Showing: coloured cob 2yr old - what bit rings and coupling to rein?

Kallibear

Kallibear

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Below is my adorable (mostly) 2yr old coloured cob. He's off to the first show of the year next weekend and I'm totally not organised!

In all his super hairy glory! Hes now a lot less hairy!
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His mane and tail is washed and plaited up but that's about it.
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It's just occured to me that he doesn't have a posh bridle or even a suitable bit! Last year he wasn't bitted and therefore just had a halter.

I'm about to sort out the bridle side of it (a traditional hunter bridle with flat noseband. In havana. I swear it's costing more than he did!
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) but I'm not sure what type of bit-rings he should be in. His full cheek obviously isn't any good.

Should he have small bit rings (like brandoon size) or normal sized? Eggbutt or loose ring?

And talking of lead - what to do about the coupling to his shiney new lead (which has a brass buckle)? Newmarket chain or a leather coupling? Both are avalible in brass only (as far as I can find).

So, do I match the bit to the coupling or the bridle (which has the normal 'silver' fittings)? This show doesn't matter as it's just a local, but he's off to the Royal Highland Show in june and needs to be correct, and I don't want to get it wrong now have to buy MORE new stuff later.
 
The bit, I think its whatever he is happiest in, being a youngster Id think a loose ring would be better...... but maybe borrow an egg butt and a loose ring and see which he says yey or ney to!

In terms of matching to the coupling or bridle........ if I am honest, I have no idea!!!

Being a traditional cob however shouldnt he be left natural (a.k.a. not plaited?)

Ye new kit is a fortune, but he is a serious cutie so obv worth every penny!
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good luck!
 
This is my traditional, this was taken when he was just 3 at the BSPA summer champs. He is correctly turned out for a traditional - yours should be either shown with full feather and natural mane, tail and minimal trimming - or fully trimmed, hogged with clipped legs, ie as a show cob. He should not be plaited as this is not correct for his type.

Chancer-trottingup-BSPAWCC.jpg


What height is yours? If he is under 15 hands, I would show him as a traditional pony with full hair, though BSPA do included small hogged (under 153) in their traditional/native classes. For CHAPS he would have to be under 14.2 to do ponies. Mine is just over 15 hands, so I show him as a traditional horse, albeit he is normally the smallest in the class, but so far holds his own.

This is a close up of his bridle - he has a small ring copper bit (he far prefers this to a rubber in hand bit) and a leather coupling as I don't need a chain for control.

Noseband is 1", though I now use a 2" for his ridden bridle.

ChanceratBPSAWCCaged3.jpg


If I can offer any more help, PM me.
 
Thank you - it was funny seeing him at that age again, he is now so much more mature and chunky - now rising 5.

The white is the result of hours of effort, equine blue, tresume and grannies soap flakes
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What you don't see is this - 15 mins after getting home and the field is all it took to turn him back to Stinky.

Chanceraged28months.jpg
 
Id say keep him Hairy!!! (hairy is always better!)

Theresa, your horse is gorgeous! Looks just like a horse that beat me eAster weekend in in hand horse!!! I was the only person in the class (horses first show, thought YEY gonna get a red!) then she came in "for the fun of it!!!!!!" and totally kicked my A**!!!!
I was like DAMN IT! (coz my horse was really well behaved as well! and he is smart!)
 
Keep him hairy - he's gorgeous. No plaits to worry about, no tail to pull, No clipping of the feather...... And when you get some 'Sparkle' spray on that mane and tail - WOW.

The more hair, the better esp if you are off to the Royal Highland. Plaits for his type are not correct turnout.
 
Think I am innocent - Stinky was strutting his stuff at Trailblazers and BSPA winter champs at Keysoe at Easter.

We did very well in the BSPA classes, he went first reserve champion in the novice ridden and then in hand - best we have ever done in fact, won the large HW traditional/native horse and then in 4 year old and over in hand championship class, went reserve champion to Tickity Boo who then went on to take supreme champion so can't complain at coming reserve to her.

He also won his in hand on Friday to get through to finals for Trailblazers and qualified for the ridden trads to - I was very very proud of him and he got extra butterscotch treats that night - his fav.

Worth all the hours of scrubbing - and then filthy legs in 5 mins as it peed down from Friday to Sunday - all the time I was there.
 
God, no. He's not had even a whisker chopped off
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I just meant he's lost his wooly mammoth winter coat and looks all shiney and sleek again, and his mane is just loosely plaited to train it to one side, and to keep it cleaner
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ALL the hair is staying, at least for the next couple of years, and I'm just really cross that the front of his hind feathers have been bog burnt off
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He's MEANT to make 15hh+, but it's not looking hopefully. He's not quite 2yrs old yet, and standing is a smidge over 14hh. I'd LOVE him to make over 15hh but 14.3 ish is more likely
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He'll mostly likely stay traditional later, mostly cos I love long flowing manes and tails
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hum - his bridle is a traditional ridden bridle, as I couldn't find a nice flat nosebanded inhand bridle. It's going to have to do, as it's been bought now! At great cost.
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Problem of the coupling has been solved - I've just sold the leather lead and he'll be show with his reins. Meaning he can have silver coloured bit rings
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As for the bit - he's a tolerant little soul and accepts most bit in his mouth. He's not bothered if it's a straight bar, single jointed or double jointed really. But still to decide (and buy - all the bits I have are too big for him) - normal sized bit rings or brandoon sized bit rings, to go with a traditional hunter bridle?

