What to wear for best veteran classes? Panicking here! D:

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Inona

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I have only recently got my horse (about 6 weeks ago) but she's settled in very well, and I'm thinking of taking her to a show on the 3rd of September. However, I have no idea what to wear!:eek:
It's being hosted by the OBH north pony club and I might enter Best Veteran with my 20 yo pure Arab mare. I don't know if she needs to be plaited, I don't know what I need to wear...please help! I have not registered yet-I'm too scared to in case I wear the wrong thing.
She's also my first horse so I don't know anything about shows, do we have to go round the ring on our own?
Thank you in advance!
 
this is what i wear for veteran classes

ridden
ebb04f66.jpg


in hand
92d9a9e2.jpg
 
It doesn't really matter what you wear in a veteran class as long as it is smart and tidy. I tended to wear what I would wear on that horse if I took him in a 'normal' class. When I rode my sisters hunter, I wore my tweed and plain tack. However, when I rode my horsey I wore my navy jacket and pretty browband but I have taken him in in my tweed. I'm not sure what the etiquette is for arab classes but I would try and follow that as a guideline. I always found this webssite very helpful:
http://www.theshowring.info/

But the most important thing is that you go in and have fun showing off your golden oldie! Like I saidd earlier, veteran classes are generally anything goes aslong as it is smart and tiidy :)
 
If its just local then I agree with the above, just look smart and tidy and enjoy yourself.

If its a affiliated veteran then a good part of the marks are for turnout so its important.

As said before turnout as you would for whatever non veteran class you would enter. Most are tweed and plain bridles but I dont know about arabs. Have a look at some pics of arabs at one of the big shows.

This is our veteran and turnout, dont think it was a veteran class but we wouldn't change if it was except for a disc on the bridle showing her age.

For the inhand it would be the same but swap breeches & long boots for trousers, light for dark horsey legs and dark for white legs (so the judge can distinguish the horses legs from yours) And add something you can run in on your feet.

img005.jpg
 
If it's a pure arab don't plait, in an ideal world a hacking jacket is more correct, with dark trousers if she has light legs and light trousers if she has dark leg. I'm not sure if it's most correct to have a bridle with a coloured browband or an arab show halter for adult purebred mares.
 
I'd imagine it's a ridden class? Op don't plait, make sure you are both clean and tidy and wear whatever jacket and tack you have. You will need to have an up to standard hat but don't rush out and buy stuff just for this one class :) Enjoy showing off your horse :)
 
Anything neat and tidy will do for local level, so don't let yourself be put off.

In veteran classes, you and your horse should be turned out correctly for the type of class that they'd be competing in outside of veteran classes. That's why you get a whole mixture of turnouts in veterans :)

For you that is obviously ridden arab. This is an ideal turnout list, but if you don't have the 'right gear' don't feel the need to rush out and buy straight away. Put together what you can (begging and borrowing on the yard can work a treat!), and if you do enjoy it you can gradually buy the correct gear. At local level you will not be severely punished for being not quite right!

Horse: Not plaited
Plain leather bridle with a flat caveson noseband (no flash, grackles etc)
Pretty ribbon browband - see http://www.showingselection.com/Browbands.html and http://www.poniesonparade.com/40000/info.php?p=11 for ideas. The latter will make up any design in any colour so can be really personalised, and will be able to give you advice on styles/schemes usually seen in arab classes. From what I've seen, they often browbands that are a little more delicate than those seen in show pony classes. Once you have this, you would ideally colour co-ordinate your shirt and tie to match.
Ideally a double or pelham, but a snaffle is also acceptable
Saddle that is the same colour as bridle
Discreet numnah that matches the colour of the saddle
Girth that matches the colour of the horse or the saddle (ie. bays look better with brown girths even if saddle is black, whilst greys look better with dark girths rather than white)
No boots
Clear hoof varnish

Rider:

Velvet hat with flesh coloured straps - navy, green or brown
Hair - In a neat bun with a hairnet. No scrunchies unless you're under 16.
Shirt - pastal coloured or cream
Tie - patterned, in any colour that tones with your outfit and browband
Tweed jacket - green, brown or mustard. Blue is acceptable but not ideal.
Brown leather gloves
Jods - Canary, beige or cream
Long black boots
Brown show cane, or if you need a stick a brown crop that looks like a show cane is acceptable

A good general rule of thumb when piecing together your outfit is to avoid black and white if you can.

For in-hand, your horses turnout remains the same, minus the saddle of course. In the arab world a lot of in-hand horses are shown in the very delicate arabian headcollar/bridles. I've no idea where you'd get one, however, and your ridden bridle (as described above) would be acceptable at local level I imagine.

Your turnout has a few small changes:

Riding hat can be replaced with a smart soft hat (stetson, flat cap, trilby or a beagler, though the riding hat is acceptable if you're worried about your horse's behaviour.
Jodphurs should be replaced with trousers - beige or stone if your horse has darker legs, navy, dark green or dark brown if white legs.
Any type of smart shoes that you can run in are acceptable.

Hope that's of some help to you. Good luck!
 
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