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IHWHA Video guidelines for certification in hand and/or under saddle

Videos must be submitted by email or uploaded to YouTube and email us the link to find the video. Videos must be a minimum of 5-10 minutes in length but no longer than 15 minutes per horse.

Certification video horses in hand (any age)
- Show the horse at four angles standing (a) front view; (b) right side; (c) rear view: (d) and left side. Be sure to record a FULL-BODY view of each side. Show all markings if any are present.
- Pick up the horse's foot and show close-up, and show if shod, the kind of shoe it has on. Only barefoot or keg shod horses will be taken into consideration.
- Take the horse in hand or on the lunge line. It is also required to show your horse gaiting in flat walk and running walk in the round pen. When showing the horse in hand, it is allowed to show a flat walk and running walk on a straight line.

Don't show the horse in grass too high to see the feet. If need be, get in the center of a round pen or riding arena and film the horse from that angle. The gait must be evenly timed up, head nodding flat walk and running walk. This video should all be filmed non-stop from start to finish – no starting and stopping or splicing the video.

Certification video horses under saddle
Important – we will only accept horses for evaluation under saddle at 3 years of age or older.
- Show the horse at four angles standing (a) front view; (b) right side; (c) rear view: (d) and left side. Be sure to record a FULL-BODY view of each side. Show all markings if any are present.
- Pick up the horse's foot and show close-up, and show if shod, the kind of shoe it has on. Only barefoot or keg shod horses will be taken into consideration.
- Saddle up the horse, mount (record horse and rider as the horse is being mounted) and ride for a minimum of two minutes in each direction in the proper four beat walking gait, showing the flat walk and running walk, with no regular walking, no stepping pace and no hard pace. At times, the video must be reviewed in slow motion to evaluate the gait, so the feet must be seen.
- The flat walk and running walk will be filmed from the side view as well as straight head on and straight from the rear, showing both gaits from four different angles.

We want the video to be clear, zoomed in well enough so we can see what your horse is doing. Rider manipulation of the horse such as bumping the mouth with the bit to influence the gait of the horse will not be accepted. Don't ride the horse in grass too high to see the feet. If need be, get in the center of a round pen or riding arena and film the horse from that angle. The gait must be evenly timed up, head nodding flat walk and running walk - no foxtrot, rack, stepping pace, or pace.  Dismount from the horse.

This video should all be filmed non-stop from start mounting to dismounting – no starting and stopping or splicing the video. Video cannot exceed 15 minutes of filming. Videos that do not meet this standard will be rejected and you will be asked to make another video. Videos of horses that do not pass certification have 90 days to send another video for certification free of charge.

. Please keep in mind a review can take up to 60 days.

How to certify