# Performance Halter?



## WalkTrotLope (Jan 4, 2019)

I have a 10 year old buckskin mare that is reining/cow horse bred and I show her in ranch riding and reining. Could she be shown at a lower level in performance halter, or is this more for the all around people and the halter horses? I would not be expecting to win any performance halter classes with her, and I would just be showing at some of the lower level breed shows(aqha, nsba, abra, ibha...)but I was just wondering if I would be totally out of place with her in a performance halter class. I just want to do it for fun/experience but don't want to embarrass myself. Here are a couple of pictures of the mare in question so you can get an idea of what she looks like. Thanks!


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## ClearDonkey (Nov 27, 2016)

I would take a crack at showing halter with her - the only way you will possibly embarrass yourself is by not taking the class seriously and wearing inappropriate clothing and not making your horse look good (and ill-behaved!).

Any fellow competitor that I've shown with, as long as they had a well-behaved horse, clean and well-fitting clothing, and a well-groomed horse, I have never looked down on in the show-ring. As for the people that show up with horses in the ring that don't stop screaming and throwing a fit, and the people that are under-dressed or unkempt, and of course the people that have the horses that look like they have never seen a brush in their life - those are the people that embarrass themselves.

I think your horse is attractive, and though she does appear a bit sickle-hocked and with an upright croup, I don't see why you can't have fun with it.


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## SilverMaple (Jun 24, 2017)

She's fine for performance halter. Depending on the show, you may be up against about anything (it varies here between WP-style horses and strictly-halter horses with a few all-around types thrown in) but you certainly won't embarrass yourself with her if you dress appropriately and present her well. Her sickle hocks will mark her down if you get a halter-type judge, especially as halter horses these days tend to have posty hind legs to the extreme, but you never know if you don't try. I consider halter a good way to start the day at a fun show, get your horse's attention in the ring, and get a class under your belt before you start riding even if you don't place well. Plus it forces you to get there early and get most of your grooming done the night before!


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