Liberty Classes

[JourneysEnd]

We're working on class schedules and could use input from exhibitors.

Do you prefer Liberty to be the first class of the day or the last ?

Why ?

Thanks,

Vickie

 

[picasso]

I personally like to show in it at the end of the day. Kind of gets the up tight nervous classes over with and gives you something more relaxing to do at the end.

But on the other hand I could see where it would be better for the show if you were somewhere that people come to watch the show to have it earlier in the day if your show was going to go on late at night. To draw people in to watch the show.

 

[Maple Hollow Farm]

I would want it at the end because when your horse is running around it is going to get itself downright filthy and make it harder to clean up and look your best for halter and performance classes.

 

[Littleum]

Beginning of the day!

It's a great way for people to slowly meander into the barns. Horses don't have to be totally dressed up. Everyone can stand around, have a coffee, chat, visit. The horses get to start the day off kicking up their heels and getting their sillies out. The morning is usually MUCH cooler. I think it's just a fun, low-stress, low-rush way to start the morning.

At the end of the day everyone is just plain tired. Horses are tired. People are tired. It's hot. Flies are out. Liberty can run forever. People and horses want to just go eat and relax.

 

[midnight star stables]

I would want it at the end because when your horse is running around it is going to get itself downright filthy and make it harder to clean up and look your best for halter and performance classes.

Ditto

 

[horsefeather]

I prefer it in the morning, for all the reasons Littleum gave. Especially after working in the heat all day, the horses just don't do as good if it's at the end of the day.

Pam

 

[Katiean]

I would want it at the end of the day. It is a good way to end the day.

 

[Charlotte]

Morning definitely! As someone who shows in Liberty all the time ........ We've done Liberty first thing of the day and last thing of the day. By the end of the day, if the horse has had any other classes or been bathed or clipped or groomed on he's tired. If it's summer and it 's been a hot day the horse is hot. He isn't going to have the charisma of an early morning performance.

Make it morning!

Charlotte

 

[Viki]

I agree with MORNING! The horses & people are fresh for a new day and the horses perform MUCH better than at the end of the day.

Viki

 

[Sunny]

I, too, think the MORNING is better for all the reasons given already. Depending on the show, it might even draw some spectators in which, obviously, could mean potential buyers, etc. I don't think a horse is going to get too terribly dirty after three minutes in the arena (unless it rolls!).

 

[Anne ABC]

MORNINGS for sure!

 

[MiLo Minis]

I always look at it as a reward for my horse who has worked hard all day and had to be very reserved and proper - in Liberty they get to cut loose and shake it all off before getting on the trailer to go home. I have never had a problem with lack of energy from any of my horses that truly enjoy Liberty - if they did, I wouldn't put them in it. Even those few minutes in the ring makes them filthy. You have to figure there have been possibly dozens of horses running around in there stirring up the dust and of course you shine them up before you take them in so the dust ends up clinging to them. I wouldn't want to have to do a halter or showmanship class after that especially as half my show string is WHITE!

 

[Becky]

Add me to those who vote for morning! I've been showing in Liberty for a number of years now and my horses always perform better when they are fresh in the morning. In this part of the country, summers are brutal and a hot horse won't perform near as well at the end of the day as they will in the morning. I've never had a Liberty horse get too dirty to show in halter the rest of the day. Make it morning!

 

[JourneysEnd]

Thanks !

Please keep responding if you haven't already.

We're trying to decide which way to go with our next show.

 

[The Simple Life Farm]

I don't go to a show that I don't participate in a liberty class. I prefer to do liberty in the monrning. We show in the south, and the horses DO perform better in the morning. When the shows run late, and they don't start liberty until 10:00 pm, the horses just aren't as active as they are in the coolness of the morning. I don't find it a problem to do a halter class afterwards, as long as we get a short break to wipe down horses and hooves.

 

[hobbyhorse23]

Our shows start at 8AM so putting liberty in the morning would hardly make it a spectator event. Also, liberty tends to drag on and on so it seems to me like you'd be risking putting your entire show schedule behind and ending up doing regular classes very late at night.

I also hate to ask my horse to run right after he's had breakfast and when he hasn't had a chance to stretch out yet- he always takes a morning siesta after chow and the one time I asked him to do liberty in the morning he gave me this LOOK

and sort of wandered around the arena in a confused way until the music stopped, at which point he took off running.

Thankfully our arenas here don't get the horse too dirty doing liberty, at least nothing worse than hooves and pasterns. I think I'd still rather have liberty after all the classes where cleanliness counts because gosh help you if the horse rolls or falls and you've got halter in a few minutes! OH! Plus that way I don't have to take a fired-up horse into another in-hand class with him thinking he's going to get to bolt and buck again.

Obviously environment makes a difference. We don't get overwhelmingly hot here except MAYBE in the middle of the day so by the evening things have usually cooled down and the horses are rested after dinner. Often our liberty classes don't start until 8PM or much later depending on how the day went. Maybe it's because my horse and I are night owls, but that suits us fine!

Leia

 

[Cavallini Farms]

I am torn on this one...I would prefer morning for a better performance and fresher horse.

I would choose afternoon for other reasons. Mainly because Liberty is usually a large class (around here anyway), it takes quite awhile to get through. It may delay the start of other classes on schedule. And yes, the dirty horse factor too.

If it was up to me, I would choose morning over afternoon.

 

[Leeana]

Im going to go agianst what is said here and say night, my reason....because i really do not want my horse out running in the dirt (sometimes damp) and getting dirt up their legs and splashed all over their body before our halter classes. In most cases you wouldn't have time to rebath them either after the class.

I say night...ive always seen liberty at night and the horses have no trouble showing off. I like to bath my horses in the evening day before they show, unless they show late in the evening in their halter classes then i will do them in the morning...but i don't like rushing in the AM trying to bath everyone when classes start at 8-9 AM. I've only shown Liberty once, its fun...may give it a go agian some day..

Also, if its in the evening..i know classes here go on hours and hours, so instead of taking up that daylight time.

 

[txminipinto]

I prefer evening for several reasons:

1) It's done at night at Nationals and Congress

2) Dirty factor

3) In the morning, its usually a very large class that can last for hours (at least in Area V). This prolongs the show. If it's run in the evening, generally there are less participants(which means I can go to bed sooner). Regardless, it always fills in the A division.

 

[Jessica_06]

I'd defiantly have to say evening if Liberty was in the morning I wouldn't enter in it.

-Horses get dirty too easily even when my white ones are tied they find a way to get dirt spots on them

- At most of the shows I go to Liberty is a fun night we have an exhibitor party with lots of yummy foods so you have dinner and a show! I defiantly think that evening is much more enjoyable after a hard day.

- Also it seems to work better in the evening because like others said your schedule may get really thrown off if you have a lot of liberty exhibitors in the morning, which makes it difficult for other exhibitors to know when their halter classes etc..., are going to run.

~Jessica