01/29/2025
Really excellent and useful information here. Thanks, Johnny.
𝐒𝐨 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐖𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐚 𝐃𝐨 𝐑𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐡 𝐑𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠?
Here are some key things to know so you can be successful in the fastest-growing sport in the Western Industry! In this article, we’ll be going over 𝗝𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, and 𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 to get started in this awesome sport!
𝗝𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴
The judging is done on a 70 point system where everyone starts at 70 and goes up or down from there. Each maneuver or obstacle in the case of Ranch Trail (sidepass, walk, trot, poles, bridges, drag, etc) will be judged -1 ½ to +1 ½ . The simplest way to understand what that scoring system means is to assign words to each score:
Excellent +1 ½
Very Good +1
Good +½
Average 0
Poor -½
Very Poor -1
Extremely Poor -1 ½
At the end of the run, these scores are tallied against the 70. If a person were to get three -1 ½ point scores, they’d have a score of 65 ½ and if they had three +1 scores, they’d have a 73.
When starting out in Ranch Horse, shoot for 0 scores. Do not take gambles until comfortable and somewhat consistent. Correctness trumps all. A good rule of thumb is to shoot for a 70 score at first, then work up from there. In Ranch Horse, if one can stay out of the penalty box…they are generally going to walk out with a decent placing. Another good rule of thumb is to stay consistent, the best riders do not have a couple +1 ½ scores, they have consistent +1 scores and a couple +½ scores. A +1 ½ score is great, but if it's followed by a 0, you are now below the guy that got two +1 scores. Consistency wins.
𝗣𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀
Penalties are generally outlined in the judge’s sheets and they are tallied against the 70 point just the same as maneuver scores. Priority #1 in Ranch Horse: stay out of the penalty box.
Penalties:
Too slow 1pt
Overbridled 1pt
Break of Gate 2 strides or less 1pt
Break of Gate More than 2 Strides 3pt
Wrong Lead More Than 2 Strides 3pt
Draped Rein 3pt
Cross Firing More Than 2 Strides in A Lead Change 3pt
Trotting More Than 3 Strides in Simple Lead Change or Out of Rollback 3pt
Severe Disturbance of Any Obstacle 3pt
Blatant Disobedience 5pt
Understand that a 1 point penalty is not the end of the world, but it would be nice to avoid if possible. Usually the 1 and 3 point penalties can be made back by a skilled rider, but more than three penalty points is almost impossible to make back and still have a respectable score. Depending on the show, schooling may be more socially accepted. All horses should show with intent to school in their performance program to keep things sharp.
𝗢𝗳𝗳 𝗣𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻
This is the worst place to be…essentially it means no matter how good you did, the act that OP’ed your horse will place you below everyone who did the pattern correctly, regardless of score.
Ways to Get an OP or Off Pattern:
- Eliminates or Adds Maneuver
- Incomplete Maneuver
- Repeated Blatant Disobedience
- Use of Two Hands except in Snaffle or Hackamore on Junior/Level 1 horses
- More than 1 Finger Between Split Reins (in bridle)
- Any Fingers Between Romal Reins (except in a two rein for that year)
Let's say you do a pattern and it's a 74 score. If you put your fingers between the Romal Reins and your horse is not in a two rein, you’re OP’ed. The next rider who competed got three penalties and had a tough time but got the course done technically correctly with a 68 score. They will still beat you, because they did the course as drawn and written. Penalty points and negative maneuver scores have no bearing on OP except in the case of placing multiple OP riders. If two riders have OP’ed, they will be placed high to low, same as any other placing.
𝗗𝗤
It's pretty hard to get Disqualified in Ranch Horse
Ways to Get DQ
Illegal equipment
Lameness
Disrespect or Misconduct
Willful Abuse
Leave Working Area Before Pattern Is Complete
Improper Western Attire
Fall of Horse or Rider
For equipment, find a bridle that's pretty universally acceptable in order to remain safe from any scrutiny. A nice simple shanked bit with a solid or correction mouth and leather or single flat chain curb is a great choice. Reins must be leather split or leather/rawhide romal, simple as that. No barrel or roping reins. Snaffles and Hackamores are pretty hard to mess up, and the two rein must be fitted appropriately and not in such a way where it looks like a glorified cavesson. This is all to avoid any harassment from the judge. Stick with the usual stuff…not the weird contraptions marketed on discount tack websites.
Don't show a lame horse, that's just mean. Disrespect and misconduct is easy to avoid, be polite and don’t curse in the arena when your horse hits a pole. Willful abuse is easy to avoid too, just get off, take a moment, and count to ten. Leaving the working area is rather straightforward. For western attire, wear an appropriately fitted western button down shirt with or without a vest, wear blue jeans that fit with some stack and have western boots on. A belt and spurs should be worn too. A helmet or cowboy hat is to be worn, whether it's a vaquero or reining style hat doesn’t matter, but it must look like a cowboy hat. Don’t go in dressed like Roy Rogers, this is RANCH horse…do not look like the guy that’ll get made fun of by macho cowboys in the bunkhouse. If you fall, it's a given you’ll be DQed…go see a doctor and a vet to be sure everyone is all right.
𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴
Ranch Horse associations all have their own mission statements but the guiding force is a desire to preserve the natural movement and working ability of true ranch horses. Judges don’t want to see pleasure ponies with 2 inch strides or dressage horses with unreal impulsion. Judges want to see a horse who can work comfortably and effectively over a long period of time in a wide variety of terrain and jobs.
