Showing in the 4H harness class
This text is taken from the 4H goat manuel cream cover edition.
The Harness goat project can be a multi-year project. The first year of the project, a 4-H member can take a kid in the harness kid class. The second year the animal can come back as a harness yearling and the third and succeeding years, the wether will be in the senior harness class.
Showing and judging rules will probably vary by show. In the meantime, the following guidelines are offered as a help to 4-H members and fair officials.
Harness Kid-kids must be halter broken and led with a lead strap. Animal should respond to voice commands of Stop, go, and back.
Harness Yearling-yearlings will be harnessed and pull an empty cart. The animal should respond to voice commands of stop, go, back, left, and right.
Senior harness-seniors will be harnessed and pull a child-driven cart. The animal must respond to commands of stop, go, back, left, and right while pulling the cart through and obstacle course.
Good grooming is important in all classes. Judging should be done on a point system, with the following suggested score card.
1. Appearance of animal- 20 points
2. Appearance of exhibitor- 20 points
3. Overall appearance of cart and harness- 20 points
4. Performance of animal and following of commands- 40 points
*note from Abigail* Due to the fact that I started late with my boys, I'm only just now reaching the third level and the boys are four I think. Something that's not listed is team driving. That would be done after both wethers are trained separately. Then you train them to pull together.
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