Horse show ettiquite(sp)?

[tifflunn]

Being a newbie to the show scene- I would like to here some of the please do's and please don'ts. I am asking because I had this plan in my head to use a rubber duckie it a confirmation class to get my horses attention- I know it is now a big No No- but I would have probablly had given a really bad impression to fellow show people - which is not what I would like. So can we have some please do and please don'ts

Thanks Tiffany :bgrin

 

[BallynoeBaby]

I know im not as experienced as others in this forum and im just a beginner as well but i find that working on obedience with my mini has payed off. I see a lot of minis showing their owners up by playing about and i don't want to be big headed but im very proud of how my mini acts. You came to the right place its nice to hear from you. Good luck

 

[Millstone Farm]

The best rule to follow with whatever you use in the ring is to be discreet. You really don't want to interfere with the other exhibitors' attempts to show their horses to their best, nor do you want the judges to be annoyed by what you are doing.

My pet peeve is when other handlers use Tic Tacs to bait their horses. All you hear is SHAKE, SHAKE, SHAKE from their posckets as they trot their horses. The in the line up while I'm trying to keep my horse's attention, you hear that unmistakeable sound of the Tic Tac container being furiously shaken in the horse's face. ARGH!!! The horse will eventually get bored with the noise and tune you out anyway. So whatever you use, limit its use only to when you abslutely need to get the horse's attention. you'll have much better results.

Another thing that is rude (but can't always be helped!) is when the horse in front of you in the line up acts up and enters "your show space." Like I said, this can't always be helped, especially if you're showing youngsters who don't understand what's expected of them. I've had handlers crowd me front and back, giving me no room to show my horse. That also creates an unsafe environment because there's no place to go if one of them acts up.

Like Ballynoe said, you really need to do your homework to be sure you have a well-mannered horse. That's a big asset to anyone in the showring.

 

[Cathy_H]

Lee always thanks the person handing him the ribbon. If the judge is looking he nods his head toward them. If it is a lady judge he tips his hat & says thank you.

 

[Jill]

Good thread!

I've had a lot of horses at a lot of shows over the years, but have not done a lot of it myself and never "alone" (without a trainer coaching and helping outside the ring).

This weekend, though, I'm going to a show with my husband and three of our horses.

Honestly, I am working myself into emotional knots regarding the LOGISTICS of it all from hauling to having them tied in the stalls between classes to how do I get the hoof black on their feet and not above their feet.

So, theis thread is helping me, too. I really feel like I should be a lot more knowledgable than I am and what a goober as I am sweating everything BUT how to handle them in the ring (though DunIT may walk in there with me on two legs -- he is really something else and I work with him A LOT).

 

[dannigirl]

One of my pet peeves is watching a beautiful horse in the ring and the person behind that horse decides to stomp their foot. This will usually send the other horse into a fit or at least a distraction from its own trainer and usually has absolutely no effect on the horse being worked by the stomper. There is nothing more annoying than having your horse set for the judge and have someone stomp and make your horse move just as the judge passes. Otherwise, like the others here have said, do as little as necessary and try to keep it between you and your horse.

 

[Lisa-Ruff N Tuff Minis]

Well here is my few..

first off NEVER EVER complain or scream politics at the out gate when you dont get the ribbon you thought you should have.. funny how those same people never scream politics when they get a first place

:

Raven tries very hard to make sure she says congrats to everyone in her class (unless at nationals and there are 40-75 of them in those performance classes

:

If you have a newer to showing horse try to go last although many people want that spot but it helps you to go last or first space wise so you arent going into someone elses bubble

the worst thing to me is having a horse that kicks and standing by the ingate or outgate so everyone has to take there chances walking by you.

Most important... HAVE FUN AND KEEP A SENSE OF HUMOR AND REMEMBER IT IS JUST A HORSE SHOW!!

 

[Sunny]

As noted already, don't do anything that will distract another exhibitor's horse in the ring. It drives me nuts to have someone in front of, beside or behind me stomping their feet, rattling their tic-tacs, whistling or whatever.

When you bring your horse into the ring for a halter class, make sure the horse is lined up with the judge, walk a straight line toward him/her, trot out in a straight line, make a crisp turn to the left (not an arc or a wander...) so they can see him profile, and then another crisp turn to the left to enter the lineup. Set your horse up as quickly but as calmly as you can. Keep one eye on your horse, one eye on the judge (gets hard when there's two or three! LOL), and another eye on the horses around you. (It helps to be a mom since you already have eyes in the back of your head!) If your horse moves out of position, especially when the judge is approaching or already right there, calmly correct him and carry on. When the judging is obviously finished, do not relax and slump over unless the exhibitors are specifically told to relax on the rail or whereever. Do say thank you to the person handing you the ribbon and do try to acknowledge the judge if he or she is looking over. Leave the ring promptly since the next class will be waiting to come in.

