Please help a showing newbie!

[Akkalia1]

I'm thinking about doing my first ever in-hand show next weekend. Horse is going to be an idiot I suspect as it's her first show, so not going with the expectation of winning/being placed/managing to not get thrown out of the ring However I would like to be correctly dressed. And might as well have the gear as maybe we will get better with practice! No idea what to wear - does it need to be a tweed jacket? I'm not a massive fan of them and the only ones I like are really expensive. Would the one in this link do?? I rather like it. Could maybe wear for ridden classes too if we ever get there. Underneath would it be shirt and tie?

http://www.viva-la-rosa.com/new-192...ritage-downton-tweed-riding-jacket-6312-p.asp

On my legs, do I need to wear trousers or can it be jodhpurs? Horse is light bay and has dark legs so would be a light colour I presume?
I don't have long riding boots - should I get some? Or would short boots do? Or my country boots??
Do I wear my riding hat - it would look rather silly with the above mentioned outfit as it is black with a silver stripe down it.

Also, what is the format usually of an in-hand show? What are you asked to do?

Oh and last questions - I have an in-hand bridle and was planning to lead from a coupling with a leather lead, but in most photos I have seen people are leading with reins. So should I do that instead? Should the horse be plaited?

Sorry loads of questions, but as you can see I know nothing!

 

[HufflyPuffly]

Photo of the horse in question and how old is she?

For you, trousers that don't blend in too much with your horses leg colour, smart shoes/boots that you can run in and for the top half I used to wear a shirt and tie with a waistcoat. You should wear a hat but it can be a flat cap/ tweed type or a hard hat either with or without a strap but ideally it would be a velvet one rather than one of the new modern sporty ones.

Jacket you can wear a tweed jacket (navy is only hacks and show ponies), though I'm not sure the one in the link would be suitable for ridden.

I used a coupling rein on my youngster when showing but just the reins for my veteran.

Plaiting depends on the horses type.

 

[Akkalia1]

Horse has just turned five and is a thoroughbred. Photo from this weekend:

Practicing plaiting last summer

Ah, see I thought that jacket was more of a ridden jacket! Shows how little I know. I'm not sure I have light coloured trousers, would cream jodhpurs be ok or should I go buy trousers?

 

[HufflyPuffly]

Ah lovely horse .

So yes definitely trimmed and plaited, and I would go with the bridle she has on in the picture including reins, though if you have a simple loose ring it may look neater than a full cheek.

Trousers don't have to be really pale, I showed my bright bay and grey in either buff/ fawn coloured skinny jeans or aubergine coloured ones , though can only find my fawn coloured ones in pics!

It's more maybe not black if your horse has black legs.

To me that is more a fashion tweed than a riding jacket, which would probably be ok for in-hand but not so much for ridden classes. Have a look at second hand there are lots of bargains to be had!

 

[emfen1305]

Think everyone else has pretty much covered the dress - for inhand i personally wear my dark jeans as my horse has white legs, jodphur boots, tweed jacket, blue shirt and blue tie and my velvet hat. Second hand tweeds can be super cheap so i'd definitely have a look but the one in the photo would be ok for inhand but not ridden i'd suspect. Depending on the level you show at, as long as you look smart it doesn't really matter too much, I have seen all sorts out and about! Sometimes I do in hand classes in my ridden gear if I am swapping and changing.

As for your show, typically you will all walk round together and then the steward will stop you in one corner and you'll be expected to round trot to the back of the group depending on the size of the ring, you want a nice forward trot but not being dragged around if you know what i mean haha. After everyone has done that, you will all line up and come out one by one. The judge will look at your horse and ask things like age, activities etc and then you'll be asked to walk away and trot back and then trot all the way round. Aim to walk away in an active straight walk, go slightly left before you turn right to make a key hole shape and then as you turn back towards the judge and straighten up pick up the trot and trot straight at the judge, it will be their job to move out of the way so don't worry about running them over. Then turn right and trot all the way round and as you come to the end do a few strides of walk, square halt and then salute the judge and rejoin the line up. I hope I've explained that well enough, try and go 3rd or 4th so you get to see a couple of people go first!

ETA - I show in my show pelham and lead with both reins as I find I have more control over the crazy cob! I would say plaited for yours, only ones that aren't plaited are natives, M&Ms and hogged cobs (like mine!)

Good luck, it's knackering but great fun! Take pics!

 

[silv]

Very nice horse, unless you are doing a hunter class you can put a nice coloured browband on her, she has a really nice head and it will show it off.

The judge will tell you what they want you to do in your individual show, make sure you have trained your horse to stand up well for the judge to assess. Have a quick recce before you go into the ring and don't follow a horse that is better than yours, also give yourself plenty of room in the ring.

