Pattern 48 : Breed Show Amateur/Youth

Findings
Don't let this pattern fool you either, straight lines are difficult!

• START directly in line with the judge, trot quickly and be mindful of your stop at cone 2, a popped hip will spell disaster for your back.
• Back at least 4 or 5 steps, you want to be sure you're going to clear BOTH cones 1 and cone 2 on your spin
• Perform your 360, possibly pulling your horse forward. Be sure not to over or under spin
• Walk briskly to the judge and stop 1 1/2 arms length away
• Setup for inspection, since no instructions are given, upon dismissal perform a 90 and walk away.

Pattern 47: Breed Show Novice

Findings
Don't be fooled by first glances, this pattern is challenging. Straight lines are VERY difficult! Our judge made it extra challenging by placing cone 2 VERY close to the pivot line, you had to be almost on top of the cone to make your hip inline with the judge.

• Be ready at cone 1, walk briskly to cone 2
• Stop with your horse's hip at cone 2 (this is something to really practice ... this is a make/break part of your pattern). TIP, count how many steps YOU take when you pass the judge until you need to stop...this will help in the showpen
• Stop and perform your 90, do not over or under pivot
• Trot to cone 2, stop at your horse's nose. Be mindful of your stop, you do NOT want a kicked out hip because when you back it needs to be PER.FECTLY straight...
• Back at LEAST 4 steps
• Walk to judge and stop with 1 1/2 arms length away
• Set up for inspection
• Upon dismissal perform a 90 and walk away
  

Basics: YOUR Body Position, BACKING

You thought you had a nice pattern, but didn't even place, here could be the reason.

Standing directly in front of your horse to back will disqualify you on most judges cards. This is a dangerous position to put yourself in, IF your horse spooks you could be run over, or if your horse rears you could be pummelled.
Below our exhibitor is in a much better position safety wise, she's slightly in front of her horse so that she can see where to guide her horse and she's off to the side so if something should spook her horse she can quickly move off to the right.

Pattern 45: Advanced

Findings:

• Begin at cone 1 with the same distance you'll end up at cone 3
• Trot a serpentine, you'll probably need to cut close to cone 2 to make the distance to cone 3 (the shorter the distance between the cones, the more difficult this will become)
• Stop at the nose and perform a 360, do not over or under pivot as your back will be crooked
• Back until your hip is even with the judge and perform a 270, making sure that your horse is pivoting on the correct foot (you may have to pull your horse slightly forward)
• Walk to judge, stop with 1 1/2 arms length away and set up for inspection
• Upon dismissal perform a 90 and walk away

Pattern 46: Intermediate

Findings:

• Depending on the distance between the cones this could be a really difficult pattern
• Start at cone 1 the same distance you will end at cone 3...you'll need to leave yourself enough room to perform your 180
• Trot from cone 1 to cone 3, you can cut close (and will probably need to) at cone 2 so you can leave yourself enough room at cone 3 for your pivot.
• Stop at the nose, perform your 180, STAYING on the correct side of the cone (my students needed to practice the serpentine several times before hitting the right spot so they were on the correct side of the cone)
• Trot to cone 2, stopping with hip at judge
• Perform your 90, don't over or under spin and walk to judge
• Stopping with 1 1/2 arms length away
• Setup for inspection, upon dismissal back 4, perform a 90 and trot away

Come back tomorrow for a ramped up, advanced version of this pattern

Basics: Pivot to Backing Problems

The pattern calls for a pivot of some sort and then a back, but you back crooked? Why, you did you pivot, but your horse still backed crooked...here's 2 scenario's WHY.

In this first photo our exhibitor has over spun, look at her horse's feet, they are not aligned front to back, so if she backs at this point (her horse's hip is canted to the right), her horse will back crookedly to the right...
In our 2nd photo our horse has NOT completed (or under spun) his pivot, and if she asks him to back at this point he'll back crooked to the left

To avoid either of these problems, as you are completing the your pivot (the last step or two), look up to WHERE it is you are GOING to go, this way you can either continue that next step or stop to prevent an over pivot. Having someone watch you also helps... Happy Practicing!

Pattern 44: Advanced

Findings:
This is the next level up from yesterdays pattern

• Be ready at cone 1 and trot to cone 2, stopping at nose/shoulder, make sure your stop is quick and clean (your horse should stop with it's hind end), perform your 360
• EXTEND your trot to cone 3, there should be NO QUESTION that this is a quicker, and more extended trot from your trot from cone 1 to cone 2...those that nail this are going to be impressive.
• Perform your 90 (don't over or under pivot)..as yesterday I found most my clients over pivoted, which made their backs crooked!
• Back straight and smoothly, stopping when your horse's hip is at the judge.
• Perform a 270, again don't over or under pivot
• Walk to judge and stop and setup for inspection
• Since there is no directions after dimissal, perform a 90 and walk away.