Best ways to learn to show your minis?

[MBhorses]

Hello,

Best ways to learn to show our minis. We would like to learn how to show our minis. My children would love to show. We have AMHA and AMHR minis. My children have been riding their big horses in 4-h shows. My children want to learn to show now.

What are the do's and don'ts in showing?

How did you learn to show?

Do you show your on minis or does someone else show your minis?

If you get a train how do you decide on which one?

What all does the trainer price (feeding, training, trimming, shaving, shots, wormer and vet bills)?

How to get your minis in show material?

Do you all read, watch tapes or what all do you do when learning to show.

How to decide which shows in enter?

How many should you try to show at once?

What is the best event for children to learn with?

Where to get the halter and stuff for showing?

We are trying to get a ideal of cost of showing.

For all you who show we would love for you to give us your pointers.

THANKS Everyone for you Help,

melissa :saludando:

 

[lyn_j]

The best way to learn is to go to MANY MANY shows and watch.....all day long! You will be surprised how much you will learn.

Lyn

 

[PrestigeMiniHorses]

i agree you with the person above me...LOL...watch watch and heck even compete and show like crazy..you can catch on quick. Our 4-h out here hsa the mini project try that too...Go to clinics..But yeah just get out there and do it all...

 

[Jaxjag2000]

Yes, going to shows and talking to people and watching will help a lot! You can also find a Mini Club in your area and go their meetings and clinics. Or if there are no clubs near you, there is probably a friendly Mini owner somewhere near you. And of course, you can always post questions here!

The specific "do's and don't's" vary depending on which shows you go to. Once you decide, you can contact them and ask for a rule book. AMHA's website is www.amha.com and AMHR is www.shetlandminiature.com.

I learned to show by going to shows and watching. A trainer will make this process more smooth. But doing it myself allowed me to develop a lot of my own ideas. BUT it was a long, long process that DEFINITELY would have gone a lot smoother if I had someone knowledgeable helping me. I always showed my own Minis, but it depends on what you want to do.

To decide on a trainer, go visiti them. Ask lots and LOTS of questions. If they don't want to help you BEFORE they have your money, then they certainly won't help you AFTER they have your money! Get someone who is beginner-friendly. Get recommendations and references. Make sure they will care for your horse the way you would. Each trainer will be priced differently. Usually, the training fee does not include farrier and vet, but you will have to ask. I think the going price is $250-$300/mo for halter and $350/mo for performance.

Where you show, how many you show, and what classes you show will depend on your interests. Showmanship is a great class for children to learn. It gives them a GREAT foundation for future showing. There are also Halter, Color, Driving, Hunter/Jumper, Liberty, and Obstacle classes. If you have a colorful horse, color might be a good class to start with too. Kids always love jumping and driving too.

There are some books that explain beginning to show at www.smallhorse.com. I don't remember the name of them, but there are a few.

If you have any more questions, feel free to post them! You'll likely to get a lot of different answers, but it will give you a broad perspective! :bgrin

 

[Jill]

Yes, the best way to learn is to go and watch. Also, if you have any local non-registry shows, those can be a lower pressure place to get your feet wet and build some confidence. Also, look through the registry magazines to get a feel for what is "in" as far as grooming and show tack.

 

[Charlotte]

Do any of your local miniature horse clubs have spring clinics? Here in Oklahoma on March 17 we will have our yearly all day miniature horse clinic.

Check with your local mini clubs and see what they offer. A hands on clinic is a wonderful learning experience

Charlotte

 

[hrselady]

Melissa,

:saludando: Hi, being a fellow mississippian here, I haven't found many local shows for miniatures. I do know there are open shows in Hattisburg where a few compete.. Someone is suppose to be getting me the name and number of the person I am to talk to about it. There is also a club.. SMHC will be holding a meeting in Jackson on the 27th.. SMHC We were wanting to attend a few shows to really learn about the ins and outs of them, but can't find any local, which really disappoints me. Our local 4-H doesn't even have anything for them, I talked to the agent and he says there just isn't a call for them here. Which I feel isn't correct. I have thought about trying to start a club for central Mississippi but wouldnt even know where to start on that. I feel they are very overlooked in this state because you cant pen on them, rope off them, or run barrels. If you know of any other organizations locally that show them or any open shows that allow them, would you please pass that info on to me.. THANKS SO MUCH! :bgrin

 

[Belinda]

Melissa,

:saludando: I have thought about trying to start a club for central Mississippi but wouldnt even know where to start on that. I feel they are very overlooked in this state because you cant pen on them, rope off them, or run barrels. If you know of any other organizations locally that show them or any open shows that allow them, would you please pass that info on to me.. THANKS SO MUCH! :bgrin

[SIZE=10pt]HI one way to start a club would be to get your AMHR/ASPC directory look up your state and mail or call the people close to your area or you can do the whole state ( looks to be 25 + members ) and ask them if they are interested in forming a club

: Even if it is just so a few of you can get together and have clinic's or share information , It doesn't have to be a big to do , although a bunch of you get together who knows what you might get done. [/SIZE]

Also remember the show in Tunica, Ms on Memorial Day, Heck if you don't want to show , It will be a great chance to go to a show , talk to people that are showing , watch, learn and even have a good time..

