In hand showing advice needed please!

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Mynstrel

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I’ve recently got a 15yo Irish draught mare & we’re considering having a try at in hand showing next year but the more I look into it the more confused I get! We’re only looking at having a go at riding club/local stuff but when I've started looking for info showing appears to be some mystic thing that I’m nowhere near to understanding! :confused:

Is there anywhere on the net I can look for advice or can you lovely lot please help? Dress code/tack/what you’re meant to do – anything would help!!!

Ta in advance
 
Turn out something like what I am wearing, ditto the bridle - you don't have to have a double, a pelham is acceptable or a snaffle. Brown tack is correct, but don't panic if you have black. However, avoid black jackets, gloves and hats if possible. If you can have a piece of elastic for your number, a tie pin and hair if long in a bun and netted, this completes the picture. Stocks are not correct, and shirts are normally coloured rather than white. Trousers should not be jeans and people often wear dark with light legged horses and light with dark legged horses. You do often seen many people in beige trousers.

Your horse should be as clean and glossy as possible and in your case plaited up with the hair ideally pulled but plaited is acceptable.

Farraagedsix-July10.jpg


This is Farra with her pelham, I show Stinky in the same bridle but with a double bit.

Stinky and myself with brown tweed and dark trousers, hair in neat bun

TraditionalHorseInHand.jpg


Stinky and myself with green tweed and light trousers, bald head and very overweight as I am having chemo at the time.

Trailblazers2010.jpg


You can also show in a trilby. This is Stinky at three, wearing an inhand bridle.

ChanceratBPSAWCCaged3.jpg




In the ring you start by all walking round and then line up one behind the other. You then trot to the back of the line going round the whole of the ring. You then walk round and get called in. Sometimes in order and other times you are just asked to line up.

You are then called out individually. Stand your horse up, let the judge take a look then when asked, you walk away, do a loop, not a tight turn and then trot back straight at the judge and then past them and to the back of the line up.

You then have a final walk round and pull in and hopefully a ribbon.

You want a good forward going walk with their shoulder by yours and the trot again should be forward going but not out of control.

Have fun and be prepared to grit your teeth at times when showing.
 
For the horse:

-Nice in hand bridle, pref with gold buckles (definately not essential but looks better) with a sinlge strap, leather lead rope.
-Neatly plaited mane (don't worry about number of plaits anymore) use some hair gel to make all hair stick down and look uber tidy!! Use a comb to split hair in between plaits.
-Nicley pulled tail, get one of those tail rakes and make sides of dock slime and tidy, some people do you clippers but try and do with rake if horse lets you.
- Trimmed feathers, ears and beard.
-I use a hot wet towel to wipe over them just before I go in ring to make super shine and get out dust particles. Dampen round muzzle and eyes too to make look dark and emphasise those areas, you can use baby oil or something similar to do that too.
-Trim tail so that when horse lifts it/during carriage it is hock level, slightly below.
-Nice painted hooves!


Handler

-Depending on horses colour the handler should wear the opposite, i.e a grey horse should have a handler with darker clothing, especially the trousers so that the judge can see the legs and not get them muddled/blurred with handler.
-Smart pair of trousers not denim or cord. Could wear smart canary/beige jods with a smart pair of suitable footware/boots.
-Jacket better off brown/blue/green with slight check pattern. No black jackets. Hacking jackets.
-Smart coloured shirt, off white/cream/canary (same as jods) looks good.
-Tie, colour co-ordinate with jacket if you can.
-Brown leather gloves or ones that match shirt/jacket.
-Hair neatly pulled back into hairnet, a bun looks good


Prob tuns I missed off but good start.....oh and a nice cane :-D
 
Don't forget that when you stand you horse up for the judge, practice standing with the front legs square and the left hind slightly behind the right one. The judge won't mind if you fiddle around for a minute getting her to stand properly. Pick a bit of grass and hold it so she puts her neck nice and arched.
Stand in front of her, but when the judge comes round to the front step to one side.
They will then ask you to walk away and trot back, please remember to turn your horse to the right away from you and then trot straight towards the judge (they will get out of the way!) Practice at home turning then trotting immediately, there's nothing worse than seeing someone dragging their horse along!

Good luck xx
 
Thank you all for the info, it's all printed off for future reference!

Theresa_F - Stinky looks gorgeous & what a brilliant name

One last question though, if it's light trousers for dark legs & vice versa what to I do for dappled legs that are grey at the top & black at the bottom? Shorts :D Or do I go for something that'll stand out against both colours like blue or something?
 
If the horse is over 4 - Put a normal ridden bridle on, only babies have in hand bridles.

I wear navy trousers with my grey and beige with my bay.
 
I would go for beige trousers in your case.

Stinky is actually Quite by Chance, but Stinky suits him - as a yearling he was the most smelly horrible little horse in the stable you could find. Thankfully he has grown up to poo at the back and pee in one spot, never now lies in muck and leaves his water tub intact.

I would love to see some pics of when you get into the ring.

One other tip, if you are wearing tweed, blue is not really the right thing for the ring. Green based tweeds are great and go with almost any colour, though the brown one I bought last year really goes with Stinky's dark bay colour. With my brown tweed I only wear a brown hat and mustard/gold tie, but with the green tweed, I use navy or brown hats and red, gold or a burnt orange colour for ties.
 
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