Purdue Horse Judging Team

The Purdue Horse Judging Team consists of undergraduate students who evaluate horses based on conformation, movement and performance in various disciplines. Open to all skill levels, the team competes in collegiate events like the AQHA World Championship while developing public speaking, decision-making and equine knowledge. Students gain valuable experience, networking opportunities and résumé-enhancing skills through Purdue's ANSC 495 courses.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Purdue Horse Judging Team

What is a horse judging team?

Most livestock animals are bred and raised for production, whether that be meat, milk and/or fiber production. However, horses here in the US are typically produced for their athletic ability. Regardless of discipline, we are frequently asking our horses to perform some type of job. While there are dozens of jobs our horses can perform, some of them include draft breeds (like the Belgian) pulling heavy weights, stock type horses (for example, the Quarter horse) working cattle, Warmbloods (like the Selle Français) in the dressage arena and other light horses (such as the Arabian) racing 100-mile endurance races. Each horse breed has specific standards (or physical characteristics) that are desirable and other characteristics that are less desirable. These specific breed characteristics are important as they allow the horse to perform their specific job well. Additionally, some of the physical characteristics we produce horses for help to keep them sound (or able to move properly).

Knowing the above-mentioned, a horse judging team is group of individuals who have been educated on how to properly evaluate the equine, and the team participates in competitions to demonstrate their knowledge. Because we compete at the collegiate level, our team is made up of all undergraduate students and competes against other undergraduate college students.

What type of horses does the team judge?

While several breeds are compared and discussed, at the collegiate level, we focus predominantly on stock type horses (like Quarter horses, Appaloosas, and Paints) and also Arabian horses. We do discuss other breeds, but there are very few judging contests catering to other breeds for college teams to participate in.

What are the horses doing when you judge them?

Good question, and the answer is: it really depends on the specific class of horses being evaluated! Judging horses is a lot of fun, but it differs tremendously from livestock judging because we judge the horses:

• in halter classes (also called in-hand classes); horses do not have riders on their backs. In halter classes, we are evaluating their heads, necks, bodies and legs for specific characteristics.

AND

• in performance classes; in a performance class, each horse will have a rider. During performance classes, the horse and rider are required to perform specific maneuvers or tasks; how correctly and efficiently they complete those maneuvers matters. In some performance classes, the horses are being predominantly evaluated, while in other performance classes, the riders are being judged.

Does the Purdue Horse Judging Team evaluate Western or English disciplines?

Our team, like most other collegiate horse judging teams, judges both Western and English performance classes. Here are a few performance classes our team evaluates:

Western performance classes:                                  

• Trail
• Ranch Trail
• Western riding
• Western pleasure
• Working cow horse
• Western horsemanship
• AND MORE!

English performance classes:

• Hunter under saddle
• Working hunter
• Hunter hack
• Hunt seat equitation
• AND MORE!

Again, our team also judges halter classes.

What experience is needed to participate in the Purdue Horse Judging Team?

While a few students will have experience evaluating horses in 4-H or FFA, students do not need any prior experience judging horses (or other animals) to take the judging courses Purdue University offers. Students will typically take the introductory ANSC 495 Horse Evaluation course during the spring semester and then, if they choose to continue, the more advanced ANSC 495 Horse Judging course during the fall semester.

The introductory course in the spring provides a strong base of solid knowledge and experience evaluating different classes of horses. It will also provide students with the proper knowledge on how to give a set of oral reasons. Oral reasons allow us to verbally explain why we placed (or ranked) the horses the way we did in a class.

All a student really needs to be successful on a horse judging team is an interest in horses, a willingness to learn and challenge themselves, and be encouraging of other team members! 

What competitions does the Purdue Horse Judging Team go to?

We most recently participated in the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) World Championship Collegiate Horse Judging Contest at the 2024 Nutrena AQHA World and Adequan® Select World Championship Shows in Oklahoma City, OK. Our team is also currently interested in participating in the All-American Quarter Horse Congress Collegiate Horse Judging competition in October 2025. When we have team members interested and excelling in other specific areas (like judging Arabians or reining classes), we can consider including those experiences as well!

How do students participate in a judging team and still complete their course work?

Students on judging teams are provided with paperwork that explains to course instructors that their competitions are school sanctioned events and should, therefore, be excused absences. Students are responsible for effectively communicating with their course instructors regarding their planned absences and are also responsible for completing missed work either prior to and/or after competitions (whatever was agreed upon by the course instructors).

Why would a student want to participate on the Purdue Horse Judging Team?

There are several benefits to participating on the team! Our horse judging team allows members to:

1. gain a tremendous amount of equine-specific knowledge that allows them to more accurately evaluate horse balance, conformation, and movement. This knowledge can be used whether they choose to ride, own, manage, and/or breed horses as either a hobby or career.
2. improve their confidence when speaking publicly. In Purdue’s ANSC 495 Horse Evaluation courses and through the team, there are many informal (during class) and formal (during competitions) opportunities wherein students articulate why they placed horses a certain way. These constructive (and safe) spaces allow students to quickly increase their ability to speak effectively. In fact, some employers actively seek out potential hires who have participated on judging teams!
3. meet lots of new people. From coaches, other team members, students competing from other universities, judges, industry leaders, and various horse farm owners, there’s an amazing amount of people to network with. Judging teams allow you to foster friendships and gain memories that last a lifetime… the Purdue Horse Judging Team is no different!
4. enhance your resumé/curriculum vitae (CV). Actively participating on a judging team demonstrates your ability to listen and learn about complex topics, make informed decisions in a timely manner, verbally present well-reasoned analyses of rankings, and participate as an encouraging team member; therefore, your participation on a judging team should be included on any professional experience document.

Who should I contact if I have more questions about the Purdue Horse Judging Team?

Dr. Casie Bass, a faculty member within Purdue’s Department of Animal Sciences, is the coach for the Purdue Horse Judging Team and can be contacted via email (csbass@purdue.edu) or office phone (765-496-7718; please feel free to leave a voice message).