What did I do wrong? How can I improve?

abbeyjoll

abbeyjoll

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We did our first show yesterday! My husband took round our 4 year old Irish sports horse (15.3'') We entered into a in-hand coloured show. Sadly we came last out of 10.
What did we get wrong? I realized that his mane was on the wrong side but did we do anything else wrong? Maybe enter into a different class?
We would like to improve before the next one. Any advice and help will be greatly appreciated.

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/picture.php?albumid=5507&pictureid=23644
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He is a smart looking horse but not a true coloured so that is probably why he was not placed. Turning out correctly may help for next time, he should be trimmed up and plaited not left natural as he is not a native or traditional.

Try hunter in hand or get him out ridden to really show him off properly.
 
Coloured show? I bet it was full of actual coloureds, like piebalds, skews etc? Personally, I think it was an error of judgement to put him in a coloured show, I imagine the judges were looking for actual coloureds, which are usually defined as a colour with white. It might have been better to enter him in an unusual colour class? I might be wrong, but all the coloured classes are usually populated by tobiano types like mine:

Beaushowdesktoppicture.jpg


Having the mane on the wrong side, whilst a serious mistake for showing, would probably not make a huge difference. Don't be disheartened, if it was his first show, keep at it but choose the class carefully, try something under saddle too. Did he trot up ok? Took me a while to get mine to do it properly!
 
Its very difficult with a dun - although a lot of local shows chip them in with the coloureds in the schedules (well down here they do!), as said above, they arent a "true" coloured horse - so even though they are in the right class, they arent in the "right" class if you see what I mean. Some shows will have a seperate class for "odd colours" (thats not an insult - its just that they arent coloured or a more common colour!)

Agree about the turnout - he should be plaited really, Hubby ideally would be in light coloured trousers (because your chap has dark legs) with a jacket,hat (always show in a hat of some description) and gloves. Also - hes not stood up properly, he needs to be stood almost square, though with his legs everso slightly different so that they can all be seen at any one time (though you might want to google that - its a long time since I did any in hand showing, it might have changed to being square now)

Thing is -everyone has a first time (and it sounds like your first was WAY more successful than a lot of peoples!) and theres far more to especially their first few shows ( IMO ) than the winning. Big old thing to take in for a youngster is a show,theres so much going on - and in hand is a lot more difficult than people give it credit for!!

For what its worth, I really quite like your chap - and providing nothing went wrong and the schedule said for duns to be allowed in the class, Id be a little miffed if I was beaten by something that I didnt feel was as good. Having said that - first time out its more about how they behave, do they get overwhelmed and did everyone have fun, someone has to come last - next time it will be one of the others :)
 
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Nice looking horse.

I agree that a coloured class is usually for tobianos, sabinos, overos etc and not solid colours such as buckskin. Also, you need to practice getting him to stand square.
 
Apart from the turnout side of things - you need to ensure that he is standing up correctly

Either stand him square as in dressage or teach him to place his legs on command - When the judge is looking at him from the side have him with the hind leg slightly back and the front leg slightly forward. When the judge goes behind the horse to view the quarters he then needs to stand four square then when the judge moves around to the other side - repeat the first, hind leg back, front leg forward.

Stand in front when the horse is being viewed except when the judge wants to look from the front.

Try to have horse paying attention so that the outlook is 'Look at Me'

Make sure he als wows the judge with his trot, teach him to extend in hand so that the appearance is of power.
 
Beautiful buckskin with really lovely sooty shading - but as others have said he was in the wrong class.

