These performance class descriptions are based on classes currently offered for IMEHA Online or Mail In Showing and are meant to described what each classes premium requirement is.

Western Pleasure	Arabians wear rounded Arab skirt or square skirt and all other stock breeds wear squared skirt. Hackamore & snaffles accepted on 4 y/o & under horses. Single double girths okay. Recommended gaits are walk, jog, and lope. In arena Western Pleasure there must be an arena fence. In natural Western Pleasure no fence is required and the rider may or may not wear chaps. Stock Breed WP is for stock breeds. Light Breed WP is for Arabs, Morgan and other Light Breeds. Other is for all other breeds except Stock and Light.
Western Trail	Requires a Western saddle. Must have an obstacle, Comment line with information on what horse is doing is recommended. In Arena Trail must have an arena fence and be perofrming a trail course commonly used in the arena. In natural trail no fence is required and the rider may or may not wear chaps.
Western Stock Classes	Roping, Cutting and Other Stock Work requires a Western saddle. Must have an cow, calf or steer, or sheep, comment line on what horse is doing is recommended.
Gymkhana	Poles, Barrels, and Other Gymkhana requires a Western saddle. Must have a gymkhana type obstacle and be performing a gymkhana style game or race. Comment line on what horse is doing is recommended.
Other Western Event Class	Requires a Western saddle or Western Bridle. Any activity not eligible for the above classes. Things like Leadline, Handicap Western Riders. Comment line on what horse is doing is recommended.
Western Sidesaddle	Requires a Western sidesaddle and Western Bridle. Gaits are walk, jog and lope. Comment line on what horse is doing is recommended.
Western Bareback	Requires a Western Bridle. Gaits are walk, jog and lope. May or may not have a rider. Comment line on what horse is doing is recommended.
English Pleasure Hunt	Requires huntseat saddle, snaffle, double, kimberwick, or pelham bridle with cavesson noseband. In Hunt Stock open to stock breeds only. In Hunt Light Breed open to Arabian, Morgan and other light breeds. In Hunt Other Breed open to all other breeds except Stock and Light. In English Pleasure Natural no fence is required.
English Pleasure Saddleseat	Requires saddleseat with double bridle. Low action is open to breeds that show little action like mules, stock breeds, light breeds. In Saddleseat Open the horses are required to show action and open to saddlebreds, Gaited Morgans, Gaited NSH, and any other high gaited breed.
English Trail	May use English hunt seat saddle or Austrailian outback saddle. Must have obstacle.
English Hunter/Jumper	May be stadium or natural. Stadium requires numbers, letters, and flags on jump. Leg protection is advised. Jumping saddle and reins. Comment line recommended. Hunter fences have no numbers or flags.
Dressage	Dressage Rail, Letters, Level and Test required. Comment line recommended to state movement horse is doing. Open to Training level, and all Full Grade Level and Tests.
Cross County or Endurance	English Saddle or Endurance Saddles required. Cross Country should show a jump or start box or inspection. Endurance should show landscape or inspection.
Showhack	An English Saddle and English bridle is required. Gaits are walk, trot and canter and should show horse has being advanced in training.
English Bareback	Requireds English snaffle, double, kimberwick, or pelham bridle with cavesson noseband. Doll not required. Gaits are wlak, trot and canter.
Other English Performance	Any event using English Huntseat or Saddleseat that would include English Games, Eventing, Foxhunting etc.
All Costume Classes	Indian, Arabian, Circus, Paso, Scottish, or other. All costumes require cinches. Trotting in Arabian costume not recommended as this gait is not called for in arena class but note if trotting use a card to tell why. Indian costume should portray male or female Indian costume, either arena or real life style.
Harness Classes	Fine Harness: (for light breeds or gaited breeds) half cheek snaffle bit with overcheck, half cheek snaffle but with side check, or Liverpool bit with a side check. Breastcollar and crupper are usually seen. Pleasure Harness: (for light breeds, gaited breeds and stock breeds) same bridle equipment necessary as for Fine Harness. May use breastcollar/crupper or collar and breeching as appropriate to breed and vehicle (if used) Overcheck or sidecheck optional based on harness style. Vehicle not required, but if attached shafts must not extend past the horse's shoulder. Gaits recommennded: stand, walk, trot. Canter not allowed. Models "in gait" allowed only if they are normally shown in gait under harness (i.e. don't hitch a tracking 5 gaiter to a vehicle) Use explaination card if necessary to clarify what the model is doing. Draft/Heavy Harness: Single or double or more hitch. Wagon is NOT required. Collar & Hanes style harness. Competition Harness: Open to light or draft/heavy harness. Wagon not required. Models should be performing a course or pattern marked by cones or some other obstacle.
Other Performance	Open to any other performance class not listed that does not use either an English or Western style saddle on the horse that is performing the task. A prop horse may have either one. Example a pack horse lead by a Western rider. The pack horse is the entry entered and the Western rider is a prop. Examples ofOther Performance: Packing, Polo, Racing & Coon Jumping, etc. Proper obstacles and appropiate tack and gaits required. Comment line recommended.
Suitability for Dressage	Shown in an English bridle and horse must wlak, trot and canter and follow a lettered pattern. You may find more information on this class in the Judge's Guidebook at: IMEHA Judges & Exhibitors Guidebook
In Hand and Showmanship Classes	You may find more information on the requirements for these classes in the Judge's Guidebook at: IMEHA Judges & Exhibitors Guidebook
Headstudy	This class is to show off your model's photogenic qualities of the head, throat latch and neck. The desired photo should show a close up of the horse's head and neck and "not" extended into the horse's shoulder or chest. No part of the withers should be shown in the photo as well.

