People who don't plait/turn out properly?

Daughter has done showing, dressage & now predominantly showjumping. She would always turnout the horse as it should be for the class she was entering. It didn't matter if it was 'only a local show', it showed respect for the show, the judges & yourself & horse. At first she was unsure how her hors eshould look in particular classes but a few minutes on the internet will answer most questions & that's how she learned.

Now she just show jumps, her horse who's a grey, is always immaculately turned out & that isn't easy, tack clean, boots clean, clothing clean & hair tidy. Mane plaited if it is a championship but at regular shows unplaited. She will always salute the judge prior to commencing her round, it is a mark of respect & I know it's appreciated by them.

I have seen horses enter the ring that look like they've just been taken from the field & brought to the show, filthy, mud every where, ungroomed & the rider looks like they've been pulled through a hedge backwards or sleeping rough. They look untidy & unprepared & in the majority of cases they are & their results show that.

You don't need expensive clothing, tack, numnahs & boots, you just need whatever you have to be clean & your horse well groomed & cared for. This does show & will be picked up by judges. :)
 
Maybe it's because loal showing is all about having fun with your horse and having a go.
Who gives a rats arse if the plaits are wonky or they're not sewn in, as long as you are having a good time.
If you dont like the standard then simple, just stay at your county level shows and leave the little fun shows to those of us who enjoy them.
;):D

edit - p.s. When i showed Chico in hand I didnt even plait his mane or tail :O!!!
 
Paint Me Proud said:
Maybe it's because loal showing is all about having fun with your horse and having a go.
Who gives a rats arse if the plaits are wonky or they're not sewn in, as long as you are having a good time.
If you dont like the standard then simple, just stay at your county level shows and leave the little fun shows to those of us who enjoy them.
;):D

edit - p.s. When i showed Chico in hand I didnt even plait his mane or tail :O!!!
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Agreed!!! :D
 
I always try to turn out properly, simply because if I'm not I get very worried about being the odd one out :o I also just like having a clean pony and being able to look smart!
I've always plaited my own pony's mane (purely because my mother couldn't do it :P) and from the start I was taught to use a needle and thread. It's a good thing to learn when you're little if you have the opportunity, and I think the Pony Club helps because at camp you have to plait yourself, so you learn then :) it shows who gets their parents to do it :P
 
As I do another competitive sport, one of the things that always strikes me about the equestrian world is how many competitors have their families running around after them to facilitate their participation. Lacking that, it took me years to work out how to plait well and get things right. Even then, I still don't have time to turn out to the standard I'd like sometimes, because having to do everything yourself is difficult and time consuming. eg sometimes my boots, perfectly cleaned the night before, get muddy from walking the working hunter course, and I don't have time to take them off and clean them again before being called into jump. Sometimes a plait comes out and I don't have anyone to hold my horse or to put it back in for me. I often don't have time to do quarter marks.

Granted, if I had a mummy or daddy there to do this sort of stuff for me, I would always be immaculately turned out. But to be honest, theres a stage in life where you want to do things for yourself and I'd rather be capable of doing it all, even if it doesn't always come together for all but the biggest shows.

I'm guessing then that the 15 year old kid on the slightly scruffy pony in the show ring has had to bring him in from the field that morning herself, lacks washing facilities and had no-one to assist in getting ready. I think its quite admirable really.

That said, I think looking down on people who may not have the full army of family support is rather awful. I tend to judge people more on whether they can ride effectively or not.
 
There is a balance somewhere.

People have mentioned work clothes and yes there may be no need to wear a suit but you wouldn't expect people to turn up at the office with dirty trousers and stains down their shirts. And even the people who wear jeans day to day might wear slightly smarter clothes to go and present to the shareholders.

Having said that I see a show more like a night out or a party than a day at the office, you don't have to go full black tie but most of us would wash our hair, put a bit of make up on and choose clothes we think make us look nice and attractive and for a show I would do the same. I don't plait for jumping but do for dressage as my horse has a mane that likes to go upright and try to look nice even though my natural tendency is towards scruffy.

I saw someone at a dressage competition recently, horse not too clean, long untidy unpulled mane with mud in it. The test wasn't bad but the general impression was of untidiness and I'm sure this must subconsciously affect the judges even if they try not to let it.

As for what is 'correct', then you can't expect people to go out and buy the right colour jacket or saddle if it's just a bit of fun; but a dutch gag and martingale is unfair on a pony when you are assessing obedience and manners and brushing boots would hide the lower leg making it impossible to see conformation.
 
'It's only a local show'........

I really hate that phrase. It sounds like an excuse for not turning out a clean and well presented horse and rider.
It's showing, and turnout is important, you do it to the best of your ability and knowledge. And it's part of the fun.

It's about schooling your horse/pony to be polite and well behaved in company, to move correctly and give a nice ride. It's about manners (equine and human).

