Please Help Me With My First Working Hunter Show

[Sabrina&Stardust]

Hi Guys, it's my first working hunter show in 3 weeks and I've been told I can get a new numnah because atm all I have is saddle pads. Star and me loooooove the Nuumed wool lined because it is so soft and hard wearing. He needs the 5oz half wool lining because the saddle sits a bit low on his shoulders (it DOES fit him, the saddler said it was unnecessary to do anything about it but to make it more comfortable for him I could use the Nuumed). His saddle is GP so I didn't think working hunter numnahs would really fit the saddle. Just checking that this: http://www.nuumed.com/products/8-hiwither-half-wool-numnah-nm08a-gp-5oz in black with black wool would be alright for working hunter. His saddle is black because he is a blue roan with a black head and legs so black looks best on him but I have heard that you can marked down for having black tack- only brown is acceptable? I didn't know if this would apply to local shows that I'm just doing for a bit of fun (and anyway, even if I enjoyed the class and wanted to do more in the future, Star and me prefer our hunter trials and showjumping so it would be pointless and not worth the money getting a brown set of tack just for working hunter ) .
If for any reason I ever got another numnah for my working hunter classes, would this one be acceptable also: http://www.nuumed.com/products/215-gullet-free-hiwither-luxury-wool-numnah-gfnm08a-gp with the half rolled sheepskin edge (I know it only comes with natural wool now, but if I ever did come to get it hopefully they'd be making it with black wool). I prefer the rolled sheepskin edge but I didn't know whether it would be seen as too much excess numnah showing? Also, as it is only half lined, I wondered if the half sheepskin edging would look inconsistent in the judge's eyes (because the sheepskin edging wasn't all around the numnah).
Another point (it makes sense to me but I don't know how to explain it) is that his saddle is 17"- when the saddle pads have sheepskin edging like this one http://http://www.nuumed.com/products/15-hiwither-half-wool-saddlepad-with-collars-sp20-gp then he is a size large otherwise the saddle sits on top of the sheepskin edge. However, there is quite a lot of saddle pad below the saddle- where the girth goes through the loop. When the saddle pad is half lined without the sheepskin edges he is a size medium, without very much showing at the bottom at all. So if I ever got the sheepskin edged numnah for working hunter, with a lot of the numnah showing below the saddle would that be frowned upon rather than the numnah with only half lining and no edges (which would be a size medium) which wouldn't have much of it showing at all? Obviously it doesn't matter now because the numnah with the sheepskin edges isn't around in black wool yet but I'm talking about in the future :L
I know I'm babbling on about something not very important but just wanted to get other people's opinion about it!

Now onto the other questions (yes I know I have lots of questions!)
The saddle is synthetic and so is the girth- would they mind too much because it is only a local show!
I've only got black jodhpur boots- would these be alright? After all, they match my tack
My hat is a HS1 skull cap because it fits me so well. Waste of money buying a velvet hard hat just for this type of showing so would a velvet hat silk do? Which colour- black to match the tack & my boots? I've heard some people saying you get marked down without a navy hat and others saying the same about brown?.! :S (I'm a girl if that affects the colour?!)
Should my show jacket be green tweed or brown tweed or grey tweed or blue tweed?
Should I wear a scrunchie for my hair over the hairnet or would it look too showy (I'm under 16).
Does the colour of your tie matter- should it match the scrunchie?
Final question (for now!) : what colour gloves should I wear? Black to match or not?

Sorry about all the long rambling questions which probably don't make any sense ! Stardust is my new pony & snobby people who I know are going to be at the show & I want him to look as good as possible (hopefully without them laughing about his incorrect tack!)
Thanks in advance

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

Ok skim reading here! Lol! So I'll answer your last questions first then go back and read the Numnah stuff!


The saddle is synthetic and so is the girth- would they mind too much because it is only a local show!

Nope so long as it is clean, smart and well fitting it will be fine.

I've only got black jodhpur boots- would these be alright? After all, they match my tack

Yup they will be fine, remember black jody clips with them!

My hat is a HS1 skull cap because it fits me so well. Waste of money buying a velvet hard hat just for this type of showing so would a velvet hat silk do? Which colour- black to match the tack & my boots? I've heard some people saying you get marked down without a navy hat and others saying the same about brown?.! :S

Twaddle! At local and especially workers you can wear skull caps with a velvet silk. I would go for a navy velvet silk as it tends to match all types of tweed.

Should my show jacket be green tweed or brown tweed or grey tweed or blue tweed?

What colour tweed do you have? Or are you getting a new one? If new then I edge more towards green or brown depending on the shade and style. Blue and Gray herringbone tweeds just don't look quite right.

Should I wear a scrunchie for my hair over the hairnet or would it look too showy (I'm under 16).
Nope just hair in a bun, hairnet and something discreet to hold the hairnet in place.


