2025 MFTHBA Rulebook

62 3. If an exhibitor is guilty of unsportsmanlike conduct, the MFTHBA may, under violation policies and procedures, suspend the rights of such exhibitor to participate in approved MFTHBA shows for a period as judged appropriate. B. Show Ring Procedures and Policies - Exhibitors : All exhibitors should present their horses in such condition and in a manner that will best promote the attributes of the breed. Any exhibitor not having his/her horse under sufficient control should request to be excused from the arena. Should that not occur, the exhibitor shall be dismissed from the ring and shall be disqualified from that class. This is including but not limited to rearing, balking, running off, running backwards, running sideways, or interfering with another horse or horses. Any judge may make this call, either independently or acting in conjunction with another judge or judges by means of requesting coordination through the ring master. Additionally, the following policies and procedures shall apply: 1. Regarding entries, each horse is shown only in the horse’s respective class, and this class is determined by age, sex, and/or class type. For the purpose of eligibility for competition, the age of a horse shall be computed by the calendar year, starting January 1 of the year foaled. The exception to this is that any foal born from September 1 through December 31 shall be considered for show purpose only, to fall in the following year. 2. It is the responsibility of exhibitors to be assembled in sufficient time to enter the arena when the class is announced without a delay to the class. After the class is announced, no DQP inspection for that class shall begin. A period of three (3) minutes shall be allowed during which horses shall be permitted to enter the ring. If the horse has not entered the ring after the three (3) minutes, a one (1) minute warning announcement shall be made, during which time a late arrival may enter the arena. At the expiration of that time (4 minutes total), the gates are to be closed, the class called, and no other horse shall be permitted to enter. In the event of a failure of an announcing system, it is still the exhibitor’s responsibility to be ready to enter the arena within the specified time. Failure of the exhibitor to present himself/herself in sufficient time to enter the arena during this four-minute period, for whatever reason, shall be deemed a disqualification from this class and any subsequent class for which this class is a qualifier. If a class or classes are cancelled, the subsequent class s not be moved up until all exhibitors entered in the class are present through DQP. If all exhibitors for the subsequent class are not present, showmanagement will allow a maximum of ten (10) minutes for each cancelled class before commencing the next class. 3. Exhibitors requesting additional time between back-to-back classes for a tack change shall advise the DQP or show official prior to the class in order that appropriate timing can be provided. A delay not to exceed seven (7) minutes may be granted. 4. In all performance and model classes, exhibitor shall bring each horse through the gate single file, turning to the right, and proceeding along the rail in a counterclockwise direction until otherwise directed. In performance classes it is appropriate to enter at a foxtrot. While it may be announced to enter at a fox trot, the decision is at the discretion of the exhibitor and is optional. The horse will not be judged until all competitors are in the arena, the gate is closed, and the class is called. 5. Exhibitors called to reverse their horses shall do so by turning toward the center of the arena or reversing to the inside (away from the rail). A brief pause (not to exceed 30 seconds) is permissible. Minor adjustments to a bridle or curb chain may be made in performance classes; however, riders are not permitted to dismount during this reverse period, and no outside assistance is permitted. 6. Should an exhibitor desire to be excused, permission shall be requested from the Ring Master or Judge, and the exhibitor is to remain in the center of the ring until excused. If an exhibitor voluntarily removes a horse from the ring without securing permission, that exhibitor shall be disqualified by show management from that and all future classes of the show, and forfeit all prizes and entry fees, if any, for the entire show.