CEF Rules

TENNESSEE WALKING HORSE CEF RULES

PART I: GENERAL

SECTION 1: Registration, Protests

a. Horses to be shown in this division must be registered with one of the following Registries: The Canadian Registry For The Tennessee Walking Horse, and/or The International Walking Horse Registry (Tennessee) WHOA and/or Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders’ and Exhibitors’ Association. Horses under one year of age must be eligible for, and registration applied for with any of the above mentioned Registries. Any horse one year or older must have been issued a Registration Certificate by ONE of the above registries before it is eligible to compete in any class. Horses must be entered under their full registered name and number.b. Entries must be serviceably sound and in good condition.
c. Horses must wear natural mane and natural, unset, ungingered tail. Braids and ribbons, neatly attached at the forelock and top of the mane are mandatory for all English classes requiring Saddle Suit attire. (optional in Breeding and Halter classes)d. Form and movement should be the result of selective breeding and good training. The use of pads, any device between hoof and shoe, chains, rollers, weighted bellboots, or other artificial devices attached to the hooves or legs are prohibited in the show ring, and on the show grounds before, during or after a show. The show committee shall bar violators from further participation for the remainder of the show. Violators shall forfeit all entry fees and winnings for the entire show.
e. Any evidence of soring, tenderness, or unsoundness will result in disqualification of horse, trainer, exhibitor, and owner from continued participation in the show. All entry fees and winnings will be forfeited.f. A PROTEST made in writing and accompanied by a deposit of $50.00 cash or certified cheque may be made by an officiating judge, an exhibitor or his authorized agent. It must be addressed to the Horse Show Committee, and filed within forty-eight. hours of the holding of the class. Sec CEF RULES, Chapter 10, Part II.g. A protest regarding shoes to be handled IMMEDIATELY. A shoe may be protested by an exhibitor or his agent or a Show Official and must be accompanied by $50. cash or certified cheque. If a shoe is protested the owner may:
1. elect to withdraw the entry and forfeit all entry fees and winnings of the protested entry for the entire show. in which event the protest shall be withdrawn and the fee refunded.

2. have the shoe removed in the presence of the Steward and a Show Official so that it can be examined immediately. If the shoe shows any evidence of tampering or exceeding the limits, the entry shall be disqualified for the balance of the show and all entry fees and winnings of the entry for the entire show shall be forfeited. Removal and replacement of any protested shoe is the sole responsibility of the owner of the entry; however, if the protest is not upheld, the protester must pay $25 to the owner to defray the cost of removal and replacement of the shoe.

h. No abuse of horses will be tolerated. Any person reported to show management as abusing a horse with a whip or other such device, whether it be in the stabling area, trailer area, hitching ring or show ring shall be liable for disciplinary action. Such action may vary from warning, to expulsion from the show, to suspension from a number of shows, to a report to the CEF and Ethical Practice Review Board.

i. In the event that there is a failure to have a rule to cover a situation or where a rule is contradictory or ambiguous, the Steward or Judge or Show Committee shall refer to the currant CEF General Rules and handbook for guidance.

SECTION 2: TYPE AND CONFORMATION

a.TYPE: A Tennessee Walking Horse is distinctive for its’ movement ÿ a natural, loose, smooth ground covering gait. IT SHOULD MOVE FORWARD FREELY AND EXHIBIT LOOSENESS FROM TAIL TO POLL WHILE IN A FLATFOOT WALK OR A RUNNING WALK MAINTAINING EVENNESS, HEAD NOD, AND OVERSTRIDE. The disposition is gentle, accepting and intelligent.

b.CONFORMATION: The Tennessee Walking Horse should have an overall impression of balance with legs, neck, back, and head in proportion to the size and shape of the body. The slope of the croup should be equal and opposite to the slope of the shoulder forming a trapezoid shape with the top line and bottom line of the horse. HEAD: There should be an intelligent look, neat head, well shaped and pointed ears, clean wide set and alert eyes, and a tapered muzzle. NECK: The neck should be always be in proportion to the body size gracefully rising from the shoulder. SHOULDER: The shoulders should be muscular and well sloping for maximum roach. BACK: The back should be short with good coupling at the loins. BODY: The animal should be well ribbed, full in flank and of good proportion and width in chest, i.e. not so wide or narrow as to impede free shoulder movement. CROUP: The croup should be generally sloping tending to drop off quickly with the tail carried high. HIPS: The hips should be well muscled and this development will usually extend wall down toward the hocks. HOCKS: The back legs should be strong and sound. with the hocks sturdy and well curved. Because TWH are designed to move wall under themselves, greater angulation of the rear legs is acceptable (may be slightly sickle hocked). There should be length from the hip to the hock. LEGS: Legs are straight and sound with short cannon bones and sloping pasterns of good length. Lag should appear flat with good definition of tendons. FEET: Feet should be in proportion to the size of the horse. COLOUR:The horse may be of any colour or combination of colours. SIZE: The mature horse may range in size from 14.2 hand to 16.2 hands with some horses slightly over or under.

SECTION 3: SHOEING

a. Horses may be shown barefoot or shod. If shod, the shoes must conform to either of the following categories. The description is the MAXIMUM allowed in each category. It is to be recognized that shoes of less size than those described below are allowable, but within each category the maximum measurements must NOT be exceeded.
LIGHT-SHOD: The Light shoe must be no wider then 3/4 inch, no thicker then 3/8 inch, with the exception of the caulk which must be no thicker then 3/4 inch, and the turnback shall not exceed one inch. The shoe is not to extend beyond the toe of the hoof. The shoe is not to extend beyond the bulb of the heel when a perpendicular line is drawn from the bulb of the horse’s heel to the ground. No additional weight shall be allowed on or in the hoof, other then the shoe and nails. Barefoot horses MAY compete in this category. Heavy shod horses MAY NOT compete in this category.
HEAVY SHOD: The Heavy shoe must not exceed 1/2 inch in thickness or 1 1/2 inches in width: with no bare plate or other weight inside the shoe. The caulk must not exceed a one (1) inch turnback and the shoe must not extend more then 1/4 inch beyond the hoof at the toe. The heel of the shoe must not extend beyond the bulb of the horse’s heel when a perpendicular line is drawn from the bulb of the horse’s heel to the ground. No additional weight shall be allowed on or in the hoof, other then the shoe and nails. Barefoot or Light shod horses MAY compete in this category.

b. Each class description must specify the category of shoeing that is allowed, e.g. TWH Plantation Pleasure ÿ Light Shod or TWH Plantation Pleasure- Heavy Shod. An individual show may specify some classes for the barefoot horse.

c. The shoes on every horse entered will be measured by the Ring Steward, a Veterinarian, or a qualified person so designated by show management before each horse will be allowed to show. Such measurements and examination of the shoes would ideally occur before each class, but must occur at least ONCE during each four hour show period. It is the option of the show committee to examine the shoes of the first, second, and third place horse after each class. This regulation and the procedure to be used must be stated in the prize list for each show. At the same time the horse will be checked for to general soundness, soreness, or tenderness.

d. Any infraction of the shoeing regulations will result in the barring of that horse, owner, trainer and exhibitor from continued participation in the show. All entry fees and prizes won will be forfeited.