Does the colour of your tie matter- should it match the scrunchie?

So long as the tie isn't too loud, a pony club tie or black then any colour goes. I tend to go for a base of navy blue to go with the hat with either red or green spots on it.

Final question (for now!) : what colour gloves should I wear? Black to match or not?
Never wear black gloves in the ring. I'd go for as dark a brown as you can get.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

Numnahs - so long as it is discreet, well fitting, doesn't cover up half of the pony and isn't garishly coloured then pretty much any are ok.

 

[Charlie Bucket]

Wow - I have a headache now!
It sounds like you are very keen to make a good impression, which is lovely to hear.

From what I have gathered, if you are only doing local Workers the you will be ok in black tack.
Can't see the numnahs but as with the tack, should be fine for local, but more appropriate would be a plain, low-key numnah that doesn't really show.

I am guessing as you are under 16, you will be wearing jodhpur boots with clips? If so make sure the clips are the same colour as your boots.
As with any showing, brown is always preferable - tack, boots etc. But as you have black tack then black boots will do.

On to the jacket/ jods/ silk etc - I would say a green tweed would look best. Just make sure it doesn't have navy trimmings if you are all in black!
A black velvet silk will be fine if you cannot afford a velvet hat.
And I'd go for beige or cream jods...NOT canarys!!!
Leave the scrunchie and wear a hair net - it is not a show pony class.

Without a clear picture this is the best I can do sorry. Good luck

 

[Kallibear]

RE numnah: it's really not that important, so breathe......

It needs to be discreet and match your tack, so black is best. Rolled edge for showing (ANY showing class) isn't perfect but certainly not the end of the world if you use one, if it fits well.


The saddle is synthetic and so is the girth- would they mind too much because it is only a local show!
Synthetic is fine. Make it clean and make sure it fits. It should be 'workmanlike' as no bling. No 5-point breast plates. Flash noseband doesn't look good. Think plain and boring.....'must be brown' is very oldfacshioned mow and plenty of people show in black tack nowadays, esp it it suits their horse better. Some horses don't suit black, others look better in it

I've only got black jodhpur boots- would these be alright? After all, they match my tack
If you're showing Star in an 'adult' class (i.e big hunters) and you're just about 16yrs old then you should really dress as an adult, which means long boots or gaiters. Long rubber boots would be fine: you could borrow some? Or they go for pennies second hand. Alternatively invest in decent leather gaiters (which can go with your short boots) or even just a pair of smart black chaps. Black is perfect: very very few people have brown long boots! It honest won't matter at local level though!

My hat is a HS1 skull cap because it fits me so well. Waste of money buying a velvet hard hat just for this type of showing so would a velvet hat silk do? Which colour- black to match the tack & my boots? I've heard some people saying you get marked down without a navy hat and others saying the same about brown?.! :S (I'm a girl if that affects the colour?!)
Yes skull cap if fine, and far better than the SJ style hats: they look awful in the show ring! Colour to match/suit your jacket : navy usually but sometimes brown/black.

Should my show jacket be green tweed or brown tweed or grey tweed or blue tweed?
Which ever you like/suits you and whichever suits your horse. Green always looks smart but some brown are lovely. I personally don't like blue tweed very much and think most greys look cheap, but it suits some people. If you need to buy, have a look at Shires Huntington in green check: seriously nice looking jacket for not much money.

Should I wear a scrunchie for my hair over the hairnet or would it look too showy (I'm under 16).
plain and boring to suit the class you're doing I'm afraid, so hairnet

Does the colour of your tie matter- should it match the scrunchie?
Your tie should complement your tweed. You only match tie/scrunchie/browband if you're doing poncy pony classes My tweed has a gold and blue check through it so my tie is gold with blue pattern. Once you've got your jacket, take it along to Tie Rack and try lots of ties against it


Final question (for now!) : what colour gloves should I wear? Black to match or not?
Your gloves should either match your tack or complement your jacket. Blacks fine, honest! They really aren't going to mark you down for it! I have brown as my tack is brown but use black if riding something with black tack (infrequent). My friend who has balck tack as standard has beige/tan gloves to complement her jacket

Sorry about all the long rambling questions which probably don't make any sense ! Stardust is my new pony & snobby people who I know are going to be at the show & I want him to look as good as possible (hopefully without them laughing about his incorrect tack!)
Thanks in advance

Go and enjoy yourself. It honestly doesn't matter at local level if you've got the wrong coloured gloves etc! It's always nice to make an effort and feel smart though Showing is ALL about presentation so, as unfair as it may seem, appearances are everything. But rememeber: a poorly turned out pony who goes like a dream and if foot perfect will always win over the immaculately turned out nutcase who goes like a donkey. Or SHOULD if the judge is any good.

