This book of patterns, provided by the Montana State 4-H Horse Committee, has been made possible through the generous support of HorseShowPatterns.com, a company that has designed and customized over 1,000 patterns for judges, show managers and contestants worldwide. All patterns herein have been selected and customized by the State 4-H Horse Committee to comply with Montana 4-H assessment level requirements. 

The patterns in this book are to be used solely and exclusively for Montana 4-H horse shows and for clinics sponsored by Montana 4-H. Patterns for uses other than Montana 4-H are available by subscription through HorseShowPatterns.com. 

Tips for pattern users:

  • These patterns are presented as ideas and options to consider for county and state 4-H horse shows in Montana. Use of these patterns is not required. 
  • Always check the pattern against the project assessment checklist found in horse project books to make sure it meets your expectations. The State 4-H Horse committee’s goal was to develop patterns that meet and do not exceed assessment requirements for individual levels. 
  • Some of the 90 degree, 180 degree, 360 degree, etc. turns are not designated as hindquarter or forehand turns, so show management can designate what kind of turn they would like to be executed in the pattern or use the patterns as is and leave the decision up to the contestant or judge to choose. 
  • Unless otherwise indicated, lead changes are simple lead changes.  Horsemanship Level 6, Colt to Maturity 5-Year-Olds, and Green Horse Level 4 can do flying lead changes. 
  • English Horsemanship riders Level 3 and up should ride the trot on the correct diagonal. 
  • In Hunter Hack patterns, only senior level exhibitors should hand gallop. 
  • There are pattern options for Colt to Maturity 2-Year-Olds and Green Horse Level 1, but show management may opt to just do rail work for this level. 
  • There are not specific patterns for English Colt to Maturity and Green Horse, but the existing Western patterns may be adapted to become English patterns with a change in terminology (change jog to trot, stop to halt, lope to canter, etc.).  
  • Ranch Horse patterns can be found in the Ranch Horse curriculum.
Thank you to the State 4-H Horse Committee for reviewing patterns and to Dr. David Denniston of HorseShowPatterns.com and his support of Montana 4-H that allows the Horse Committee to create a reference with his patterns for our state program! 

 

Montana State 4-H Horse Patterns

Colt to Maturity Yearling

Show Date:

This diagram shows the steps for a horse showmanship pattern. It involves walking, trotting, stopping, backing up, and turning, while positioning the horse for inspection in front of a judge, then performing a 270-degree turn to exit the setup.

[S/2-12]

Pattern Provided by:

Montana 4-H State Horse Committee

Montana State 4-H Horse Patterns

Colt to Maturity Yearling

Show Date:

This diagram outlines another horse showmanship pattern where the participant walks, trots, stops, backs up, and sets up for inspection by a judge. After inspection, they back up four steps, make a 90-degree turn, and trot to the final marker.

[S/2-7]

Pattern Provided by:

Montana 4-H State Horse Committee

Montana State 4-H Horse Patterns

Colt to Maturity Yearling

Show Date:

This diagram outlines a horse showmanship pattern where the participant walks, trots, stops, backs up, and sets up for inspection by a judge in a Z shape. After inspection, they back up one horse length, make a 90-degree turn, and trot straight away to finish..

[S/1-22]

Pattern Provided by:

Montana 4-H State Horse Committee

Montana State 4-H Horse Patterns

Colt to Maturity Yearling

Show Date:

This diagram outlines a horse showmanship pattern where the participant walks, trots, stops, and sets up for inspection by a judge in a straight line. After inspection, they back up four steps, make a 90-degree turn, and trot to the last maker and stop.

[S/2-7]

Pattern Provided by:

Montana 4-H State Horse Committee

Montana State 4-H Horse Patterns

Colt to Maturity Yearling

Show Date:

This diagram outlines a horse showmanship pattern where the participant walks, trots, stops, performs a 360 degree turn, and sets up for inspection by a judge. After inspection, they back up one horse length.

[S/2-41]

Pattern Provided by:

Montana 4-H State Horse Committee

Montana State 4-H Horse Patterns

Colt to Maturity 2-year-old/Green Horse Level 1

Show Date:

This diagram outlines a horse showmanship pattern where the participant jogs, performs 90 degree turns, lopes in a circle, and stops.

[WH/1-14]

Pattern Provided by:

Montana 4-H State Horse Committee

Montana State 4-H Horse Patterns

Colt to Maturity 2-year-old/Green Horse Level 1

Show Date:

This diagram outlines a horse showmanship pattern where the participant walks, jogs, lopes, and stops in a wavy pattern.

[2015WH/1-2]

Pattern Provided by:

Montana 4-H State Horse Committee

Montana State 4-H Horse Patterns

Colt to Maturity 2-year-old/Green Horse Level 1

Show Date:

This diagram outlines a horse showmanship pattern where the participant jogs, lopes, and stops in a wavy pattern with a loop at the end.

[2015WH/1-4]

Pattern Provided by:

Montana 4-H State Horse Committee

Montana State 4-H Horse Patterns

Colt to Maturity 2-year-old/Green Horse Level 1

Show Date:

This diagram outlines a horse showmanship pattern where the participant jogs, lopes, and stops in a loop pattern that crosses over itself.

[2015WH/WH%201-3]

Pattern Provided by:

Montana 4-H State Horse Committee

Montana State 4-H Horse Patterns

Colt to Maturity 3-year-old/Green Horse Level 2

Show Date:

This diagram outlines a horse showmanship pattern where the participant jogs, performs 180 degree turn, lopes straight, lopes in a circle, jogs, and stops to back up one horse length.

