MSU Extension

The halter discipline is one that still confuses many horse enthusiasts; even some of the most active horse show participants don’t have a firm grasp on how judges evaluate the class. Halter is the judging of a horse’s conformation, or how the horse is built. The ideal build of the horse in question is determined by a standard set by each breed organization. While the act of judging horses isn’t an exact science, there are basic concepts everyone can use to understand how the judge evaluates a horse. The concepts being discussed here are the backbone for judging halter of all breeds, but the Arabian will be the breed of focus. Read more about the Arabian breed standard at “Arabian Horse Conformation and our Breed Standard” on the Arabian Horse Association website.

The first and most important component of conformation evaluation in any horse is balance. Balance can be described as the size or shape of individual parts of the horse and how they fit together to form an overall proportionate animal. Balance is evaluated horizontally and vertically. When viewing the profile of the horse, there should be three equally divided parts: shoulder, barrel and hip. This is horizontal balance, or balance from head to tail. The neck length should be equal to the topline, which should equal the length of the hip (measured from the point of the hip to the point of the buttock).

Vertical balance is evaluated from top to bottom. A vertically balanced horse will display a heart girth—which is measured from the base of withers to bottom of the ribs—that is equal in depth as that from the bottom of the heart girth to the ground. The topline should be shorter than the underline of the horse with a short, strong back and loin, and a level croup.

The next aspect a judge looks at is the structural correctness of the horse. This looks beyond the skin and muscle to the skeleton of the horse, exploring how bones connect to each other and the angles in which they are connected. The skeleton’s form determines the horse’s athleticism and potential to be a successful in the show ring. Any issues in the skeleton could lead to soundness issues and health problems down the road.

Once the judge has determined that the horse is structurally correct, they will look for the degree of muscling on the horse. Arabians typically aren’t a heavily muscled breed, but the horse should have condition and definition of muscle. Muscling is assessed by the quality and quantity observed.

Next is the overall quality of the horse. Style, refinement and blending are the elements that make up the overall quality of a horse. With an Arabian, we should see a more refined and chiseled head when compared to a stock-type or cold-blooded breeds. Arabian breed type is typically seen in a high tail carriage and examined through the head. The Arabian head should be a dished face with large, dark eyes set wide apart on the head. The cheek of the horse will be the largest part with a small muzzle, large nostrils and shallow mouth creating a tapering look. Ears should be small, triangular and alert.

Arabians are a fine type breed, so they are just that—more fine. The horse should not have any odd protrusions or “rough edges.” A horse that has an overall coarse look is not desirable in this discipline. This breed has been developed to be very stylish, which is the final component of quality.

Finally, the judge will observe the horse’s movement. During a stride evaluation, a judge will take the following into consideration: stride length, straightness, cadence, impulsion, elevation, rapidity and balance. The balance we are talking about during travel is not the same as the overall balance of the horse. Here the judge will be looking for the horse to carry itself evenly between all four legs and throughout the body. Often, a horse that is an unbalanced mover will have an uneven cadence in their footfall pattern. The ideal mover would be one that has a long stride, travels in a straight line, doesn’t wing in or out, and doesn’t have quick or scrambly moving legs.

These five components are the foundation to accurately judging a halter class. As mentioned before, each judge will ultimately have different preferences and opinions of what they prefer in a horse and will have different tolerance levels for any blemishes on the horse, but all judges follow the breed standard that has been set by the breed’s association. All in all, if you follow this guide, halter classes should start to present themselves with new clarity.

Interested in helping youth learn these concepts? Check out this article on “How to start a 4-H horse judging team” by Michigan State University Extension.

For more ways to share science with youth in your life, please explore the MSU Extension Science and Engineering webpage. For more information about 4-H learning opportunities and other 4-H programs, contact your local MSU Extension office.