Plait/not, first ridden/leadrein, pull/plait......HELP?

[elephantpoo]

Ok. Taking DD (8 3/4) to her first show next weekend. She has 12.2 Dartmoor who she rides very well off the leadrein.
Do we go for a leadrein class (8 and under) or first ridden (9 and under)?
I know pony shoud be "natural" and am pretty confident I have DD's wardrobe sorted, but what about Dpony. We only have synthetic saddle-no other option. Have a numnah that is discreet and saddle colour, but what girth do we need? Dpony is bay.
Also, may take my Dpony (in two minds following scarey rearing incident)
He's a Welsh x. Was hoping to do best cob / best coloured......should I plait? Do I need to pull his tail / can I plait? Best cob class includes show / family / working / traditional cobs. He has a pulled mane atm. Also, is it ok to show him in his ridden bridle, with a leather leadrein?

[olderyetwider]

I'd do both classes for DD, lead rein for confidence, first ridden for her to feel independent. I wouldn't stress about tack, just a girth that vaguely blends with pony's colour. I'm a bit of an anti showing person though, in that we make them look lovely to us, then just give it our best! Take Dpony for experience, and just have a lovely time (you can probably tell that GD doesn't come very high in showing classes, but as far as she's concerned a rosette's a rosette, even if you are 6th out of 6 )

[dappleton]

Just wishing you and your DD best of luck. If I was you i'd enter your DD into both classes, may as well get the experience of both - and the chance of 2 rosettes.
Can't help with the other questions i'm afraid but I can't imagine a synthetic saddle is a huge problem.

[Saggyoldclothcatpuss]

Hello, I'm not professional at showing, you want Butkin for that, but, I think you are often not allowed to do both classes.
Also, there is showed naturally, and showed naturally!
I'm more inhand welsh a's, but generally, natural means, no facial hair/whiskers, beard singed, ears trimmed round, subtle eye makeup, washed, coat shined, and if grey, probably blue rinsed when washing. Mane long but not scraggly,(strategically pulled), get the idea??

[Disasterpiece]

Youll have to check the rule book, if its just a small local show they may allow her to enter both classes. Definitely do the LR then see if shes happy enough to do FR.

Synthetic saddle will be fine, im guessing it is black, if so you need a black bridle and black girth. Brown would be preferable but its more preferable to match bridle and saddle colour.

Discreet numnah will be fine, I prefer to see a bit of numnah than none at all.

I wouldnt take your horse as well unless you have another horse friendly adult with you.

If he is a welsh cob he needs to be left natural too, you may get a few points knocked off for having his main pulled, let it grow out for next time but you can keep it neat by pulling stray hairs with a rubber gloved hand.

Leave his tail out.

Good luck.

Ps for your daughter riding her pony she needs a tweed jacket, beige jods, matching joddy boots and gloves. Pony needs full mane and tail and dont touch his face or legs, plain browband too.

[Butkin]

Diasterpiece has covered pretty much what I'd say - especially about not taking your own dpony if it could in any way spoil DD's day (we've had stable mates getting clingy and calling to each other before now which is a nightmare).

As regards classes best to check what it says in the rules. Certainly in affiliated showing it would be no problem riding in both LR and FR as long as child is correct age and pony correct height.

Obviously in LR then you'll need to have appropriate gear as well, including hat and long skirt/culottes and carry a show cane. You'll need to lead using a leather lead rope and basically you are there for show - hopefully at her age DD will be able to ride effectively herself. Remember though that LR are usually for younger children (DD rode in the from 2 1/2 to 6 1/2) and if she is big this could count against her in the overall "picture".

In FR she will be expected to ride around together at walk and trot - probably including a change of rein - and hopefully on the bit.

She will then have to do an individual show which should include trot on both reins and canter on both reins - no gallop! Best to make sure she has practised her show at home enough times that she doesn't have to worry about it on the day.

