Racehorse to Riding Horse Classes - Tack and turnout questions

[EMC]

Hi all,

This week Freddie has been brilliant, and people watching us have all been asking how long has he been out of training etc. and why don't we try a Racehorse to Riding Horse class at a local show.

I'm relatively new to conventional riding and have never ridden in a show and so have no idea of the turnout, tack and riding requirements. Can any of you help?

Ie. What tack?

He has been going nicely in a hackamore although we need a wide turning circle in canter! can a hackamore be used?? In a snaffle he puts his tongue over the bit as soon as we are at halt. He is ridden quite loosely and I try to be as giving with my hands as possible so as not to pull him in the mouth or discourage him. Is a flash acceptable? I have a feeling that when we halt and he is fiddling with his tongue over the bit we might be marked down?

Brown or black? I will have to invest in a new saddle and bridle as I want to look our best. Do I go for a flat cavesson noseband? a discreet numnah? fleecy? Leather girth? Martingale? Kitchen sink??

And for me.....he is dark bay, what colour jacket is acceptable? Black or blue hat? Boots with laces, straight tops, gaiters and boots and what colour breeches/shirt??Stock or tie??

What do we have to do? He is working very nicely in walk and trot, although not 'on the bit' he is not flat on the forehand and goes nicely off my leg and pulls up nicely too. Canter we are working on, if I stand in the stirrups and ask he understands but if I sit and ask he just proceeds to trot very big and very fast! Bless him. I am learning how to be a normal rider too, but together we muddle through.

OMG this show malarky is like a mine field!! I don't want to go and give it our best, only for me to let him down by not preparing him properly or not use the right tack.

Im sure you have seen this post many times but if you have got this far then you have my thanks!

 

[Pinkatc]

Hi EMC, this is a good place to start - http://www.ror.org.uk/faqs.htm

 

[Lolo]

What type is he? That affects what bridle and what you wear- if he's a hunter, plain bridle but if he's a riding horse type you'll want a fancy browband.

He'll need to go in either a pelham, a double bridle or a snaffle. Plain tack, preferably in brown with a fairly straight cut saddle. Martingale allowed but not encouraged. You'll need tweed, cream/ fawn/ beige jods, long boots (black or brown I think) and a shirt and tie, brown gloves.

For a show, just show walk/ trot/ canter on both reins, and if he can do some medium show that on the diagonal Al did the RoR class at the Norfolk show last week and had a blast- if your horse is well behaved and nicely mannered, you'll do just fine!

These are of him most recently He's been out of racing 2.5 years now and is pretty good at the showing malarkey

 

[Baileybob]

As above, present the horse according to type. Tack - brown. No hackamore. No flash. No Martingale (unless doing working classes) If you ride him in a snaffle, you can get one with a "spinner" in the middle which will prevent him putting his tongue over but does not affect the severity of the bit. A double/pelham is usually correct for showing, but a snaffle would not be penalised for a novice, especially at local level, much better to happily in the snaffle to start with.

Hunter/riding horse - flat brown cavesson noseband, Hack may look nicer in a finer, raised cavesson. Hunter plain browband, Hack/RH - coloured (bling!)

Leather girth - yes (unless your horse is being presented as a hack, when you might prefer a white girth - personal preference). Discreet (empahsis on discreet) fleece numnah - yes (either same colour as saddle or horse - whichever looks best) always a numnah though - without looks "unfinished".

Rider: (all based on adult dress) Hunter/RH - subtle tweed that compliments the horse. Hack - Navy (no piping/emblem etc and plain buttons). Beige/cream shirt/collar. Subtle tie (stock only worn for evening performances at championship shows) some red is usually nice on a dark bay but would also depend on your browband colours . Shade of beige breeches (not bright yellow and not white). Tie pin. Brown gloves. Navy hat (not black!) with flesh strap preferably. Boots - most common are black, some people do prefer brown. No laces. if you want to be really technically correct, get straight cut boots with a garter strap. Spurs are correct - dummies if your horse is not used to or doesn't take to spurs. Two things that will make you look more professional and are really easy 1) buy a piece of thin elastic similar colour to your tweed to tie your number around your waist (create a loop each end to go round your buttons to secure and it is re-usable, easy to use and very cheap) OR use a length of plaiting thread - the black ties you get at shows look ghastly! 2) put your hair in a small neat bun with a fine hair net over the bun.

