What Are the Horses Judged for at the Halter?

Showing horses at halter is an integral part of the horse industry. Breeders show off their young stock; 4-H participants learn to show and manage their animals in hand in a crowd; stallions and breeding stock earn points that contribute to their value. Judges of halter classes look for certain things regardless of the breed being shown.

  1. Conformation

    • How a horse is "put together" is the foundation of its ability to perform, so judges look for good conformation first and foremost. Straight legs, a good jaw and eyes, a strong back and good proportions overall without physical defects are among the traits that make a beautiful and well-conformed horse.

    Soundness

    • An obviously lame horse will be disqualified from a halter class. Judges also look for non-obvious unsoundness, such as puffy joints, bowed tendons or splints, cracked hooves, stiffness or physical deformities that could lead to lameness over time.

    Breed Typiness

    • An Arabian in a Quarter Horse class would lose no matter how beautiful, because it is not a Quarter Horse "type." Breed characteristics are a big part of halter classes where horses of one breed are judged against one another. The shape of the head, the length of the back, the set of the tail, the slope of the shoulder, the horse's color and the arch of the neck are all breed traits that vary wildly from one breed to another.

    Attitude

    • A horse that kicks, bites, or fights its handler will be judged down or disqualified. If a handler loses control of the animal, it will be disqualified. A beautiful animal with a poor attitude toward work, people or other horses is far less valuable than one that is cooperative.

    Balance and Movement

    • Halter classes involve walking and trotting the animal so that the judge can see how it moves. Crookedness, "paddling" of the front hooves, failure to step through with the hind hooves, wobbling, bobbing or other indicators that the horse has poor conformation or is not balanced on its hooves will result in being marked down.

    Sex Characteristics

    • Stallions and mares look different and must be judged differently. Stallions must display mature sex organs and good muscling. Mares are generally more refined throughout their bodies and will be marked down for having "stallion characteristics," such as a crested neck.