Media Credits

Division Disciplines

•  Trail Riding Unverified – This involves riding and enjoying your horse.  Miles will be converted to credits.  Two miles = 1 credit. The trail must be at least one mile in length and cannot be ridden in an arena.

•  Trail Riding Verified – This involves riding and enjoying your horse.  Miles will be converted to credits.  Two miles = 1 credit.  You must log the miles on an app on your phone or GPS and submit them.  The trail must be at least one mile in length and cannot be ridden in an arena.

• For trail credits to be considered verified, horses must appear on the Top Trail – Foxtrot America page at  https://www.toptrailhorse.com/groups/missouri-fox-trotting-horse-breed-association/
• To join Top Trail begin here:  https://www.toptrailhorse.com/
• To join Foxtrot America begin here:  https://mfthba.com/programs/fox-trot-america/

·  MFTHBA National Trail Ride –  If you participate in one of the MFTHBA National Trail Rides, and meet the criteria to qualify, you can submit your trail ride under this category.  This is to help promote and support the MFTHBA, its members, and the horses. This involves riding and enjoying your horse.  Miles will be converted to credits.  Two miles = 1 credit.  The trail must be at least one mile in length and cannot be ridden in an arena.  This is its own division.  To see if you qualify, go to:  https://mfthba.com/programs/national-trail-ride-program/

•  Trail Riding Hunting – This involves riding your horse on a hunt (ex, fox hunt, field trials).  Miles will be converted to credits.  Two miles = 1 credit.  You must log the miles on an app on your phone or GPS and submit them.  The trail must be at least one mile in length and cannot be ridden in an arena.

•  Parade – Showcases the horse’s abilities and appearances a parade horse.  Horse will be given 2 credits for participating in a parade.

•  Seminars/Clinic – Continuing education for horse enthusiast it vital, therefore Foxtrot Urbane wants to recognize horse enthusiast for their education.  If you participate with your horse in an organized educational seminar or clinic, you may count it for credits.  The seminar/clinic must last at least 2 hours for it to be counted as one credit.  You may not exceed 2 credits per day

• Group/Private Lessons – Continuing education for horse enthusiast it vital, therefore Foxtrot Urbane wants to recognize horse enthusiast for their education.  If you participate with your horse in an organized group or private lesson, you may count it for credits.  The group/private lesson must last at least 45 minutes for it to be counted as one credit.  You may not exceed 2 credits per day.

·  Search and Rescue – This division is for those who use their horse for search and rescue efforts.  People get hurt and lost all the time. Most of the available resources are provided by law enforcement and other county agencies.  The search and rescue function is to assist  in expanding the search and rescue efforts in the hope to locate missing and injured persons more effectively and with greater speed.  1 hour of search and rescue = 1 credit.

·  Exhibit Horse –  If you take your horse to an Expo or Event that your horse is on exhibit to promote the breed, your horse will earn credits in this division.  Your horse must be on exhibit for at least 2 hours and will earn 3 credits.  Three credits per day is the maximum amount  it may receive.

·  Demo Horse – If you take your horse to an Expo or Event that your horse performs a demonstration to promote the breed, your horse will earn credits in this division.  Your horse will earn 5 credits for the demonstration per day.  If your horse is on exhibit for two or more hours and then it performs a demonstration, it will earn 8 credits total for the day.  3 Exhibit credits and 5 Demo credits.

·  Flag Horse – Your horse will earn 1 credit EACH time you carry the flag for a ceremony.

•  Endurance – Competitors complete a set cross-country course, which may be as long as 100 miles. The horses have regular vet checks, and only horses judged fit to continue may go on. The best time wins, but there is usually a prize for the best-conditioned horse, which is equally coveted. Horses can receive credits for placings, as well as credits for logging trail miles during endurance competition.  All credits will be calculated under endurance division.  This would include NATRC.

* Kohout’s Credits – Named after Foxtrot Urbane member Hope Kohout who came up with the idea.  Kohout’s Credits is a monthly challenge that will be announced on the 1st of each month.  The definition of Cahoot means “to enter into a partnership”, and Kohout’s Credits will be a partnership between the rider and the horse.  The horse will receive 10 credits  for the monthly challenge.  The horse will only be able to receive Kohoot’s Credits one time per month, so multiple riders cannot send in credits.   The rider must video the challenge and post it on the members only Facebook Group, Foxtrot Urbane Community.  The video must include the rider’s name and the horse’s name.  After the video is posted, submit your credits on the website.