In the ring: You will enter the ring on the right rein in walk. The steward will call the trot - (keep an eye on the steward as they will be giving instructions!) you will all trot round on right rein, steward will then call canter, you will all canter round on right rein. Steward will then position themselves to ask for the change of rein - you may be first to do this so if they point at you and say "change the rein" a polite smile in acknowldgement and change the rein across the diagonal (they will often be pointing to direct you) if you are not the first to be asked - follow on across the rein change. Change down to trot acorss the diagonal and ideally three strides and off to left canter - you do not stay in trot for the left rein - just straight back up to canter. You will all canter left. Steward will then position themselves and ask for an extension/gallop down a long side (weather and safety permitting). Lengthen down the long side (controlled!) upon safely reaching the other end, quietly come back to walk and walk in a circle BEHIND the judge (so you don't obscure their view of anyone still extending). Once all are walking, you will be called in to line, this will either be done in order of preference or you will be asked to line up in any order. One by one you will then do an individual show (as you move up the "levels" of showing this will become a judge ride but unless a TARRA class, this rarely happens at local level - although it is not impossible -so bear it in mind). Keep your individual show simple and correct - don't go round and round in circles or ten figures of eight, very boring for the judge and the longer you are out there the more chance of messing it up! One simple figure of eight showing a little trot, then canter, the change the rein, canter then extend (if safe). DOn't finish your show immediatley under the judges nose, stop a nice distance away so they can see you clearly (but not the other side of the ring either!). You may be given a pre set show by the judge so listen carefully! You will then either be called forward in order of placing from the line up or asked to walk out on right rein and then will be called in, in order of placing.

WHilst in the ring, be wise to what is going on around you, find yourself a space (nothing worse than everyone being bunched up at one end of the ring and 3/4 of the ring being empty. Circle away behind judge if you need to find a space. Stay away from the naughty horse. Look up and smile and be confident.

My advice - get yourself to a county show (if you can find one that is not cancelled!) and watch the people who do this week in week out). Look at what they are wearing and watch what goes on. The classes pretty much all look the same and you will see they all dress very similarly - showing is very traditionalist and understated, its all the little subtleties that make the perfect picture!!!!

Sorry for the overload - remember that (like anything) when you are starting out you may not have all the above (its all expensive of course) so do what you can to start with, but always be neat and tidy (and do the elastic thing for the back number!!!!).

Enjoy!

 

[EMC]

Thank-you all for your replies, lot's of good advice! Somerton show is next weekend apparently so I shall go and see the classes they are holding to get an idea of a local show.

One other question though.....how do I differentiate between a riding horse and a hack? This is Fred.....not the best photo's but hopefully it gives you some idea of his build. What would he be suited to and if you have any advice as to where I need to build or loose weight on him?

We still have a long way to go until he has as much muscle as I'd like, and I'm holding off pulling his mane/tail (and those fluffy heels!) until a few weeks before we make our showing debut. I'm loathe to trim his long whiskers though, they have grown tenfold now he has daily turnout and I feel a bit mean!

Looking sleepy on return from our first hack after my Op. Tack is not to my preference but functional!

Please ignore his willy! He gets a little too relaxed when I give him a massage and back scratch after riding him in the school but he does look less like a donkey here.

 

[Miss L Toe]

I would put him in as a riding horse, but I think the judge should tell you if you should be in a another class. He will build up muscles behind if he does more school work

 

[Lolo]

He looks like a riding horse rather than a hack, so the photos I posted are a pretty good indication of good turnout for you- they were complimented on how smart they looked (and the fact Reg goes in a loose ring happy mouth snaffle wasn't an issue and he wasn't marked down because of it so if your boy is happier in a snaffle over a double bridle, stick with it!).