In Print: ‘Horse Evaluation: A Multibreed Text for Competitive Youth Equine Judges’

Publication title

Horse Evaluation: A Multibreed Text for Competitive Youth Equine Judges

Purdue author

Colleen Brady

Publisher

Purdue University Press

Publication date

Feb. 15, 2026

About the book (from the publisher)

Horse judging is one of the most popular activities in 4-H, National FFA Organization and other youth-development organizations. Judging teaches youth how to both critically analyze animals based on a specific set of criteria and justify their decisions through oral reasoning. “Horse Evaluation: A Multibreed Text for Competitive Youth Equine Judges” includes information on examining a wide variety of breeds — from quarter horses and Arabians to saddlebreds, drafts and miniatures — and covers a range of disciplines. Both halter and performance classes are explored, and the rules and regulations used to govern contests at the national level are provided. Example sets of reasons are supplied for most classes, as are lists of potential terms for inclusion in oral reasons. This book offers valuable resources, including images, line drawings and videos, for adults coaching youth-judging teams and their students.

About the Purdue author

Colleen Brady is a professor of animal sciences. She is a horse Extension specialist who has dedicated her career to educating and mentoring the next generation of horse enthusiasts and professionals, focusing on youth horse-judging education. Brady is a member of eXtension HorseQuest and the International Society for Equitation Science.

About the In Print series

To celebrate our faculty’s excellence in scholarship, Purdue Today’s weekly book series highlights faculty expertise across diverse subjects and disciplines. Find out more about the Purdue University Books Initiative and how to suggest a book for the In Print series on the Office of the Provost website. Purdue University’s Libraries and School of Information Studies’ authored books collection is available here.