Sport Horse Clinic with Shirley Arndt On April 28th-29th, 2007 The Sask. Arabian Horse Association (SAHA) held a Sport Horse Clinic, that was open to all breeds. It was held at Rivendale Equestrian Center 8 miles north of Regina. The clinician was well respected judge, coach, trainer, and breeder Shirley Arndt of Sasha Arabians at St. Cathrines, Ontario. We had 14 clinic participant and many spectators. There was 9 adult riders and 5 youth riders. There were Arabians, half Arabians, morgans, and even a andalusian stallion in attendance. We worked on sport horse under saddle, and also sport horse in hand. The sport horse division is a popular new addition to several breeds. Sport Horse classes are being offered at the SAHA Extravaganza Show July 13 & 14, 2007 at Moose Jaw. A Sport Horse is one meant to perform in dressage, hunter, jumper, eventing or long distance disciplines. A Sport Horse is judged on "Form To Function". Movement and correct conformation will be paramount over type. The sport horse in hand is scored on 40% Conformation, 40% Movement, 10% Breed Characteristics/balance/harmony; and 10% manners/willingness. Conformation is evaluated in terms of potential trainablity, potential performance and predisposition to soundness. Gaits are evaluated in terms of purity, quality and correctness. Correct gaits contribute to ease in training and aiding the horse to remain sound and useable. Purity and quality are judged mainly in profile. Correctness is judged mainly while the horse is coming to and going from the judge's position. Horses are shown individually on a triangle pattern. The entry will walk to the apex of the triangle. The judge will ask what the intended use of the horse will be. Then the handler/horse will proceed at a walk down the left side of the small triangle, turn right and extend the walk across the long side, turn right again proceeding back to the judge at the normal walk. As the exhibitor passes the apex of the triangle again they should pick up the trot down the left side of the triangle, show at extended trot on the base of the triangle and normal trot back to the judge at the apex. Once the triangle is completed the handler stands the horse for conformation judging. The horse should stand in a relaxed position, ensuring the horse's four feet are placed so they can all be seen from the profile view. The Sport Horse under saddle class is a rail class ridden in hunter or dressage style. Mandatory gaits are walk, trot, canter and hand gallop going both ways. Horses must stand quietly and back readily. Open horses are judged on performance, manners, conformation, suitability as a working sport horse and quality. Junior horses (horses five years & under) are judged on quality, suitability as a working sport horse, performance, conformation, and manners. Horses ridden by amateurs or juniors are judged on manners, performance, suitability as a working sport horse, conformation, and quality.