M&M classes, tell me your experiences!

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Arizahn

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Am hoping to show T'Khasi in hand next year. Have never shown before. How competitive is it and share your most memorable moments! Pictures welcome :D
 
The classes can be big, the judges can be biased to their own breed preferences, you can wonder why the judge likes a pony more than yours, when your pony is in your eyes the best thing since sliced bread but if you are doing it for fun, to get a youngster out in the world and do not go expecting to do anything other than have a day out, educate the pony why not, there are worse things you could do on a nice summer day.
I do not show in hand that much but have shown many breeds under saddle at local and county level, learn how to present your pony well, get the turnout correct and immaculate and be proud of your pony, even if it comes last it will learn from the experience, no jaffa cakes required, I have eaten too many already!
 
be positive said:
The classes can be big, the judges can be biased to their own breed preferences, you can wonder why the judge likes a pony more than yours, when your pony is in your eyes the best thing since sliced bread but if you are doing it for fun, to get a youngster out in the world and do not go expecting to do anything other than have a day out, educate the pony why not, there are worse things you could do on a nice summer day.
I do not show in hand that much but have shown many breeds under saddle at local and county level, learn how to present your pony well, get the turnout correct and immaculate and be proud of your pony, even if it comes last it will learn from the experience, no jaffa cakes required, I have eaten too many already!
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One can never have too many jaffa cakes!

T'Khasi would love it, he enjoys attention :) He is filling out nicely, and has a lovely mane down to his shoulder. Tail still a bit babyish. But he has good manners in hand, very careful with his feet etc.

Would be nice to get him out and about, although he will doubtless poo on the judge's foot or some such...or try to eat someone's hat! He is full connie, but with a Thelwell type brain :D
 
I used to show Shetland ponies in hand mostly at county level and loved it! It could be frustrating though, like the time our stallion made breed champion at one show then a couple of weeks later the same judge failed to recognise him and didn't place him at all! Also how well a pony does can have more to do with who is on the other end of the rope than the pony itself. Having said that I loved the show atmosphere and because you tended to get the same people entering the classes there was a community feel to it. I also enjoyed all the preparation and hard work leading up to the shows.
Just go out and enjoy it but don't take a lot of what might happen too seriously or it will drive you mad!
 
VERY competative even at local levels!

Classes at local level are usually quite restrained and you should be fine. Seeit as education and simply present the pony clean and well mannered and you wont disgrace yourselves :)

At higher levels the Welsh section A,C,D tend to have an enthusiastic and sometimes noisy following, revving up of ponies is quite common - even if Connies have their own classes you will see this going on around you and it can upset other breeds

Something to bear in mind though if classes are simply split in to large/small M&M
 
WelshD said:
VERY competative even at local levels!

Classes at local level are usually quite restrained and you should be fine. Seeit as education and simply present the pony clean and well mannered and you wont disgrace yourselves :)

At higher levels the Welsh section A,C,D tend to have an enthusiastic and sometimes noisy following, revving up of ponies is quite common - even if Connies have their own classes you will see this going on around you and it can upset other breeds

Something to bear in mind though if classes are simply split in to large/small M&M
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Shall try to avoid him being revved up accidentally! Clean and well mannered I can do, and we can have fun convincing everyone that he is not an Arab...he has a very dainty head :) He is going to be overheight though, looks like 15hh plus. That will complicate things.

Want to get him used to competition settings as hope to do dressage one day with him. He has other plans, involving never working ever...
 
rhylis said:
I used to show Shetland ponies in hand mostly at county level and loved it! It could be frustrating though, like the time our stallion made breed champion at one show then a couple of weeks later the same judge failed to recognise him and didn't place him at all! Also how well a pony does can have more to do with who is on the other end of the rope than the pony itself. Having said that I loved the show atmosphere and because you tended to get the same people entering the classes there was a community feel to it. I also enjoyed all the preparation and hard work leading up to the shows.
Just go out and enjoy it but don't take a lot of what might happen too seriously or it will drive you mad!
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Thankfully madness is not a concern, it is too late for that! I have seven cats...
 
Hmm being overheight may be am issue at affiliated shows, i doubt you would have a problem locally though

Depending on how fine he is you could consider SHP or Show Pony/Riding Type classes but that would mean he would need to be plaited so would rule out M&M from there on unless you let him get hairy again

Certainly start out with M&M and ask for feedback from the judges :)
 
He has the lovely solid knees and compact body, with a fine almost TB or Arab type head, especially when he is showing off: you know, the head is up, the ears are pricked, nostrils flared? Very flicky out floaty trot and absolutely straight and correct. Some feathering is appearing too, especially on his front legs. Good bone. And bay roan.

I love his mane long and flowy, shall be happy to accept we won't be placed due to height as long as we can take part :)
 
If you go in with right frame of mind you will have fun. And remember a good judge will judge whats in front of them on day not judge by who they know or what they have judged previously :)
 
At local shows you could leave his mane as is for m&m but idealy it should be "neatened up a bit" - google images of show connies to see what I mean. This would also allow you to plait him up and take him in shp/small hunter classes.

