The Quarter Horse Congress

Whether you are attending congress or just wishfully thinking, you can see all the patterns on line even BEFORE Congress starts. They will be available October 1st! You can find them on horse show patterns website http://www.horseshowpatterns.com/
These are always great for practicing!

Pattern 30, Novice

Findings:

• Walk briskly from cone 1 to cone 2. Leave yourself enough room to pivot at cone 2 before you set up from cone 1.
• Stop with your hip in line with the judge and the cone (this is where my students had a hard time with, they needed to stop with their hip on that invisible line from the cone to the judge). Typically it was 3 steps when their body passed the judge to where hip placement was.
• Do not over or under spin and trot straight to judge.
• Back approximately 5 steps (one horse length).
• Walk to judge, leaving yourself enough to room for the pivot after inspection.
• Set up (under 3 seconds), perform inspection, upon dismissal, perform 270.
• Glance at judge and trot straight away.

Pattern 29, Novice

Findings:

• It's important that you start in line with the judge (and if you're the first to go in the pattern and the judge is not standing there, to make sure you have enough room at cone 1 so when you stop and pivot at cone 2, you don't run over it!)
• Trot from cone 1 to cone 2, stopping with your horse's nose at 2, perform your 360, looking up at the judge towards the end of your turn so that you don't over or under pivot.
• Walk from cone 2 to cone 3, picking up the trot at cone 3 (make sure you are asking your horse to trot off with you BEFORE you get to cone 3, so you aren't late in your trot off).
• Stop with your horse directly in front of the judge (1 1/2 arms length away).
• After dismissal, back 5 steps, pivot 90 (you may have to pull your horse slightly forward so that it doesn't pivot on the incorrect foot) and walk away.