Showing Questions!

[sasquatch]

I'm doing showing in a month but need a bit of time to get everything together, lol.

I've done in-hand showing before, but never done actual showing.
Aiming to do a coloured class, newcomers and possibly a riding horse class.

I know I'll need a tweed jacket, which I'm going to see if I can borrow.

Is it shirt and tie or shirt and stocks for showing?
Which colour for shirt, I have a green checkered show shirt and white shirts - would either be correct?
Breeches - I have cream, would these be okay?
I have black tall boots that I'm guessing should be alright.
My hat isn't a velvet hat, it's a black CO but I can't afford another and don't want to borrow a hat but I'm assuming it'll be okay.

Horse is coloured and in brown tack.
I know she'll need a saddle cloth that's minimal and just sits under the saddle, would brown or white be better? (she's more white than brown on her body)
She's in a brown grackle bridle in a loose ring - will this need to be changed or should this be okay?

What's the most important things to remember as part of a ride out and during the class, are there anything judges look for to remember/avoid?

Is there anything else I should need to do/remember for showing?

 

[only_me]

Tweed and tie, not a white shirt so go with the green and beige/cream jodhpurs, as long as not white.
Use a saddle shaped brown nummnah as it’s the colour of the saddle, or can use no nummnah.
Could you put a velvet silk over your hat?

I’d change the noseband to a cavesson, and a loose ring will be fine for newcomers.
For Riding class and colored you’d be better in a double bridle, can use a rugby Pelham.

When riding round keep the excess loop of the rein on the outside, don’t get too close to one in front and never overtake a horse infront of the judge! If asked for a gallop actually do Gallop not just a slightly faster canter.
You may be asked to strip and trot up for coloured and Riding horse so you’ll need a groom for the class, the judge may also ride horse.
Which show Is it?

 

[conniegirl]

Shirt and Tie, cream jods will be fine as will the boots.
the hat will depend on what it is but if it is fairly plain youu will get away with it.
For the shirt, bung the white one in the wash with a yellow duster to give you a slightly lemony shirt, looks much better than a white one.


Generaly numnah is best matching the colour of your saddle and being very close fitting (or a sheepskin).
Grackle is a big no - no for flat classes, the only acceptable noseband in ridden flat classes is a cavesson.
Loose ring snaffle is fine, any snaffle, pelham or double is acceptable. but with your loose ring you need to get rid of any bit gaurds.

For the group go round make sure you find a space and keep in your space, do not be afraid to circle away to find a space or to go deep into corners. If you must overtake try to do it behind the judge. generally the judge will watch one side of the ring so try and spot which side they are watching and do all your transitions behind them, perticularly your canter transitions if they are a bit shakey.
In trot do NOT push your horse out of its rhythm as this can make them look lame. You will have to change the rein, remember to change your diagonal and dont get boxed in.
For the individual show, keep it short, sweet and simple. You only need to show walk trot and canter on each rein and a gallop on one rein. if you keep it simple there is less to go wrong, if you keep it short you wont bore the judge.
as a judge myself there is nothing worse than a competitor who either tries to do advanced stuff (very annoying when the horse looked very promising in the go round but you cant score it highly in the show because you cant see its paces) or who goes on and on and on! its showing not dressage, keep shows to max 2 mins!

Most importantly smile, breath, enjoy yourself, be polite to all officials and be sportsmanlike whether you agree with the judge or not. We do remember those who are perticularly rude or stroppy.

 

[sasquatch]

Tweed and tie, not a white shirt so go with the green and beige/cream jodhpurs, as long as not white.
Use a saddle shaped brown nummnah as it’s the colour of the saddle, or can use no nummnah.
Could you put a velvet silk over your hat?

I’d change the noseband to a cavesson, and a loose ring will be fine for newcomers.
For Riding class and colored you’d be better in a double bridle, can use a rugby Pelham.

When riding round keep the excess loop of the rein on the outside, don’t get too close to one in front and never overtake a horse infront of the judge! If asked for a gallop actually do Gallop not just a slightly faster canter.
You may be asked to strip and trot up for coloured and Riding horse so you’ll need a groom for the class, the judge may also ride horse.
Which show Is it?

It's just a local show, rather than NPS and I can't get to Larne or Antrim as no lift and I don't think the horse travels well (and we also have dressage on Sunday) but proper dress/as close to proper dress is required as it is a show rather than the dressage and jumping leagues that are usually hosted that are a bit more casual. The show itself is about a month away, but I know I'm better making sure I find out what I'll need for myself and horse and be able to get some practice in too

I'm not sure if the horse will go in a double bridle, and I've never ridden with one so may just keep her in the snaffle bridle and get a caveson noseband as I'm assuming that'll be fine for local level.

I have a velvet hat silk so will see if it'll slip over my hat and not look ridiculous.
Gallop and trot up we will practice just incase - would the trot up be similar to what's expected in an inhand class, or is it just walk horse away and trot back on a straight line?

 

[Crackerz]

Shirt colour would depend on what colour/style tweed you manage to borrow - pick the one that suits it best once you have found a jacket to wear.

Snaffle would be fine for all but as said, preferable to have double reins in the Riding Horse class, but make sure you practice in one before the show, don't just shove it in and hope for the best! I despise Rugby pelhams with a passion, ugly bulky things which give you little feeling on the snaffle rein, so a normal neat pelham would suffice

 

[conniegirl]

I despise Rugby pelhams with a passion, ugly bulky things which give you little feeling on the snaffle rein, so a normal neat pelham would suffice

I think most showing people despise Rugby pelhams, almost every judge I've spoken too about them has disliked them and you rarely see them fitted properly.

 

[only_me]

It's just a local show, rather than NPS and I can't get to Larne or Antrim as no lift and I don't think the horse travels well (and we also have dressage on Sunday) but proper dress/as close to proper dress is required as it is a show rather than the dressage and jumping leagues that are usually hosted that are a bit more casual. The show itself is about a month away, but I know I'm better making sure I find out what I'll need for myself and horse and be able to get some practice in too

I'm not sure if the horse will go in a double bridle, and I've never ridden with one so may just keep her in the snaffle bridle and get a caveson noseband as I'm assuming that'll be fine for local level.

I have a velvet hat silk so will see if it'll slip over my hat and not look ridiculous.
Gallop and trot up we will practice just incase - would the trot up be similar to what's expected in an inhand class, or is it just walk horse away and trot back on a straight line?

You’ll walk out of line up and stand horse up infront of judge, they’ll have a look around and then It’s walk away and trot back usually, but the judge will tell you what they want

Trot past the judge as well, don’t stop before or at them!

The rugby Pelham is a snaffle bit with an extra ring attached to outside to attach the second rein to. If using one make sure to use a slip head and attach it to the bridle, there’s nothing I hate more than the ring flapping away and not attached to the bridle!

For local should be fine in a snaffle anyway

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

Rugby Pelhams are horrible! They look daft! Show Pelhams are neater, give you extra leatherwork of a double but only one mouthpiece.

But personally I would make sure your horse goes well in a snaffle. If you have time to school to a double set of reins then by all means do but don't stress about it! A judge would much rather see a horse go well in a snaffle than badly in a double/Pelham. Your at a local show not HOYS!

Your hat will be fine - if it's a skullydome then put a silk over it. If it's one with a wee peek then leave it as is.