University of Florida

Area and State 4-H Horse Show Rules

Rulebook Receipt Form
The form above is to ensure that all youth who enter the Area shows receive a rule book and acknowledge their responsibility to understand it. This “Acknowledgement of Receipt” form should be given with the rule book and signed by the youth and parent. All youth who enter the Area horse shows are required to have this signed form on file at the County. The procedure for collection of this form at the time of Area show entries will be similar to that of the Participation Form. In order for the Area entry to be accepted, it must be accompanied by the Participation Form and the Acknowledgement of Receipt of rule book form. For those who qualify for State, both forms will be forwarded to the state office so they are in hand when the State entries arrive.

2008 Florida 4-H Area & State Horse Show Official Rules
  (Click above to download entire PDF rulebook)
The pdf file of the entire book includes bookmarks as well as links in the index. Your pdf reader should have a tab to view 'Bookmarks', and then you can use the bookmarks in that outline to jump straight to the section you need. Also, the index entries are linked to their respective pages. Click on a word in the index to go to that page, then click "Index" in the bookmark list to go back.

To view only sections of the Rulebook at a time in PDF, click the links below. (Helpful for slower internet connectin speeds)

  1. Changes for 2008
  2. PHILOSOPHY AND GOALS OF THE FLORIDA 4-H HORSE PROGRAM
  3. AREA AND STATE 4-H HORSE SHOW CLASS LIST
  4. GENERAL RULES, REGULATIONS, AND PROCEDURES
  5. CONTEST RULES, REGULATIONS, AND PROCEDURES
  6. CLASSES:
    1. CONFORMATION OR IN-HAND CLASSES
    2. SHOWMANSHIP CLASSES (All Divisions)
    3. WESTERN DIVISION (Western Pleasure, Western Horsemanship, Western Riding, Reining)
      1. Reining Patterns
    4. SPEED EVENTS DIVISION (Pole Bending, Barrel Race, Keyhole Race, Stake Race)
    5. SADDLE SEAT DIVISION (Saddle Seat Pleasure, Saddle Seat Equitations, Road Hack, Saddle Seat Performance)
    6. HUNTER DIVISION (Hunter under Saddle, Hunt Seat Equitation on the Flat, Working Hunter, Handy Hunter, Equitation over Fences)
    7. OPEN DIVISION (Trail, Hunter Hack, Dressage, Calf Roping, Breakaway Roping)
  7. GENERAL HORSE SHOW MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS
    USE OF THE NAME AND EMBLEM OF 4-H CLUB WORK
    JUDGE'S RESPONSIBILITY

Bit Details! - Refer to this pdf file for some examples of acceptable and unacceptable bits.

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4-H Horse Shows

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