Showing: How do you give yourself 'room' in the ring?

[el_Snowflakes]

Hi all,

My horse has large ground covering paces so At shows I find it really hard to not end up up the backside of other horses. Particularly during be veteran classes where there are sometimes small ponies in the class. I normally end up circling to make space (which doesn't always work)

i don't like to hog the inside lane however Im hesitant to ride a wider circle so the judge can't see me! In the group part when showing, how do you give yourself enough room whilst conforming to show 'etiquette'!?

 

[AdorableAlice]

At the lower levels you won't be able to because the rings are so small.

 

[be positive]

It can be hard at lower levels but do not be afraid to take the wide outside route, the judge will see you if you are worth seeing, will normally appreciate why you are there and sometimes the others will stop doing tiny circles and follow your lead.
In these situations I ride very deep into the corners to make space, usually it works out that you can then be alone as you go in front of the judge, a good judge will stand still watching the class go past in one place, what goes on behind is less important but they do know or sense how the horses are behaving.

 

[Jesstickle]

Don't ride small circles, you need to ride a big loop so that you get a nice clear line to trot in front of the judge. Try and do it on the side the judge isn't really watching so you can find the space before it is 'your turn' to be under observation. It's hard to explain and I am out of practise myself as I haven't done any showing since I was about 16 ( I did a lot in those days though).

 

[GinaGeo]

When I did the Veteran classes they were usually reasonably big rings, the trouble arises from the huge variety in the ring. A hunter is never going to be able to comfortably trot behind a Shetland! And - yes that happened to me once!

Your best bet, as said above is to find a gap, then do a large sweeping circle/cutting across the ring to get to it. If it's very tight then you will have to take a wide inside line, although if it was crowded enough for to occur the judge really ought to have split the class so ponies do theirs together and the horses do theirs separately - that happened quite a lot.

 

[ArcticFox]

the annoying thing is when a rider runs up your horses bum. if this happens I usually circle if the rider is clearly not going to move (usually at lower levels)

 

[el_Snowflakes]

So am I right in saying, you guys think it's preferable to take an outside line, riding into corners which might put me out of view? Just interested as usually the ones who you can clearly tell are trying hard to why noticed hog the inside lane. I don't like doing this & try to avoid doing so.

 

[Showstyle]

I was showing on Saturday and was third to enter the ring. I trotted straight past the first two and over to the other side of the arena to get my space as my horse really hates horses up his bum. The girl that was originaly in the lead trots up behind me and plonks herself right in front of me again. I once again trotted past and she rides straight up my bum. I turned around and told her he will kick (he doesnt) to which she moved away and stayed there. I would never normally have to resort to that but she was determined to get in my way. The rest of the class where working on an inner track so I just rode super deep corners and ended up having the long side in front of the judge to myself!

 

[be positive]

You only need to be in view going past the judge, as long as you can get a good space opened up in front of you on the way to the part that is in front of the judge you will be fine, if someone chooses to cut in front of you at that point stay out let them go and the space should open up again. At local level there will always be one who wants to hog the inside or get in front or behind you, keep your eye on where they are and act before they get in your way, if that means doing a circle or cutting across somewhere do it without making too much of an issue, if they persist do as the other poster suggests and tell them to be careful.

 

[smja]

Bear in mind that unless it's very local level, the judge knows all the tricks in the book and a few more besides.

Also think about riding the deep corners well, which will give you a much better long side (where judge is watching) compared to something not quite straight or working properly through that's been skirting round the inside.

 

[AdorableAlice]

Tell the person who rides up your backside that your horse kicks, amazing how quickly they drop back.

I judge occasionally and my pet hate is being crowded. The closer you are to me the less I can see. The final walk round is usually the worst for crowding. Use the corners for both space and to balance the horse. When horses are ridden close to the one in front all I see is a rider trying to haul it back and a horse on the forehand, more often than not, with it's mouth yanked open. It will be easier to keep everything smooth if the horse can shorten and lengthen within each pace, everything then looks a bit more in control.

I remember my horse in the ring at RHIS in 2008, amateur class and 35 middles in a not huge ring. How they judged that lot was beyond me, the go round was 3 abreast and I could barely pick my horse out.