Working Hunter Help!!!

[Rhumbaroo]

I am planning on competing working hunter again this year just at some local shows and Im really needing some help. I have two horses i wish to compete one a yellow dun Highland pony who i have competed before and the second a piebald sporthorse who has never done working hunter. I have a few questions regarding how i should present them.

1. I know to show my highland natural but what about the sporthorse? Is he to be plaited and trimmed or anything ?
2. What tack should I use (bridles bits saddles) and does tack have to be brown? My highland competes in a bates gp and hunter bridle but could I use black tack for the piebald or is that frowned on?
3. What should I wear? is a tweed jacket with blue shirt and red tie and canary jodhpurs and black long boots and black cane okay? do I have to wear spurs? and what coloured hat would be best?
4. Do horses have to have a full set of shoes?
5. I have a brown le mieux sheepskin half pad. Is it okay to use this and ride in it on its own or should a numnah be used?

any help appreciated thank you

 

[be positive]

A sporthorse should be shown turned out as a hunter, so pulled, trimmed and plaited.
Black tack is not ideal but as long as it is plain it should not make any real difference, pretty much anything goes as long as the horse performs in it, ideally a snaffle or double but you see most types of bits even at top level, try and keep things as simple as possible.
I would wear cream or beige jods on the horse if you have some but canary will do, otherwise the same as the pony, spurs should be worn, a navy hat.
Under some rules the horse, not pony, may need to be shod but at lower levels you will be fine without although bear in mind you may require studs if the going gets slippery.
A half pad is ok as long as it is discrete under the saddle.

 

[conniegirl]

A sporthorse should be shown turned out as a hunter, so pulled, trimmed and plaited.
Black tack is not ideal but as long as it is plain it should not make any real difference, pretty much anything goes as long as the horse performs in it, ideally a snaffle or double but you see most types of bits even at top level, try and keep things as simple as possible.
I would wear cream or beige jods on the horse if you have some but canary will do, otherwise the same as the pony, spurs should be worn, a navy hat.
Under some rules the horse, not pony, may need to be shod but at lower levels you will be fine without although bear in mind you may require studs if the going gets slippery.
A half pad is ok as long as it is discrete under the saddle.

This but no spurs on the highland!
If your sports horse will not tolerate spurs then you can get dummy spurs.

 

[mcnaughty]

1. highland should not be trimmed at all, sports horse fully trimmed and plaited.
2. as plain as possible. At local level black is OK on the sports horse. bridle-wise - anything they go best in but absolutely no colour or white allowed! Numnah should match the saddle in colour and absolutely no saddle cloths only numnahs.
3. Tweed jacket and hat to match the colour of your collar velvet but if no velvet collar I prefer blue personally for a lady, black for a man. shirt, tie, jods and boots yes as you said. spurs - take a look at equinational photos for advice.
4. shoes on the horse are optional but you may want to put studs in if jumping large!
5. ah yes ignore above then, yes this is absolutely fine so long as it matches the saddle colour.

Good luck! Rhythm Rhythm Rhythm Rhythm is the key word with the jumping - you want forward going without rushing in a nice hunting canter and avoid too much trotting except if you need to change leg.