The events listed below will be assigned credits differently.  Please scroll down to “How credits are calculated” for directions.

•  Competitive Trail Riding – Competitors must complete a course that involves various obstacles and challenges for the horse and rider, such as backing up, crossing bridges, opening and closing gates, etc.  If the trail is done outside an arena, you may also count your trail miles along with your placings or participation credits.  Your horse will earn credits in two divisions for this.

•  In Hand Trail – This is a pattern class consisting of obstacles to be negotiated by exhibitors.  This class will be judged on the performance of the horse over obstacles, with emphasis on manners, response to the handler and attitude.

•  Pleasure Driving – Horses are shown harnessed to either a 2 or 4 wheeled cart and shown both ways of the arena in a flat foot walk and fox trot.

•  Performance – This discipline includes any classes that judge the horse’s gaits, and/or the rider.  This would include any performance classes along with equitation classes.

•  Racing – Racing under saddle can be on the flat or over jumps. There is also harness racing wherein the horse pulls a cart.  Racers compete for the best time, with the fastest time winning.

•  Conformation – The horse is judged according to its breed standard. Usually it competes against horses of its own gender and age group.

•  Showmanship – A team of horse and handler is judged on a pattern designed to show the handler’s skill in getting the horse to move properly, show its gaits to best advantage, and set up correctly. The horse is led on a bridle or on halter and lead rope. The horse and handler can wear either Western or English tack and gear.

· Western Horsemanship – This is a pattern class, designed to evaluate the riders ability, in concert with their horse to execute a set of maneuvers prescribed by the judge. Maneuvers are to be performed with precision and smoothness while exhibiting poise and confidence and maintaining a balanced ,functional and fundamentally correct body position. Patterns should be designed to test the horse’s ability. The ideal horsemanship pattern is extremely precise, with the rider and horse working in complete unison, executing each maneuver with subtle aids and cues.

•  Hunt Seat – This is an English discipline. Riders and horses complete a jump course, with judging based in part on the horse’s way of going. There are also classes on the flat, and equitation, where the rider’s skill is judged.

•  Jumping – Similar to Hunter, except that the results are based solely on the horse’s ability to jump the course within a set time, without knocking down the jumps or refusing to jump.

•  Reining – This is a Western discipline designed to showcase the abilities of the stock horse to execute patterns, stop quickly, turn on the forehand, and so forth. There is also musical freestyle competition. Reining is not the same as Western dressage.

•  Western Pleasure – Showcases the Western horse’s abilities as a riding companion.  This would also include Ranch Pleasure.

•  English Pleasure – Showcases the English horse’s abilities as a riding companion.

•  Country Pleasure – Showcases the horse’s abilities as a riding companion.  English or western tack and attire may be used, but tack/attire may not be mixed.

•  Gymkhana – Riders compete in various events, some involving speed while others involve a game–spearing a hanging ring, balancing a full water glass, an egg on a spoon, barrel racing, and pole bending are just a few examples.

•  Mounted Shooting/Archery – A competitive equestrian sport involving the riding of a horse to negotiate a shooting pattern, or armed with a bow able to shoot while on horseback.

•  Rodeo Events – Several different events are designed to showcase the horse and riders’ ability to handle livestock. These include cutting (separating an animal from the herd), roping, calf wrestling, and penning. Some sports are individual while others involve pairs or teams of horses and riders.

*Ranchmanship – The purpose of this class is to bring forth the versatility in both the ranch horse and exhibitor, in the task of performing 1 of the 6 ARHA designated patterns, constructed of both Ranch Trail obstacles and Ranch Reining maneuvers. Obstacle and maneuvers are to be judged to the standards written in Ranch Trail, Ranch Riding, and Ranch Reining in each part of the patterns that pertains to these classes.

* Ranch Versatility – This event is intended to display the working ability and willingness of a horse to complete work suitable for the type of activity one would expect on a normal day’s work on the ranch.  Contestants will perform a versatility pattern, which will include reining maneuvers and trail obstacles.

•  Ranch Sorting – Consist of several cattle all numbered, two team members sort the cattle in numerical order with the fastest time winning.  Many times, riders enter their horse on more than one team.  You may count 1 credit for each team your horse participated on but didn’t place, as this would be the same as showing your horse in multiple classes at a show.  Placement credits will be like other classes according to the place in which you received.