And yes, it's subjective, but so are a lot of sports, including dressage. It all depends on what the judge thinks is the best. So why sabotage yourself by thinking 'It's only local showing, appearance isn't that important' These little local shows are often qualifiers for something bigger, like Showcase of Champions, Equifest etc.....
Would that sort of show be worth making an effort for?


'Local showing is about having fun with your horse'
All showing is about having fun. If it's not fun, why bother? The turning out the highest standard that you can, is part of the fun.
And it's so satisfying when you find out how to stop your plaits falling out (stitch them in), and somebody tells you the secret to the immaculately white socks, and you see how people keep their boots clean (plastic carrier bags.....) I love getting better at stuff.
These people who turn out immaculately all started somewhere and it was probably learrning from others who had a bit more of an idea at a local show.


And for what it's worth, at my local shows, I don't think I've ever seen a dirty horse. Plaits on something that shouldn't have thme, loose manes on something that should be plaited..... it's a learning curve.
If those who DO know the rules, don't bother to do it correctly because it's ONLY a local show, then the standards will really fall because there will be nobody for the inexperienced to learn from.

The people who are inexperienced, but in there, trying and learning are the ones I admire.
The one's who can't be bothered because it's only a local show - I don't admire at all.
 
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3BayGeldings said:
Exactly. The same way we wear suits to work and correct attire out hunting.
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Lol, I'm sat at my desk on the 8th floor of a very shiny new building, working for a company that employs 60 000 people worldwide in clothes I worked in last night and this morning (started at 2.30am after finishing at 11.30pm), my hair is unwashed, my face unwashed, my jeans wet, my colleague is sat next to me wearing exactly the same :D

I don't always have such low standards, but the hotel I had the pleasure of staying in last night was grotty, and I didn't want to touch anything in there, let along get my face near the sink, and I left my dry shampoo at home :D
 
Part of the fun of competing or hunting for me is the sense of occasion. Regardless of whether it is a local show or affiliated it costs a lot of money to get there and for me, presenting myself to my best ability is part of it. Someone getting it wrong? Ok, someone turning up with a dirty horse, dirty kit...not. In facts thinking about it, have never seen a properly conditioned and fit horse poorly turned out.. I love the pageantry and spectacle of riders and horses and it is diminished when people don't bother. In fact the worst I have found for this is lower level BSJA. Ok no need to plait but No excuses for turning up filthy! yet at the higher levels, the bling and colours are on their way to outdoing dressage riders!

No plaits dont make you jump higher or go faster but I want to look the best I can. Always. And utter rubbish about only people with silver spoons, born into it. My family were adamantly anti horse and that did not stop me..

And why knock showing if you aren't going to make an effort? It is supposed to be based on turnout and looks! and local shows are where people try out at different disciplines and youngsters...doesn't mean you don't turn out to your best effort.
 
ER EXCUSE ME MR MIKE 00FRIGGING7

Have you not heard of people doing working hunter which in the open course is up to 1.15m at a hunting pace - who cant jump or race now - all workers have to be plaited apart from M & M and working cobs (hogged)
 
I had non horsey parents. Learnt to plait as a kid though & by 10 was charging people on the yard for my skills. If you can't most yards have someone like me who'll plait in exchange for tack cleaning etc. Mostly its just laziness though. I do lots of local stuff with my 7 yr old, who turns her pony out herself. Including the plaits, which whilst not as good as mine are perfectly neat enough. It really winds me up when idle older kids or adults assume I have done it for her based on the fact they are too lazy to turn their horses out nicely. I have no issue with incorrect equipment or obvious beginners, but if you can't even do a basic groom to get the mud off you shouldn't be at a show imo.
 
I've noticed lots of bright red lipstick on older ladies at dressage! Looks very odd but hey if it's a distraction from my horses giraffe impressions I may have to invest in some ;)
 
I'm can't comment on show turnout, I've only shown once and it wasn't pretty I couldn't afford all the gear and it really showed :(

On another note, someone mentioned the grooms themselves and their turnout and how its not right in many cases. So i'm curious, what is correct atire for a groom?
 
Posie said:
Mike do you dislike plaiting because you find it hard to do or for another reason. A mane can be plaited in 10/15 minutes to perfection, so hardly a huge waste of time?
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I'm with Mike on this one. In winter I am stood outside freezing my fingers to the bone getting plaits in my hunter's mane which will make not one jot of difference to his ability to jump a 6 foot hedge. Total waste of time and effort, in my opinion. I don't plait for unaffiliated dressage either and I only plait for affiliated because some judges will, possibly subconsciously, mark you down if you don't "look the part". It's all just a matter of opinion anyway. I think a nicely trimmed mane looks a heck of a sight nicer than those tiny "scalped neck" excruciatingly tight plaits that I see on some horses. And FWIW, I think hogging should probably be banned, it is so unnatural for a horse to have no mane and forelock.
 
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