In hand hunter, help.. (also in NL)

SpottyTB

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Hi there,

I have entered my yearling Hugo into a yearling in hand hunter class, it is next Monday. He is ready to go, walks/trots in hand, bited, loading in and out of a trailer and generally calm about most things.
However, i am having a bit of a worry about his turn out. Obviously i plait him up, but do i plait or shave his tail (i'd rather plait), do the whiskers come off? I've cut a bridle path in and taken the little bit of hair off his fetlocks.
Where do i apply baby oil? Do i need to do quarter marks?

In regards to my OH who is showing him, he has light colored trousers (Hugo is bay), a Harris tweed jacket with a yellow check shirt underneath and blue tie. To go with all of this he has steel toe cap jod boots and a tweed trilby - is the trilby suitable?

Sorry for the huge amount of questions but i am panicking slightly. I just want to turn up and look presentable. Here's a couple of photo's of Hugo turned out a few weeks ago (practice run at home)..

Thank you in advance



 

Clodagh

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Personally I would plait his tail, plait his mane with thread if you can, no quartermarks and I would leave his whiskers on, it is horrible for them not to have any and it is only one day in his life. Good luck! Can't wait for on the day pics.
 

mayangold

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Have to say in the same boat turnout wise, not too sure. Hat wise i was going to go for a hard hat...just in case. Ur boy looks lovely btw!!!!!
 

SpottyTB

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mayandgold - Yes stithians, haha - i was chatting to a lady on facebook last night who's got a gorgeous yearling in the class too! What's yours like? :D ;)

Yes i'd like my OH to be in a hat, but he's 6'5 and a gent (well boy - he's only 23 - a farrier -) and won't wear a riding hat.. he said he'll wear the trilby or a flat cap.. something about a flat cap didn't ring right to me.. thought only shire/welsh/cob handlers wore those?

Feel free to post a picture of the competition ;), pfft - honestly, i'll be amazed with Hugo if he even walks in the ring.. this is his first show.. lorry broke so we couldn't get any practice!

:)
 

Clodagh

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I think a tribly would be fine, can you google pics of youngstock showing? Might be worth checking they don't have a hard hat rule for youngsters - I don't know if that is possible!
 

SpottyTB

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Googled last years show, Devon county and royal Cornwall - all mixtures of turn out but seems the ladies wear tweed, jods, boots and hard hat.. the gents are in anything from a bowler (the old gents) to a flat cap (the younger chaps).. I noticed a lot of dark trousers but i was always led to believe that you wear lighter trousers if the horse has dark legs and dark trousers if the horse has light legs.. so that's the rule we're following!

One chap last year at Stithians didn't wear any form of a hat and i believe he won or was placed. Think we'll go with a trilby as that's better than nothing :)
 

SpottyTB

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Thanks Clodagh you've really reasurred me :) thank you!

Aw thank you kinkskycookie :D, he's a cutie!

Another Q - when would you guys bath him? I've done him twice before and he actually comes out quite greasy (but then he has had a rug on after the last two times).. he'll probably roll this time though! Should i bath the day before and pop him out with a sheet on? Or should i do it a couple of days before?

STB
 

SpottyTB

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She's (?) lovely :), I look forward to meeting her. Mine looks a bit pot bellied ATM! We haven't done any practice runs so its all a bit dodgy, not sure he'll trot on or anything. He does it beautifully at home but it could all change out! Plus he's doing it with OH and he has a stronger bond with me..

Oh well, its a bit of fun!! You won't miss me, I'll be the one at the side with the camera.. Taking 100 photos of the same thing ;) proud mother syndrome! Will get some shots of yours too if you like:) can email them over to you:)
 

mayangold

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Yes, its her (yeh its a filly :)) first outing too and I have this vision of either trying to tow an immovable object or being dragged across the ring while she explodes in all directions :eek: . Ho hum- like u say You never can tell from what their like at home ...and anyway its just a bit of fun :D. Id be glad of any good piccys u get too :D
 

catroo

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Lovely boy

One minor point - plain noseband would be correct rather than a fancy stitched one and when he's older he should have a flat noseband as opposed to raised.

One of the key things I do with any youngstock is lots and lots of practise at home for standing correctly for the judge, enough practice so they can do it on voice command. I use 'and stand' for the first stand infront of the judge and then 'and back' for half steps backwards for any adjustments and for when the judge goes round to the other side. I find that in the excitement of show day a well known voice command works better than shuffling back and forward trying to get the legs in the right place. I carry a couple of horse treats in my pocket so if they are unsettled I can get them then to focus in the right direction long enough for the judge to see them at their best.

Not sure on your traveling plans but I boot rather than bandage youngsters (if they have anything on at all) so they are quicker to get off the other side if they won't stand still, and arrive with lots of time to spare so they can get accustomed to the goings on before the class.

I generally bath the evening before and put them back out in either a no fill turnout or a full neck fly rug so they stay dust free (black ponies) but don't get too hot.

Enjoy & good luck
 

SpottyTB

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Catroo - can you just talk me through what needs to happen from start to finish in the ring? Like when to ask them to go back?

