Damned if you, damned if you dont ?

[Elf On A Shelf]

In 2019 I ran a showing show specifically for exracehorses (including standardbreds). People enjoyed it and I got enough entries and sponsorhip for it to wipe its face clean, though a lot of people asked if I could put it on the surfaces and not the grass arenas (nope!). I had planned to run it again in 2020 and we all know what happened that year! So it fell by the wayside a little.

In 2021 and 2022 I ran a very successful shetland pony show. Over 100 different ponies entered with over 160 class entries each show. My shetland show will run again this year in the 2 indoor schools again which leaves the outdoor free. So I thought - hey! Why don't I put a 1 ring racehorse show on that! They can park round the side, Shetlands Park along the front and neither really needs to see each other unless they are in the stable block or they catch a fleeting glimpse of each other through a door.

I know the shetland people won't mind, it will give them something else interesting to watch for a bit between classes.

I mention to the racehorse crowd this could be a possibility and ask how they are with Shetlands and all of a sudden every tb is terrified of Shetlands and its a really bad idea! But could I run the show another day and use the indoor instead of the outdoor?!?

I might just offer the ring to the Highland pony crowd at this rate ...

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

I would go with the Highlands instead - you would think that the showing crowd would do anything they could to 'support local' - especially in Scotland (I think I remember rightly that you are up there?) where people often comment that there is less and less opportunity.

 

[The Xmas Furry]

Def ask the Highland folk.
We had very successful Shetland and Highland shows down nr Chichester way back, they were very well supported. Super tartan rosettes.

 

[Widgeon]

I might just offer the ring to the Highland pony crowd at this rate ...

I would do that. And if any of the ex-racer crowd express disappointment, tell them that you got a lot of feedback suggesting that the venue would be unsuitable for their horses. Maybe that'll teach them not to moan about an event that someone's worked their backside off to organize.

I have never tried to organize a horse show but I have organized other community events and this winds me up enormously!

 

[sassandbells]

In all fairness my old TB used to be petrified of shetlands & minis, so would be an absolute disaster for us!

Highland pony crowd sounds like it would be a great shout though.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

Def ask the Highland folk.
We had very successful Shetland and Highland shows down nr Chichester way back, they were very well supported. Super tartan rosettes.

Oh my shetland rosettes are every colour! Each section has its own theme. Rosettes are 3 tier and the middle layer is different - blacks get black ribbon, coloureds -rainbow, minis - tartan, Ridden- stars, driven - spots, young handler - candy stripe, broken coloured - cow print ???

I think I will go to the Highlands and find something else less "traumatic" for the exracers to do ???

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

In all fairness my old TB used to be petrified of shetlands & minis, so would be an absolute disaster for us!

Highland pony crowd sounds like it would be a great shout though.

They would all get over their fear by the end of the morning. Then I would destroy that confidence with a fancy dress class over lunch and kick off the "Evening performance" championships on the afternoon with the driving class ?? yeah maybe it's not the best idea I have ever had ??

 

[Rokele55]

I attended a dressage venue with a few miniature horses dotted around the fields next to the lorry parks. It was not just the tbs who had hysterics. An old hand of the venue told me most of them did get over it, eventually.

 

[Winters100]

I would absolutely love to take mine to an event featuring shetlands. Mainly because one is terrified of them, and I am pretty sure that a day of being ridden around with dozens of them close by would persuade him that they are small ponies, and not fire breathing dragons!

 

[Gloi]

You could ask the Donkey Breed Society to run classes too ?

 

[Tiddlypom]

The highlands sound like a better shout!

Back when I was still competing at affil dressage a listed dressage judge and competition organiser was asked to remove her perfectly behaved coloured pony from the warm up area of a competition because it was frightening the 'proper' dressage horses.

Naturally she did no such thing!

 

[Cloball]

What about the fell ponies ?

 

[humblepie]

Lol. I watched a fancy dress class with mine this year - included a reindeer horse and a pony pulling a sleigh. Not sure he’d have wanted to be in the class though, that may have been a bit near.

 

[Gloi]

I got told off for this scaring someone's horse. Seems quite a harmless costume these days.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

What about the fell ponies ?

As awesome as it would be to have black ponies big and small there aren't enough in Scotland to warrant it ? love a fell pony!

