What Does It Take To Be Accepted Into The ERDHHR?

I have been doing some hypothetical calculations to see what a horse would need to do or be like to get accepted in their 6YO or 10+YO keurings. This is what I came up with.

I am NOT going to release the official scorecard. The score card runs on one exact method, judge opinion is not a factor, so I fear that if I were to release it many would stop entering the keurings since they could calculate themselves whether or not their horse would make the cut.

BUT I will first show you a list of the exact things I look at when scoring a horse.

1. I ask a couple questions for inspection:
Does the horse have any major faults?
Is its color acceptable?
Does it meet the minimum fitness requirements?


2. I start all horses with a calculated "base" score.

3. Next, I look at what title the horse has.

4. I then go to the horse's recent event results, and find their top ten scores for in hand, and fine harness, in their current bracket. I then average these two.

5. Then I look at the horse's fitness and relate it to the minimum requirements.

6. Next I look at traits. Presence is highly coveted. Heart is nice. Bombproof will hurt the score a little.

7. White markings. Sa1 and Tobiano are desired. Sa2 is even more desired. (these are only slightly affect score)

And these are the things I look at.

Now, let me explain a few of the points:

1. Show scores:
EVERYONE PLEASE READ AND CONSIDER THIS: According to my calculations, I HIGHLY HIGHLY doubt horses who have an average top score less than 70 in BOTH in hand and fine harness will ever score a 50%! This being said, horses are only allowed to enter in the 10+YO keuring ONCE. So please be sure you have shown your horse enough! Higher brackets will also give them a boost, but they should still be scoring in the 70s to be safe.

2. Traits. Presence can really give your horses' scores a boost. Why? I think of presence as animation. Animation, in RL, is something that is very desirable in saddleseat type horses. Heart, is good, but not near as good a boost. Bombproof is bad though. I think of it as the opposite of animation. That is not good here.


Those are the two big factors I came up with that everyone should consider before entering a 10+ keuring.





On another note, I have really been thinking about my scorecard, and it works really well, but I think I will run into some problems with it with GCh, NCh, or WCh horses. Most horses with these titles will be 10+YO, and, with gaited horses, this is past their prime showing age, so it is very usual that their scores will not be near as high as that horse is capable. (I wish it weren't this way on ER as it is not realistic, but idk) I am considering adjusting my scorecard so that GCh+ horses will almost automatically be accepted. I don't know yet though. Still working on it.

I wish Bombproof wouldn't hurt their score, I think a horse can have excellent movement and still be bombproof, I think of bombproof as not being spooky, who can still do their job in the ring and do it good. I have alot that are bombproof and have considered it a good trait

I assure you, the docking for bombproof is very, very small. It is highly unlikely it will prevent most horses from being accepted.

You will rarely ever find a truly "bombproof" saddleseat horse. They like 'em hot so that they react to the crowd and show off. A bombproof horse shouldn't do much more than flick an ear.

So then it would be impossible for an affected horse to be approved, I'm assuming?

Yes. the goal of this club it's a to breed elite show horses, so affected horses naturally won't make it. They can make nice breeding horses though.

- I am going to make some adjustments to the scorecard again - A horse will still need to score in the 70s to get a good score. I am just going to play with the point system a little. It seems a little too stiff and difficult for a horse to get accepted - right now at least.