Be courteous at all times to fellow exhibitors, ring personnel, office workers, judges and the like. Sportsmanship is paramount in the field of equitation. Congratulate the winners. Your time will come someday and you would want the same courtesy extended to you. Also, be helpful to your fellow exhibitors. Point out in a tactful manner that their jod strap is undone or that their horse has slobbered on their chaps, etc.

Subtle verbal communication between rider and horse is encouraged in equitation classes; however, this communication should not be so loud as to be distracting to other exhibitors or ring personnel. A notable exception to this is when a rider is specifically addressing another rider, such as calling "rail." However, excessive yelling of "rail, rail" is very distracting and undignified and should be discouraged. The only time "rail" is appropriate is when another rider is cutting in dangerously close and collision is imminent. It is inappropriate for a rider to come up behind a rider already on the rail and force them off the rail. Riders should always be positioned so that they can go around those ahead of them, and should be penalized at the judge's discretion for not doing so.

Leave room in the lineup for the nervous horse or rider. In addition to being courteous and safety-conscious, this will lessen the effect that horse might have on your mount.

Show disciplined control of your mount, but never abuse it if it makes a mistake, either in the ring or after leaving the ring. The show arena and grounds are not proper places to "teach the horse a lesson." Emotions run high and a lot is a stake, and because of this most mistakes are due to rider error for which the horse should not be punished.

Do not wear anything or put anything on the horse or rider that jiggles, flaps, or waves. This includes loose hair or hair ribbons, flapping ties or fringe and unpinned numbers. All of these are very distracting to the judge, especially not being able to read a rider's number. If a rider trims their number card, care should be taken to not reduce the size so that the judge can easily read the number. Pinning numbers both top and bottom as well as from inside the shirt or jacket will make a smoother picture.

Riders should enter the arena ready to show, displaying confidence and presence. Show that you are a rider and not just a passenger. Poise and consistency, even under adverse conditions, are necessary. Perfect the performance of your horse to best reflect your equitation abilities. A ground-covering smooth walk should not be so strong that its lateral movement creates too much body motion in the rider. A smooth, cadenced trot will be much more attractive than a bone-jarring concussive gait. Likewise, a smooth flowing canter will enhance a rider's skills rather than the four-beat gait that shakes or vibrates the rider.

1. Properly fitted, clean tack and clothing along with a well-groomed, neatly clipped horse go a long way toward perfecting the ultimate final picture. Some judges have even been known to check the bottom of a rider's boots for cleanliness, so be prepared!