Going to watch first show - advice

[charlottein]

I am going to watch my first mini show at the end of this month up in Estes Park, CO. I want to talk to people about minis and get advice from the locals, but I do not want to bother them either as from my jumper show experience I know that those shows at least were busy busy when you were not waiting around. How would you mini show people recommend that I talk to people and introduce myself? When or what signs show that they have time to talk a bit?

 

[RockRiverTiff]

I would recommend spending a little time in the stands first. When you see a horse you like or a handler you're impressed with, make note of their name and number when it's announced in the placings. Later, you can hunt those people down and give them a specific compliment about how much you liked their horse in its class. Compliments are always a good ice breaker. It's a show after all - everyone loves to hear their horses look good! A good way to know who's willing to chat for a bit is to pay attention to which stalls have chairs out front. If people are grooming a horse in the aisle and are already wearing their show clothes, then they're getting ready for a class. If there are no horses in the aisle and people sitting casually in the chairs, then they've got some time between classes.