:

 

[MBhorses]

Belinda,

Is the Tunica, ms the only one in Ms this year?

We would love to have a club. Can someone help us give us the information?

Thanks Melissa

 

[lovinarabs]

To learn about showing our biggies, I asked an aquaintance if I could shadow her for two days as she prepared to show and then helped her get horses ready, sign up for classes, etc... for a weekend. I learned a ton and no pressure because I wasn't showing myself.

 

[hrselady]

I used to show halter and western pleasure....but the mini's seem more complicated, or am I just making it that way? The only shaving I did on my QH's were ears, muzzle, and etc.. never a whole body. I even cut hair for a living but can't grasp the body cut..

I haven't found any more "BIG" shows in Mississippi other than the Tunica show. There are a few clubs south of me, like Purvis.. they have a club down there that is geared to all horses, including mini's... and the one in Hattisburg. I have sent an email and called the ones out of Purvis but cant reach anyone... and still waiting to find out who to talk to about Hattisburg.

 

[Sandee]

I used to show halter and western pleasure....but the mini's seem more complicated, or am I just making it that way? The only shaving I did on my QH's were ears, muzzle, and etc.. never a whole body. I even cut hair for a living but can't grasp the body cut..

......................

Yes, you're making too much of it. It's all in what you get used to doing. Time and practice and I'm sure you know this if you showed QH before (you probably didn't just get up and ride/show right away). After a few clips it gets much easier. Especially if you have some good equipment to work with. The small clippers are much cheaper but honestly after I broke down and got the double Ks, I understood what a difference they make.

I too showed QH but these guys are so much easier to handle and try so much harder to please that they're well worth it.

As to the original question(s): DOs and Don'ts are not easy to just list. It would be easier if you had seen a show and had questions to answer. Biggest Don't is don't be afraid to "try" anything!

I learned showing over several years by watching, doing, and taking lessons (big horse first- minis last)

I show my own because I'm a ham! I love showing. Would my horses do better with a professional? Probably.

You have to search around for trainers. In our area (Wisconsin) they are few and far between so not a big choice to make. Try to find someone that meets you requirements. I looked for someone that would teach the way I want - in other words, he got results but he took his time and he wasn't rough.

Trainers include feeding and training and sometimes worming. Anything else is extra cost and mine won't even go into the arena and show for extra $$. His particular choice.

Don't understand the question about "show material".

Next question is yes! You watch videos, read books, go to shows and soak up everything you can. I really like the suggestion of "shadowing" someone. If you can find someone to follow it would be a great experience. Let me know who it is I'd like to "follow" too.

Picking shows is about how far you want to drive. In the big horse circuits you sometimes have to decide to go to one or another and the choice might be based on the competition. However around here the shows are so far away and hardly ever conflict in dates so the choice is $$ and transportation.

If you have more than one child, I'd try to get each one their "own" horse to "take care of" (provided they're old enough to do this). You'll have to clip but they can brush and exercise them and (depending on age again) train them. I try to show 2 horses by myself and that does stretch (and stress) me.

The best event depends on the child and the horse. I have a filly who is very good minded. She litterally consentrates on her work (obstacles intrigue her). I had 2 teenagers ask to do a "fun show". They worked for one solid week with this filly and my old (been there done everything) gelding. They wanted to do trail in hand (obstacle halter). They took 1st and 2nd in a class of 12 or 15 contestants. With big horses I'd say that halter or showmanship is the place to start but with minis you have to know your kids and your horses to get the best choice.

For low end price halters that will still look nice look try http://www.minitack.com/mw24.htm

Again the cost of showing is related to how far you want to drive to show; how much you want to spend on equipment and trainer(s); etc. I drive between 1 and 5 hours to shows and it costs somewhere around $100-$200 for me to get 2 stalls and pay entry fees for maybe 5 classes total (these are smaller local shows not the big Nat'l ones).

Sorry for the long post but your question was a long one. Hope this is some help and good luck, Melissa.

 

[MBhorses]

:saludando: Hello Everyone,

Thanks for sharing your ideals. I am also learning to cut the mini body, face and etc it is not easy. My children that would like to learn to show are my daugther who is 12 yrs old and my niece who is 9 yrs old. Both are used to 4-hs speed events and walk trot classes.

Keep the ideals coming.

thanks again,

melissa

P.S. we are located in Mississippi, so it is hard to found shows just to watch here.We would love for mississippi to have more shows AMHA and AMHR.

We can't found mini tack easy either.

 

[Jaxjag2000]

There are lots of places that specialize in Mini tack. I don't know any that are located in MS, but there are many websites. Some big ones are Supreme Equine, Star Lack Tack, Ozark Tack, and Diane's tack who's name I can't remember suddenly. If you google them you can find the website. There will be a bigger list on the vendor's page on LB. That would be the best place to find a BIG list to choose from.

Take a look at their webpages and pick out some that you like. You can always call them and explain what you want and they can suggest what you need and how to size your Minis. They are all very nice.

You can also get Mini tack from big horse tack stores, like Jeffers, but it's usually not as nice as the specialized Mini tack stores, which will have different sizes to fit your Mini best. Plus, the knowledgable Mini people can give you better suggestions for what is "current" in the ring and such.

Good luck! :aktion033: