Ranch Riding Mares

Evaluate and place these performance mares. Then see how your choices compare to our expert judge's.

I HAVE THE SAME MINDSET in judging a halter class and a performance halter class, always looking for the basics of overall balance, structural correctness, breed and sex characteristics, and muscling. Upon first seeing a class, I let myself notice which horses really set themselves apart, almost as though they're silently saying, "pick me." Every good horse has a good profile, and I trust my instinct to be attracted to that first. Then I ask myself a series of questions about the basics of each horse to make sure I'm correct in my initial impressions.

When I line the class up, I want the casual observer to be able to see the flow of how I pinned the class. The horse with the highest combination of balance, correctness, quality, and muscling should be clear, with each horse down the line showing a little less. Our winner in this class shows the most positive characteristics and should make a good athletic performance horse. 

Mare A