 

[Cloball]

As awesome as it would be to have black ponies big and small there aren't enough in Scotland to warrant it ? love a fell pony!

I fancy doing a bit of showing with mine but we will probably get mistaken for a funny looking hairy welsh cob around here.

 

[Dasher66]

You could offer a “family racehorse” class where the entries do a simple handy pony course with a Shetland tied to each obstacle
Make your money by selling video.

 

[Esmae]

You could ask the Donkey Breed Society to run classes too ?

Funny as...........chuckling here!

 

[Dave's Mam]

Get the Highlands in. We had a lovely Study Day with Exmoors & Highlands a few years ago.

 

[dottylottie]

Oh my shetland rosettes are every colour! Each section has its own theme. Rosettes are 3 tier and the middle layer is different - blacks get black ribbon, coloureds -rainbow, minis - tartan, Ridden- stars, driven - spots, young handler - candy stripe, broken coloured - cow print ???

I think I will go to the Highlands and find something else less "traumatic" for the exracers to do ???

i think your biggest problem is going to be finding something to put on the other rosettes!? maybe little shetland ponies of different colours, if the tb’s decide to come??

 

[leflynn]

Yep go with the highlands lol! I have an ROR and he seems tobe the only one that can cope with mini shetlands/shetlands and being ridden on grass. I know of those that complain at ROR champs that some rings are on grass so you've no hope..... we love being on grass

 

[RLS]

Both my ex race horses (TB's) loved Shetlands. If I went anywhere a bit scary, and there was a Shetland pony in sight they'd both make a bee line for it - knowing that Shetlands are so brave and would save them from the scary thing!

 

[hobo]

Gloi love that old picture do you know what safety standard the wooly hat is .

 

[MissTyc]

The highlands sound like a better shout!

Back when I was still competing at affil dressage a listed dressage judge and competition organiser was asked to remove her perfectly behaved coloured pony from the warm up area of a competition because it was frightening the 'proper' dressage horses.

Naturally she did no such thing!

Sadly, this happened to me too back in the affiliated dressage @ Hickstead days ... 15.3hh heavy coloured mare with full mane and feathers and I was asked, nay TOLD, to leave the warm up ring. I was new to affiliated and quite upset, so I left the ring and plodded around the car park instead. And then I won the class.

 

[scrat]

There is an annual heavy horse event in Wales that runs alongside a shetland and miniature horse show very successfully. I'd invite the local Clydesdales and see how that goes

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

i think your biggest problem is going to be finding something to put on the other rosettes!? maybe little shetland ponies of different colours, if the tb’s decide to come??

I still have rosettes left over from 2019 and they have their own logo in them. I'll see if I can find a pic, I loved them! More so than my shetland ones. And that's going to be a whole new palaver this year finding a new rosette supplier!

 

[Gamebird]

You could ask the Donkey Breed Society to run classes too ?

I went to RDS in Dublin many years ago as groom to some show hunters. We were exercising one evening, along with the showjumpers, when about 40 donkeys went past the exercise ring en route to their donkey class. It was carnage. Loose horses everywhere, including some household name Olympic SJers. I just sat there looking smug on the boss's bombproof LW cob. Sadly well before mobile phone camera days as the video would have gone viral!

 

[Snowfilly]

There is an annual heavy horse event in Wales that runs alongside a shetland and miniature horse show very successfully. I'd invite the local Clydesdales and see how that goes

There’s one of those in Cornwall! Heavies in one ring, shetlands in another and there used to be a donkey section too. Fairground rides, birds of prey, beer tent and a hog roast.

I saw a mini Shetland stallion there one year rear up screaming defiance at a 18.2 shire in full harness - the shire practically went cross eyed trying to look down through his blinkers at this yelling demon pony who even on his back legs was hardly up to the shire’s belly.

Invite the Clydesdales, heavy horses are always up for a party.

 

[Prancerpoos]

Why not ask the local pig appreciation society to see if they want to run a fat sow class next to the donkeys? I think you should then be 100% sure that no TB will come within a mile, or several, of the show.

 

[Gloi]

Gloi love that old picture do you know what safety standard the wooly hat is .

Probably not much less safe than the hat with elastic chinstrap that I had that I wore for best.