Theresa - what a lovely boy
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Thankfully piper has less white on him and, apart from his legs, he's an amazingly clean pony. He's also an angel to bath, thank god! You're pictures has brought another question to mind though - hats: Show gear is lovely dark green tweed jacket with a faint navy check with tie and brown trousers. Brown cane, brown gloves. Hat was going to be a navy velvet show hat with a leather harness (H2000) but now I'm swithering. Maybe I should have one more like yours? Agggggh, decisions decisions.
 
Kalli,

Sounds like you have a plan there! along with a very well behaved boy!!!!

The hat, doesn't really matter either way at the end of the day, if you havea beagler they look smart in hand as a hard hat, the navy velvet H2000 also looks smart (I have this! and i lOVE it!) but the flat hats like Theresa has are also common amongst inhanders!
Entirely up to you, you wont get marked down one way or the other!

Good luck! and expecting lots of piccies!
 
I now use a hard hat for inhand. My trilby finally got so scruffy - Chancer likes to grab and chew it, that I found on ebay an old Sandon Saddlery hat in a nice brown - to match my new brown tweed. So old it had the original black elastic which took me back 30 years in time.

I carefully have tucked it inside so it can't be seen and it looks very smart and cost me £10, can't afford a beagler at the moment.

That said, wearing a hat in hand with harness is not a problem, though to be honest, most people at affiliated level don't have a harnessed hat for in hand, they use a beagler type or trilby/flat cap.

As long as your riding bridle has a nice wide flat noseband, it will be fine - he is the type that really does need this sort of noseband to show him off to his best. I have just started showing Chancer in his riding bridle now that he is an adult - he wears his vulcanite pelham which he shows in, but as yours is a baby he should not have anything other than a snaffle in and I would go for a regular sized ring.

One thing - if you can swop to navy trousers, that would look nicer with the outfit you describe. Also make sure that your boots don't pinch or rub and you can really run out in them - I learn that one the hard way
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I now need a brown H2000 as I have a lovely new brown tweed which matches Chancer's bay so well. I wear a cream shirt, mustard gold tie and cream breeches and I am seriously considering dark brown long boots to finish the picture.

For Farra, who is our chesnut sabino clydie, I wear green tweed with navy collar, yellow shirt, red/gold tie, navy H2000 hat and canary breeches with black boots as this colour suits her.

Tip - bag his tail - Chancer and Farra have their tails bagged all winter and in summer, Farra does have hers out as it is not that long, but Chancer has two thirds still bagged and the top third out. You get a tail that reaches the ground with little work and effort to keep it nice. I also bag Chancer's mane.

Take plaits out couple of days before the show to let the hair get straight - wavy plaited manes and tails again are not correct.

Pig oil and sulphur - will keep his legs in good condition - prevent bog burn, keep the hair white and most of all, stop mites - PM me if you want the very long PM I do on keep hairy horses legs in show condition.

Go and have fun, see what others do and watch and learn - I also steward for the BSPA summer champs and this was a great way to learn what the Judges look for.

Chancer at 2 years was just on 14 hands so you may find he does go 15 hands plus - these chaps don't finish growing until 7.

Good luck, and I hope you enjoy self.
 
Wow - Janette recovers from her faint at the though of chopping all that lovely hair off..........................

Definately bag his tail OR keep it in plaits. Star's tail was bagged, but she managed to lose it in the field last December, so I put her white tail into about 5 plaits and it stayed there for the rest of the winter. I've never seen it so clean at this time of year.
I second the oil and sulphur (I used baby oil and sulphur (YO is into Shire's in a big way and he had some mixed up) - it sorted out the greasy black tidemark Star had on her heels.

This is the best Detangler I have ever come across - brilliant stuff.
http://www.tailgator.co.uk/tg/pages/eqysssurvivorequine.html

Have fun.

TheresaF - did you get the mane bags from Tailgator? I've never seen them used.
 
Yes, actually
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I designed, tested and created them with Debbie - you will see a certain young coloured demostrating them on their site. I rang her orignally about tail bags and asked would she have a go at mane bags and the rest is history.

I am now hoping to get some sort of leg bag made to protect the hair when warming up at shows and maybe day turnout created.

I also love their products - megatek and survivor are my two life savers - megatek for keeping hair in perfect condition and survivor is the best detangler and shiner on the market - and I have probably tried the lot.

Tip for the tail bag - if you have a thick tail, do a top and then a second from end of the dock plait. Put the bag through both plaits - mine have never come off. I also use the fold ones - far better as they really stay out of the way when ridden.
 
Darties at my yard have mane bags - look to be doing the job of creating a thick, long mane.

My plaited mare has a tail bag - keeps it white more than anything, but I've never had to trim it as often as I do now.

You can get a beagler from about £30 from Dressageonabudget.com , I got a navy one from there until I can afford a CO.
 
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