As regards Dartmoor just whatever you have should be OK. Ideally the saddle should be brown and you'd have a brown (fabric is fine) girth and definitely plain brown bridle. You could ride him in a snaffle or a wilkie - whichever he goes best in. I would suggest a plain brown fitted numnah - definitely not an oblong shaped one.

DD should wear tweed jacket, cream/yellow jods, jod boots (with clips if no elastic on jods), helmet with blue or brown cover (Charles Owens show hats with beige chin straps and felt are a good investment if taking it seriously in the future).

She should carry a plain and simple brown whip.

Good luck and let us know how you get on!

[Pixel]

"As regards classes best to check what it says in the rules. Certainly in affiliated showing it would be no problem riding in both LR and FR as long as child is correct age and pony correct height."

Does this mean there might be different rules regarding lead rein at smaller shows? I know nothing about showing and always assumed there would be limits for lead rein classes. It makes me a bit sad as I'd love to take ds to a show but it's unlikely he will ever be able to ride independently so I don't suppose there would be a class for him? (plus he'd look a bit funny as he's 11 amongst all the little'uns).

We also have a very good show pony at our disposal (has won in hand at county shows) but he is 14hh so over the limit there too.

Can people enter things like veteran classes on the lead rein? Dpony is 22 so could that possibly be an option?

Sorry to hijack, just Butkin's post made me wonder.

[Disasterpiece]

Quick tip RE joddy clips. dont bother. They are out of date now and ping off all the time.

If hers dont already have elastic then you can sew some on yourself, it looks a lot neater and more professional.

To keep her jods and shirt nice and cream/canary chuck them in the wash with a yellow duster.


Pixel I think lead rein goes up to 12 in most shows, could be wrong though as Ive not been around showing for a good few years.

[CMOTdibbler]

Pixel - looking at the assortment of small show schedules in the house, a few of them specify age x and rda on lead rein. Certainly the one we were at at the weekend had quite a few riders with disabilities who were over 8 doing the 8 and under lr handy pony/gymkhana games etc, some with one or more helpers as well as leaders.

[Butkin]

In affiliated showing the age restrictions are:
M&Ms not 9 before 1st Jan for LR, not 12 before 1st Jan for FR
Show Ponies not 8 before 1st Jan for LR, not 10 before 1st Jan for FR

However if you look for unaffiliated shows - especially those calling themselves fun shows - they will have higher age limits and will often have classes where LRs and FRs go intogether and be up to 12 years.

I agree about elastics on jods - we stitch on thick brown elastic on all ours as we hate jod clips. However clips are better than letting the jods ride up.

[Pixel]

So shows do make allowances for disabilities? That sounds promising. It's so long since we went to any shows that I can't remember the last time I saw a schedule. I never noticed any mention of disability before but then when I was 15 I wasn't really looking!

Would still have the problem of transport though, it seems you can't go to any shows at all nowadays without a trailer. I used to be able to hack to a show every weekend in the holidays when I was a kid but there isn't a single show within riding distance in this area now . I'm even having trouble getting dhorse moved to the other yard. I wanted to be there weeks ago really but someone offered to take him today. Now she says she can't do it after all. I know I should ride him over there myself (would take a couple of hours - easily doable even with me him unfit) but if I was brave enough to do that I wouldn't need to go at all iyswim. . Sis was going to ride him but she has been told by physio not to ride for a while and dhorse is strong so she daren't risk it. (think time has come to change bit but that's another thread ).

[Pixel]

Up to 12 years sounds much better.

Though I can't imagine many 12 y o boys would be seen dead on the lead rein at a show under normal circumstances.

[Disasterpiece]

Pixel same here, I used to do SHP, SP, Riding horse, Hack classes between 8-21 years old and never noticed anything about disabilities mentioned in rule books or schedules but I wasnt looking either.

It would be brilliant to include classes for disabled riders, especially as horse riding is such good therapy for them, then again shows may be reluctant due to there not being a big enough demand for them.

