Showing-Halter

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Lisa

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I have an opportunity to show my favourite gelding in some halter classes this summer, but I've never been in a show and I am not entirely sure what to expect or how to teach him what he needs to know. I've WATCHED halter classes, but this is not even close to the same competing myself. Any tips on training or info on what to expect in the show?

Sean is about 13hh and a 2 year old Welsh x Morgan. The pic is just one I took on my phone, but isn't he purty
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Bump! Can anyone help me?

ETA: I just realized the image that I wanted to attach didn't get attached. Here it is!

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Halter is great, I loved it, so much so that I got heavy into showmanship as well. Its pretty easy to do, but its complicated to explain here. If you have someone that can give you a few hands on lessons, that would be best. Or even go to a few open/schooling shows to help gain the info you need.

Your horse will need to be able to follow in a straight line, stop straight, back straight. Stop with all four feet squared, eventually they will start to do this on their own. Pivot on hind, keeping the outside rear hoof in place, keeping the body square. Trot off with you and stop with you. And then you will need to learn quarters, split horse nose to tail for one half, then shoulders forward is one quarter and shoulders back the last. You need to stay one quarter away from the judge. If they are looking at the left butt, you are on the right fore, they cross to the right butt, you cross to the right front. You only need to stay in 2 spots and be able to walk in front of the horse but be close enough for control.

Now this info is for QH shows, I dont know how you will be showing. As you can see, it can get pretty intense to explain. Hopefully you can have someone give you hands on help. Oh, forgot the most important thing! S M I L E !!!!! Even if you booboo, no biggie, keep on a grinnin!!!!!

Forgot to add about trimming and cleanliness. For that you will need your breed specific info. But that horse needs to be perfectly trimmed and clean to a shine. I used to pull my manes and tails, and banged the tail just a tad. I didnt do all the banding etc, kinda like the natural look LOL now the big thing is dyes and fake tails, to me, thats cheating
 
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Just wanted to start off by saying I'm probably a complete idiot to even be attempting to answer because I don't show.

But I thought halter was in large part about confirmation and presentation of the animal?

Your boy is really cute, and it may be just the angle of the picture, but he looks like he needs some more weight/muscle to me. Maybe he's just on the smaller side because of his age but still with his cross I would just expect a "rounder" animal?

Hope that's not offensive, not trying to be.
 
No offense taken at all! He is a bit thin, but in person he doesn't look as "angly" as he does in the picture. I noticed that as well. I think he's just a thinner framed horse. He looks pretty healthy in person.

Thanks for the suggestions! I am starting with taking Sean for walks, I took him today and he did well though he was nervous. He is not very good on lead, so I want him to be good at that first. Any suggestions for things I can do while walking him that will help me in the show?

About the mane and tail: I've read that the mane and tail are supposed to be short and/or banded, but Sean's mane and tail are SOO long and full and just gorgeous and I wouldn't want to make them short and I'd love to show them off (his mane falls perfectly to one side and his other side of neck shows very pretty), is that allowed?
 
i know this maybe a shot in the dark but he looks more like a Morgan than a Welsh so I would show like Morgan. cool coloring thats for sure. Check the morgan rulebook maybe for how they show. Just a thought.
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And heck lessons are the best things. But for a two year old id work on stopping and backing and just leading in general. he sure is cute though. my landlord's roommate has a full morgan and when he was shown in halter he was shown with a full tail.
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Just some thoughts though..lol i could be wrong lol
 
If you are wanting to be serious about halter, you will need to follow breed standards. However if you are going to show just to show, or do open/schooling, then its more open. Some Judges may penalize you if he isnt breed correct, some may be fine, its a roll of the dice. Even though I loved halter/showmanship , it was more for fun, so my guys, while trimmed to perfection
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werent breed correct, no banded manes.
 
I would show him with full mane & tail. We showed our Morgans in open shows, with QH and Appy and Paint judges and mostly QH, Appy and Paint horses as our competition, with a few Arabs at some shows, and we mostly cleaned up at all the shows. We showed our horses like Morgans, full manes and tails, Morgan style show halters, Morgan show stance. Welsh show with full mane & tail too, and they don't even get their legs clipped (I couldn't show Welsh, I like the heads and legs tidied up!)--I would show your boy as he is, not try to do him up like a QH for showing.
 

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