2025 MFTHBA Rulebook

91 1. Overall Appearance of Exhibitor and Horse : The exhibitor’s overall poise, confidence, appearance and position throughout the class and the physical appearance of the horse will be evaluated. 2. Appearance and Position of Exhibitor: a) Appropriate western attire must be worn. Clothes and person are to be neat and clean. The use of any type of artificial aid, including, but not limited to lighters, hay, dirt, sharp pins, nails, etc. will be considered a disqualification. b) Exhibitors should be poised, confident, courteous and genuinely sportsmanlike at all times, quickly recognizing and correcting faults in the positioning of the horse. c) The exhibitor should continue showing the horse until the class has been placed or they have been excused, unless otherwise instructed by the judge. d) The exhibitor should appear business-like, stand and move in a straight, natural and upright manner and avoid excessive, unnatural or animated body positions. e ) The exhibitor must lead on the horse’s left side holding the lead shank in the right hand with the tail of the lead loosely coiled in the left hand unless requested by the judge to show the horse’s teeth. It is preferable that the exhibitor’s hand not continuously be on the snap or chain portion of the lead. The excess lead should never be coiled/rolled/folded in a tight manner. f) When leading, the exhibitor should be positioned between the eye and the mid- point of the horse’s neck, referred to as the leading position. Both arms should be bent at the elbow with the elbows held close to the exhibitor’s side and the forearms held in a natural position. Height of the hands may vary depending on the size of the horse and exhibitor, but the arms should never be held straight out with the elbows locked. g) The position of the exhibitor when executing a turn to the right is the same as the leading position except that the exhibitor should turn and face toward the horse’s head and have the horse move away from him/her to the right. h) When executing a back, the exhibitor should turn from the leading position to face toward the rear of the horse with the right hand extended across the exhibitor’s chest and walk forward beside the horse moving backward. i) Leading, backing, turning and initiating the set up should be performed from the left side of the horse. At no time should the exhibitor ever stand directly in front of the horse. j) When setting up the horse for inspection, (in the lineup or when presenting the horse to the judge as part of the pattern) the exhibitor should stand angled toward the horse in a position between the horse’s eye and muzzle and should never leave the head of the horse. The exhibitor should be standing with his/her feet pointed in the direction of the horse’s shoulder. The exhibitor should not touch the horse with their hands or feet, or visibly cue the horse by pointing a foot or finger at the horse during the set up. k) The "Quarter Method" shall be used when presenting the horse to the Judge for inspection. “Quarter Method”: The horse is divided into four sections by drawing an imaginary line down the back and another line across the horse just behind the withers. When the judge is in a front quarter, the exhibitor should be on the site side of the horse. When the judge moves to a rear quarter the exhibitor should cross over so that he/she is on the same side of the horse as the judge. When using the “Quarter Method”, the exhibitor should maintain a position that is safe for themselves and the judge. The position of the exhibitor should not obstruct the judge’s view of the horse and should be such that the exhibitor has a view of the judge at all times. The exhibitor should maintain eye contact with the judge except when checking the horse’s position. The exhibitor should not crowd other exhibitors when setting up side-by-side or head-to-tail. When moving around the horse, the exhibitor should change sides in front of the horse with minimal steps and should assume the same position on the right side of the horse that they had on the left side. 3. Appearance of the Horse: