Draft horse showing refers to horse show

Horse show

A Horse show is a judged exhibition of horses and ponies. Many different horse breeds and equestrian disciplines hold competitions worldwide, from local to the international levels. Most horse shows run from one to three days, sometimes longer for major, all-breed events or national and...

s exclusively for horse

Horse

The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...

s of the draft horse

Draft horse

A draft horse , draught horse or dray horse , less often called a work horse or heavy horse, is a large horse bred for hard, heavy tasks such as ploughing and farm labour...

 breeds. In North America

North America

North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

, though a small number of draft horses are also shown under saddle

Saddle

A saddle is a supportive structure for a rider or other load, fastened to an animal's back by a girth. The most common type is the equestrian saddle designed for a horse, but specialized saddles have been created for camels and other creatures...

, the term "Draft horse showing" refers to a specific horse show

Horse show

A Horse show is a judged exhibition of horses and ponies. Many different horse breeds and equestrian disciplines hold competitions worldwide, from local to the international levels. Most horse shows run from one to three days, sometimes longer for major, all-breed events or national and...

 competition that primarily features driving

Driving (horse)

Driving, when applied to horses, ponies, mules, or donkeys, is a broad term for hitching equines to a wagon, carriage, cart, sleigh, or other horse-drawn vehicle by means of a harness and working them in this way...

 exhibitors present their horses to be judged in harness

Horse harness

A horse harness is a type of horse tack that allows a horse or other equine to pull various horse-drawn vehicles such as a carriage, wagon or sleigh. Harnesses may also be used to hitch animals to other loads such as a plow or canal boat....

. Worldwide, some draft horse shows also feature riding classes.

The driving events at these competitions are somewhat akin to fine harness

Fine harness

Fine harness is a type of driving competition seen at horse shows, that feature light, refined horses with high action. Popular breeds in this event include the American Saddlebred, Morgan, Arabian, Dutch Harness Horse, and Hackney ....

 classes at horse show

Horse show

A Horse show is a judged exhibition of horses and ponies. Many different horse breeds and equestrian disciplines hold competitions worldwide, from local to the international levels. Most horse shows run from one to three days, sometimes longer for major, all-breed events or national and...

s for light horses, though the four horse and larger hitch classes also resemble some aspects of combined driving

Combined driving

Combined driving also known as Horse Driving Trials is an equestrian sport involving carriage driving. In this discipline the driver sits on a vehicle drawn by a single horse, a pair or a team of four. The sport has three phases: Dressage, Cross-country Marathon and Obstacle Cone Driving and is...

. Draft horse shows are different from draft horse pulling

Horse pulling

Horse pulling is a draft horse competition where horses in harness, usually one or two animals, pull a stone-boat or weighted sled and the winner is the team or animal that can pull the most weight for a short distance....

 competitions, where teams of horses compete to determine who can pull the most weight.

Driving Competitions

Exhibitors of these classes must follow a pattern for each class in which they participate. The pattern is the same for every class. The hitches enter the arena

Arena

An arena is an enclosed area, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theater, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators. The key feature of an arena is that the event space is the...

 one at a time, following one another. They travel to the right, along the rail in a counter-clockwise direction. A hitch is a unit consisting of the exhibitor, his or her horse(s) and vehicle, being a cart or wagon. The judge is observing each hitch from the middle of the ring where he or she is standing. All of the hitches make a few laps in this counter-clockwise direction and then reverse. A lap is completed when a hitch travels the entire way around the arena next to the rail. When the reverse is made, the hitches diagonally cut the ring in half in order to go the opposite direction. This allows the judge to see the other side of each hitch. A couple more laps are made going in this clockwise direction. While making these laps on the rail, the horses are trotting and usually asked to walk for a few steps only once during the entire class. Next, all of the hitches line up, coming to a complete stop in the middle of the ring, all facing the same direction. The judge then looks at each hitch individually and has them back up. This requires the driver of each hitch to direct his or her horse(s) to back either the cart or wagon a few feet, stop, and then step forward to the original position. Finally, the judge places all of the hitches in the order of his or her preference.

