Is showing a yearling a good idea?

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Sandstone1

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Ive got a yearling cob, I was intending to take him to a local show in the spring for a in hand class, However a couple of people have said hes too young, I thougt it would be good for him. It will be a youungstock class and he is fairly well behaved for his age. What do other people do with your yearlings?
 
I showed my girl as a yearling too - felt it was great education for her, getting out and about. I used magic calmer for her first show and then nothing after that.

Found all the bathing and fussing was great education for learning to stand still etc.

We practised our walking/trotting up in hand a few times before we went, and a bit of standing with/leaving other horses.
 
I took my yearling out last year, not too much but he really seemed to learn from it.

The first time we took him out with an older friend just to a little local show, the second time he went on his own and a bigger show, a little further away and for his 3rd outing he went to the futurity with another yearling. I then felt he had done enough and he had been really good at all three. He was almost too laid back at his futurity evaluation lol.

Take it slowly, really prepare, have lots of help and enjoy it :) X
 
Its very good education for them.

Prep wise make sure he is happy loading, can lead and trot up nicely and will stand quietly. Obviously a show is a more exciting environment but if he can do it at home then you have a better chance he will be calm enough at the show. If you can take a horse friend with you who has been before, is nice and calm and travels well to keep your youngster company
 
Yep go for it.. Enjoy its great craic for you and horsey! Al the preparation and participation will be good for him. And ya never know .. It could be a winner you have there!! I used to take mine to show class s mare and foal at foot! Then took the yearling the next year.hope you two go and are winners!! Enjoy.
 
Definite;y a good idea! Great education and good fun - just don't get too het up about the results as yearlings can be all over the place developmentally. When I sent my 4 yr old to be back in the autumn she had done 2 shows a year in hand and the pro backing her said she liked them to have done just that as it makes taking them out so much easier. Have fun!
 
Thanks, I have always thought it would be good for him, but was put off by people saying hes too young! Dont expect to win anything just want to give him the experience and have a bit of fun with him!
 
I agree with do all the preparation re running up and standing still at home, it may well go right out of the window when you get there though :-) but remember we have all been there and yearlings very often root to the spot or don't stop during the run up nothing the judges have not seen before. The more you do in hand the easier it will be when you are on board as you both would have seen it all by then. Have fun x
 
i took my girl to one show last year, she was foot perfect and ended up overall reserve champion. it was the first time either of us had done in hand so i was delighted! i think its good for them to experience new things :-)
 
i@ planning on showing my eight month old foal she's so well behaved and it has to be good experience for her!! i dont see there's any problem with it if your confident doing it!! i'm in the process of finding out how she should be turned out for the show!!!
 
My yearling was out showing on Wednesday. She was a good girl both being prepared and at the show. It was her first time being tied up in the lorry to travel and she was good, she also stood quietly whilst her friend was out. She stood to be plaited in the lorry and loaded and unloaded no problems, showed nicely and generally was a well bahaved little lady.
we always show our youngsters from foals upwards.
Enjoy and have fun

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The only reason I wouldn't show a yearling would be because it was going through a gawky stage and looking more like a camel than a pony. Yes, all the experience is good for them but if it is gawky then it won't be looking its best so won't do the reputation any good.
 
Perhaps they meant he might look young/immature compared to others in the class, e.g. if he happens to be a late foal and so still looking 'foalish' rather than 'yearlingish' IYSWIM? As I can't imagine a knowledgeable horse person not being aware of youngstock showing, futurities etc.
 
Yes - go for it :) As said above, make sure you've done the prep work at home (running up, also make sure you've done things around other horses too, loading etc) and it'll be fine. I took my filly last year and was pretty stressed but it was absolutely fine. The first show my gelding went along to travel with her.

As for the people who are more concerned about their reputation and if their horse might look 'gangly' - words fail me. Erm, its expected from babies?! I would have thought that the horse being set up and given a good experience for its future was more important? Words actually fail me.
 
mel_s said:
As for the people who are more concerned about their reputation and if their horse might look 'gangly' - words fail me. Erm, its expected from babies?! I would have thought that the horse being set up and given a good experience for its future was more important? Words actually fail me.
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If you're a stud or showing on behalf of a stud though, reputation is a valuable commodity since showing their youngstock is their 'shop window' and by putting a horse in the ring they are essentially saying "this is the kind of smart quality youngster you can expect to buy from us". I'm sure those people still take their youngsters out to get good experience, there may be days they travel to the show, wander round the showground and learn a lot about the outside world without setting foot in the ring itself, but it's not unreasonable to pick your classes, and the timing of carefully to coincide when your youngsters are looking the way you want them to look. For a commercial entity, a showing class is as much an advert as something in the For Sale area of this site.
 
