A horse show is a judged exhibition of horses and ponies. Horse shows in the United States take several forms: the ones sponsored by a particular breed club, or the more general "open" horse show, which is not restricted to any particular breed.
In the last few decades "open" horse shows have tended to become specialized into hunter-jumper shows, dressage shows, and those shows featuring Western events such as pleasure, equitation, and trail. However, there are still some multi-day events that cover many aspects of exhibiting horses in a competitive format, such as the National Western Stock Show , which is held in Denver, Colorado and usually begins the first weekend after the New Year.
There are a number of international disciplines, which are run under the rules established by the Federation Equestre International (FEI). As of October, 2004, they are:
The United States Equestrian Federation is the national body for equestrian sport, representing the United States in the FEI. It also organizes and sponsors horse shows in competitive areas that do not have international competition, such as hunters and equitation.
The Pony Club is a movement that is organized internationally, which teaches riding suitable for eventing and also sponsors horse shows.
There are other organizations such as the National Cutting Horse association and the National Team Penning Championships that also organize competitions.
In the United Kingdom Horse shows include many different classes for different horses and ponies. For example, there are classes for traditional breeds found in the British isles. There are also classes which compare different horse abilities at jumping and their manners when ridden. Affiliated societys, such as Ponies UK and the British Show Pony Society have large shows each year. These events last several days and include many different classes.
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