United States and Canada

The main classes in a show exclusively for draft horses are limited to driving competition, and generally include the following:

• Ladies Cart—One horse
  Horse
  The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
  
   driven in a cart by a woman
• Men’s Cart—One horse driven in a cart by a man
• Team
  Team
  A team comprises a group of people or animals linked in a common purpose. Teams are especially appropriate for conducting tasks that are high in complexity and have many interdependent subtasks.A group in itself does not necessarily constitute a team...
  
   -- Two horses hitched side by side on a show wagon, driven by a man or woman
• Tandem—Two horses hitched with one lead horse directly in front of one wheel horse, driven by a man or woman in a cart. Considered an unsafe hitch by many drivers, since the tendency for the lead horse to turn around and face the wheel horse.
• Unicorn—Three horses hitched as a team with one horse in front of the team, driven by a man or woman
• Four—Four horses hitched as two teams, one pair in front of the other, driven by a man or woman
• Six http://www.naclassicseries.com/photos.html -- Six horses hitched as three teams, one in front of another, driven by a man or woman
• Eight—Eight horses hitched as four teams, one in front of another, driven by a man or woman

"Breeding" or "Halter

Halter (horse show)

"Halter" is a term used to describe a type of horse show class where horses are shown "in hand," meaning that they are led, not ridden, and are judged on their conformation and suitability as breeding stock...

" classes are also offered at many shows. These classes evaluate the conformation

Equine conformation

Equine conformation evaluates the degree of correctness of a horse's bone structure, musculature, and its body proportions in relation to each other. Undesirable conformation can limit the ability to perform a specific task. Although there are several universal "faults," a horse's conformation is...

 of the animals.

In the United States and Canada, the breeds of draft horses shown, include:

• Belgian
  Belgian (horse)
  The Belgian Draft horse or Belgian, also known as Belgian Heavy Horse, Brabançon, or Brabant, is a draft horse breed from the Brabant region of modern Belgium, where it is called the or Flemish: . It is one of the strongest of the heavy breeds...
  
  
• Percheron
  Percheron
  The Percheron is a breed of draft horse that originated in the Perche valley in northern France. Percherons are usually gray or black in color. They are well-muscled, and known for their intelligence and willingness to work. Although their exact origins are unknown, the ancestors of the breed were...
  
  
• Clydesdale
• Shire
  Shire horse
  The Shire horse is a breed of draught horse or draft horse . The breed comes in many colours, including black, bay and grey. They are a tall breed, with mares standing and over and stallions standing and over. The breed has an enormous capacity for weight pulling, and Shires have held the world...
  
  
• Suffolk Punch
  Suffolk Punch
  The Suffolk Punch, also historically known as the Suffolk Horse or Suffolk Sorrel, is an English breed of draught horse. The breed takes the first part of its name from the county of Suffolk in East Anglia, and the name "Punch" from its solid appearance and strength...
  
  
• American Cream Draft Horse

Belgians, Percherons and Clydesdales tend to be the dominant breeds seen at North American draft horse shows. The cost of a draft horse depends on the level of competition at which an exhibitor would like to compete. If an exhibitor would like to compete at the highest level, receiving first place honors at the toughest shows, a great horse could cost anywhere from $10,000 to $50,000, with the most expensive horse sold at public auction costing $112,500. A draft horse shown as a hobby and competing only at local or county fairs would start at approximately $1,000.

A harness exhibitor uses appropriate equipment for driving, beginning with a truck and trailer to haul the draft horses to the show. A show harness, a show wagon, and a show cart must be purchased as well. These three items are only used in the arena while a hitch is performing. Another set of work harness and a practice wagon is used at home for training. Along with the costly equipment, decorations that are put up at the draft horse shows and miscellaneous tack items must also be obtained.

A hitch is judged the moment it enters the arena. Usually, there is only one judge for all the hitches in an entire horse show, and it is usually a different judge than the halter classes. The hitches are judged on a variety of aspects including physical conditioning of the horses, conformation

Equine conformation

Equine conformation evaluates the degree of correctness of a horse's bone structure, musculature, and its body proportions in relation to each other. Undesirable conformation can limit the ability to perform a specific task. Although there are several universal "faults," a horse's conformation is...

, hoof size

Horse hoof

A horse hoof is a structure surrounding the distal phalanx of the 3rd digit of each of the four limbs of Equus species, which is covered by complex soft tissue and keratinised structures...

, cleanliness and quality of turnout, movement of the horses, quality of action, manners and how well the horses work together as a team and as a hitch as a whole. The presentation and soundness of the wagon is also evaluated, as well as the drivers ability to drive the hitch.