COLORS

Colors are defined for IMEHA color classes that are currently offered for online and mail in photo showing and are not necessarily the exact wording recognized by all breed associations. For example: TB does not recognize the term sorrel or does Suffolk Punch recognize the term chestnut only chesnut.

For a more indepth description with added links to coat, face and leg color please use the following link IMEHA Color Guide

Donkey Color

The following are the only color description accepted by The American Donkey and Mule Society. (ADMS)
Gray-dun
Brown (lt, medium, dark)
Black (no cross)
Black with cross
Red (includes sorrel, russet, red roan, "pink")
White (includes Ivory (Blue eyed) or Spotted White)
Spotted (with above base color)

In order to be in compliance with IMEHA Color Classes for donkeys you start with listing the base color. Then since donkeys display either gray or black pangare on their muzzles, around their eyes and sometimes on the underbelly you put in the donkeys in the Long Ears/Exotic Solid Colors (Panagre, Mealy, Striped) class. Because they do not display the same total body color as horses nor the same color genes. You put SPOTTED donkeys in the Long Ears/Exotic Spotted class because the pinto pattern of a donkey is vastly different from that of the pinto pattern found in the horse.

If you need more help with the colors and reference material for donkeys, mules or exotics you will find it most helpful to join Braynet on Yahoo Group.

Here are two pages with reference and many other links.
ADMS - Donkey and Mule Reference
Donkey Color Reference

Breed Guidelines

* Breed classifications are often hotly debated on Model Horse Message Groups and many breeds can fit into two (or more) type classifications.  Therefore, please use this chart to guide you as to which classes and divisions particular breeds are expected to fit into, in the context of all IMEHA Shows.  All underlined breeds or Registries have links to breed descriptions.   IMEHA allows Registry Horses to show along with Breed Registry as long as they conform to that Registries' Guideline. It is not uncommon to see duo and even Triple Breed/Registry Horses.
 