Frame
Usually, because Ranch Horse is an American sport, the ideal horse and frame is that of a quarter horse. A good rule of thumb is keep the head at or above the withers within 3 inches or so. Anything higher tends to be on the high headed side of things which can be tricky to deal with and show effectively. Anything lower will start to resemble a reiner, which is an easy way to get written off the scorecards. These horses need to be on a ranch trotting around for hours at a time, working cattle, and roping in between. If their head is in the air they’ll hollow their back, get sore, and miss their cow. If their head is too low, their face will be yanked into the ground when they go to rope a stubborn cow. Ranch Horse seeks a realistic, natural headset that can handle all these jobs relatively well…and that's at or slightly above the withers.
Consistency
Ranch Horse is big on transitions and showing the horse as an effective means of transportation to, from, and through jobs. In these maneuvers, a consistent frame is a wonderful thing to show off for the judges. If your horse is stunning at the walk and trot but lopes like a llama on cocaine…that is not good. If they can carry a nice, natural frame for the whole run, rarely picking up their head besides naturally elevating shoulders…the judge will be giving better scores out.
This consistency also translates to how the horse pays attention to the cues and demonstrates their softness. When pulled, the Ranch Horse should give with his nose. If the horse is pulled and backs up with a soft body but a stiff jaw, he is not earning as much credit on the scorecard as the horse who willingly gives his head and backs up slightly slower. Ranch Horse judging focuses on the horse, not the rider..use this to your advantage and set up your horse for success.
Realism
Everything done in the Ranch Riding or Trail course should be done in a fashion that a horse could easily do that maneuver 30x in a day without getting hurt. Spins should be done swiftly and calmly, but engaged enough to get the job done in a timely manner. Stops are always done at most from a lope, never a rundown like reining. Long slides are not as well liked as a short, engaged stop. Back-ups should be fast but the horse is not rewarded if he scrambles his feet. There is a difference between haste and speed. Transitions are not opportunities to cut up the dirt, they are transitions between the gaits…understand that. A judge will reward a calm, easy…but quick transition from one gait to the next. A judge will not reward the transition that kicks up a cloud with the horse’s butt puckering at the rider’s vocal cue. On a real ranch, with a wide variety of ground quality, all subpar to that of an arena, that horse would be lame on day 1.
𝗜𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗦𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗮 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘄 + 𝗗𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀
Horse
Even though Ranch Horse is a realistic sport that aims to keep true to tradition, its still a show. Good equitation, though not important on paper, will help immensely in the cueing and showing of the horse. A judge is not immune to seeing something they think is pretty, and good equitation always looks pretty. Nobody likes to see a monkey on a donkey. When selecting tack to put on the horse, stay away from overly showy tack. Silver in the case of a Spade Bit or some conchos on the saddle is fine, but do not adorn the horse. Ranch Horse does not look kindly on saddles with silver on the skirt or pommel, a horn cap is alright but even then might push it depending on the flashiness. Good leather tooling and braidwork will be what you “show off”, not silver and gold.
Rider
Dress and ride in accordance with traditionally “western” norms. Do not try to ride with cartoonish batwing chaps looking like a looney toons drawing or a humongous charro hat. Ranch Horse celebrates the different cowboys in America, but a good western hat with a 5 inch or shorter brim and shotgun chaps or armitas/chinks are just fine. Furthermore, understand your body type and what may need slimming, what is “pretty” or “sexy” to show off and how legwear may fit you. Generally armitas and shotgun chaps look great on men while chinnks look great on women. Know how best to dress and how best to get the horse ready.
Judges are human and due to this, they are not immune to liking a good picture. Dress and tack up the horse in a way that is pleasant to look at as a whole.
𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐏𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐈 𝐆𝐨𝐭 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐎𝐮𝐭
“Do what is written, not what is drawn”
The drawn pattern may need to be tweaked in order to show off your horse’s strengths. Watch others and determine if a creative liberty should be taken, and do so conservatively. Laying down a pattern well can be the difference between a 69 score and a 74.
“Act like its an interview to work on the judge’s ranch”
Do not hesitate like a reiner, sipping tea and reading poetry between each maneuver…knock it out with purpose. If I were to hire you, I want jobs done effectively and I want them done timely. Do not be the reason the boss can’t have dinner with his wife. Do not be that guy that needs his work checked over again.
“Have three cues”
For transitions, have a body and vocal cue that are used in that order. If those do not work, hone in on rein cues to have a last resort. In a perfect world, the horse relies only on body cues.
“Get off the fence”
Ranch Riding should feel “real” and that kind of riding is done in the open, so get off the fence in the patterns. The other reason to get off the fence is so that the judge can see you.
“Use your senses for memorization”
I have a ritual I do for pattern memory: read the pattern, trace the pattern with my eyes, trace it with my finger, walk it with my horse as if to “mark” our choreography, repeat, ask someone to quiz me (usually my mom or dad). If I feel like I'm forgetting, I’ll get myself quizzed by a gate person right before going in or look at the map. And the second to last person before I go, I watch their run. I never watch the run before me because I’m usually rewalking the pattern or doing one last transition down ( I have a hot horse, and that's my way to combat her energy). So I’ve used touch, sight, and hearing to hone in my understanding of the pattern…and usually I don’t forget. If I do forget the pattern, it's because I missed one of these steps or was dealing with an outside force that I couldn’t control i.e. depression, insomnia, etc.
“Practice with the same intensity”
How ridiculous is it to expect the utmost discipline at a show if it's not asked for at home. That's unfair to the horse. Practice at home should be intense and particular, just the same as the showpen. The warmup should be similar, the grooming, the rider’s dress…all of it should be the same if not very similar. I tend to show in shotgun chaps, so I often practice with shotgun chaps. Make it consistent and you’ll be amazed how much better the horse will get seemingly overnight.
Closing
I hope this has been helpful in your start to Ranch Riding...now quit reading, go and sign up to compete!
Written by AQHA Professional Horseman, Johnny Flores
