best turned out class

C

catwithclaws

Well-Known Member
Joined
29 December 2011
Messages
1,357
Location
down south by the sunny sea
Visit site
hi all

want to take my mare in the ridden best turned out class at our local show, and just have a few questions (she is a 16.1 ISH)

- can i plait her mane but not her tail (i'm rubbish at tails - is pulling it acceptable instead?)
- can she wear a numnah/saddlepad - if so what colour? brown or white?
- do u normally just walk round and the judge chooses or do you have to trot and stuff as well?

sorry such basic questions lol :p
 
You can plait her mane and pull her tail, should peeferably be plaited but hardly anyone does it now!

Would look better without a saddlecloth (and one less thing to worry about being clean)

in turnout classes you just walk and then stand to be inspected

good luck!!
 
Pulled tail fine, don't forget to polish the instep of your riding boots. When you sew your plaits don't wrap the thread around the outside of the plait, just take the thread up and down to secure.
 
Pulled tail preferable over plaited anyway, so that's perfect!

Don't use a saddlecloth - if you must use something make it a small numnah the same colour as your saddle.

Little things to remember - cut the corner of your number so it's a nice oval shape. Use plaiting thread to secure it, not the horrible plastic string you'll be given at the show. Remember to check that your gloves and the top of your hat are clean, as well as the underside of your riding boots and the rubber grip in your stirrups.

I'll add more if I think of them!
 
thats a good point tnavas, i do tend to just stitch them in any old way, but i can't plait with bands at all, they just fall out when she shakes her head!

can she wear a coloured browband?? fernamber on here has made me one and its so nice!
 
will quarter markings help? if so what template and how do you put them on?? (can u tell i've never done any showing before :o)

also any tips for dust?? also she is still slightly losing her winter coat - any ideas how to get it out quickly, without using a shedding blade - she HATES them :D
 
Ohh, Good luck! We are embarking on the very same this weekend. See my thread for some other good tips.
Two off me that may be obvious but last year i didnt know!
The judge looked under the horses tail and inside his feet- like i say could be obvious but i didnt know and our soles were not oiled!
 
I judged a turnout class at the weekend - everyone had black gloves on, please wear brown for showing! Everyone had used the number tape you get given and most people hadn't taken very much care when oiling hooves (big gaps at the top/at the heels). Hardly anyone had a tie pin. It's very easy to pick up the easy marks that most people will throw away in an tack and turnout class was my conclusion.
 
Coloured browband not really right for turnout.
For your back number invest in some dressmaking tape the same colour as your jacket, when you tie the tape, undo the button nearest your waistline and thread one end through, tie a tidy bow, do up the button and then hide the ends inside your jacket.

No quarter marks, hoof oil inside and out - I use boot polish first and polish the feet a couple of times the night before and again on the day before using hoof oil - or invest in the clear hoof varnish.

If you are bathing to get horse clean try to use hand hot water to apply shampoo. Work into the coat well with a plastic curry, I also dilute my shampoo in hot water in a pump spray bottle - so easy to direct the shampoo. ALso uses less so is easier to remove. Put on clean heavy rugs after to flatten the coat while it drys fully.

For glo white socks, mix Curash baby powder with warm water to a thickish paste and apply to socks, bandage over and allow to dry. On the day remove bandages and brush excess off. Make sure you don't use the brush on the rest of the coat - I did and then had to get white dust out of a liver chestnut coat!

Use a tablespoon baby oil in the last rinse of the tail, swish the water around well before dunking the tail in it - makes it lovely and shiny - too much makes it rat tail!

For ultra clean tack I use a clear liquid leather shoe polish on the outside and feed oil/glycerine from inside. All my show gear is kept like this - while newly glycerined tack looks awesome it dulls quickly and attracts dust.

HAir in a net that matches your hair, use masses of hair spray to controll any flyaway hairs - roll your hair inside the net and then use a matching plaiting band to secure it into neat and tight - don't wear a scrunchy or any bling.

Makeup for you - discreet but elegent.

Gloves - Navy or tweed jacket, brown leather or cream crochet backed, with brown leather palms. For black jacket, black leather or cream crotchet backed, black palm. Gloves should match your tack BUT brown is not considered a correct colour to wear with a black jacket.

As Suziq77 says a tiepin should be worn but this should not be visible to the judge it should be keeping your tie in order inside your jacket

NO BLING! Discreet gold or pearl stud earings if you wear them.

Show cane should match tack colour.

I only have brown gear so have brown leather cane and cream crochet backed, with brown leather palms.

Use real boot polish on your leather boots - the sort you put on with a brush, allow to dry and buff. Clean them repeatedly until they go shiny.

As you may tell from my post I love doing turnout classes.

Enjoy
 
Last edited:
Have u considered going to watch the first couple of times before you take your horse? Helped me when I very first started showing :)
 
thanks tnavas this is brilliant stuff :) luckily Megan is liver chestnut with absolutely no white markings, so that bit is nice and easy!

will i lose marks for not carrying a cane? only i haven't got one since i've never really shown before!

also which is the lesser of 2 evils - cream gloves or no gloves at all?? its only a local show but i'm a perfectionist and would like to do well!

one last thing - my saddle (it is leather and in good condition) but it has some scratch marks on the cantle (they were on it when i bought her, it wasnt me :o) but any ideas how to cover them up??
 
catwithclaws said:
thanks tnavas this is brilliant stuff :) luckily Megan is liver chestnut with absolutely no white markings, so that bit is nice and easy!

will i lose marks for not carrying a cane? only i haven't got one since i've never really shown before!

also which is the lesser of 2 evils - cream gloves or no gloves at all?? its only a local show but i'm a perfectionist and would like to do well!

one last thing - my saddle (it is leather and in good condition) but it has some scratch marks on the cantle (they were on it when i bought her, it wasnt me :o) but any ideas how to cover them up??
Click to expand...

Quite a lot of shows will give the judge a file of ready printed sheets with categories to award a mark out of ten. Don't stress about the cane but you never know someone might have one you can borrow so worth asking - even at the show, someone may well lend you their cane for the ten minutes of judging (I would if someone asked me as I have a few spare pony canes in the horsebox) and do wear the gloves, cream is better than no gloves (no gloves is one of my pet hates with horses).

See if you can get some leather cream to rub into the scratches and see if that helps....
 
Having done (and won cue smiley face) many in the past, also take in your coat pocket a baby wipe or tack wipe and then whilst you are in the line up before the judge inspects you, you can always discretely wipe over anything that has got dusty or dirty between the lorry park and the ring.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top