Came 3rd but.......

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Seahorse

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I don't know how!!
Went to Plumpton College show today and went in Arab class, Axey was really naughty and was spooking at everything, we didn't even canter properly on one rein and he went sideways past the gallery every time
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When we did out individual show he was very naughty and did some very small rears to start with, and just generally felt like a coiled spring.

I was most surprised to be called in 3rd!
The judge said to me that he looked like he needed to be allowed to go forwards a bit more and he would have been placed at the top of the line! He obviously felt worse than he looked as I didn't dare let him go anymore forwards as I would have been out the door lol

Sam x
 
LOL!! Sounds like a fun day out for you! He must be a nice sort and perhaps the judge was paying more attention to his conformation than his manners? Good luck for next time and well done for this time.
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i do find in the arab in hand showing that the judges do not seem to put you down if your horse gets a bit full of it or even a megga strop, i have had what i thought an awful out of control almost show then been pulled in top 3
 
Thank you Tia, he is a very nice sort and has good confirmation and loads of presence
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My friends that were watching said he looked ok and not at all spooky or fizzy, but to me he felt dreadful!

I shall just have to give him loads of calmer and get him out a lot more
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To be perfectly honest, I actually think that is the way it should be. Very often judges forget that they are there to judge conformation OVER and ABOVE manners.....but of course that's just my humble opinion, LOL!!
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Yes they don't seem to mind for in-hand do they? the naughtiest Axel has ever been in his life was at a show and he came 1st (that was in-hand)

Really need to get this spooking sorted out though, as I nearly came off a couple of times in the warm up because the sun shone on the school and made lines on the floor causing him to do a massive spook
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also there were some jumps put away on one side that were going to eat him...
 
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Very often judges forget that they are there to judge conformation OVER and ABOVE manners.....but of course that's just my humble opinion, LOL!!
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[/ QUOTE ]

Actually in a ridden class the ride and manners preside over conformation. You could have the most perfect horse with rubbish paces that napped at everything against a not so good but well schooled and well behaved horse and the nicest ride should win. After all arabs are judged as a riding horse and there are in-hand classes to judge the conformation. Zirrus has quite good confo but isn't perfect, we usually get pulled in in the top 6, but after the judge rides them we always get moved up.
Last show i watched the judge rode the first place horse and it kept changing legs so was moved right down even though it was by far the best looking and this is they way it should be IMO
 
Tricky. To be honest, you have to be able to have the right type and conformation to be considered as a potential winner of a class. There is no point putting a well behaved shetland in a hack class - even it it behaves, you STILL need to place type before behaviour. There are certain situations when a horse should be sent from the ring, but generally, if it is not the right type, then you can't really place it!

However, if the type is correct and the conformation is acceptable, then manners and way of going are obviously important. Ideally, the best looking horses should give the best display, and then it is easy!
 
Well done, I agree with what everyone else has said. Im glad that your judge could see how nice your horse. I think arabs or any horses should be judged on them as a whole and not just their manners etc.

I have had both good and bad experiences when competing my arab. Most of the arab classes I have done I have been placed even though my horse bucks a lot and is very fiesty but when I compete in the veteran classes I dont do as well. Last year I went to one show and was judged but the same judge in the arab and veteran class. I first done the veteran class and was asked to leave half way through as he was too 'dangerous' but then in the next class (the arab class) the judge placed me 3rd?? Work that out?
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[ QUOTE ]
Tricky. To be honest, you have to be able to have the right type and conformation to be considered as a potential winner of a class. There is no point putting a well behaved shetland in a hack class.

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Thats taking it slightly out of context, as we are talking about a breed class not a type.
I didn't mean for it to sound as though you could put a donkey in a riding horse class and win it if it was the best behaved! Because obviously if a horse has some comformational fault that may make it more prone to lameness/not carry itself correctly this would make it a bad choice for a ridding horse.

What I'm trying to say is the in hand classes are judged on conformation, movement and type, so these are the true breed classes where the best example of the breed conformationally should always win, regardless of manners.

The ridden classes on the other hand are judged on conformation, movement, type, manners, the ride given to the judge and the performance of the horse under saddle. conformation is still important as otherwise we would not be asked to unsaddle and trot up in hand.

an example is my own gelding who has never won an in-hand class at county level because his conformation and type is not as good as others, he is quite narrow for an arab. However he has won the same county shows in the ridden classes against horses that have been placed at the nationals, and international horses because his manners and schooling are very very good. The AHS rules state that ridden classes are not judged as arab ridden classes, but as a riding horse class
 
The photo's are on the website, there are loads of Axel, some not very good, and what am I doing with my hands? My shoulders are up round my ears and I look soooo tense, I would have helped my horse a lot more if I had relaxed
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Here's the link:- www.prosportphotos.com

Plumpton college showing, class 5 Arabians, he's the dapple grey
 
TBH all the horses in the class were a bit 'lively' and I was surprised not to have come last.

We are having a few problems with canter at the moment and I couldn't give him a decent warm up either, although it was nice to know that if he had behaved and gone as nicely as he does at home we would have been 1st. Story of my life with this horse
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he seems to get good marks in dressage too even tho I think he's no way going as well as he can at home!
 
he's lovely, you should be proud of him.
Agree that you need to let him forward a little more, he's tracking up but only just, and make sure you have a definate 'L' shape in your arms you look quite stiff, but that is probably where you felt he was too strong and were trying to control him. With regards to him doing well in dressage that is probably because he is in an arena on his own whereas in this class he was surrounded by other horses that weren't behaving.

Good luck with next time!!
 
thank you, I love him to bits
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I'm quite shocked actually at how stiff I do look
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at least I now what I need to be working on now!

I'm doing some dressage on saturday, we are doing a prelim and our first novice!

Sam x
 
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