Light coloured trousers with country boots would be fine, have a look around some charity shops you are sure to pick up a pair without spending too much. You should also wear gloves your riding ones should be fine.

 

[Akkalia1]

Thank you very much everyone, that's great advice! Those photos really helped Alex, beautiful horses too.

Emfen, I'm going to be knackered with all that running and trying to prevent Luna from turning into a kite. My dodgy hip will give out

Thanks Silv, I don't have a coloured broadband, will go hunting at the weekend. Unfortunately standing still is going to be a major problem, as I said we aren't going to do very well!! But it's a fairly small show, so hopefully good experience for her. And me!

I might have to buy that jacket for in-hand as I really like it! Would probably wear it for other stuff too.

 

[Kat]

Wear trousers and joddie boots not jodhs and long boots. I wear beige cords (from primary so they don't have to be expensive). I would look for beige or light tan with the colour of your horse.

Wear a shirt and tie, the shirt should not be white. Probably get your tweed first and pick colours to go with it. You can wear a waistcoat instead of a jacket if you want to.

Don't forget to wear smart gloves preferably brown leather.

You must wear a hat, check the show rules as some require an up to standard riding hat especially for young horses or young handlers. I wear a velvet peaked riding hat because but a tweed flat cap probably looks most professional. Make sure your hair is neat, if you wear a riding hat use a net, no flappy ponytails.

Your horse should be in a bridle with reins. You want a flat cavesson noseband and assuming that you are doing riding horse or ROR or sport horse not hunters a coloured browband. A double or Pelham ideally but if not a plain snaffle.

And don't forget your cane!

 

[Akkalia1]

Thank you Kat! So I have bought some neat cream jeans from Tesco which I'll wear with my jodhpur boots. I have a shirt and tie already but the shirt is white! Think I have my jacket although a different size is arriving this week. Have gloves. I have a trilby but could maybe put a velvet cover over my riding hat instead? The show rules state a riding hat must be worn at all times when riding but doesn't say regarding in-hand.

It's a reasonably small show I think, my class is just called 'In-hand Horse', there's 'In-hand Sports Horse' too which I may enter if the first class goes well. No ROR classes unfortunately I have a lovely colour browband coming too, think she'll suit it

I don't have a cane! Do I really need a cane?

If she doesn't load (and it's a distinct possibility) I will cry!!

 

[Akkalia1]

Oh, another question. It's going to be an early start as the class is at 8:30, and I'm going to need to allow plenty of time for a potential loading debacle and my granny driving to get there. So thought I might put her mane in plaits the night before, but not roll them up, then stick a lycra hood on her. So in the morning I just need to roll them and do her tail. Does that sound like a good idea or will they just be a mess by morning and I'll end up having to re-do them? She'll be out overnight with rug and hood on I think unless the weather's bad as to be honest she gets a bit stressed in the stable and extra stress is the last thing we'll need!

 

[HufflyPuffly]

Ok and breathe!

Shirt, if you can get some super cheap yellow dusters and wash them with the shirt it will dye it a nice yellow/canary/cream.

Hat, best bet is to ask the show secretary, they normally will have an email for people to use.

Cane isn't compulsory so don't worry on that one, if your horse will move off sweetly when you ask, turn and stop then you'll be fine!

Loading, try not to get stressed about it as it wont help, if you give yourself lots of time chances are she'll walk straight in so you end up 4 hours early for your class .

Plaiting really depends on how much of a terror your horse is, my show pony I could leave her plaits in for a week and she wouldn't smudge them. The other two I commit to doing in the morning as they always rub them or get stuff stuck in them, they have been known to remove sown in ones in the box journey to the show .

Don't forget you are doing this for fun .

 

[DabDab]

As above, try not to overthink it...
I took my midget filly going through a definite fugly phase at the time to a show at the end of last year. Neither she nor I were completely correctly turned out, but it was a trip for the experience, and we were not the only ones. Obviously there will be people at any show who are there to get the best possible result in the ring, but there are lots of others at little local stuff who just want a good positive experience out of it.
Re plaits - depends on the type of mane how well they stay in but most that are just plaited down will still look reasonable the next morning as long as you apply a liberal layer of hairspray.
Good luck!

 

[Akkalia1]

Fun - yes, I'd sort of forgotten that was the point!!

Have my yellow dusters, so will attempt a dye job tonight.

Really we are going for the experience, I'll be happy enough if she gets there and is not a lunatic. If she behaves reasonably well I'll be very happy. She's never going to stand still though and there may be a few leaps lol.

She lies down a lot, but she always stays fairly clean and doesn't tend to scrub her neck really so will try the plaits the night before but allow time for re-doing them if necessary.