BigBuck's said:
If you're a stud or showing on behalf of a stud though, reputation is a valuable commodity since showing their youngstock is their 'shop window' and by putting a horse in the ring they are essentially saying "this is the kind of smart quality youngster you can expect to buy from us". I'm sure those people still take their youngsters out to get good experience, there may be days they travel to the show, wander round the showground and learn a lot about the outside world without setting foot in the ring itself, but it's not unreasonable to pick your classes, and the timing of carefully to coincide when your youngsters are looking the way you want them to look. For a commercial entity, a showing class is as much an advert as something in the For Sale area of this site.
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Thanks BB, you put it far better than I could. :)

You'd think it would be logical and not need explaining why you should only show them when they are looking correct but obviously not to some people.
 
mel_s said:
Yes - go for it :) As said above, make sure you've done the prep work at home (running up, also make sure you've done things around other horses too, loading etc) and it'll be fine. I took my filly last year and was pretty stressed but it was absolutely fine. The first show my gelding went along to travel with her.

As for the people who are more concerned about their reputation and if their horse might look 'gangly' - words fail me. Erm, its expected from babies?! I would have thought that the horse being set up and given a good experience for its future was more important? Words actually fail me.
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As already mentioned there is a world of difference between comercial producers and private owners having a day out.

A commercial producer will not take a gangly baby out, there is no point. The show ring is their shop window and any stock they exhibit will be produced to win. No different to the yearling producers for bloodstock except the bloodstock win is a huge price in the sales ring. These youngsters will have been fed, walked/lunged and pushed into maturity to produce a result.

If you stand ringside at a county show and watch the led hunters you will see some very big and forward stock. My view, and I have shown youngstock as an amatuer owner, is, it is a good experience for the horses but pick your shows carefully, consider the travelling distance and even the weather. Babies tire very quickly and even the journey will take it's toll. I took a 2 year old HW to The Royal years ago, got stuck in traffic on the hottest day of the year. The horse was sweating buckets in the lorry and I ended up stopping a motorbike policeman and asking him to get me off the dual track just outside Stoneleigh because I feared for the geldings health.

We patched the horse up and then had to walk miles from the lorry park to the ring, it was over 90 degrees, he did show himself nicely and was placed but by the end of the class I was holding him upright and fearing he was about to lie down in the ring.

The other point I think worth noting is if you have a very nice horse who wins on his first outing it can be very tempting to keep going. It takes very little to sour a youngster and problems with loading and temperament will soon appear. So OP, pick your day, do your homework, give yourself twice as much time as you think you need, remember a nice picnic and have fun - in moderation.
 
For a private owner there are 3 other good reasons for showing a yearling as well as all the other good points mentioned above. 1) It shows them there are more horses in the world than those they see every day 2) It exposes them to a few more germs and helps them build their immunity systems. 3) It teaches them that going out is just that and that they do not only go in a trailer/box when it’s time to move home.

In my opinion showing classes are like nursery school for children. It helps them develop into sociable, well handled horses. Winning a class whilst nice, is not the aim, it’s the learning how to take part that matters most.
 
Babies DO look funny though, thats the point. They grow and change. They will look different every month of the year. But i'd still consider their needs above my own. Hence i'd make a poor horse breeder, because the horses are more important to me than the money.

In this instance though - the OP is asking for her own youngster so i dont see why people would advise not to take it. I agree with comments above though - i'm thinking local things here, not trekking a baby half way across the country, as they do get tired quickly. Especially with taking so much in! So definitely bear in mind the distance travelling (and temperature).
 
Thanks for replys, I will only do one or two shows and they will be local. Its just for experience. I know hes mine, but i think hes lovely! he is quite well grown and anyway i dont care if he does not get placed i just want to get him out and about!
 
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