DO NOT BE LATE for your classes! Not much else can fluster you yourself more than rushing around, but it's also the best way to tick everyone else off! If you need a gate hold, you are allowed two minutes but you must notify the ring steward, gate person or announcer.

When you're standing in the makeup ring waiting for your class, make sure you're not standing around in the middle of everything, under everyone else's feet. Try to stay off to the side. Bring a grooming bucket or basket or wagon or cart or whatever to carry and hold all your last minute supplies, and try to keep your stuff in a reasonably small area. If you spray anything on your horse, make sure that those around you are either far enough way to not be covered as well, and that you won't be spooking anyone else's horse, especially if yours gets a bit skittish.

The most important thing to do is HAVE FUN!! It IS just a horse show.

Good luck and best wishes to you!!

 

[wcr]

I realize how stressful showing can be for a newbie but trust me, it gets easier the more you do it. It starts before you ever leave your front door. Be organized and when first starting out going to shows make a list of everything you need and check it so you don't end up without the supplies you need. Many of us can help you make your list if you are unsure.

GROUND MANNERS ON YOUR HORSE!!!!!!!!!! Make sure you TEACH them to stand quietly and respect your commands. Don't be the person in the class that everyone is complaining about your horse being out of control upsetting the other horses in the class. If your horse is new to showing then realize they are like a little kid at the circus. Way too much stimulation and new things to walk out of a stall and stand quietly in a class. Allow your horse to walk around and gawk while giving quiet reassurance. If you can get into the arena the night before or during breaks, quietly stand them in a corner and let them look around. Give your horse every opportunity to desensitize to new sights and sounds.

Don't be the newbie (and I see this all the time) that takes their dirty, hairy horse out of the pasture and an hour before the class is bathing and body clipping your horse. This is such a stressful situation for a newbie so don't do it. Make sure you have done all your clipping and bathing at home so you only have to do a little clean up clip if needed and spot clean, again if needed. If it is a weekend show, clean your stall frequently so they don't find that one yellow or green spot to lay in. I showed paints with all that white and they had a real knack of finding those spots.

While waiting for your class, be respectful of other horses space. Don't stand in the way so everyone has to walk around you. Get a place out of the way so your horse can stand quietly and look around and be safe from other horses that are out of control. This also relieves the stress of running for your class at the last minute and then neither you or your horse is mentally prepared to go into the ring and show to your best abilities.

Give yourself plenty of room in the lineup. Don't put your horses nose up the horses rearend in front of you. If someones horse acts up and backs halfway down the arena you have room to get out of the way and have the space to set your horse up properly.

By being organized and prepared you can then get into the really fun part of showing. Horse shows are like a big party where everyone has something in common. I like the social aspect of showing. I have many good friends I only see at shows so it is a time to talk, visit, meet new people and share ideas. Most horse people are pretty friendly and easy to talk to and will be willing to answer questions and help newbies. I am a friendly sort and introduce myself to those I don't know and am very willing to help others. I work a horse show networking among fellow horsepeople like I would if I was at a business meeting. You can learn more at a horse show than you can out of all the books you can buy.

I am a firm believer in the KISS method; keep it simple stupid. By doing your homework at home you greatly reduce the stress when you finally get to the show. Enjoy the show and the people you meet and you just might find showing is fun and not as stressful once you figure out how to make it easier.

 

[lyn_j]

[SIZE=14pt]Be thankful for every ribbon no matter what color. I was a show manager once when a young lady who is now a well known trainer, threw down the ribbond just outside the gate into the trash can there because she didnt win! I will never forget that and neither will the two judges that I was stwearding for at that time. We worked hard to put on the show, spent good money for the ribbons, had to be ring steward because ours didnt show.... and to have this young person blatantly throw away what she called worthless ribbons was a big slap in the face.[/SIZE]

Lyn

 

[Jess P]

I learned this at the past show. My horse refused the first jump 3 times so i got Dqed, and obstacle she did terrible. What I am embarrased about is I shed a few tears afterwards instead of watching the other horses and gaining tips on how to do better.

Don't be a sore loser if you do not win or place as well as you thought you should have done. Watch the other horses and learn!!!

 

[nootka]

Yes, as has been mentioned, be prepared to fail and sometimes something unforeseen will make it go pretty badly (broken halter, etc.), but these things happen and just learn from it is the best policy.

One thing that bugs me to no end is the handler that may have a trainer or coach outside the ring giving LOUD instructions on what to do. It's very distracting and to me, somewhat unfair because if they aren't ready to go in the ring w/that horse, then they likely don't need to be in there w/out a coach in the first place. I don't mind quiet, visual cues, but the loud "stretch him, back him up" etc. gets really annoying. It's not anything other than the distraction that gets bothersome. This should be kept to a minimum, IMHO.