I used to know a man who was severely disabled, used a wheel chair and needed a full time carer etc but rode beautifully. He had the most gorgeous 17hh light hunters and honestly rode them perfectly. It was fantastic to watch him.

[Pixel]

Personally I blame that Lee Pearson. He's set the standard rather high.

[Butkin]

Shows don't cater for disabilities but if the pony goes well that is what should matter.

I've certainly seen some children with special needs competing and doing well at shows but they were not given any advantages - nor probably wanted them.

Have a look at the RDA website though because there seem to be some events that they put on which may interest.

[elephantpoo]

Sorry for not coming back sooner, but had a horrible week.

Thanks so much for all of your advice x

Well, pony is washed and ready to go.

DD is excited.

Decided not to take my Dpony (very long story, hence bad week :( )

Will report back tomorrow, once it's over.

[Disasterpiece]

Yes. Pony was washed and ready to go but will choose tonight to have a nice roll in a massive poo and have a quick itch of his tail and rip half of it out.

Good luck for tomorrow, come back to tell us how it went after you have managed to bring your little girl down off a massive high and convince her to go to bed and have had a stiff brandy to calm yourself after being a jibberg wreck all day.

In all seriousness, I hope you both really enjoy yourselves and the weather stays nice for you.

[Disasterpiece]

How did it go?

[elephantpoo]

We've had a great day!!

I've turned into a beetroot, but DD's come away with a red, 3 blues and a pink

So pleased with her pony....he's a superstar. Or a super Star, as Star's his name!

We took advice from other liveries, re. what time to get there for specific classes, and they were a liitle out. So we missed out on the 4 classes we wanted to enter. So we had a brief panic and chose ridden m and m-lead rein and best thelwell in hand (a bit of fun). DD and Star got 5th and 2nd respectively.

We also promised DD that she could do gymkana, because we missed the earlier classes. She got 2 1st's and 2 2nd's, which meant she came joint 1st overall in her age group and got a 10 pound voucher too. She was over the moon!!

So pleased with how it went we are already planning to take my Dpony somewhere soon (if I ever start talking to him again!)

[Disasterpiece]

That brilliant! Aww so pleased for her.

Have to ask though, how on earth did you manage to miss 4 classes?

[elephantpoo]

Thank you Disasterpiece.

One ring was ridden, one in-hand. Both started at 9.30. When we got there (about 10.15) the in-hand ring was on it's 4th class, calling the 5th to the collection ring!!! The ridden ring was on it's 2nd class, calling it's 3rd. 2 classes we missed were in-hand - reg. m and m and best chid handler (looking back we couldn't made the child handler, as it was class 5. I just didn't realise there was such a delay between calling / doing the class)
The other 2 classes were ridden lead rein and first ridden. We hadn't decided which to go for / whether to go for both. Again, possibly could've done first ridden due to delay between calling / starting, but didn't feel we could attempt it without it being hurried / stressful. Just wanted a relaxed day and to see what goes on (years since I've been to a show!!)

We have lots of tips for next time now though. We're going to arrive earlier, be sure of what we want to enter before we go and make a bit more of a feature of a picnic. It was a long day, esp for my DS (5) who doesn't "get" horses, so a nice picnic would've been nice instead of hunting down hot dogs and drinks.

Just so pleased with DD's pony. DH, who doesn't "do" horses was getting involved and was very impressed by DD and her super pony. Said he was the best there..........I know he's biased, but that's a huge compliment from him!!

[Disasterpiece]

At the smaller shows in hand classes can be done within 5-10 minutes max.

So yes, definitely get there an hour earlier than you think you should be there next time to give you all time to get set up and walk round the rings and see where they are all up to.

Picnic good idea too. Lots of sandwiches and drinks.

Ahh its nice when the dads get involved isnt it. I bet he was so proud of them both.

My dad used to be designated box driver come groom come skivvy

He got a bit fed up though when we got to the stage of needing to set of to shows at 3am.