How to prepare a youngster for a show?

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FinkleyAlex

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I'm hoping to take my 2yo to a local showing show or two in the late summer just to get him used to the concept and do a little in hand class. At the moment he's very much being left to grow up in his field but leads nicely, ties up, has lovely manners and is being desensitised naturally thanks to his field bordering the M25, a footpath and houses/backgardens down three other sides so he's hearing lots of traffic, seeing cars/vans coming down the road and hearing/seeing children playing and lots of dogs!

I was wondering what other things I need to work on in getting him ready for a show - he's lived in a very rural area until recently and I don't want him to experience a sensory overload by being taken out of his safe little field and taken to a whole new environment! I'm planning on desensitising a bit more actively starting from a month or two (as he's only been here a month) and getting him used to tarpaulin, flappy stuff etc. About a month before the show I will get him used to being bitted. Anything else I need to cover? Is it a good idea to accompany another pony to a show and just walk him around the showground? There's another pony in my field who goes to local shows from time to time so he'd have a travel buddy - would I just bridle him when I get there and walk him around a bit then pop him back on the trailer and go home? Or should I just take him to a show with a class for him and hope for the best? He's travelled well in a lorry but has never been in a trailer - I'm hoping he's as obliging when it comes to loading in that as he was in the lorry!.
 
Teach him to trot alongside you, to walk behind other horses and have some walk behind him and to stand still next to others. sounds a lot sorry! Tbh i took my youngster just for the ride a couplr of times before i took him into a class, depends on the horse i suppose. but theres no point taking him into a class if he wont trot!! :-)
 
I did this with mine last year (never had a youngster before and never done showing really!). I got him used to the bit so he was happy to have it on for a long enough period and the main thing I practised was getting him to trot beside me at a decent pace and without knocking me over!

At the end of the day though all i was really going for was to get him out and about and I think it did him good. We only went to 2 shows but he came 2nd at the first and was placed at the next one (3rd I think?). We took my 26 yo pony with us (put him in the veteran classes as well) because although he can be really neurotic at times, one of his strengths is he travels fab and will stand about in or out of the horse box all day so we thought he'd be a good influence other than our other two who compete more but constantly neigh to each other!

If you have a calm travelling companion you can take with you then I think this does/will help. If not though and it's going to cause more hassle for you then I'd just take them on their own.
 
My youngster only started his first shows this year. We've only done two but he's starting to get the hang of it (he's 3).

He also had only been in a lorry, we just pushed him in the trailer :D
He was a nightmare to be honest, totally different to at home. Don't worry if you don't even get in the ring, let him go for the experience.

The best thing you can do is get him out and about really. Mine has seen all sorts in just two outings and is starting to be more grown up about it.

Make sure he walks, trots and stands on command. Always use the same voice commands and praise him.

Bitting wise-leave a bridle on with a headcollar on top whilst you practise leading. Don't lead off the bit unless you really have to

Have fun! :)
 
Mine's been walking out by himself to get him used to seeing the world and leaving his friends. He sees new places, new people and has to rely on me to be his guardian.

Mine's not bitted yet (he's still not forgiven me for worming him, never mind putting a bit in his mouth) but he's polite and sensible and leads perfectly. Using a bit and hurting him to force him to listen isn't going to help if he has a hissy fit (will quite likely make him worse!). He'll be bitted in time (it does look better) but it'll not stop him getting out this summer.

If you do go with someone else, make 100% sure the other horse isn't stressy or clingy! If the other horse starts calling and stressing about being left/taken away, you're in trouble! I prefer to take them by themselves first so they don't have another horse friend to cling to and they're more likely to listen to YOU. A new environment like a show can bring even the smallest bit of separation issues to the fore and it's a nightmare to deal with.

If your youngster's had a sheltered life it'll be the mass of strange people and loads of other horses who unsettle him rather than tents and cars. Bombproofing with bags etc is great but won't help that. If poss try and get loads of friends up to pat him, and maybe walk him out with other horses he doesn't know if possible.

Then it's just getting him out as much as poss. I'd aim for every other week over the summer (even if it's just accompanying another horse to a lesson), until it's all a bit boring, then just let him be.
 
Thank you - would love some facilities so that I could take mine for walks safely but unfortunately our field is in a really bizarre location and completely surrounded by housing and busy roads so I wouldn't feel safe with him going for walks around here, mainly because none of his herd-mates are ridden so they're not used to the roads either (just one of them goes in-hand showing randomly). Once he's about three he'll be moved to somewhere where he can learn how to go for walks nicely etc. He is getting much better at leaving his friends now that he's settled in - he'll happily go way out of sight from them, though your point about separation anxiety is a good one as I wonder whether it would be worse for him to go with a horse he knows is his herd-mate as they're all quite a close bunch. Definitely some food for thought there! I also don't like the idea of bitting him as I feel he is still so young, but I've heard its the norm for in-hand classes...again food for thought!
 
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