Equitation
It is correct for the riders to have a light and steady contact with their horse's mouth the entire ride.
Bridles and bits permitted in these classes are more traditional hunter-style tack, i.e. snaffles and pelhams along with cavesson nosebands.
The rider is judged not only on position and effectiveness of riding aids, but should also maintain an even, forward pace and meet each fence at an appropriate distance.
Additional jumper-type tack is permitted including gags and two or three-ring bits as well as flash, drop, and figure eight nosebands.
Tests may include a halt for several seconds, rein back, demonstration of the hand gallop, figure-8 at the trot or canter with correct diagonals or leads (simple change of lead or flying), trotting or cantering low fences (up to 3'), jump obstacles at the walk (up to 2'), jumping fences on a figure-8, oral questions regarding tack, equipment, conformation, and basic horsemanship, riding without stirrups, performing a turn on the forehand or haunches, and a serpentine at the trot or canter with flying changes.
Switching of horses is no longer common at smaller competitions, usually only championships, due to the risks involved.
The Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association (IHSA) welcomes men and women of all levels of riding in both hunter seat equitation, on the flat and over fences and Western horsemanship in a range of programs from varsity to club sports at colleges and universities across the United States and Canada.
Gaits shown in Saddle Seat classes include the walk, trot, and canter.
All classes require Rail work, where competitors show and are judged as a group going both ways of the arena.
This habit includes a tuxedo-style jacket, pants and vest with bow tie and formal shirt, and top hat.
Pleasure equitation is another form of saddle seat equitation in which a rider is required to wear informal dress (coat, jodhpur pants, derby or soft hat, all in a dark color) in the day and evening and ride a horse that has a full mane and tail which is not set.
Horses are not allowed to wear a noseband or cavesson, nor any type of protective boot or bandage, except during some tests that require a reining pattern.
This is seen when a bystander can run an imaginary straight line that passes through the rider's ear, shoulder, hip, and heel.
The reining hand should be bent at the elbow, held close to the rider's side, and centered over the horse's neck, usually within an inch of the saddle horn.
Due to the presence of the saddle horn, a true straight line between rider's hand and horse's mouth is usually not possible.
