FINESSE YOUR FLAT CLASS
If you hang around horse shows long enough, you’ll hear this comment ringside: “You can’t beat that daisy-cutter. He’s going to win this flat class.” But the truth is you don’t always have to have the best mover to be competitive in the under-saddle class. Most judges are looking for the whole package: a horse who has good movement but is also obedient, alert, sound and has good manners. Does your horse look like he is a pleasure to ride? Are his ears up? Are his gaits balanced and his transitions smooth? How well you present your horse to demonstrate these details can have a tremendous impact on the judge’s ultimate decision.
Even if you’re not aiming for a blue ribbon, doing your best in the under-saddle class is growing more important. Some of our top horse shows have transitioned from four to three jumping classes in a division. This makes the flat class all the more influential. Sometimes just being able to get a fifth- or sixth-place ribbon on the flat can give you the points needed to bring home the tricolor. So even if you don’t ride the absolute best mover, learning to show off your horse on the flat is a valuable competition skill.
In this article I’ll share some exercises
