Western Show
can i ride 2 handed in a Western Pleasure and western horsemanship show class?
my horse kind of knows how to neck rein but is better with a lil neck and a lil direct...do i have to ride one handed of can i cross the reins and ride 2?
Both AQHA and Paint allow you to ride two handed in any Western class as long as your horse is a Junior horse, and is in a non-leverage bit. (Paint calls a Junior horse five and younger, I believe AQHA says four and under) So if your horse is a Junior, you are free to show both Western Pleasure and horsemanship in either a snaffle or bosal, and ride with two hands. But if you are showing an older horse, you must ride in a leverage bit, and you must ride with one hand (no cheating, even for a single stride, or you can be eliminated, this is true in trail, Western Riding pattern, reining, etc as well)
And if you are riding a junior horse but happen to have them in a shanked bit, they still must be rode with one hand, you are not allowed two hands on a leverage bit no matter how young the horse is.
Of course, these are the AQHA/APHA rules, and many shows run by slightly different rules, so there may be times you can get away with it. I would find out what rules the show is following, and then check your situation. I do know that at 4-H or youth Open show level many youth do ride with two hands, but if you choose to do that, you would be wise to go into a non-leverage bit or you're going to get comments from the judge. If your horse needs a leverage bit of some type to be safe for you, then consider a kimberwich, which at least doesn't look too leveragey, you might get away with that and two hands under some judges.
Lastly, check the rule book for how you must hold your hands when you ride two handed. The APHA rule books (which I show under) insists you must hold both reins with both hands, you cannot allow the long end of the rein to just drape across their neck and only hold the end nearest to the bit, or you are eliminated. This is not a rule in most Open shows, but you will want to check that you are doing things properly. It is quite disgusting to have a super class and then discover you were eliminated because of something minor like that!
Neck reining takes a fairly high degree of training, and it must be constantly maintained. If you decide you need to show your horse one handed, I would suggest putting regular work into it. You may even benefit from buying some good show training DVDs, by someone like Cleve Wells or Clinton Anderson, or see a Western trainer for lessons on how to improve your horse's responsiveness and obedience to neckreining!
Good luck.
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