[WH/1-72]

Pattern Provided by:

Montana 4-H State Horse Committee

Montana State 4-H Horse Patterns

Colt to Maturity 3-year-old/Green Horse Level 2

Show Date:

This diagram outlines a horse showmanship pattern where the participant walks, lopes, performs a 180 degree turn, jogs in a circle, and stops to back up one horse length.

[2015WH/WH%203-34]

Pattern Provided by:

Montana 4-H State Horse Committee

Montana State 4-H Horse Patterns

Colt to Maturity 3-year-old/Green Horse Level 2

Show Date:

This diagram outlines a horse showmanship pattern where the participant jogs, lopes in a cicle, performs a 180 degree turn, walks, and stops to back up four steps.

[WH/3-11]

Pattern Provided by:

Montana 4-H State Horse Committee

Montana State 4-H Horse Patterns

Colt to Maturity 3-year-old/Green Horse Level 2

Show Date:

This diagram outlines a horse showmanship pattern where the participant jogs, lopes, lopes in a circle, performs a 180 degree turn, and retires to the rail at a jog.

[WH/3-19]

Pattern Provided by:

Montana 4-H State Horse Committee

Montana State 4-H Horse Patterns

Colt to Maturity 3-year-old/Green Horse Level 2

Show Date:

This diagram outlines a horse showmanship pattern where the participant jogs, lopes in a circle to the right, lopes in a circle to the left, and stops to back up one horse length.

[2015WH/WH%203-42]

Pattern Provided by:

Montana 4-H State Horse Committee

Montana State 4-H Horse Patterns

Colt to Maturity 4-year-old/Green Horse Level 3

Show Date:

This diagram outlines a horse showmanship pattern where the participant walks, jogs, turns 180 degrees, lopes in a circle to the left, and stops to back up one horse length.

[WH/3-37]

Pattern Provided by:

Montana 4-H State Horse Committee

Montana State 4-H Horse Patterns

Colt to Maturity 4-year-old/Green Horse Level 3

Show Date:

This diagram outlines a horse showmanship pattern where the participant jogs, turns 360 degrees, lopes, turns 180 degrees, and stops to back up 4 steps.

[WH/3-16a]

Pattern Provided by:

Montana 4-H State Horse Committee

Montana State 4-H Horse Patterns

Colt to Maturity 4-year-old/Green Horse Level 3

Show Date:

This diagram outlines a horse showmanship pattern where the participant walks, lopes, lopes in a circle, sidepasses, turns 180 degrees on hindquarters, jogs, and stops.

[WH/3-26]

Pattern Provided by:

Montana 4-H State Horse Committee

Montana State 4-H Horse Patterns

Colt to Maturity 4-year-old/Green Horse Level 3

Show Date:

This diagram outlines a horse showmanship pattern where the participant jogs and goes in a half circle, turns 180 degrees, lopes in a half circle, walks and stops to back up 2 horses lengths.

[WH/2-87]

Pattern Provided by:

Montana 4-H State Horse Committee

Montana State 4-H Horse Patterns

Colt to Maturity 4-year-old/Green Horse Level 3

Show Date:

This diagram outlines a horse showmanship pattern where the participant walks, jogs, performs a 1/4 turn, backs up, lopes, and jogs to exit, all in the shape of a hook.

[WH/2-99]

Pattern Provided by:

Montana 4-H State Horse Committee

Montana State 4-H Horse Patterns

Colt to Maturity 4-year-old/Green Horse Level 3

Show Date:

This diagram outlines a horse showmanship pattern where the participant backs up two horse lengths, performs a 360 turn, walks, jogs, lopes in a half circle, and jog to exit, all in the shape of a hair pin.

[WH/3-83]

Pattern Provided by:

Montana 4-H State Horse Committee

Montana State 4-H Horse Patterns

Colt to Maturity 4-year-old/Green Horse Level 3

Show Date:

This diagram outlines a horse showmanship pattern where the participant walks, backs up, turns, jogs, and lopes, all in the shape of a figure 8.

[WH/3-92]

Pattern Provided by:

Montana 4-H State Horse Committee

Montana State 4-H Horse Patterns

Colt to Maturity 5-year-old/Green Horse Level 4

Show Date:

This diagram outlines a horse showmanship pattern where the participant backs up, turns 180 degrees, jogs, stops, lopes, performs flying lead changes, and stops.

[WH/3-38]

Pattern Provided by:

Montana 4-H State Horse Committee

Montana State 4-H Horse Patterns

Colt to Maturity 5-year-old/Green Horse Level 4

Show Date:

This diagram outlines a horse showmanship pattern where the participant walks, jogs, turns 180 degrees, lopes, performs flying lead changes, and stops.

[WH/3-44]

Pattern Provided by:

Montana 4-H State Horse Committee

Montana State 4-H Horse Patterns

Colt to Maturity 5-year-old/Green Horse Level 4

Show Date:

This diagram outlines a horse showmanship pattern where the participant lopes, walks, lopes a fast circle to the right followed by a small slow circle to the right, performs flying lead changes, performs a 1 1/2 turns on the hindquarter, jogs, and stops..

[2015WH/3-7]

Pattern Provided by:

Montana 4-H State Horse Committee

Montana State 4-H Horse Patterns

Colt to Maturity 5-year-old/Green Horse Level 4

Show Date:

This diagram outlines a horse showmanship pattern where the participant jogs, lopes a circle to the right, performs flying lead changes, lopes a circle to the left, sidepasses, and stops.

[2015WH/WH%203-24]

Pattern Provided by:

Montana 4-H State Horse Committee