At what age do you start showing?

[luvmyracker]

Do you usually start showing them as yearlings in halter classes or do you wait until they are a little older?

 

[Alex]

It depends. If their in that gawky stage, no I dont.

But if there looking good, Id show them.

 

[ruffian]

It depends on the experience of the person showing. If it was someone just starting out, it would be better to start with an older horse, preferable a mare or gelding.

If it's someone who's experienced at showing, any age is acceptable, but I don't start showing my weanlings before 4/5 months. Depends on the maturity and health of the horse. A small weak foal I may not show at all, or a robust colt who's bursting with health I may show at 4 months. It also depends on where the show is. If it's 5 miles from home I would be more apt to show a younger foal, than a show where I'd have to haul for 2 days.

Basically there is no one answer

 

[albahurst]

I don't show weanlings, as our shows are too far away and I don't want them stressing out or getting sick. So, I wait til they are yearlings

Peggy

 

[Leeana]

I showed my sisters weanling once this year, all of our show here in Area II are within 2-4.5 hours drive. Infact, i dont think we have ever driven farther then 4.5 hours for a show in Area II. Congress was only about 5 hours or so, next year will be 4 hours ..i consider us pretty lucky. I dont think its to hard on yearlings really, i think the biggest pain with showing young weanlings would be there dam and trailering the foal/dam safely together ..you almost NEED a box stall in your trailer to do so.

It has to be very stressful showing weanlings, most classes i have seen, its all the handler can do to keep them from flipping over ..if you can. Yes, i would show a weanling BUT i dont see myself hauling a one month old foal off to a show anytime soon.

I'd imagine, if you plan a cross that you may show the resulting foal, you would plan that foal to be an early spring/late winter foal so the foal is older and matured by the time show season rolls around.

 

[TripleDstables]

I'm 14, and the first show I went to, I was showing my filly (she was a weanling at the time of the show) that I trained myself for halter. It does depend on the person's knowledge, and the horse's demeanor/growing stage.

 

[The Simple Life Farm]

I have shown foals as young as 5 months. It mostly depends if the foal can stand still for more than 2 minutes. It is hard to judge a moving target

If you have a yearling going through a growing spurt and looks gawky, you might want to wait another year. My yearling stallion surprised alot of folks last year, they thought he was 2-3 years old. He was very filled out... or was he just fat??????

Have fun!!!!

 

[Cedar Ridge Farm]

I showed a little 2 month old stallion for a friend.....the show wasn't far away and both he and mom traveled well. He was a feisty toot, and he won his class. But the judges kinda expect the babies to be silly....

 

[Jill]

I have had show yearlings almost since I first got into showing minis.

 

[JWC sr.]

This last year we actually showed a filly that was still on her mom. Jose really wanted to get her out as he was so impressed with her. So we let him take the momma and baby to the show which is about 1 hour down the road. She did wonderful and actually took Supreme Champion against all the other older horses in the show. Which was a lot of fun. We don't make a habit of showing them that early, but in special instances it can work out. As far as yearlings are concerned we show a lot of them every year, just to give them some experience and exposure so they are better started for new owners when we sell them. They do sometimes though go through the gangly stages where nothing fits as far as conformation and then a couple of months later they come back together.

Good luck with your baby, it will be an experience for you.