2025 MFTHBA Rulebook

44 A. Judges are to be aware of and comply with the following, some of which is restated from the foregoing rules and procedures: 1. Horses shown must be serviceably sound, and judge shall disqualify any horse with evidence of broken wind or other blemishes that judges might deem disqualifying. Judge shall also disqualify any horse shown with artificial appliances such as tie downs (except in classes specifically allowed), or any horse having raw or bleeding sores around the coronet or legs. 2. Judge shall examine and check for lameness all horses brought into any class. This is essential regardless of whether or not the competition indicates it is necessary. Obvious lameness shall be cause for disqualification by the judge. Obvious lameness is consistently observable at any gait, under all circumstances; or, marked nodding, hitching or shortened stride; or minimal weight- bearing ability in motion and/or at rest and inability to move. 3. While not a disqualification, horses that wing or ropewalk excessively in performance classes should be penalized in judging. 4. Judge, or show management, shall excuse or disqualify from the class or show, depending upon the severity of the incident in the opinion of the judge or show management, the following: any owner, trainer, exhibitor, or agent/employee thereof, for any violation of the rules including, but not limited to: a) bleeding b) lameness c) bad image of the horse while being shown d) interfering with another horse/exhibitor e) a show of disrespect or misconduct to show officials including judge or ring personnel. Any judge may make this call either independently or in conjunction with other judges. B. Judges’ skill, personal ethics and conduct is of primary importance in maintaining the reputation of MFTHBA shows, and in support of this concept, the following must be observed: 1. Any judge or judges hired to judge an MFTHBA-approved show are expected to be proficient in their division and are required to possess a thorough knowledge of the official show rules of MFTHBA in the division which they are judging and to comply with those rules. A judge must make himself/herself aware of the classes to be offered at that show and be qualified to judge adequately in all classes. 2. A judge, upon arrival at the show which he or she is to officiate as judge, is directed to contact an official of the show, advising that official of his/her arrival and location. 3. During the period of a show at which the judge is officiating, the judge shall not be the house guest of a person who is exhibiting, or whose immediate family is exhibiting at such show. 4. A judge shall not attend a show, exhibitor ' s party or other activity directly connected with a show on the day previous to the show at which he/she is officiating. This rule does not prohibit a judge from observing classes in divisions other than the division they are hired to judge (i.e., a person judging performance classes is not prohibited from attending and observing versatility classes). 5. A judge shall not visit the horse stall area, nor speak with owners, trainers, exhibitors, or owners’ representatives, nor inspect or discuss any horse entered in the show until judging of show is completed. Additionally, a judge shall not discuss with any exhibitor(s) the purchase, sale or lease of any horse during a show at which that judge is officiating. 6. Neither the judge nor any member of his/her immediate family shall exhibit or act as agent or handler of a horse at a show at which he/she is officiating. 7. A judge may not be an owner of any interest in a horse (including, but not limited to syndicate and partnership shares), nor may he/she be an owner, exhibitor, trainer, coach, lessor, lessee, rider, driver, model handler of said horse within the previous six (6) months. If such horse is entered in a show, its entry fee, if any, shall be refunded and it shall not be exhibited. 8. A Judge may not have had a horse in training with an exhibiting trainer within 60 days prior to a show in which he/she judges.