Good luck!
 
EKW said:
At local shows you could leave his mane as is for m&m but idealy it should be "neatened up a bit" - google images of show connies to see what I mean. This would also allow you to plait him up and take him in shp/small hunter classes.

Good luck!
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Now that is a plan, thank you :)
 
Oh fab :) I went to the breed show at Osbaldeston a few weeks (could be months) ago, and I thought it was fab. Your lucky, you dont have all the loonatics that I have in my D classes.

A few tips from me, from my own experiance this season... wear suitable shoes (Ive even seen football boots been worn when the weathers been bad)... make sure your your clothes fit and not too big (my pants nearly fell down once!! haha!!) Get a nice suitable bridle ie a hunter type (Ive got the contacts of a lady who does beauitful inhand bridles made to measure and not OTT on price) and make sure your pony can stand and not fidget in the line up as mine tends to do this but hes 2 so hes got allot of learning to do!!

Oh and biggest thing is to have fun!!! If you get a rossette then its a bonus!! :D
 
I agree with C&M a decent bridle if you plan to go showing regularly is a must - a good flat noseband not these fancy stitched jobbies is more appropriate on a M&M and SHP type

Football boots common in Welsh showing but not so much in other M&M breeds so if you plan to wear this sort of thing make sure they are a sober colour! The Welsh inhand showing seems to be a different animal (literally!)

...and braces if your clothes are on the loose side, I have stepped on my clothes twice and ended up shame faced - luckily that was in my field at home and not in front of anyone!
 
In Welsh classes you need to catch the eye and the way to do that is to go flat to the mats showing off the big cob trot.

What really makes me laugh is that I am relatively fit and yet an beggered running out my D and yet you watch the Royal Welsh and you get some jolly fat welsh farmer who spends his life in a tractor come out and belt it round the ring with their stallions!
 
its incredible how fast some of these people can run - the lady running up the Welshie that won the Cuddy was almost lifted off her feet!
 
Look at what won the supreme cuddy at HOYs... synod lady lillian... the way those 2 girls showed that pony and her foal around the ring was perfect, if you can find a video on youtube I think all people should show their welsh like they did :)
 
Carrots&Mints said:
Look at what won the supreme cuddy at HOYs... synod lady lillian... the way those 2 girls showed that pony and her foal around the ring was perfect, if you can find a video on youtube I think all people should show their welsh like they did :)
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Sorry but I don't think they showed the pony well at all, loved the pony and the foal but the picture was spoilt by the arms waving, flapping, clapping, stamping their feet, throwing things . . .

And when their number was called they were so busy screaming and flapping some more they failed to notice the foal go up and over.

Not the best example of horsemanship at all
 
I think it depends where you are in the country. Some people have mentioned Welshies being revved up noisily, I used to show my Welsh Cob regularly in mainly ridden classes (but occassional in-hand) and never ever came across that. At RC / local / agricultural show level the classes round me aren't that huge. Biggest class I ever did was a ridden one at the Royal Highland Show a few years ago which had 20 in the ridden Welsh Cob class. When they're big though they actually tend to go quicker as they often have more than 1 judge. It's the RC type ones which seem to take forever on a boiling hot day...

It depends what you show as to how 'stressful' it is! Welsh Cobs are probably one of if not the most stressful because they are generally quite flashy with massive trots etc. and they can be a bit explosive. Whereas the Highlands and Shetlands always look pretty chilled and handlers pretty relaxed!

Like any showing class, I think the judge can sometimes be swayed by "the name" so one day you might win champion and the next you're bottom of the line - that's showing for you though. Just don't take it too seriously!
 
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Sorry for the poor quality photo, it is taken of the photo i bought at the show. This is my Welsh D just before we went in to the inhand M&M at an unafilliated show earlier this year. I have only just started off showing him at local level and find it is very competitive, I find the judges decide which order they will place them the minute you enter the ring. In some shows my boy has done really well and others the judges don't look twice at him. He is an extravagant mover so does catch their eye but in some cases isn't carrying enough weight for the judge. The last show I did with him an obese Fell pony won and then the horses with more weight followed, leaving me and my boy out of placings. It's all a bit of fun though, until you get to County level and everything has to be perfect :)
 
catroo said:
Sorry but I don't think they showed the pony well at all, loved the pony and the foal but the picture was spoilt by the arms waving, flapping, clapping, stamping their feet, throwing things . . .

And when their number was called they were so busy screaming and flapping some more they failed to notice the foal go up and over.

Not the best example of horsemanship at all
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Couldnt have been that bad if they won the whole of the royal welsh which a horse has never done before and won the supreme cuddy at HOYS.

I cannot see that video as Im at work but I was there watching on the night and I thought they showed the horse off perfectly better than any welsh class
 
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