Veteran showing bods, help a numpty get started!

[Bernster]

he looks beautiful - and CLEAN!!, 100% correct or not Bernster

I suspect dear old M is not really right for anything being so small but it's not like she needs to achieve anything further for me, she's already proved herself time and time again.... I just want us to have something to play at that she will enjoy, and without me putting my foot in it too much in the way of faux pas...

I rather like the pic so any excuse to post it (we don't get many red frillies!). If you're doing it for fun and to get out, then am sure you'll love it. But if you're anything like me, you want to get out have fun AND do well, so having a compliant jacket may be sensible if you're buying a new one. I shall remain a showing rebel and carve my own path, decked out in blue tweed haha.

She's super duper and am sure she'll do a good job in either class.

 

[milliepops]

tee heee at compliant jacket... yes, we will get "on message" and get the right tweed! :lol:

(whispers, will have to start out in monoflap GP saddle and non-regulation dressage boots as no further funds available for this venture... so we will still drop some clangers I'm sure just realised that my lovely alu stirrups aren't gonna cut it either. So many details!)

Thanks all, grateful for all your comments & assistance

 

[HufflyPuffly]

I'd not be too concerned about the dressage boots (unless they're patent? I'm sure they're not though?), though if you can at some point invest in a WH or show saddle they do do the job better . I sold Doodle's GP in the end and kept the Jeffries WH as it was more comfortable and we can still pop the odd jump in it. Stirrups yeah I would probably stick with more traditional ones :lol:.

 

[milliepops]

I have shiny shiny lovely boots which are currently mothballed as I wear plain black ones on Kira So no need for sunglasses for the judge!

Yup Will keep an eye out for a proper saddle though that will be kidney-sale dependent at the moment, my GP is a Wow shared between them both so really not keen to flog it just in case I ever feel the need to jump Kira (not looking likely but hey) I can angle the flaps backwards so it is straighter cut. Shall dig out the neatest girth I can find in the meantime to minimise the appearance

 

[HufflyPuffly]

A good polished boot is expected just not patent .

Saddle definitely doesn't have to be kidney territory! Show/WH saddles once you know what you need can be sourced very reasonably, well compared to dressage saddle prices anyway :lol:, my Jeffries was practically new and bought for about £400 I think but I've bought and sold around the £200 mark with nice enough saddles.

 

[milliepops]

cool ,will keep an eye out. I didn't pay for my dressage saddle won it so have been sheltered from the eyewatering prices of saddles since, erm, 2007, when I got M's Wow.

 

[HufflyPuffly]

Well in that case yeah maybe not feeling so cheap then , after buying Topaz's Equipe WH saddles seem super reasonably to me :lol:. Maybe this is come back for you suggesting I need to buy Skylla a WOW saddle :lol: .

 

[AdorableAlice]

ahhhh I fear being told she's a poor stamp of anything and not to bother! and then I'll have to think of another-nother option for M's new career :lol:

I will never ever give a negative comment to upset anyone. All our horses are special (in my case that includes special needs !). and as long as they give us pleasure they are champions in their own right.

If the little bay horse was 4 and the question was which class at County level I would say she sits between classes, too much bone and chunkiness for small riding horse and not quite enough scope and class for a small hunter. At riding club/local level she is a small hunter for me. I have no idea about veteran showing but would still go for small hunter, with my main reason being her way of going in the video rather than her conformation She has a round action and is more hunter workmanlike than floaty. Riding horses do tend to float along with a bit of grace.

I think she is very attractive, lovely limbs and depth, if you wanted to be mega critical, her neck set is too deep which just takes that bit of quality away.

Enjoy her in her twilight years.

 

[ester]

damn it we don't get to get her a poncy browband

 

[milliepops]

Thanks AA, I didn't mean to suggest you'd be rude and the old dear has been such a fantastic partner for me at BE and BD that I'm not desperate about having a top show animal... just want to avoid being a total numpty!

We will take a deep breath and give it a go with the hunters then

 

[milliepops]

damn it we don't get to get her a poncy browband

tbh this is a huge relief, the brown double bridle has a very discrete & snug fitting poll pad squeezed on to keep everything in line and it was a NIGHTMARE to get it together so the thought of dismantling it regularly to change browband was giving me palpitations. :lol:

Her days of bling and fancy gubbins are long gone, Kira's got all the shiny stuff now!

