# Patting your horse?



## Horseygirl301 (Jan 4, 2017)

What are your thoughts on patting your horse while showing? Is it a big no no? :runninghorse2:


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## ShirtHotTeez (Sep 23, 2014)

:shrug: I don't know what the official take is, but i'm going to reward my horse with a pat whenever I feel like it.


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## MyxDappledxBay (Nov 22, 2016)

In my eyes, even if you take a bad stride, your horse trips, you knock a pole, you knock a barrel, you should always pat your horse, because, that big old thing could have very well killed you, but he/she didn't. So, I don't care if I get disqualified for patting my horse, I'm always going to show my love to him! <3


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## ApuetsoT (Aug 22, 2014)

You wouldn't get disqualified for patting your horse (unless maybe western pleasure, they have rules about the free hand). You can see dressage riders give a quick pat during a test after a good effort. 

I don't pat anyway, but I will scratch or rub, and you better give your horse some kind of praise after you get out of the ring. They deserve it.


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## PoptartShop (Jul 25, 2010)

I don't see why not, I automatically pat or rub when praise is needed!


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## Woodhaven (Jan 21, 2014)

I don't pat my horse while in the class but after the class is over I will often give my horse a good word and a pat.


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## danicelia24 (Jul 16, 2013)

When numbers are being called at the end of the class I will pat my horse. If we happen to get placed I will reach down and give him a quick hug and give him lots of scratches and pats.


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

I don't think it's ever wrong to let your horse know you appreciate and love him. Gotta be careful in some western classes because of the free hand thing, but even so, a "good boy" is certainly appropriate there. Giving your horse a quick pat lets him know you appreciate his effort.


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## Smilie (Oct 4, 2010)

danicelia24 said:


> When numbers are being called at the end of the class I will pat my horse. If we happen to get placed I will reach down and give him a quick hug and give him lots of scratches and pats.


Yes, patting a horse, after a good effort, when you have finished your pattern or rail class is a good idea.
You will see riders do this, after completing atrial pattern, a reining pattern, ect

It is not okay to touch your horse with your free hand, during a class
Patting a horse, after waiting in a line up, get ting your placing, is an example of BAD TIMING.
The horse by that time, dose not associate that pat with an honest effort, and can even associate it with leaving the arena
Also, if your horse make a good honest try, the time to reward him, is at the end of that pattern, regardless of how he might place
If you are showing in showmanship, you can't touch the hrose with your hand, but must show him completely just off the lead shank
If you are showing at halter, then hand placing of legs is allowed, and you will see some people do so, to adjust a leg, that has not been set up correctly off the halter alone, before the judge gets to the horse, although not needed much at upper level halter, as most of those horses are also shown in showmanship, or are very well trained in hand



Rewarding your horse with that hug or scratch is great, but not just if you place,nor when your number is called!
That scratch or hug, should be given, as soon as you finish your pattern, and based on how much of an honest try your horse gave you, and not on how you placed


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## Smilie (Oct 4, 2010)

MyxDappledxBay said:


> In my eyes, even if you take a bad stride, your horse trips, you knock a pole, you knock a barrel, you should always pat your horse, because, that big old thing could have very well killed you, but he/she didn't. So, I don't care if I get disqualified for patting my horse, I'm always going to show my love to him! <3


Sure, after the run, but when I ran poles,barrels, ect, I was too busy riding,to pat my horse, should he hit a pole, plus in gymkana, you are riding against the clock, and not on your style, or by rules, as in judged classes, and where two hands are allowed on the reins of any bit

Also, why pat your horse when he hits a barrel? You are rewarding the wrong thing. I am also not going to reward a horse, when I am training him, loping over poles, ect ,as those knocks/ticks will be faults, riding a trail class
I will pat him, when he has loped or jogged over some poles cleanly


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## Smilie (Oct 4, 2010)

ApuetsoT said:


> You wouldn't get disqualified for patting your horse (unless maybe western pleasure, they have rules about the free hand). You can see dressage riders give a quick pat during a test after a good effort.
> 
> I don't pat anyway, but I will scratch or rub, and you better give your horse some kind of praise after you get out of the ring. They deserve it.


You will be dis qualified in many judged western events, from trail to reining, touching your horse with your free hand, before the end of that class or pattern


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## danicelia24 (Jul 16, 2013)

@Smilie most of the classes I do are fun/open shows and fairs so the judges often will see people rewarding their horses in a class. And when I am doing a pattern I verbally reward my horse. Not loud enough for a judge to hear but more than loud enough for my horse. Also, I mostly show English so am not as restricted by the free hand rule.


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

I always pat my horse when my class ends and we are in the lineup. But not during the class.