*  Ranch Riding – The horse is shown individually in pattern work and is judged on the precision of the pattern maneuvers and the horse’s movements.  The horse should simulate a horse riding and working outside the confines of an arena and should execute the maneuvers at a forward ground-covering pace.  The rider should have light rein contact and should not be shown on a draped rein.

* Ranch Boxing – This class is designed to demonstrate and measure a horse’s ability to do cow work.  Participants will complete a reining pattern and the rider will call for a cow.  After receiving the cow int he arena, contestants will hold that cow on the designated end of the arena for a period of time to demonstrate the ability of the horse to control a cow at that end.

•  Drill Team – A team of riders executes patterns to music.  They usually carry props such as flags. Generally a Western event.

•  Trick Riding – Riders perform tricks while on horseback. Generally a Western event.

·  Equitation – This is judged in equitation classes, or classes at horse shows that mainly judge the rider’s performance and control of their horse, as opposed to the performance of the horse.

·  Specialty Classes – These classes are judged with more emphasis placed on something other than the gaits of the horse.  This would include Lead Line, Costume and Side Saddle.

The events listed below will be assigned credits differently.  Please scroll down to “How credits are calculated” for directions.

•  English Dressage – This discipline showcases the communication of horse and rider, the horse’s willingness to submit, its suppleness, its strength, and its gaits, and the rider’s ability to ride quietly and balanced. Set patterns and gaits are executed. There is also musical freestyle, an original pattern set to music.

•  Western Dressage – This discipline showcases the communication of horse and rider, the horse’s willingness to submit, its suppleness, its strength, and its gaits, and the rider’s ability to ride quietly and balanced. Set patterns and gaits are executed. There is also musical freestyle, an original pattern set to music.

*Cowboy Dressage – Cowboy dressage emphasizes its unique style that caters to the specific way of going of a Western horse.  The heart of Cowboy Dressage is the well-being of the horse. To Cowboy Dressage founders, that implied training the horse to have a minimal contact with the bit, creating a light and nuanced connection with its rider.

How credits are calculated

Credits will be determined in the following manner.  If a class places 10 horses/teams and there are more than 10 horses/teams in the class, 1st place will receive 11 credits, 2nd place 10 credits, 10th place 2 credits.  If a horse competed in a class but did not place, it will receive 1 credit. If more than 10 places are given in an event, Foxtrot Urbane will not give credits beyond 10th place, except for the 1 participation credit.

If a show places 10 horses/teams, but there are only 7 exhibitors, it would look like this:  1st place – 7 credits, 2nd place – 6 credits, down to 7th place receiving 1 credit.  Since everyone places, there are no participation credits given.

If a class places 5, the credits would look like this, 1st place 6 credits, 2nd place 5 credits, 5 place 2 credits, and anyone who didn’t place would receive 1 credit.  In classes with 5 or smaller, (example 3 exhibitors, 1st place 3 credits, 2nd place 2 credits, and 3rd place 1 credit). Once again, there would be no participation credits given since everyone is placing.

In short, the number of credits awarded depends on the amount of horses participating in the class.

Dressage

Dressage credits will be determined in the following manner. You will receive credits in Test Level and in Calculated Percentage.

Test Level: 

Intro – 1 credit,  Basic – 2 credits,  Level I – 3 credits,  Level II – 4 credits,  Level III – 5 credits,  Level IV – 6 credits

Calculated Percentage Credits:

Introductory –  60-65 – 1 credit,  66-70 – 2 credits,  71-75 – 3 credits,  76+ – 4 credits

Basic –  60-65 – 1.5 credits,  66-70 – 3 credits,  71-75 – 4.5 credits,  76+ – 6 credits

Level I –  60-65 – 2 credits,  66-70 – 4 credits,  71-75 – 6 credits,  76+ – 8 credits

Level II –  60-65 – 2.5 credits,  66-70 – 5 credits,  71-75 – 7.5 credits,  76+ – 10 credits

Level III –  60-65 – 3 credits,  66-70 – 6 credits,  71-75 – 9 credits,  76+ – 12 credits

Level IV –  60-65 – 4 credits,  66-70 – 7 credits,  71-75 – 10.5 credits,  76+ – 14 credits

Example: The calculated percentage score of 69.815 (which is rounded to 69%)
for a Level 1 test is awarded 4 credits.

So if you scored a 68 in level one, you would have 3 Test Level Credits, and 4 Calculated Percentage Credits, for a total of 7 credits.