Pictures First show soon - turnout help please!!

ImmyS

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I’ve got my first show with Arlo soon, in just over a couple of weeks time. I only plan to do a couple of novice ridden showing classes but I haven’t done showing before and I’m not sure how he should be turned out. He’s currently got a half grown out clip, moulting like mad and his mane is long and a bit ragged. His legs also have half grown out thick feathers.

Do I just clip him out completely legs and all and then pull and trim his mane and tail, and plait his mane on the day? I’m so useless when it comes to making horses look smart! I’ve never had to worry about it before.

Here’s a fairly recent picture, his feathers have grown out quite a bit more and his clip is growing out a bit patchy and doesn’t look particularly attractive. What shall I do?

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You need to tell us what classes you are doing??

Cob, M&M, a tack & turnout class??

Fiona

There is a novice walk and trot class then a novice combination class with canter so was just going to do those. I wasn’t sure about cob classes as would he need to be hogged? Won’t be doing M&M.
 
Pull and plait his mane.

Cut the bottom of his tail level.

Personally I trim feathers unless its an M&M pony ...

For you - jacket, shirt and tie, cream breeches and black boots. Plain velvet hat or skull cap with silk.

Fiona
 
Pull and plait his mane.

Cut the bottom of his tail level.

Personally I trim feathers unless its an M&M pony ...

For you - jacket, shirt and tie, cream breeches and black boots. Plain velvet hat or skull cap with silk.

Fiona

Thank you, would you clip him out completely, rather than having a patchy clip growing out?
 
i would clip him right out including legs as soon as poss so he doesnt look newly clipped, pull his mane shorten his tail make sure it is level and plait mane and tail on the day,, good luck
 
i would clip him right out including legs as soon as poss so he doesnt look newly clipped, pull his mane shorten his tail make sure it is level and plait mane and tail on the day,, good luck

Thank you, this is what I was thinking, clip him this weekend then it’s got a couple of weeks to grow out.
 
I really wouldn't bother with clipping him out, his coat is lovely and while it may not be perfect he will be no different to many others and you will avoid the newly clipped look which can look awful on a dark coat. Clip out his heels, trim tail and if you can bear to pull it or rake through rather than plait it which is not correct and on a heavy tail can look very untidy unless done extremely well.
For his first show it is best to be as tidy as you can and turn out as a hunter until you decide whether you want to do more and show him as a cob, hogging is going to be easier than getting that mane thinned and plaited!
 
i assumed it was a local show for a first time and rather than pull the top of the tail, plaiting should be okay for a riding club type of event. i showed my mare in small hunter class at the essex county show many years ago and her tail was plaited and i won the class...:)
 
Honestly no I wouldn't clip, just hope the weather is nice and some naked turnout and elbowgrease shifts some more winter coat.

Fiona


I was planning to clip him out for the summer at some point as he is a hot horse and has a thick coat, and last summer he struggled in the heat just standing in the field or walking out in the coolest part of the summer days. I just didn’t know whether to quickly do it now so it gets a bit of growth before show or just hope his coat doesn’t look too bad as it is and he doesn’t look a sweaty mess in the ring if it’s a warm day.
 
You could put his mane into a running plait, if you would prefer not to pull it - M&M ponies in a non-M&M WH class often have their manes in a running plait. There is nothing wrong with plaiting the tail, if you do it well, it looks very smart. The only reason that many people pull is that they can't plait well.
 
OP, I'd clip him out entirely and then hot oil him. the hot oiling Should get rid of the dusky colour dark horses go. Though at this time of the year you wont be the only hairy beasty if you decide not to.

I do think he would make a fairly nice show cob type (I don't know his height though) but that would mean hogging, so if you are not up for that I'd turn him out as a hunter type. Platted, legs clipped out, tail pulled, plain bridle, Tweed jacket for you and beige/corn (so a yellowy beige) coloured jods for you.
At this stage I wouldnt worry about quater marks for him as they look crap on hairy coats and are difficult to get to show at all on a fresh clip.

You could put his mane into a running plait, if you would prefer not to pull it - M&M ponies in a non-M&M WH class often have their manes in a running plait. There is nothing wrong with plaiting the tail, if you do it well, it looks very smart. The only reason that many people pull is that they can't plait well.
he's NOT an M&M.
M&M's are registered PUREBRED British native ponies, not anything vaguely hairy.

Pulling the tail for showing is correct, it looks very amaturish to plait the tail, even if it is done well.
 
OP, I'd clip him out entirely and then hot oil him. the hot oiling Should get rid of the dusky colour dark horses go. Though at this time of the year you wont be the only hairy beasty if you decide not to.

I do think he would make a fairly nice show cob type (I don't know his height though) but that would mean hogging, so if you are not up for that I'd turn him out as a hunter type. Platted, legs clipped out, tail pulled, plain bridle, Tweed jacket for you and beige/corn (so a yellowy beige) coloured jods for you.
At this stage I wouldnt worry about quater marks for him as they look crap on hairy coats and are difficult to get to show at all on a fresh clip.


he's NOT an M&M.
M&M's are registered PUREBRED British native ponies, not anything vaguely hairy.

Pulling the tail for showing is correct, it looks very amaturish to plait the tail, even if it is done well.

Thank you, he’s approximately 15hh but haven’t put a stick on him. I’m undecided about jogging at the minute so I think showing as hunter type would be the way to go at the minute. So plan is to clip out, plait main and pull tail. He’s Welsh part bred but I think he looks and moves more Cobby than Welsh.
 
Thank you, he’s approximately 15hh but haven’t put a stick on him. I’m undecided about jogging at the minute so I think showing as hunter type would be the way to go at the minute. So plan is to clip out, plait main and pull tail. He’s Welsh part bred but I think he looks and moves more Cobby than Welsh.
sounds like a good height for a cob.
I think that sounds like a good plan, again hot oiling should restore his coat colour (it is what a lot of people do when they have to get coats right for HOYS/Olympia).
When he is all plaited up I'd take a photo of him side on on the side without the mane. It should give you an idea of how he would look if you hogged him.
 
OP You can't be that far from me as I know the show you are planning on going to and they are very friendly shows where the judges are more than happy to give advice. The organisers are also running a showing clinic with Katie Jerram next month and she is very good for giving advice on type and turnout and the clinics are very friendly. I would imagine there will also be quite a few hairy horses there especially at this time of year if you don't want to clip just yet.
 
OP You can't be that far from me as I know the show you are planning on going to and they are very friendly shows where the judges are more than happy to give advice. The organisers are also running a showing clinic with Katie Jerram next month and she is very good for giving advice on type and turnout and the clinics are very friendly. I would imagine there will also be quite a few hairy horses there especially at this time of year if you don't want to clip just yet.
OP You can't be that far from me as I know the show you are planning on going to and they are very friendly shows where the judges are more than happy to give advice. The organisers are also running a showing clinic with Katie Jerram next month and she is very good for giving advice on type and turnout and the clinics are very friendly. I would imagine there will also be quite a few hairy horses there especially at this time of year if you don't want to clip just yet.

Thank you, that’s encouraging. It’s just for fun as it’ll be our first time out, but will be nice to try and turnout as well as possible. I have seen those clinics advertised before and would be keen to go to one, now we’re up and running 😊
 
Here’s a picture to show his coat at the minute, I think it just looks a bit of a mess!!

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Our grey ponys coat is the same at the moment, and she still got two placing at last weekend's championship WH show.

But then I'm really not a fan of summer clipping unless it's a cushings pony or an international showjumper...

Fiona
 
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