The riding horse is a type of show horse in the UK. Riding horses can be any breed, but are generally warmbloods or Thoroughbred crosses. The breeding and showing of riding horses is overseen by the

British Show Horse Association The British Show Horse Association (BSHA) is the governing body for the showing and registering of hacks, cobs and riding horses. Aims and Objectives The aims of the association are to improve the standard of horses shown under their rules, to e ...

Showing the riding horse

The ideal riding horse should be somewhere between a hack and a

hunter Hunting is the human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/ hide, bone/tusks, horn/antler, ...

and should show quality, substance, good bone, correct conformation, presence and true action.

Division of classes

Riding horses are divided into two sections: * Small riding horse: Mare or gelding four years old or over, exceeding 148 cm (14.2 hands high), but not exceeding 158 cm (15.2

hands A hand is a prehensile, multi-fingered appendage located at the end of the forearm or forelimb of primates such as humans, chimpanzees, monkeys, and lemurs. A few other vertebrates such as the koala (which has two opposable thumbs on each "han ...

high). * Large riding horse: Mare or gelding four years old or over, exceeding 158 cm (15.2 hands high).

Show

Classes are judged on type, ride, manners and conformation. Horses in the class are asked to perform a walk,

trot The trot is a ten-beat diagonal horse gait where the diagonal pairs of legs move forward at the same time with a moment of suspension between each beat. It has a wide variation in possible speeds, but averages about . A very slow trot is someti ...

canter The canter and gallop are variations on the fastest gait that can be performed by a horse or other equine. The canter is a controlled three-beat gait, while the gallop is a faster, four-beat variation of the same gait. It is a natural gait p ...

and (conditions permitting)

gallop The canter and gallop are variations on the fastest gait that can be performed by a horse or other equine. The canter is a controlled three-beat gait, while the gallop is a faster, four-beat variation of the same gait. It is a natural gait pos ...

together. The judge will then ride the horses and then may require individual performances, called "shows," from the competitors. Individual shows should not exceed 1{{frac, 1, 2 minutes, and should include walk, trot, canter, gallop,

rein back The rein-back is a dressage term to indicate the two-beat movement in which a horse is asked to back up. The horse picks up and sets down its feet almost in diagonal pairs, and moves straight backwards with the line of his forelegs following those ...

, stand still and demonstrate obedience to the leg. Riding horses can be shown ridden astride or

sidesaddle Sidesaddle riding is a form of equestrianism that uses a type of saddle which allows female riders to sit aside rather than astride an equine. Sitting aside dates back to antiquity and developed in European countries in the Middle Ages as a wa ...

Turnout

Riding horses are shown in brown

tack TACK is a group of archaea acronym for Thaumarchaeota (now Nitrososphaerota), Aigarchaeota, Crenarchaeota (now Thermoproteota), and Korarchaeota, the first groups discovered. They are found in different environments ranging from acidophilic ...

, with a coloured

browband A bridle is a piece of equipment used to direct a horse. As defined in the ''Oxford English Dictionary'', the "bridle" includes both the that holds a bit that goes in the mouth of a horse, and the reins that are attached to the bit. Headgear w ...

. Double bridles or pelham bits are used. Saddles should be straight-cut to show off the animal's shoulder. (This style is called an "English showing saddle" in some places, to distinguish it from both the "Forward Seat" and the "Dressage" saddle). Manes should be plaited, tails pulled and legs and faces trimmed. Riders should wear tweed jackets and riding hats, cream or buff

breeches Breeches ( ) are an article of clothing covering the body from the waist down, with separate coverings for each leg, usually stopping just below the knee, though in some cases reaching to the ankles. Formerly a standard item of Western men's ...

, a cream shirt with a tie and tall black

riding boots A riding boot is a boot made to be used for horse riding. The classic boot comes high enough up the leg to prevent the leathers of the saddle from pinching the leg of the rider, has a sturdy toe to protect the rider's foot when on the ground and ...

. Show canes are generally carried. For evening championships riders should wear a black or navy jacket with a white or cream stock, fastened with a pin, plus a top hat.

Racehorse To Riding Horse

The Racehorse to Riding Horse class was introduced to the Horse of the Year Show in 2006. The format of the class is as for a traditional riding horse class, although horses which are good examples of a

show hunter The Hunter division is a branch of horse show competition that is judged on the horse's performance, soundness and when indicated, conformation, suitability or manners. A "show hunter" is a horse that competes in this division. Show hunters, id ...

show hack The show hack is a type of ridden show horse, exhibited to a standard first established in England. Affiliated showing and breeding of the show hacks in the United Kingdom is overseen by the British Show Horse Association. In the US and Canada ...

may also enter. To be eligible, horses must be full thoroughbred and registered in the Weatherbys

General Stud Book The ''General Stud Book'' is a breed registry for horses in Great Britain and Ireland. More specifically it is used to document the breeding of Thoroughbreds and related foundation bloodstock such as the Arabian horse. Today it is published e ...

. The horse must have been in training as a racehorse, but need not necessarily have raced. They must also be over four years old, and stand taller than 15 hands high (hh). Turnout and rider wear should conform to the appropriate class - competitors showing their horses as riding horses should wear navy jackets and hats, while those showing their horses as hunters should wear tweed jackets. Competitors qualifying for the evening performance at the Horse Of The Year Show should wear black or navy jackets and a top hat.

Comparable classes in other nations

The Riding horse class is roughly comparable to the

English pleasure "English pleasure" is the generic term for a number of different English riding classes seen at horse shows in the United States, where the horse is ridden in either hunt seat or saddle seat tack. In the average English pleasure class, the hor ...