 

[HufflyPuffly]

Boo so near yet so far :lol:, maybe Skylla wants to wear Doodle's browband again and it still has diamontes on it... though she would have to be clean and stop capping her hocks .

AA's advice is always spot on and she's very gentle about giving an honest answer (the sway backed filly I went to look at must have given her palpitations :lol.

 

[milliepops]

right, assuming I can get the essentials together before then we are going to ease ourselves in with a local novelty show next Sat. They have a 'blemished but cherished' class so we can tootle along to that for 8 quid and just make sure M can still behave herself in company!!

 

[HufflyPuffly]

'blemished but cherished' What a top class!!!!

None of mine have ever really bothered about being in a class with other horses, but don't be afraid to circle into a space if someone is crowding you (try not to mow down the judge mind ), and be aware of which side the judge is watching in the group go-around, any adjustments can be made when they're not looking .

 

[AdorableAlice]

right, assuming I can get the essentials together before then we are going to ease ourselves in with a local novelty show next Sat. They have a 'blemished but cherished' class so we can tootle along to that for 8 quid and just make sure M can still behave herself in company!!

That reminds me of the day, decades ago I took my retired hunter for a 'lovely day out' at our local show. In my wisdom I thought the old boy, i think he was 22 ish, would enjoy a led veteran class. This was a horse I had owned since a 3 year old and only ever hunted him. He was the most mannerly and safe hunter for many seasons. He missed going out and often called at the lorry when it left without him.

He was also snow white in old age, a 16.2 ID. So I washed him, polished and plaited him. He jumped on the truck with a glint in his eye. He launched off the truck like a raging bull and surveyed the show ground looking for hounds. We went into the ring and he danced, pranced, knocked me over twice, bucked, reared and towed me around until I was near tears and puce in the face.

We were all given a rosette for turning up and I managed a smile through gritted teeth, when the judge said ' he is a jolly old fellow isn't he'. Quite, we left the ring at speed me covered in grass stains and him lathered. To ensure we had a memorable day he then refused to load.

 

[milliepops]

fabulous, AA, they are such characters, these worldly ones aren't they?! Bet he thought he'd had a brilliant time.

I'm rather hoping there won't be any kind of tannoy at any shows we go to, or else she will be catapulted back to her eventing days! GOd forbid she should ever hear hounds when we are out and about... there will be a riot. (she is NOT a mannerly hunter. )

 

[HufflyPuffly]

:lol: I'm really looking forward to the show report now :lol:.

Making Topaz do dressage on grass last year after a 2 year break from eventing was fun enough .

 

[milliepops]

as it happens the place that is running this show is coincidentally the last venue Millie went to dressage before busting her remaining leg... where we did her 2nd AM resulting in some fairly airborne flying changes.

*nervous laugh*

Can't believe that was last May. Another year disappears into the ether...

 

[HufflyPuffly]

Fingers firmly crossed she has finished with needing any more vet attention! I'm sure she will be foot perfect for you! I find the oldies tend to be good ridden but sod's in-hand...

When I bust my collar bone, Doodle was a saint in my ridden class but did her best to pull the bones back apart in the in-hand, I even have a pic of her staring out the photographer so you can't even see me in the lap of honor :lol:, but ridden she was lovely!

 

[ester]

Sounds like one we had in a ridden a couple of years ago AA, the entire line up, judge, rider were in fits at his antics bless him. Always hunted, very mannerly by all counts and whipped in etc.

 

[AandK]

Jumping on the back of this thread, what do judges look at in veteran classes as apposed to normal classes? Is some scarring on legs (or leg really) acceptable? I have a 20yo TB who is looking and feeling fab and was wondering about doing some local veteran showing classes with him this summer (ridden, he is still doing dressage and looking to start jumping again soon after a break), but don't want to get laughed out of the ring!

 

[milliepops]

What made me look at this with some degree of seriousness was the rule book states that lumps & bumps would be overlooked provided the horse was recovered from the injury.
Millie has one thickened check ligament, one slightly lumpy pastern where she had the surgery last year and a tiny bump on the splint bone she fractured (small wonder she had any competitive success in between all that lot!)

Despite everything she just loves her work so it seemed like the obvious choice as I'm no longer prepared to push her. She's doing all the adv medium dressage patterns in the school but in working paces oily, this seems to keep her strong but wouldn't cut it in the test environment :/

Quite prepared to be placed lower than a non blemished horse though...

