Flower arrangements for showjumps

[goneshowjumping]

needing to make some mock flower arrangements to get my spooky 4 yr old used to them being on jumps, whats the best way to go about this?
where should i buy them from, and anyone know a cheap place for things like this?
would love to see piccies of some you have made if you have any!

 

[Boxers]

You should take him to Laughton Manor, near Sleaford in Lincs - their course designer seems to have a thing about flower arrangements all over all of the jumps! Gives the spookiest horse a 'lesson'.

In fact I've just realised that the pic in my sig of Toby jumping the orange/black poles is at Laughton, you can see the 'flowers' on that jump.

 

[goneshowjumping]

yes those trees look very spooky, and exactly what i need!!! think you could pop a couple on your pocket next time your there!!!
maybe a good place to take him then to get him to see them, just fancied putting some up at home so i dont embarass myself too much the first time he sees them!

 

[Rowreach]

A friend has recently bought a load of fake flowers from a local pound shop for exactly this reason - she said they were very cheap and extremely bright

 

[brighteyes]

We took a youngster to what is known as a flower show (jumps festooned and ring littered with arrangements) and I was a little anxious the youngster we had taken would enter the ring, stop dead execute a 180 and exit promptly. Sent rider to walk the course then went directly to the collecting ring, not having seen the course. Rider assured me there were hardly any flowers that he'd noticed and horse would be fine. I was shocked to be confronted with a display worthy of Chelsea (not sure which course rider had walked!) but horse never batted an eye and was even in the ribbons. Vegetation is natural to them and you will only have problems if strange vegetation suddenly appears where it wasn't previously - like a bouquet in it's water bucket. As your horse presumably doesn't know the fences, that they are covered in plants may not make a scrap of difference. Hey, they might even make them appear safer!

 

[Toby_Zaphod]

Probably the cheapest place to buy artificial flowers from will be a car boot sale. You'll get all manner of horrible flowery things there for very little cash outlay......but they'll be ideal for what you want to do. The really old plastic flowers would be ideal as they won't get damaged by rain & weather.

 

[goneshowjumping]

thanks brighteyes, that makes me feel better and wish we had a show here like that! he spooks at leaves on the floor so im expecting a few spooks at flower arrangements!
and i think ill try the pound shop this weekend and see what i can pick up, ill try ebay too.....im at work and they have blocked ebay which i think is downright rude!

 

[Dubsie]

My daughter borrows the pot geraniums out of the greenhouse, or re-arranges some garden tubs when she has a friend to ride. She isn't supposed to, and she thinks we don't notice! She also drapes bright clothes off the washing line on cones by the uprights - I don't really mind so long as they don't get muddy as they're usually daddy's work polo shirts which are red, not my stuff.

 

[goneshowjumping]

lol dubsie! love it! the clothing is a good idea though not sure what OH will think when i start hanging his pants on the wings and cones!!! haha!!
or maybe ill just use his tops!

 

[danielle23]

Id also go for the pound shop aproach and charity shops maybe? Tarpouling sheets as water trays with rubber ducks in is a good one! Get some cuttings off trees and stick them on the wings? I bought some bright stools from ikea very cheap (£3 each i think), got two of each colour and use them as jump stands they are at least 60cm and make good fillars too- all lined up!
Danielle x

 

[Dubsie]

lol dubsie! love it! the clothing is a good idea though not sure what OH will think when i start hanging his pants on the wings and cones!!! haha!!
or maybe ill just use his tops!

I think she has been reading the Jill books too often! If you can get hold of plastic drums of some sort - try a garage - OH has brought home bright red anti-freeze containers, which make an excellent fillers.