People who don't plait/turn out properly?

FMM said:
I know I shouldn't bite, but you seem to be forgetting
Nick Schofield (jockey) who won HOYS several tims before going into racing (in fact missed a ride at HOYS due to breaking a wrist whilst on the gallops ...)
Guy Landau who was third in the grand national (and also Supreme at HOYS a few years ago)
Jayne Webber (who race trained for many years) and has been supreme at HOYS on three different horses.
Charlotte Dujardin who has moved from showing to dressage
Derek Morton who took the worker championship at HOYs last year (and also did several rounds in the puissance a few days later - on a different horse ...)
Loads of ex eventers (as in round Badminton/Burghley type eventers) now show
anyone who does workers jumps a pretty big course at a fair speed

So showing folk are quite capable of competing successfully in other equestrian disciplines.

Plaiting is tradition and it is also a mark of respect to have you and your horse correctly turned out when in public.
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I stand corrected. Sorry. But I still hate plaiting, and will only do so forna lawn meet.
 
With regard to tradition things are changing and lots of workplaces do not require people to wear suits to work anymore.

Just because something is tradition does not always mean it is the best way of doing something or that people who want to do things differently are wrong.

I would also add that traditionally those who owned horses were either very rich or they were working horses on farms, or in the war, but it does not mean that things cannot change and horse ownership and competiting can be open up to those from different backgrounds.

3BayGeldings said:
Exactly. The same way we wear suits to work and correct attire out hunting.
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I don't think that the tradition of turning up to work dressed smartly is the wrong way of doing things, and I hope it doesn't change. What's wrong with having self-respect about the way you present yourself in a professional capacity? :)
 
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?
 
People often work best in clothes they feel comfortable in. A lot of media, dotcom and creative companies allow people to wear jeans and trainers to work and it not affected their performance. It also means that people do not have to spend money on having different work and home clothes.

I worked somewhere where people could wear whatever they liked and some Directors wore jeans and even shorts in summer and others worse suits. The people who did not wear suits were not disrespected or and did not have work of a lower quality.

3BayGeldings said:
I don't think that the tradition of turning up to work dressed smartly is the wrong way of doing things, and I hope it doesn't change. What's wrong with having self-respect about the way you present yourself in a professional capacity? :)
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But generally, when one attends a meeting one does wear a suit rather than shorts. It is different for day to day office wear compared with external meetings. I would not be impressed by someone turning up at a meeting in shorts. I expect them to wear a suit.
 
I don't think the OP was complaining about unplaited horses but that the plaiting at the local shows was not of the same standard as at the county shows.

I expect the riding was also not of the same standard either so I would not be expecting those at a local show to be able to plait perhaps as well as people who are more experienced at doing it or do if for a living or those who have assistance.

It is easier to plait if you have a mane pulled to the correct length and pulling a mane to the an even length and thickness is not that easy.

I don't think it is fair to expect people at local shows to be able to turn out as well as the professionals and amateurs competiting at county shows, after all you would not expect to ride as well or be so good at ringcraft as say Jayne Webber. I don't think you are comparing like with like.

FMM said:
And plaiting a horse costs only time (and about 20 pence worth of plaiting thread) - so anyone can do it - you don't have to be rich ...
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When my daughter entered her very first proper showing class at a small local show we spent hours getting her and the pony right - we didn't have new stuff, just well worn but immaculately clean tack, well pressed and clean second hand clothes for the daughter. Hours spent looking at books checking how to turn out, pony scrubbed to within an inch of its life and plaited (sewn in) to perfection. She ended up being placed second, behind another pony and child who were turned out in a similar fashion.

My daughter worked so hard to make a good impression for her first showing class - only to be sneered at by other competitors like those described in previous posts - filthy horses, etc - and accused of 'pothunting'. She just sat there and looked so dejected I wanted to go and give them a piece of my mind.

