In hand showing... Am I mad?

[ponyparty]

There's a little show local to me next weekend. I was going to go and cheer on some of the others from our yard, but I've just noticed the in-hand classes and am now wondering if me and Brcuey Baby should have a pop at it! Just for fun, like.

I have never done showing before. Help!

What turnout would be expected for "In hand any age any breed", "In hand sports/hunter type" or "In hand veteran"? Plaited up and tail pulled, I assume... Any specific bridle? Is a special in-hand one necessary? I only have a black full size (so might be too big for him) hunter bridle or his brown one with flash attachment.

And for me? Black horse, so I know the rule about pale trousers (having shown a black and tan dog). What else?! What shoes/boots?

And what the heck does one do, in the ring? Ridden showing you have to do a little show for the judge I know, I've never even considered or paid that much attention to in-hand though! Is it just a trot-up when they ask you?

 

[Highflinger]

If it is just a small local show it will probably be very relaxed. I am doing a small in hand class this weekend and I will use my usual bridle which is a plain brown with a caverson noseband and rubber reins and plain browband. ( what I am hacking over in). I will be in an ancient tweed hacking jacket, cream jods, black rubber long boots, ancient cream string gloves and a cream rollneck jumper ( I don't have a stock) and my usual riding hat. My show will be a simple run up and back to the judge in trot. Pony who is native ( cream dun) is untrimmed ( never had the scissors anywhere) unplaited and exactly as nature intended. He will be bathed and well brushed but the hack over is very dusty so won't be very clean by the time we arrive!
I will be hacking for nearly 2 hours to get there & with my grooming things and pony treats in a rucksack and will leave it and saddle in secretaries tent - I go just to have fun and spend time with my pony - which is what small local shows are meant to be. Yes others may be plaited/ more polished but we have got a good stack of red rosettes despite our "rustic" look!
Hope you enjoy it.

 

[atropa]

If it is just a small local show it will probably be very relaxed. I am doing a small in hand class this weekend and I will use my usual bridle which is a plain brown with a caverson noseband and rubber reins and plain browband. ( what I am hacking over in). I will be in an ancient tweed hacking jacket, cream jods, black rubber long boots, ancient cream string gloves and a cream rollneck jumper ( I don't have a stock) and my usual riding hat. My show will be a simple run up and back to the judge in trot. Pony who is native ( cream dun) is untrimmed ( never had the scissors anywhere) unplaited and exactly as nature intended. He will be bathed and well brushed but the hack over is very dusty so won't be very clean by the time we arrive!
I will be hacking for nearly 2 hours to get there & with my grooming things and pony treats in a rucksack and will leave it and saddle in secretaries tent - I go just to have fun and spend time with my pony - which is what small local shows are meant to be. Yes others may be plaited/ more polished but we have got a good stack of red rosettes despite our "rustic" look!
Hope you enjoy it.

Wow I'm so impressed that you will hack for 2 hours to do one in hand class, that's dedication! Are there no shows more local to you?

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

I am unsure what type of horse you have, sorry but I am assuming a sports horse by the class you specified. He should therefore be plaited and trimmed (legs, chin, ears) and the top of his tail should be neatened. He should wear a flat noseband/browband combo for a hunter type class, it's a good idea to make sure the width matches his head, so the heavier horses will have a thicker band usually. Or for the other classes an ordinary bridle will be fine. Any white bits can have talcum powder on to make them bright, and as long as it's not too sunny I would put a little baby oil on his nose and around his eyes. Clear oil on white feet and dark oil on dark feet.

I would also just try to get him standing square when you present, and don't let him fall asleep too much as you don't want to have to drag him for the trot up. (I made that mistake!) When turning at the end always turn away from you... and I think that is all I can think of horse wise.

Human wise I would say to try and wear tweed with a tie for the hunter class, and a black jacket for the others. Light jods as you have said, and you can also carry a showing cane.

All of the above is what's preferred, from what I can remember. For a local show you can just do your best with what you have and have fun! Take pictures and update us. I love a show.

 

[SmallHunter]

Turnout for those classes would be:

Tweed Jacket with shirt, tie and tie pin
Light coloured trousers
Boots that you can run in (if you have short joddy boots and you can run in them they will be fine)
Hair in a bun with a hairnet over the top.
Navy velvet riding hat or beagler or flat cap, panama hat just something that looks smart.
Gloves and a show cane.