Respect others' space as has been mentioned, thank your presenter, congratulate your winners where possible/appropriate and of course the disrespectful things are really low class (such as throwing ribbons down and I've seen this, too, sadly).

The equipment issue is another one that can get out of hand by that I mean the inexpensive bead type halters I see breaking again and again. I know it's hard to afford certain types of show halters, but some of these show halters are really inappropriate for a young horse, a stallion, or any horse, really, that needs to be kept under control. I had one myself for my stallion and it broke and I was very lucky to catch him, but I learned a lesson I see others making and I am glad so far I have not seen anything too tragic as a result.

The best type are the betathane covered cable and/or leather and are made to stand up to a 200 lb. + horse running to the end and yanking on it. The ones w/the little thread w/the beads on it that run over the nose and attach w/a small clamp over the ring are not appropriate for most situations like showing or where firm control may be necessary, but fine for cosmetic like fun pictures, etc. If in doubt, have someone look it over for you and maybe borrow one, I know I'm usually willing to loan out a halter if someone needs one in a pinch.

Definitely do your best to be at your classes on time, but also be respectful of your horse. DON'T make him walk around and up and down for two hours or even an hour before the class as they get burned out and bored/tired/frustrated. Keep an ear on the schedule/announcer and look at the numbers in the classes previous (most managers will print out or post a printout w/the number of horses in each class) and figure out your timing for the best result. Good stewards will do first call (usually gives you about 15 minutes), second call (ten minutes or less) and third and final call (get up there asap), the other class is leaving the ring.

Ask questions and if you don't understand, ask again, so many of us are willing to help and keep things low stress as possible.

Liz

 

[Colagirl]

Just reiterating what others have said....dont go to shows just to win......cos sometimes you will be disappointed! Instead, go for the fun, the learning, and the people who hopefully will become your friends. Bit like here really!!!!

 

[tifflunn]

:aktion033: Good information!!!!!!

:bgrin Thank You and please keep them coming!!!

Is it O.K. to speak to your horse during a class- or no- verbal cues?

 

[Miniv]

Great Thread! And great advice from everyone!

What it comes down to is the saying --- "Do unto others as you would want them to unto you."

1. Make every effort to show up for the class on time. Gate Stewards do not hold the gate for long and even when there's a request for a "gate hold" it is frowned on unless it's a major emergency.

2. Handlers need to constantly be aware of where their horses are in relation to others......both in and out of the arena.

3. Use "descreet" methods/treats to keep your horse interested in the class.

4. Being gracious and polite to both the judges and the ribbon presenters is ALWAYS appreciated.

All of the above was covered by people aleady.......I just opted to make a "list"........

MA

 

[nootka]

Yes, it's ok to speak to your horse during the class, but keep it at a reasonable level.

Sometimes you need to raise your voice, but don't do it constantly. I don't mind as long as it's "whoa" or whatever as all the horses in the class need to hear that! *LOL*

Wanted to add that your ring steward will tell you how to enter the class if you're unsure, don't be first in the ring if you can help it, and watch the others go and/or ask the ring steward. They will direct you where to lead at which gait and where to move out to a trot and where to line up.

Liz

 

[Sunny]

Yes, of course you can speak to your horse, but softly so that no one else is distracted.

 

[wcr]

On the talking issue; I talk to my horses all the time as that is the way they are trained. When riding big horses you have all kinds of cues to tell your horse what to do but in hand talking is the most effective. I rode with a world class trainer for several years and she told me "Don't shout when you can whisper". Which means that you only use enough cue to achieve the desired reponse then work on giving quieter cues until they are almost invisible. The best example of this is the top level dressage riders. They look like they are just along for the ride while the horses are doing spectacular movements.

 

[Lisa-Ruff N Tuff Minis]

Hmm I personally find the show ring quite a noisey place between the horses, the handlers talking and bait crinkling or shaking or whatever... Doesnt bother me much my horse I dont expect silence when I go into the ring heck some breeds have whips flying around in the horses face so both in front and behind your horse when doing halter

 

[joylee123]

Keep a good attitude

: I always found, if you compete against yourself, do your personal best and always have an open mind, you will have a blast :aktion033:

Always watch what others are doing. Ask, ask, ask (but at an appropriate time

: ). Remember to congradulate the winner and be gratious with positive remarks. Think how lovely it will be when you win that first place and someone walks up to you and says "what a beautiful horse, Good Job" :aktion033:

And always remember... Have fun :bgrin And if you get discouraged, remember, each judge has their personal likes and dislikes. it' just their opinion. One show you may wow them, the next you may not place the same way, don't take it personally and don't let one show discourage you from try, try, trying again :bgrin

Best of luck and have a blast :aktion033:

Joy