasting surprise) at the walk, canter, and hand-gallop but omits the trot.
My problem here is that more than half of the riding classes omit work at the canter. I don't get it. I could see a walk-trot English class and a walk-trot Western class but that damn many of them? For fuck's sake, people, learn to bloody well canter. You can't ALL be novices.