He knows how to stand and walks/trots from voice command.

I'm afraid I haven't got a plain noseband - may try and find one before!

I didn't Even think about un bandaging the otherside - good plan, I'll try the boots on tonight! Want him booted as he's so fine skinned he cuts easier - if he were to fall over In trailer!

Thank you for commenting! Great advice!
 

catroo

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I'll do detail so apologies if this sounds obvious

I'm not at the show this year so haven't paid attention to the schedule but I imagine your class will be early if not first on? If there is a class before you then ideally watch it so you can see where the steward stops you for the first trot, whether you get called in in any order, which direction and where the line stands and where you'll be doing your individual walk and trot.

If you're the first class then great, you have a chance to show them how it's done! But I would take a look at the ring before you go in, if unlevel work out the slope/gradient etc so you (your partner) can assist your're boy so stay balanced etc when cornering and going down hill.

Anyway - steward will call the class. One of my yearlings is bold and brave and has a great walk so I'm happy to be first in to show off his good bits, my other yearling was a little shell shocked so I followed someone else in. If you're in a class with much bigger horses I prefer to let them go before you rather than bunching up behind you. You'll walk a few times round the ring, judges often stay facing one direction if there's lots in the class so I keep my eye on the judge and if that's what they are doing I make sure there's a good space between me and the one in front, keep pony balanced round the corner and then really stride out, I take longer strides myself (without looking stupid!) to encourage pony to do the same rather than just walk quicker. Next the steward will stop one of you at a corner and you'll all line up behind. I don't get to close to the one infront and I ask pony to stand properly, not collapse in a heap. One at a time you will trot round the ring to the back of the line, when you're stood at the front of the line waiting your turn try and get a good stand so when the judge turns your way they see him at his best. When directed I firstly move off in walk for flourish strides before trotting, especially with babies. Halt to trot with youngsters can often lead to an explosion or unbalance them. trot round to the back and come to a walk and then halt. Once everyone has had their turn you'll walk round again, keep it sharp and don't think 'phew, glad that's over', you'll either be pulled in in placing's or any order. The steward will show you where to line up, if it's a big ring give yourself lots of space between you and the next pony so if they become unsettled you have space. If you're first inline then great! you'll be out first for the judge and most of the time you can decide exactly where to stand and face and this is where pre planning comes in. I prefer to face the direction in which I'll be walking off and ideally this will be across any gradient rather than up or down and I prefer to walk away from noise/busy areas/ an adjacent ring so I can trot back towards it with ponies ears pricked and looking alert. You don't always get the luxury of choice but if you give it a little thought before hand you can really make things work in your favour.

So, come out and stand for the judge facing the way you'll be walking off. When I'm walking out of the line to stand for the judge this is when I use 'and stand' so the pony knows from previous training what's expected. I go for legs apart, legs closet to the judge on the outside, legs further away on the inside. Something like this:
http://www.esphotography.co.uk/even...gory/0222CalThursCuddyHorses1/photo/S64_5530/

One of my youngsters is a little bum high at the moment so I try and make sure his back legs are more trailing than under him so it looks less obvious if that makes sense. I stand in front and then when the judge comes round the front I move to the side, when the judge is walking round to the other side I say 'and back' with maybe a hand on their chest to reinforce the message so they take a step back and their legs are opposite to how they were. The judge will then indicate when it's time to move off, walk in a nice straight line away from the judge and before you turn swing out to the left so once you've turned you are back on the same line you walked up. Don't start trotting until you are straight, if you trot while still turning he might be unbalanced won't look at his best. trot straight towards the judge, they will move out the way but they want to see what he looks like head on, carry on trotting past the judge and round the corner keeping pony on the inside/turning away from you, not towards you. The judge should then nod to you, say thank you and you come back into line.

Once everyone has had their turn the judge may take a quick look down the line so as the last pony finishes their show get him stood correctly. You may be pulled forward from there or get asked to walk around again. If walking around now is your last time to shine so make the most of it, the steward will then call you forward hopefully into first place!

My this has become really long - sorry to waffle

With regards to the bridle, don't worry about the noseband for this, it becomes more important as he grows up, if possible tighten the throatlash though from the pictures so it's not hanging.

Your question from earlier re baby oil, I don't use the stuff. I use to but having got it all over my hands then stood in the sun without washing it off I realised how uncomfortable it can be, I do have very fair sensitive skin though. I use supreme horse products for sparkle and shine but have used Vaseline before to great effect, a little goes a long way though!

Sorry if some of this is obvious, once I started I couldn't stop

Most important thing is to enjoy yourself and keep smiling!
 
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SpottyTB

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Thank you so much, I'll be instructing the OH to sit down and read through it 5 times (like I just did!).

I'm quite worried about him trotting, I have views of him planting and saying no! Hopefully she'll be ok!

Thanks so much again!!
 

mynutmeg

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Plaited mane, pulled or plaited tail (pulled is technically correct but you'll be fine with plaited), your husbands turnout is fine.
Quater marks are good to enhance the butt

Good luck and enjoy
 
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