06/14/2026
🐴 A Thought on Judging Young or Green Horses… 📝
I recently saw a Facebook post criticising a judge. The rider’s argument was that they were riding a young horse, and how could they possibly show more expression without unsettling or over-facing their horse?
It got me thinking.
The reality is, the judge doesn’t know your horse’s age, how long you’ve had them, what challenges you’ve overcome, or where they are in their education. They are simply marking what is in front of them on that day, at that moment in time.
Now, experienced judges can often spot a young or green horse, but should they mark them differently? Personally, I don’t think so.
Judging has to be consistent. If one horse receives extra credit because it’s young, where does that leave the horse next in the class? The scores have to reflect the test that was performed, not the backstory behind it.
For me, if I’m riding a young or inexperienced horse, I accept that some marks may reflect that. It doesn’t mean the horse has failed, and it certainly doesn’t mean the judge is wrong. In fact, those comments can be one of the most valuable training tools we have.
Sometimes the score isn’t the lesson. The sheet is.
What do you think? Should judges take a horse’s age and experience into account, or should they simply judge what they see in front of them on the day? 👇