Arabian Class All "types" show in the class but you might want to get your judge's attention by correctly labeling your Arabian "type." Polish Spanish Crabbet Russian Egyptian Domestic Morgan Class All Morgans show in the one Morgan class. National Show Horse All National Show Horses show in the one NSH class. Other Light Breed 14 Hds/Taller Class All breeds listed below show in this Class. Akhal Teke  Altai  American Banker Horse American Bashir Curly  American Creme and White Horse American Indian Horse American Palomino Horse Light Type  American Striped Horse Light Type Bali  Balikun Baliuchi  Boerperd  Calabrese  Canadian  Canik  Cape Horse  Chara  Chinese Baise  De Li Boz  Dongola  Florida Cracker Ungaited Type  Haflinger - state hands as 14.0 or over Hirzai  Israeli  Kabarda  Karabair  Karabakh  Karacabey  Kathiawari  Ke-Er-Qin  Kustinair  Latvian  Lokai  Maremmano  Marwari  Moroccan Barb  Nez-Perce Horse  Novokirghiz  Patibarcina  Persian Arabian  PtHA Pinto Horse - Pleasure Type Salerno  San Fratello  Senne  Sini  San Fratello  Shagya Arab  Sicilian  Tersk  Turkoman  Unmol  Uzunyayla  Xilingol  Yemeni  Light Breed 13.3 Hds/Under Class All breeds listed below show in this Class. American Miniature  Anadolu  Andean  Asturian  Azerbaijan  Bhirum Bhotia  Camargue  Canadian Lac La Croix Indian Pony Caspain  Chakouyi  Chin Mongolian  Chumbiuilicas  Chumysh  Cirit  Corsican  Erlunchun  Faeroe Isl. Horse  Fjord Haflinger - state hands as 13.3 or under Hequ  Hinis  Jinhong  Falabella  Kazakh  Kiso Manipuri  Megret  Minusin  Morochuco  Mytilene  Namib Desert Horse  Nordestino  Penela  Sable Island Horse  Sandalwood  Sandan  Skyros  Sorraia  So African Miniature  Sulawesi  Thessalian  Tibetan  Trakya  Tushin  Yakut  Yanqi  Iberian/Spanish-Non Gaited Class All breeds listed below show in this Class. Alter Real  Andalusian - PRE Azteca Campolina  Carthusian  Cuban Pinto  Hispano-Arabe  Lipizzan Lusitano  Mangalarga Paulista  Spanish Anglo-Arab/Hispano  Spanish Barb  Spanish Norman  Mustang Class All breeds listed below show in this Class. American Mustang American Kiger Horse Spanish Mustang  Any Wild Feral Mustang Spanish Gaited Class All breeds listed below show in this Class. Costeno  Costa Rican Saddle Horse  Cuban Paso  Cuban Trotter  Paso Fino  Peruvian Paso  Mangalarga Marchador  Trote En Gallope  American Saddlebred Class All American Saddlebreds show in this Class. Tennessee Walking Horse Class All Tennessee Walking Horses show in this Class. Other Gaited Class All Other Gaited breeds listed below show in this Class. American Tiger Horse Gaited  Florida Cracker Gaited  Golden American Saddlebred Half Saddlebred Gaited  Kentucky Mountain Saddle Horse Missouri Fox Trotter  Mtn Pleasure Horse  Morgan with Gaited Shuffle  PtHA Pinto Horse - Saddle Type Racking Horse  Rocky Mountain Saddle Horse Spotted Saddle Horse  Slovak  Tennuvian Gaited Quarter Horse Class All Quarter Horse in this Class. Appaloosa Class All Appaloosa below show in this Class. Paint Class All Paint show in this Class. Other Stock Breed or Stock Registry Class All breeds listed below show in this Class. American Buckskin Horse Australian Stock Horse  Cerbat  Chickasaw  Chilean  Choctaw  Colorado Ranger  Criollo  Foundation Quarter Horse  Foundation or International Purebred Appaloosa  International Buckskin Horse Llanero  Moyle  Palomino Horse Stock Type  PtHA Pinto Horse - Stock Type

Thoroughbred Class All type listed below show in this Class. American Thoroughbred  Canadian Thoroughbred English Thoroughbred  French Thoroughbred  Mexican Thoroughbred Warmblood Class All type, breed or registry listed below show in this Class.   The term Warmblood alone is not a breed but a type so you must assign your Warmblood a breed from the list below. Do so carefully as many oif these breeds are limited by height and color. American WB  Bavarian WB  Belgisch Warmbloedpaard - Belgian WB  Brandenburg  Czech WB  Danish WB  Dutch WB  Edles Warmblut  Eleia  Einsledler or Swiss WB Finnish WB  Hanoverian  Hessen  Holstein/Holsteiner  Hungarian WB  Hungarian Dun  Irish Draft or Irish Draught Mecklenburg-Vorpemmern  Oldenburg  Rheinland Pfalz-Saar/Zweibrucker  Rhinelander  Rottal  Sachsen  Sachsen-Anhalt  Swedish WB  Swiss WB or Einsiedler  Thuringen  Trakehner  Westphalian  Wielkopolskis  Wurtenburger  Sporthorse Class All type, breed or registery listed below show in this Class. Appaloosa Sporthorse Argentine Polo  Anglo-Kabarda  Belgium Halfblood  Brailian Sport  British App Sport  Budyonny  Canadian Sport  Caucasus  Danubian  Don or Russian Don East Bulgarian  East Friesian   French Anglo Arab  French Trotter  Friesian Sporthorse Furioso  Georgian Grande Hungarian Sport  Iberian WB  Irish Cob  Irish Draught Sporthorse Irish Hunter  Iomud  Knapstrup  Malopolski  Metis Trotter  Murgese  Orlov Trotter  Pleven  Romanian Saddle  Russian Trotter  Salerno  Selle Francais  Standardbred  Ukranian Saddle Horse Warlander (Friesian x Andalusian) Registry Carriage/Light Draft Class All type, breed or registrry listed below show in this Class. Araba  Byelorussian Harness Horse Cleveland Bay  Cukurova  Dole Gudbrandsdal Finnhorse Universal Frederiksborg  Freiberger  Friesian  Furioso  Gelderlander  Gidran  Groningen  Groningrottal  Gudbrandsdal  Hackney Horse  Kalmyk  Karachai  Karakacan  Kisber  Kladruber  Kushum  Kustanair  Kuznet  Latvian  Mezohegyes or Hungarian Sporthorse New Kirgiz  Nonius  Norman Cob  North Swedish  San Fratello  Sanhe  Sardinian Anglo-Arab  Shales Horse  Silesian  Tieling  Tori  Tuigpaard  Voronezi Coach  Vyatka  Welsh Cob  Yili  Clydesdale Class All Clydesdale show in this Class. Shire Class All Shire show in this Class. Belgian/Percheron Class All Belgian or Percheron show in this Class. Belgian Percheron Other Draft Class All breeds listed below show in this Class. Abtenauer  Adaev  American Cream Draft American Spotted Draft Ardennes Auxois  Ban-El Breton  Boulonnais  Buohai  Comtois  Dutch Draft  French Ardennais (See Ardennes) Gypsy Vanner  Heihe  Heilongkiang  Hungarian Coldblood  Italian Heavy Draft  Jielin  Jutland  Lithuanian  Malankan  Megezh  Mezan  Murakoz  Narym  Noriker  Poiteven  Polesian  Rhineland/Rhenish-German Cold Blood Russian Heavy Draft  Schleswig  Sokolka  Sololsky  Soviet Heavy Draft Suffolk Punch  Swedish Ardennes  Torik  Trait Du Nord  Vladimir  Welsh Sec. D  Yunnan  Native Shetland Class All Shetland types from UK, Wales, Ireland, SCotland show in this Class. American, Roadster or Show Shetland Class American Shetland (which is typically longer legged) show in this Class. Welsh Section A, B, or C Class All Welsh classification ponies show in this Class. No Welsh Section D which is of horse height Stock Pony Class All breeds listed below show in this Class. POA  Quarter Pony  Paint Pony  PtHA Pinto Pony - Stock Type

