Western Seat/Reining Seat Equitation and Western Horsemanship riders should give the appearance of control, adaptability, and the ability to demonstrate how to properly ride a western/reining horse. Riders are judged on their position, and the performance of the horse. However, it is the riders who are being judged, and the performance of the horse is not considered more important than the method used to obtain it. Hand, leg, and body position must be considered, as well as how the aids are applied and what results are achieved in the horse’s performance.
Western Equitation competitors are judged on rail work completed as a group and may be asked to complete individual testing. Horsemanship classes require riders to complete an individual pattern that may include gait transitions, figure eights, and lead changes. Reining Seat competitors perform a reining pattern which is judged and scored as a using the same criteria as reining classes with the addition of an equitation score.