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## EmberScarlet (Oct 28, 2016)

MyxDappledxBay said:


> In my eyes, even if you take a bad stride, your horse trips, you knock a pole, you knock a barrel, you should always pat your horse, because, that big old thing could have very well killed you, but he/she didn't. So, I don't care if I get disqualified for patting my horse, I'm always going to show my love to him! <3


In short, this is a _very bad_ idea. Patting at the time something naughty or bad happens, is like saying ''Good job!'', and enforces bad behavior. My trainer has to deal with horses like this all the time when she retrains horses, so she talks to me about it often. Only reward within _5 seconds_ or they may have no idea what they did. Some people do it (like at the Olympics as I've seen) after an event, but I'm not exactly sure it's effective for reinforcing good behavior. 

Not trying to be rude, but my trainer _, _and many others_ would_ _not_ agree with this.


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## ApuetsoT (Aug 22, 2014)

I took the OP to mean after your round, walking out of the ring is when you would pat, regardless of the performance. I think it is less about rewarding behavior and more about the rider acknowledging the horse they have and what it means that they are there.


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## EmberScarlet (Oct 28, 2016)

ApuetsoT said:


> I took the OP to mean after your round, walking out of the ring is when you would pat, regardless of the performance. I think it is less about rewarding behavior and more about the rider acknowledging the horse they have and what it means that they are there.


This. The horse may not technically reinforce the good stuff, but people still do it to regard their horses performance and basically take a nod to the horse.


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## ShirtHotTeez (Sep 23, 2014)

A lot of it comes down to perspective. Just thinking now particularly of my first show pony, she was in general a pretty honest pony, but just occasionally she would be very towey and just not listening. Mareish I guess. So if i was trotting or cantering and she was being a troll I would sometimes just run my hand down her neck near the mane and talk to her until I saw her bring her eye to me and flick her ears. Then just ask for what I wanted (with body and legs). It may sound dumb, but it worked for us, and I have found it useful on a couple of other horses as well.

I guess if you know there is a particular time in an event where you don't touch you horse, then you wait till you are finished. It just seems an odd rule, is all.


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

I always give my horse a rub on the neck just as they announced the placings. It's my thanks to the beast.


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

Proof that I pat my horse... don't mind the bands.... I think that was day 4 of a four day show so they were looking pretty rough by then....


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## Smilie (Oct 4, 2010)

I think , to clarify this topic, it is not whether you give a pat or verbal praise, as most of us do that, but rather when

I do not pat in a class.
I do pat a horse after a good run, be it a trail course or reining. If you watch some reining videos, you will see many trainers reward their horse for a good effort, soon as that working cowhorse, reining pattern, trail pattern is complete

On the other hand, patting a horse, after it has sat in the line up, and the placing is announced, is poor timing. Since the rider often exits the arena at that point, the logical association the horse is going to make, is not on his go, but on his going out that gate.
You also reward the horse when he gave you a good effort, and not because a judge happens to use him well

Patting a horse for reassurance, because he refuses an obstacle, hits poles, etc, is also poor timing /association.
I reward a horse, when I am schooling, when he DOEs NOT hit rails, and make him repeat when he does


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## Hoofpic (Aug 23, 2015)

My previous trainers would all, always do it and it drove me nuts that they patted Fly so hard that it was just about a slap or smack.

I remember one of my past trainers told me to never pat a horse because they don't like it, but instead rub them because it mimics them at birth getting attention from their mom. Is that true?

I pat Fly sometimes but usually only on the bum.

But generally speaking I do believe that horses like rubs better.

Rubs>Scratches>Pats ?


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## Avna (Jul 11, 2015)

The Brannaman disciple who started my horse for me told me to never pat my horse because they really dislike it, but only to stroke, scritch, or rub. But that's a bit of a thread hijack . . . I'd think that if your horse was used to being talked to (like mine is, I'm a chatterbox), a soft word of praise when they do something well is appropriate and breaks no rules, does it? We tend to think of a ring performance as all one thing that starts and ends when the judging does, but does your horse think that way?


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## MyxDappledxBay (Nov 22, 2016)

EmberScarlet said:


> In short, this is a _very bad_ idea. Patting at the time something naughty or bad happens, is like saying ''Good job!'', and enforces bad behavior. My trainer has to deal with horses like this all the time when she retrains horses, so she talks to me about it often. Only reward within _5 seconds_ or they may have no idea what they did. Some people do it (like at the Olympics as I've seen) after an event, but I'm not exactly sure it's effective for reinforcing good behavior.
> 
> Not trying to be rude, but my trainer _, _and many others_ would_ _not_ agree with this.


I don't see that stuff as "naughty". It's honestly something the horse can't control. That is up to the rider to control.
And, I do believe it truly does reinforce good behavior as well.It let's them know they did something right. When ever I'm trying to teach my horse something, if he does it right, I'll pat him, and say good buy. But, that's just the way I train! Everybody has different methods and opinions!


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## cef721 (Nov 24, 2016)

So, according to AQHA you can get deducted for touching the horse while showing, so I wouldn't. However, that wouldn't stop me from rubbing my horse the second the pattern or class is over and the judges have called for line-up. You will see that even at national levels. As soon as the pattern is over, you are free to pet your horse and drop your "seriousness." I have even been told that some judges like to see that because they feel like it shows the rider has good sportsmanship.


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