Tips for Neatest and Cleanest Class...

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bex1984

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I am taking Murphy to a show on saturday and want to do a ridden class...unfortunately for me the choices are: Best Riding Club Pony, Best Rider and Neatest and Cleanest...

....so Ive got no choice but to do Neatest and Cleanest!!

Any tips on getting a hairy, chubby native/coblet to look neat and clean, especially after having done 3 in-hand classes before that class?!

Oh well....it's the taking part that counts!!
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Oooh how exciting! Take a flask with some hot water in and a cloth, so you can hot cloth him before the class
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You can give your tack a quick wipe over as well with some saddle soap before the class - Nurphy always looks super at show so I'm sure you'll do well
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If you are riding in the class, remember to clean the soles of your boots.

Ask a friend to oil the hooves just before you enter the ring.
 
Put boots polish on your stirrups treads and makes sure the soles of yor boots are spotless - I used to put mine on when I was already on my pony! use a match to get the saddle soap out of the buckles holes on your bridle and don't forget to oil the inside of the pony's feet and the bulbs of the heel as well as the outside of the feet. Make sure plaits are perfect (plait both mane & tail) and finished with thread, not rubber bands. Make sure the tail is cut to the correctl lenght or you will be marked down.
 
eek, I'd better give my stirrups treads a damn good clean tonight then!!

I have a jumbo pack of baby wipes
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Panda2007 - he is a hairy native so no plaits, but what length should his tail be?!
 
The more I think about it, we don't have a chance at doing well in this class!!

Would I be completely bonkers to enter best rider, knowing I will undoubtedly be the worst rider....but at least I'd get to "do" a bit more.

I'm thinking I'll come last in N&C anyway, so I may as well come last in best rider but get the experience of doing the individual show etc? What do you all think? Am I mad??
 
Go for the both of them and hopefully you will be pleasantly suprised, have more confidence for yourself, your photo's in your signature look fine to me.

Besides it's all good experience and you can't win all of the time

Good Luck & enjoy yourselves
 
If he does froth at the mouth give him a few mint imperials, at least the froth will be white rather than green! Wipe bit sides with a baby wipe just as you go into the ring.

Please make sure you are hair netted, tie up tight, wear gloves and everything polished and shiney

Good luck
 
girla - can't afford to do two classes....so have to pick just one...

SSM - very clever tip about the mint imperials!! At our first ever show last year he wiped green saliva off his mouth on to my cream jods minutes before a class....before i knew what was happening several middle aged women wielding baby wipes were frantically rubbing my leg!! And it came off!
 
Do Best Rider- its worth it just to watch the competition!!
I did Best Rider a few times as it was usually the only class i could do to settle my cob for the cob class. In a huge class of about 30 riders, i was pulled in almost last, nearly left the ring but thought it was worth the practise for cob to stand still- well when it got to our individual show , there were some kids messing about with a huge umbrella- cob took one look and p**sed off bucking
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how i stayed on without colliding with anyone i dont know- got the last laugh when i won the class
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in your face all the stressage peeps on warmbloods looking down on me and the cobbler
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Before going to the show, wash NO scrub the white socks then while still wet french chalk/ whitening powder - judges seem to like to see that an effort has been made on the white bits!
 
I have chalk at the ready! White socks have already been srubbed once this week and I'm going to have another go tonight (unfortunately he is so hairy that if I wash them in the morning they'll still be wet when we get to the show...)

Land_Girl - go you and your cob!!
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Sounds like you must have ridden well to cope with the bucking etc
 
They like whiskers to be trimmed.

Neatly pulled or plaited tail, immaculate plaits with correct number of plaits.

When you get your number cut the corners off (round them into an oval) so it looks neater. Use black elastic rather than the tape they give you as it looks better.

Always wear a tie pin.

Tack immaculately clean, if you are feeling particularly energetic you can clean the holes out with cocktail sticks. No green grime on your bit - Put through dishawasher....?

Agree with shoe polish on both sides of stirrup treads.

Clean nose, eyes and dock. Baby oil rubbed over nose/eyes just before going into ring.

Clean hooves inside and out and varnish inside and out before going in.

Check your stiching on tack, make sure saddle is clean under flaps, they will prob take a look.

Correct small numnah colour matching your horse.

Gloves, clean again. Boots can be kept clean before mounting by wearing plastic socks such as those used on building sites (over boots).

Hairnet, no stray hair.

Chalk on white bits, neatly brushed tail with spray shine.

Show cane colour matching tack if poss.

As you can tell I am a perfectionist!!! Just do some of the above if you can!
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I show hairy natives, so use the best shampoo on the mane and tail, I use Tressame deep cleansing and loads of conditioner, chalk for white bits, a wee bit of baby oil around eyes and mouth, just before you enter, and if you have black mane and tail, and little baby oil through the mane and tail so if the sun shines, it glints off the oil (use sparingly), and good luck.
 
Be very careful with chalk as the last thing that a judge wants ( should they inspect the feathers) is to have their hands covered in chalk !! I can guarantee that it will end up on the darker bits of your horse. Try washing his feathers in Treseme deep clean shampoo they will come up really white. my daughter shows a piebald hairy cob and she has beaten the plaited ponies in turnout classes without the use of chalk which can look awful on feathers. Just make sure the feathers are fully combed through and that his hooves are clean and lightly oiled with a clear oil. Good luck.

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I judge a lot of tack and turnout classes and agree with everything you say. The more effort you put in the better, you don't want to get looked at for the wrong reason - first impressions count.

If the class is a large one I judge on a points system.

Marks out of 10 for rider, 10 for horse and 10 for overall impression. I use half marks too.

PS I always check, stirrup treads, boot treads, bridle holes, underneath where the cheek pieces and reins are in contact with the bit. Grass / manure stains are a big nono!!

If using a pelham use two reins and a lip strap. And if using a Rugby pelham use a bradoon strap.

Good luck
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