showing experts and trimming?

[Bossdog]

Want to take Katie to a couple of local shows to get her out a bit, we're not quite ready for ridden classes yet so want to try some in hand. However, I have no idea what classes to put her into and she's half scruffy at the moment. She is normally a hairy cob but her mane and tail were pulled last winter and her feathers were clipped, before we had her. Her tail is probably long enough to plait now and her mane definatly is. Her feathers are half grown but they look a bit stupid, should I just trim them off?

There's a best condition class and a tack and turnout so i think I might go for those, whats the dress code, sorry for being stupid but I'ma ashowing virgin and I haven't got a clue!! Hope she behaves herself....

Jules x

 

[conniegirl]

can you put a picture up of her? even a hairy one so that we get an idea of what type of horse she is!
I would plait the mane deffinately and take off her feathers, tail i prefer pulled tails to plaited and so do most in the show ring.
Jacket for you will be a tweed, shirt, tie, brown leather gloves, Hat (navy beagler, trilby, bushmans or similar), light coloured trousers, boots/shoes you can run in in black or brown colour

For horsey i would say most likely she should be in a plain bridle with flat plain noseband and browband and if she can a double or pelham if not then a snaffle with her reins over her head.

 

[Bossdog]

She has lost weight since this picture (honest) and her feathers are a quite a bit longer now....

 

[benrolo]

My daughter was placed on her pony at a show last year (don't do much tack & turnout although she is always tidy), plaits were stiched in and tail was pulled but she was marked down because he still had his whiskers, personally I think it seems cruel to trim them off surely they are there for a purpose, what does anyone else do?

 

[sleepingdragon10]

[ QUOTE ]
My daughter was placed on her pony at a show last year (don't do much tack & turnout although she is always tidy), plaits were stiched in and tail was pulled but she was marked down because he still had his whiskers, personally I think it seems cruel to trim them off surely they are there for a purpose, what does anyone else do?

[/ QUOTE ]

I'll be leaving the whiskers on both my ponies, if they get marked down as a result so be it

 

[Bossdog]

I didn't know you could lose marks for leaving whiskers, horses need whiskers!! Thats really mean! Ah well, I'll just take her feathers off and if thats not good enough for the judge, so be it.

 

[mickey]

Yes I don't trim whiskers but I have been pulled up about it in condition and turnout classes.

The feathers should definitely be trimmed, plait the mane and either pull or plait the tail. I prefer a pulled tail personally.

Use thread for your stitches if you are doing condition and turnout.