 IowaRanch Horse Association |
What is a Ranch Horse? |
The Iowa Ranch
Horse Association evaluates horses on their proficiency in skills one would need
on an actual working ranch. There are six different classes offered at shows to
evaluate and judge the horses:
Ranch Horse Conformation
- designed to showcase the conformation necessary for a ranch horse to do his
job under saddle. Horses are ridden into the ring for judging. After walking to
the judge and trotting past, horses are unsaddled along the rail for inspection.
Ranch Horse Pleasure - designed to show a ranch
horse that is a pleasure to ride. Horses are required to work both ways in the
arena at the walk, jog and lope but ranch horses do so with more purpose to
their strides. The walk is intended to cover ground, the jog should be faster
than the walk, the extended jog is truly extended and the lope is a true 3-beat
gait that is extended to a hand gallop. Horses reverse at the trot in one
direction and the lope to the second direction.
Ranch Horse Versatility - features obstacles a
ranch horse may encounter in their daily work as well as reining maneuvers that
are also useful to a broke ranch horse. Obstacles include a gate, trotting
across 4 logs, loping over a 12" jump, and a dragging obstacle. The reining
work consists of loping figure-8's with lead changes, stopping, rollbacks and
backing.
Working Cow Horse - shows a horse's ability to work
a cow. It consists of holding or boxing a cow at the end of the arena to show
control, taking the cow down the fence and turning each direction, and then
circling the cow in the middle of the arena in both directions. This class is
similar to the AQHA class, but without the reining (dry) work.
Ranch Roping - the only timed event class within the ranch horse competition. The rider sorts out a designated cow from the herd (the cows are identified by wearing numbered collars) of 10 and ropes it with a breakaway rope. Head and/or horn catches which come tight when dallied to break the breakaway honda stop the time. The objective is to catch your cow with as little chasing as possible and a herd holder may be used to help keep the cows gathered.
Ranch Cutting - Judged on the horse's ability. A single numbered cow is cut from the herd and held to show sufficient control. Then the contestant pens the cow within the 2 minute, 30 second time limit.