My main tip is get your jacket THEN sort out everything else. Once you've got your jacket you can think about hat color, ties, and gloves. If you can afford it (and aren't likely to grow much more) then a decent tweed jacket it well worth investing in: far more than a fancy new numnah

if you put up a pic of your horse (stood up so you can see him side on) people can advise you on his turnout too.

 

[Sabrina&Stardust]

Thanks for replying so quickly! Yup, I'm under 16 and will be wearing jodhpur clips with my boots. Star's only 13'3. I've got a green tweed jacket with burgundy piping that doesn't really fit me but will do for this show. After that I'm getting a new one! I'll be wearing a solid colour burgundy tie with it, the piping and tie match but will the tie be too bright?
Short sleeve, 3/4 length sleeve or long sleeve shirt- which one, & which colour shirt. I'll probably just wear my beigh jodhprs or do they have to be canary? My friend's got both brown and navy velvet hat silks so which would be best if most of my stuff is black?
Black gloves or brown..?
Ahaha, I've just read through the numnah bit...woah I babble on but just writing it all down helped me make a descision (yep buying a new numnah is sooo important ) basically the question i wanted to ask was do judges prefer no rolled edges to rolled edges? thanks xx

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

Your tie will be fine. Shirts - whatever you feel most comfortable in, after all no one is going to see the sleeves! A pale yellow is usually the prefered colour for show shirts but colour isn't overly important. Please don't wear canary jods! They have no place in the world and even less place on anyone older than 4yo in the ring! Beige will be grand.

I have always been told to never, ever wear black gloves in the ring. Women don't wear them unless they are in mourning. If you can try and find a pair of dark, dark brown ones.

 

[Sabrina&Stardust]

Okay, thankyou! I agree, anyone who wears bright yellow jodhpurs looks like they're trying to be a duck xx

 

[Kallibear]

I have always been told to never, ever wear black gloves in the ring. Women don't wear them unless they are in mourning. If you can try and find a pair of dark, dark brown ones.

She'll just have to pretend someone's died It's one of those stupid rules left over from Ye Olde Days. It honest won't matter nowadays, esp as the judge is unlikely to even notice! I'd go for navy if you feel you must (esp if it matches your silk). Brown will look odd a you've not got brown boots or tack.

Any pale coloured shirt is fine. If it's white (and your mum doesn't mind ) then try washing it with a yellow duster: it dyes it a lovely cream colour and takes the 'harsh' edge off white. Your tie will be perfect.

Star's a midget so jodh boots are fine.

I'd prob go for navy hatsilk (and navy gloves) as your tack is black, not brown. Try it one to see though.

Beige jodhs, def!!!!!! You can just about get away with it on a poncy pony but not a hunter type!

As for numnah, no rolled edge is better as it's more discrete but if you particulrly want a rolled edge (and it matches your tack) then it really isn't that important.

 

[Kallibear]

What bridles he wearing? That's far more important than the numnah! Reins need to have martingale stops cut off (unless you've got a martinglale on), noseband needs to be a plain hunter caveson to suit his face and browband plain and boring. No bling and flash/grackle nosebands look awful in show classes.

 

[Sabrina&Stardust]

Navy gloves it is then as I'm a terrible lier! I know he's a midget- just the perfect size for a midget rider His bridle is just plain black leather, his noseband is raised (I don't know what you technically call it!) with a flash loop so I am going to borrow my friend's flat noseband without the flash loop. He's got a plain black leather browband which is very boring so will suit it nicely Sweet iron loose ring snaffle bit with grippy reins that have buckle attachments facing to the outside with no martingale stops. Does that sound alright? xx

 

[Sabrina&Stardust]

not an amazing picture, but it gives you a bit of an idea of his colouring this was taken on the show day of pony camp xx

 

[Kallibear]

Flat noseband and plain browband perfect

Could you borrow reins with billets rather than buckles? It rather ruins having an otherwise perfect bridle to have big silver buckles. Use whichever bit he goes happiest in.

Picd doesn't work I'm afraid: it needs to be a .jpg

 

[Sabrina&Stardust]

I'll ask my friend's about the reins
How should I upload the picture.. sorry, I just can't work it out

 

[Sabrina&Stardust]

Picture of me & Stardust on showday at pony camp

so which colour jacket, tie, hat silk and gloves should that be?

 

[Sparkles]

At local level, the turnout isn't as important to me if I'm judging. Yes, in an ideal world, everyone would be Ramseys and doubles...but at local, that just isn't practical.

As long as you are tidy and smart, it's your over all show, conformation and manners of the horse that will be judged on most. Any areas for improvement on turnout, I offer as advice at the end, but don't let it influence my decision on the placings at local level.

Good luck!