Don't be disheartened there will classes that are suitable for him to do. :)
 
Thank you so much for you help and advice. When I chose the class it said Open to all colours except bay, grey, black, chestnut. There ended being piebalds and skewbalds and one palomino in the class though. I do not think I will enter again, unless it says odd-colour.
I thought he trotted nicely (again this is my first show) My husband is 6ft 2 and has long legs so really got the horse striding out and showing off his paces.
He did initially stand with his front legs together but then moved.
I will be practicing to make him stand correctly all the time.
Sadly there was not another suitable class in-hand. But there is a charity show coming up and I think I will enter best grass kept horse and sports horse instead. There are not much choices for in-hand showing and we have just backed him and he is certainly not ready being ridden in a class. Hopefully we can work our way up to this eventually.
Thank you for your kind words and I will be working hard in preparation for the
next one. I will also probably be posting another post about what I did wrong in that one too.
Abbey
 
But there is a charity show coming up and I think I will enter best grass kept horse and sports horse instead.
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Good luck. :D

Start training his mane over to the off side now. ;) Flip it over and put several plaits in and hopefully it will stay over once the plaits come out (after a couple of days).
 
Faracat said:
Good luck. :D

Start training his mane over to the off side now. ;) Flip it over and put several plaits in and hopefully it will stay over once the plaits come out (after a couple of days).
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Sadly this does not work at all my horse. He is plaited when we go out as his mane is truly unable to decide which way it should lie...! And don't be too disheartened. Yours is a very smart boy, he obviously behaved very well at a party and would do better in sports horses, hunters etc. I took my baby out to walk and trot tests when we started as well.
 
Lovely horse. I would concentrate on type not colour.
Lots of classes to do depending on height.
Potential:
Competition horse/pony
Hunter
Driving
Yes it needs to be plaited and handler should have cream trousers, hat shirt, tweed jacket(charity shop usually have them) tie and brown boots.
Teach him to stand square when he is pulled out for the judge, some say with all four legs showing but I think it gets a bit confusing when they are ridden and a four that's what you are looking towards.
What ever happens do not get disheartened, I have been last and first on the same day with the same animal but different judges.
 
I have just been reading about hunter classes and I am very confused. There is lightweight, middleweight, heavyweight, small hunter, lady's hunter and working hunter. Which one is my horse? I have no idea. Or do they all go in one class and it does not matter?
 
abbeyjoll said:
I have just been reading about hunter classes and I am very confused. There is lightweight, middleweight, heavyweight, small hunter, lady's hunter and working hunter. Which one is my horse? I have no idea. Or do they all go in one class and it does not matter?
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Workers jump so won't be that one..
 
Don't be disheartened he's gorgeous! But if I were you I'd look for very small shows where he can go in classes such as handsome horse, so that you can learn ringcraft. If you can also spend time going to watch hunter classes etc, you will be able to see better where he fits in. Most small shows will just have a 'hunter' class, so you wouldn't need to classify him. Good luck!
 
I have no advice to offer but think he's very handsome so you can have a red rosette from me! Please pop back with more updates, I love hearing how people are getting on as I've got to do this myself at some point!
 
No I did not know you could ask the judge for feed back. He had a class straight after.
How would I go about getting feed back? Waiting until the end of the day and asking them?
Thanks
 
Normally when they come down the line up at the end of the class to give the rosettes out and thank people for taking part you may get the opportunity to ask a quick question but it is not really done to grill them on the ins and outs of how the class was judged, something such as "is there anything I could do to improve for next time" may get a helpful response.
 
Sometimes it is just the judge's preference - he was maybe looking for true coloureds.
He looks very nice. I would teach him to stand up square(bribery is usually helpful!) and make sure he can walk and trot properly in hand with you.
Have fun at your next outing.:)
 
Nice horse. I love duns. I took my very lovely dun pony in a class for coloureds, palominos and duns once.
She was placed second last below every coloured horse in the class regardless of their quality. As my daughter commented: Where else would you pay someone, whose opinion you hold in no regard, to pass comment on your horse?
 
Lightweight, Middleweight and Heavyweight are decided on the circumference of bone - taken just below the knee.

Lightweight - Not less than 8" bone, capable of carrying up to 13 stone
Middleweight - 8½" or so bone, Capable of carrying between 13 & 14 stone
Heavyweight - 9" or more, Capable of carrying 14½ stone and over

Ladies hunter - no weight classification, often a very elegant type suitable to be ridden by a lady - generally more of the light to Middleweight

Gentlemans hunter heavier end of Middleweight to Heavyweight.
 
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