 

[ester]

IME something that is going well for it's age and looks like it is enjoying life.

 

[Justturnedfifty]

Those of you who have followed Millie's antics over the years will be aware that she is on her last life after surgery on her sdft last year and consequently we have scaled back her workload to try and keep her trundling along for a bit longer. Last year it was suggested that we look into veteran showing as something to aim for as she's a busy mare who enjoys parties... so as she now seems to be pain-free and is standing up to a reasonable workload of hacking and easy schooling we are going to take the plunge.

I have no experience of showing whatsoever and no knowledge so treat me like a complete idiot.

Millie is 15hh, cob x WB and is 20 years old this year so fits the 'veteran' category of VHS showing.

I've looked at their schedules and there is a 'Spring Festival' at Summerhouse in April which is a good venue for us... is this going to be too much in at the deep end for a newbie? I'm not afraid of big shows as we've done plenty together in other disciplines but dunno if this is a big deal or not? http://veteran-horse-society.co.uk/new-spring-qualifiers-2017/

Do I need to pay up a membership with VHS or am I better off going as a non member and then signing up if we do OK?

And what classes should we do? I'm not up for inhand stuff, only ridden. There's a ridden veteran class, and then would she be best suited to hack/riding horse or the hunter class? Or should we not try and run before we can walk, and just do one class?!

Finally, the rule book suggests tweed or dark colour jackets are acceptable... is that true or should I actually sell a kidney to fund a tweed?

This is M stood up, old pic but shows how she's put together

and a short vid from yesterday, which was at the start of her ridden work last night so effectively not warmed up

[video=youtube;fG1CGPNYY_I]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fG1CGPNYY_I[/video]

Millipops - hope your not forgetting Allens Hill Annual Showing Show on Bank Holiday Monday 1st May 2017? Veteran inhand and ridden qualifiers and Equifest Hunter and Ridden Horse qualifiers!! We know you love coming to Allens Hill! Perhaps one of the days I will introduce myself!?

 

[rara007]

IME something that is going well for it's age and looks like it is enjoying life.

And is true to type unaffiliated quite often the oldest wins... In the qualifiers age is much less important compared to type as it is a fairly narrow age window being judged together.

 

[milliepops]

Millipops - hope your not forgetting Allens Hill Annual Showing Show on Bank Holiday Monday 1st May 2017? Veteran inhand and ridden qualifiers and Equifest Hunter and Ridden Horse qualifiers!! We know you love coming to Allens Hill! Perhaps one of the days I will introduce myself!?

Had spotted that... please do say hello!

 

[mcnaughty]

Save your pennies (kidneys) up and buy a decent tweed like Le Beau Cheval, showing selection, Mrs Candy, Foxley or Alexander James - they may be more expensive but trust me you will notice the difference! The fit will be much better in a good quality tweed and they keep their value too! Shires make you look like a sack of spuds!

Check out the professional photographers like equinational to see turnout tips. He is defo not a hack! Possibly a small hunter. More likely riding horse. Try going to some of the TSR clinics - they are very good and will give you lots of good advice.

By the way he is gorgeous!!

 

[Kat]

You might want to check out SSAD as a slightly cheaper and less scary intro to veteran showing. Their classes are mixed but turned out to type which means that being a bit on the small side isn't as obvious. The final is at HOYS so still pretty grand. I did their classes the other year with a foreign breed that doesn't meet the usual UK showing categories and we were placed at all the shows we attended. They have a proper scoring system so the judging is transparent and divide into three age categories too. I would highly recommend it ☺

 

[milliepops]

ahh Ok, Had spotted some of those around me and wasn't sure whether there was an advantage of one over the other.

 

[AdorableAlice]

Millipops - hope your not forgetting Allens Hill Annual Showing Show on Bank Holiday Monday 1st May 2017? Veteran inhand and ridden qualifiers and Equifest Hunter and Ridden Horse qualifiers!! We know you love coming to Allens Hill! Perhaps one of the days I will introduce myself!?

Anything for a furry carthorse ? he has graced the dressage arena's at Allens Hill, well read that as 'managed to stay in the boards and miss the judges car - just'

You could come and introduce yourself to him, bring jelly babies if you want him to talk to you.