Mountain and Moorland showing tips??

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rowy

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I have done several local shows with my exmoor and have done well so we are going to try our hand at some county shows.
At the moment we are only in hand but any ridden tips as well are welcome as will start doing ridden next year.

so far we have:
showing brown hunter type bridle.
leather lead
for me:
a tweed jacket
white shirt and green stock
will be buying some beige capri type trousers
jodphur boots

And i was wondering on turnout tips like do you use baby oil round eyes etc?

Thanks
 
You need a pale blue or cream shirt with a tie with tie pin rather than a stock.
Also a brown showing cane and leather gloves.
Hair in a neat bun with a hairnet and a hat (either navy riding hat/beagler or trilby type hat)
Use plaiting thread that matches your jacket to tie your number on rather than the string provided and round the edges off.
 
As above:
Plain coloured pastel shirt, with co-ordinating darker tie.
Hair neatly secured, no earrings.
Brown or natural cane with brown gloves.
Use button (rolled) elastic for your number- moves with you. Tie a small loop on each end after measuring it & this can hook over the button on your jacket before you fasten it up (go under the front - if you see what I mean)
Ensure that at county level your pony can walk & trot in a balanced fashion & in a straight line to & from the judge.

Pony?
Hoof oil or grease
Bit of baby oil around nose etc - tho be careful round the eyes as on an exmoor too much oil will darken the 'toad' - and you'll lose marks for not having light markings ;) . Also be careful in high summer with oils - some animals can burn.
Show sheen for mane & tail (not where saddle goes!!)

Good luck :)
 
oooh thanks. I have got a normal white shirt and tie I can use.
I have a black leather jump whip will that do?
and is it just brown gloves or can it be any colour?
Also, I usually use a black shoe lace to tie my number on.
 
Showjumper11 said:
White is fine for a shirt, I harry ever see Pe blue? More White and canary :)
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I have always been advised that white is seen as amatuerish. Canary is more appropriate for show ponies. For a M+M you want to look workmanlike and therefore blue or cream would be more suitable. I have seen many riders with M+M's wearing bule shirts.
 
Showjumper11 said:
White is fine for a shirt, I harry ever see Pe blue? More White and canary :)
Click to expand...

white can make riders look washed out as it is quite a hard colour on the skin. The pale blue/ cream is softer against the skin :)

The black whip wouldnt really be correct but you can pick up a cane really cheap, they are only about £10 - £15 for a plain one. Try ebay?

something like this would be fine if your on a budget

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Plain-Lea...uipment&var=&hash=item84b80cc7ec#ht_600wt_905

brown or tan gloves are correct. They can be picked up cheap too though, showing doesnt have to be expensive just keep an eye out for a bargain!
 
Really? I was brought up showing M&Ms and have always worn White or light canary shirt, even at high level including qualifying for HOYS :) but down here in Cornwall I've seen only 1 or 2 with blue shorts :£
 
If you only have a white shirt- get some tesco value (or similar :P) duster cloths that they have in yellow. Pop them in the wash with your shirt and you end up with a nice creamy shirt for a fraction of the cost. I did this and now my shirt looks lovely and smart. I have teamed this with a yellow tie and I think it looks nice :)

I would try and get a cane if you can- it looks a lot smarter and they can be picked up quite cheaply (maybe try ebay or putting an advert on some of these facebook groups? someone might have one lying around that you could pick up for a few £'s )

Hope this helps :D
 
Showjumper11 said:
Really? I was brought up showing M&Ms and have always worn White or light canary shirt, even at high level including qualifying for HOYS :) but down here in Cornwall I've seen only 1 or 2 with blue shorts :£
Click to expand...

TBH canary / cream is more commonly seen, but I have seen many riders wearing pale blue as well at county level and above. Maybe its a regional thing?!
 
BYR said:
TBH canary / cream is more commonly seen, but I have seen many riders wearing pale blue as well at county level and above. Maybe its a regional thing?!
Click to expand...

It's actually a fashion thing. For a while blue was popular, particularly in intermediates. Then everyone went to cream or canary for a while. Now blue is gradually working its way back!

OP, the main thing to remember when turning out for any showing class is to avoid white and black. Whilst some producers do use these colours, they tend to look out of place on amateurs. If you can avoid them do so.

Try and keep your colours muted in all respects. Not only are m&ms workman like, but the exmoors are very much the epitome of that phrase. There's nothing worse than an m&m turned out with as much make up and bright colours as a show pony!

If you do use makeup, make sure it is clear (and this goes for hoof oil too) as coloured make up is not allowed in mountain and moorland classes. For exmoors keep it very light, just a little to highlight the eyes.

Most importantly, have fun. A big smile is an essential piece of turnout :)
 
If you are using a riding bridle, take the reins over the head, instead of a leather lead rein, which is only correct really on an inhand bridle.
Think everything else has been covered, good luck!
 
Black is a bit of a no no in the show ring. If you have a blue one it would be more appropriate. The other options are beaglers stetsons, flat caps, trilbys etc. Any type of soft hat is more normal in in-hand, though you are welcome to use a helmet if you feel you require it.

If you only have the black hat, then don't worry. It won't be a major problem :)
 
To canary stuff up, stick in a couple of those bright yellow dusters with your wash and they'll stain your clothes really nicely- muted without being too bright. Perfect for jodphurs too- managed to turn a terriblely worn out pair of jods into nice ones!
 
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