Light Pony Class All breeds listed below show in this Class. American Saddle Pony  American Walking Pony  Bali  Basque/Pottok  Basuto  Batak  British Spotted  Canadian Rustic Cheju  Chincoteague  Chinese Guoxia  Dulmen  Eriskay  Galician Pony Garrano  Gotland  Hackney Pony  Hokaido  JavaKagoshima or Java Pomy  Kiso  Knabstrupper Pony Lewitzer  Liehuan  Lunda  Manipuri  Mongolian  New Forest Northlands  Padang  Peneia  Piquira  Pindos  Pony Moussesge  PtHA Pinto Pony - Pleasure Type PtHA Pinto Pony - Saddle Type Rahvan  Sardinian  Spanish Gaited Pony  Spiti  Sumba/Sumbawa  Skyros  Tarpan  Tibetan  Timor  Sport Pony Class All breeds listed below show in this Class. American Sport Pony  Australian Pony  British Riding Type  Connemara  Danish Sport Pony  Dartmoor  Fell  French Saddle Pony  Galiceno   German Riding Pony  Pottok  PtHA Pinto Pony - Sport Type Trottingbred  Welara Pony Other Pony Class All breeds listed below show in this Class. Ariegois  Asturcon Avelignese  Bardigiano  Bashkir Pony Bosnian  Hucul or Carpathian   Chilote  Dales  Datong  Exmoor Flores  Highland  Hoikkaido  Hucul  Icelandic  Jabe  Java Messara  Jianchang  Jinzhou  Kazakh  Kirgiz  Konik  Landais  Lijiang  Lombok  Merens  Newfoundland Nooitgedacht  Panje  Pechora  Periangan  Pindos  Priob  Timor  Tokara  Tuvda  Viatka  Yimu  Zaniskari Zemaituka/Zhemaichu/Zhmud  Exotic Class All breeds listed below show in this Class. Kiang Onager  Przewalski Tarpan  Wild Ass  Zebra  Zeedonk Zorse Zony Donkey Class All donkey show in this Class. Donkey Jennet - Female Donkey John - Gelded Doneky Jack - Intact Mule Class All mule show in this Class. There are no Mules left Intact as these are always gelded due to temperment issues and sterilty of hybrids. Mule Molly - Female Mule John - Gelding Hinny Part Arabian Registered Class All Breeds or Registeries that require part Arabian breeding show in this Class. Ara-loosa(Ara-Appaloosa)Horse Morab Pintabian Painted Quarab (QH x Arab cross) Quarab (QH x Arab cross)\ Aralipizzan (Arabian/Lipizzan) 1/2 Registered Arabian Horse Association 3/4 Registered Arabian Horse Association 7/8 Registered Arabian Horse Association Part Arabian Unregistered Class Any Part Breed Arabian Without Registration show in this Class.   The other part does not need to be specified. Any 1/4, 1/2, 2/3, 3/4, 7/8 or 15/16 Part Arabian cross bred without registration Part Breed or Grade Other Than Arabian  Class Any Half Breed Registry, excluding Half Arabians & US Anglo Arabian go here. Also all Half Breed horses grade or unregistered crosses that are not Arabian show in this Class. Tennuvian Ungaited Registry Half Saddlebred Registry Half Quarter Horse Registry Spanish Norman Registry (Andalusian x Percheron) PWHR - Part Walking Horse Registry - Part THW Any grade horse