For horse:
Pulled and banged tail, plaited mane, trimmed jawline heels etc.
Leather Hunter bridle with snaffle, pelham or double with the reins taken over the head to lead.
Quartermarks and sharks teeth.

If you don't have all of this don't panic there will be plenty of people in the same boat as long as you are neat, tidy and clean and look as though you have made an effort you will be fine.
For your bridle if the hunter bridle fits then I would use that, if it doesn't use the other bridle, better a well fitting slightly incorrect bridle than a badly fitting correct one.

Normally for in hand you will walk in altogether, once everyone is in the judge will get the steward to stop everyone and each horse will trot round to the back of the line. After that everyone will be pulled in to line up and you will go out individually to the judge stand the horse up nicely and once the judge has had a look they will ask you to walk away and trot straight back. Make sure that you walk away in a straight line with an active walk make a lightbulb shape at the end to turn round (making sure to turn away from you) and then trot straight towards the judge (if they know what they are doing that is what they will want and they will move) keep trotting past the judge as far as you can go and then make your way back to the line.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

Never ever a black jacket for ANY showing class! And always a shirt and tie not a stock. Stocks are for evening performances only.

 

[HappyHollyDays]

If it is just a small local show it will probably be very relaxed. I am doing a small in hand class this weekend and I will use my usual bridle which is a plain brown with a caverson noseband and rubber reins and plain browband. ( what I am hacking over in). I will be in an ancient tweed hacking jacket, cream jods, black rubber long boots, ancient cream string gloves and a cream rollneck jumper ( I don't have a stock) and my usual riding hat. My show will be a simple run up and back to the judge in trot. Pony who is native ( cream dun) is untrimmed ( never had the scissors anywhere) unplaited and exactly as nature intended. He will be bathed and well brushed but the hack over is very dusty so won't be very clean by the time we arrive!
I will be hacking for nearly 2 hours to get there & with my grooming things and pony treats in a rucksack and will leave it and saddle in secretaries tent - I go just to have fun and spend time with my pony - which is what small local shows are meant to be. Yes others may be plaited/ more polished but we have got a good stack of red rosettes despite our "rustic" look!
Hope you enjoy it.

This is exactly what we used to do as children. Hacking to gymkhanas, having fun getting there, having even more fun taking part and then hacking home, hot, dusty and usually a little sun burnt and dehydrated.

Good luck showing and hope you bring some ribbons home.

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

Never ever a black jacket for ANY showing class! And always a shirt and tie not a stock. Stocks are for evening performances only.

Oops! Seems my memory did failed me. I'll admit to only ever showing a hunter so always tweed for me.

 

[meleeka]

The best bit of preparation is to make sure you can trot your horse. Trotting in hand looks easier than it is and is an art worth mastering. You want your horse to trot keenly but not drag you and you should be on the near side and at the horses shoulder.

 

[ponyparty]

Thanks all! Very helpful.
Of course, having fun is the main aim - but if I'm going to do it, I'd like to do it as correctly as possible.
I know what quarter marks are, off to google sharks teeth... Planning on doing some trimming of hairy bits (of Bruce's!) today, so by next weekend if I've taken too much off it might have grown back a bit.
Have just won some beige/cream maternity chinos on ebay for next to nothing - that's the next challenge, will my tweed jacket fit around bump?! Doubt it!
Going to order some brown jod boots - I wanted (NEEDED) them anyway so it's the perfect excuse.
I've got a yellow shirt and blue tie, just hope I can squeeze into that jacket still...
Will get practising the trot up. I've watched a couple of Youtube videos so know sort of what I need to do.
I don't have a show cane, will see if I can pick one up cheap.
Ugh need to start practicing plaiting too, and pull his tail. I am hopeless at plaiting, my fingers get all stiff and sore and I lose my temper haha oh well, practice makes perfect!

 

[Carlosmum]

Please take care of bump! If there is any chance of you falling or tripping whilst trotting don't do it. I mean that in the nicest possible way, but it is so easy to slip when cornering in hand at trot. I speak from experience.

 

[ponyparty]

I shouldn't be doing any corners at trot, should I? I won't, anyway I will be super careful!