Now ten years later she is twenty and is more than happy to give a quick retort to any unnnecessary comments - she scares me at times :)
 
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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Yeah 10 / 15 of your earth minutes, seems to take me about an hour!:eek:Honestly I dont see the point except for a lawn meet.
 
maisie06 said:
If you can't plait do what I did either A) get someone else to do it!! Or buy a Mountain and Moorland or a hogged cob!!
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this ^^

Posie said:
I saw Nahs thread after I posted this, woops!
I wasn't born into showing at all, learnt to plait at my local riding school on pony days and went from there! Perhaps it was all the hairdos my barbies had to endure? :p
I too wonder if it is laziness, doesn't take much to google whats required?
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done this to within an inch of my life! ^^

Batgirl said:
I have no horsey background (well do now, started riding at 20ish and am 28 now with a 2 year gap in the middle) I have learned, I watch youtube videos (very handy) and help/watch my friend/YO and read lots. That said I still haven't got the hang of tail plaiting so swap my friend for it, I do her mane and she does my tail :)

I think often it is plain ignorance, someone wanting a nice horsey day out and because no one ever tells them they carry on. Some it is pure laziness ;)
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dafthoss said:
Yep winds me right up!

I have complety non horsey parents but have managed to learn to plait and turn out to a good standard. As it happens I have an M&M so only plait for eventing and dressage but still proper acceptable plaits, just couldnt present him without.

Got all my kit at bargin prices that I could afford as a student and work blimmin hard with what I have to make it look the best possible. Show ring ettiquete is easy to find on google and yes there is a fair bit to remember if your new but its definatly do-able.
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^^basically this

leah_x said:
I would just like to say, please don't slate the people who wear a lot of make up. I am one of those people, not everyone is blessed with clear skin and I certainly cannot leave the house with my mask of foundation on and I'm pretty sure I'm not the only person in the world who is in that position. Why does it matter if you wear make up to a show anyway?
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^^i was always told to wear make up in the ring too - i dont wear loads usually because i put it on before i leave the house t 5am and by the time im in the ring at 10 its all smudged off :o


i taught my self to plait when i was tiny before i had horses and learnt how to tie a tie at the age of 11 when i was in the girls brigade! i hate not being able to do something my self and when its done it needs to be done properly!! when i got into horses i watched hours of youtube videos of how to pull and plait practised and practised watched from the sidelines of how other people were turned out the type of horse they had. the only thing i confess to not being able to do is plait tails! i've tryed and tryed with no improvment so i watched hours of videos on how to pull them ;) so now i look at what i call 'naughty plaits' and think 'maybe they cal plait a very good tail!!' i'd google turn out for hours and hours and search everywhere for the correct pices of kit - im not to fussed about the wrong saddle ect but i picked up my hunter bridle for £15 and its exceptionally smart and you'd never know the difference. i just now appriciate that eveyone has different standards i am proud of my nice plaits, white legs shiney coat just as others may be equally proud of the hard work that went into their wonky plaits and mis matched turn out

Last Year
Picture20.png


Sunday - will have to post link as still waiting for permission!!http://www.snapallyphotography.com/abbey-farm-feeds-titchfield-show-2012/ring-4-class-26/
 
If riders are expected to wear make up in the ring, does that include the men? And if not, isn't that a bit of sexual discrimination? :p
 
I used to tie a tie on myself when I was a schoolgirl, and sometimes when I was working at a riding school, long, long ago. I've never worn a tie since but sometimes have to tie on one someone else in the course of my job.

I actually can't tie a tie on someone else if I'm facing them, I have to stand behind them and do it over their shoulders as if it's on myself. :o:rolleyes:
 
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Clannad48 said:
When my daughter entered her very first proper showing class at a small local show we spent hours getting her and the pony right - we didn't have new stuff, just well worn but immaculately clean tack, well pressed and clean second hand clothes for the daughter. Hours spent looking at books checking how to turn out, pony scrubbed to within an inch of its life and plaited (sewn in) to perfection. She ended up being placed second, behind another pony and child who were turned out in a similar fashion.

My daughter worked so hard to make a good impression for her first showing class - only to be sneered at by other competitors like those described in previous posts - filthy horses, etc - and accused of 'pothunting'. She just sat there and looked so dejected I wanted to go and give them a piece of my mind.

Now ten years later she is twenty and is more than happy to give a quick retort to any unnnecessary comments - she scares me at times :)
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when i showed at the weekend i went appropriatly turned out as stated in post before my horse is only 4yo i did a bit of showing as a 2 yo we went out 3 times as a 3yo and sunday was her first ever ridden show and mine! the closest i have come before was a local wh hunter class where i demolished half the course so didnt even get on to the showwy bit!! - i turned her out properly and dressed smartly. she had never been ridden in a group so we entered first class of the day. best turned out. we won - was accused of pothunting! then entered novice showing which we both actually are! VERY novice at ridden showing. i've worked hard on her schooling and she behaved as perfectly as i could have asked her too - again she won the class we were pot hunting again! but you cannot explain to these people as they wont have any of it! so i just grinned with my two red rossies!!
 