There is no standard or uniform set of rules. All judges have their own opinion on what they like, putting more emphasis on certain aspects than others do. This is what makes draft horse showing so unique; the outcome of a show can never be predicted.

Australia

The major agricultural show

Agricultural show

An agricultural show is a public event showcasing the equipment, animals, sports and recreation associated with agriculture and animal husbandry. The largest comprise a livestock show , a trade fair, competitions, and entertainment...

s in Australia hold led (conformation), trade and turnout classes for draft horses. At field day

Field day

Field days in Australia usually take place as part of an agricultural show, though field days focus on agricultural industry and equipment rather than livestock....

s draft horses are also shown in long reining, ridden, log snigging, ploughing, pulling, novelty events, agricultural and other implements events, too.

The draft breeds exhibited in Australia are:

• Australian Draught Horse
  Australian Draught Horse
  The Australian Draught Horse is a hardy breed of Australian draught horse noted for its strength and a good temperament.-Characteristics:...
  
  
• Belgian
  Belgian (horse)
  The Belgian Draft horse or Belgian, also known as Belgian Heavy Horse, Brabançon, or Brabant, is a draft horse breed from the Brabant region of modern Belgium, where it is called the or Flemish: . It is one of the strongest of the heavy breeds...
  
  
• Clydesdale
• Percheron
  Percheron
  The Percheron is a breed of draft horse that originated in the Perche valley in northern France. Percherons are usually gray or black in color. They are well-muscled, and known for their intelligence and willingness to work. Although their exact origins are unknown, the ancestors of the breed were...
  
  
• Shire
  Shire horse
  The Shire horse is a breed of draught horse or draft horse . The breed comes in many colours, including black, bay and grey. They are a tall breed, with mares standing and over and stallions standing and over. The breed has an enormous capacity for weight pulling, and Shires have held the world...
  
  
• Suffolk Punch
  Suffolk Punch
  The Suffolk Punch, also historically known as the Suffolk Horse or Suffolk Sorrel, is an English breed of draught horse. The breed takes the first part of its name from the county of Suffolk in East Anglia, and the name "Punch" from its solid appearance and strength...
  
  

Preparation for a show

Before leaving the farm all equipment is checked for problems, cleaned thoroughly, and packed into the truck–trailer used for travel. Most hitches use a semi trailer to transport their horses and all their equipments from show to show. Generally, the maximum number of horses that can be trailered in this manner is nine. Most exhibitors arrive the day before showing begins so that they may set up their stalls, including stall decorations that display the farm name and colors, and prepare for the hectic show schedule.

Most exhibitors bathe their horses before departing from their home farms so that their stock arrive at the show looking well groomed. Other trainers and farms are evaluating their competition as soon as they arrive, so this is as much for show as is practical. Depending on the show's facilities, the draft horses tend to be hosed down upon arrival, or bathed completely to remove any dirt from their coats, though each farm has their own way of doing things. Clydesdales require extra attention after the bathing process, due to their leg feathers, which are coated in sawdust to help keep dirt out of the wet hair.

The morning of the show horses are completely groomed, sometimes using a vacuum to remove any dust that has settled into the horses' coats since their bath. Next, most breeds have their hooves painted black, usually with hoof black or a glossy black spray paint. Exceptions to this are the Clydesdale and Shire breeds which commonly have white hooves, linked to the white leg markings

Horse markings

Markings on horses usually are distinctive white areas on an otherwise dark base coat color. Most horses have some markings, and they help to identify the horse as a unique individual. Markings are present at birth and do not change over the course of the horse's life...

 preferable for their breed. For these breeds, it is necessary to powder their white feathers with baby powder, or a similar substance, once again depending on preference.

While the hooves are drying, the mane

Mane (horse)

The mane is the hair that grows from the top of the neck of a horse or other equine, reaching from the poll to the withers, and includes the forelock or foretop. It is thicker and coarser than the rest of the horse's coat, and naturally grows to roughly cover the neck...

is rolled and tails are braided up in a specific way. At this point, the horses are harnessed and then sprayed with fly spray to prevent movement in the show ring. Harnesses are wiped down again to remove any dust that has settled on them and the horses are hitched to the cart or wagon that will be used during the next class.