Participants in competitive horse judging learn how to properly judge horses of various breeds and disciplines. A horse judging contest involves two actions: First, you must place a class of horses; second, you must be able to orally defend why you placed them that way. Horse judging helps youth to develop communication skills, make decisions based on facts and observations, compete with a sportsmanlike attitude, learn a skill essential for success in the horse industry and develop self-confidence. There are opportunities for the top three senior horse judging teams to go on to compete at the National 4-H level. Check out this MSU Extension article on “How to start a 4-H horse judging team” for more information.