FionaM12 said:
I used to tie a tie on myself when I was a schoolgirl, and sometimes when I was working at a riding school, long, long ago. I've never worn a tie since but sometimes have to tie on one someone else in the course of my job.

I actually can't tie a tie on someone else if I'm facing them, iIhave to stand behind them and do it over their shoulders as if it's on myself. :o:rolleyes:
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i have to tie it on me first - loosen it off and put it on them!!
 
FionaM12 said:
Well yes, I know one or two men who wear make-up, although most don't. But would they be expected to in the show-ring, or is it just women?
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In the same way they don't wear hairnets, make up isn't for them. Showing is all about convention- you need to fit it as much as possible. We were discussing this only the other day. It appears to be all about standing out whilst looking the same :D
 
Mike07 there was one little other point I'd gently like to mention!

If plaiting is a waste of time to you, to others, it may be the difference in winning & losing. We all know some judges have an eye for certain things, others have bug bears etc..and that no one has a perfect horse with perfect conformation, or if they do, this can still look less than perfect if the horse is badly muscled or had time off /hard winter etc /not long back in work so still muscling up/ridden incorrectly & in new home so muscle needs attention..you can make a world of difference to how your horse looks simply by plaiting..if a horses neck is too long/short/thickset this can all be counterbalanced by good plaiting - thinner or thicker/more/less to suit you horse & make the best of its physical qualities...sound pathetic? well to some it will but I'm sure an awful lot of you on here will agree...its all about making the best of what you have :-) I can plait with the best of them tho much slower now than i was as not needed to for a long time..doesn't mean I leap out of bed at 4 am thinking yay...plaiting time!!!Far from it, but necessary evil!:-)
 
blackcob said:
At my first show on my first pony, aged about 14/15 I turned up with:

Mismatching tack (she had a black bridle and a brown GP saddle - she was still on loan and came with tack we couldn't afford to replace)
A flash on the bridle
A borrowed pelham that was slightly too wide (no sliphead)
Fairly decent sewn-in plaits, copied faithfully from my mum's 1976 Pony Club Manual of Horsemanship but probably still a bit golf-ball-like and unneccessary on a Welsh Cob anyway
Black jacket bought from the second hand section of the local tack shop
My school shirt and a borrowed man's tie
My mum's old long leather boots from when she had her childhood pony, two sizes too small but we'd given them a good stretch
Skull cap, although with plain black silk

We must have looked a sight but everything was spotlessly clean - I'd been up until the wee hours the night before cleaning her tack - and it was such a small show that we came home with a couple of rosettes regardless, including a 1st place (class of two :o).

I was SO proud. We'd done our very best. If anyone had suggested that we were doing it all wrong I possibly would have cried.

There's no excuse for dirty stuff but I will always excuse things that are the wrong colour, wrong type for the class etc. because maybe they don't know or can't afford any different. Maybe children riders were desperately proud of plaiting their own pony, however lumpy the result? :)
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Love this post... :)
 
FionaM12 said:
What do they do with long hair then? If pony-tails are frowned on, wouldn't long hair look a bit rubbish loose?
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They cut it? You conform... If they have long enough hair that the swoosh it into you hat so it looks short thing doesn't work, then they need to cut it or wear a hairnet.

You don't express individuality in what you wear or how you look but in how you act and how you speak IMO. So if someone says long hair is self-expression and being individual I tend to think they're rather mainstream :D
 
I'm only curious because I was just surprised to see women are advised to wear make-up and it got me thinking. :)

I've never been into showing or hunting, and now I think about it I don't actually know many male horse riders, and none who are into showing.
 
This is where i stand up and say, i hate showing!! But i wouldnt wear make up, i dont in general in day time so it would look odd and feel odd, and would end up smudged and i would look a mess!!
 
I was appalled at my last show - it was quite a big show too... champion in hand was a bloke in old washed out demin jeans, a shirt that looked like it had seen better days, no gloves, no show cane, no hat.

The horse was nice but he didn't deserve to be champion above the rest of the perfectly nice and spotlessly turned out owners. Personally with the lack of personal turn out no matter how amazing the horse was I would struggle to even place him.

Re: plaiting.. I always get commended on my plaits however still am yet to master the art of sewing them... anyone have any tips to let ne know! :)
 
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