Showing advice.

[kelstemialil1]

Did a local show at the weekend with our 12.2 Welsh section B and 9 year old daughter. We really went to do working hunter and SJ but entered into Ridden style and appearance, first ridden and 13.2 and under. They did really well coming 3rd and 1st. I'm really u sure what daughter should be wearing. Do I decide if he's being shown as WHP or SHP and dress accordingly? Was our first show

Yes you need to decide which type you're going to present him as and go from there. You can either show him as a mountain & moorland so unplaited, or as a SHP in which case he would need a plaited mane and pulled tail. Rider dress is the same for both types - a tweed jacket, navy hat, brown jodhpur boots, shirt and tie. Tack needs to be workmanlike and plain for either type - no coloured browbands and keep your numnah unobtrusive and your girth the same colour as your tack, preferably all brown, as black is still mainly frowned upon in showing circles.

Thank you, on Sunday he was plaited as she was also doing working hunter and one org the other mums asked why she wasn't in navy jacket. There was a real mixture of tweed and navy in a large class.

You wear tweed for working hunters unless you're in an evening performance, even at the Horse of the Year Show etc.

Excuse me for not grasping 🙄 So if we are jumping working hunter classes, he has to be plaited but doing Ridden style and appearance as a WHP not plaited? X

There are only really two types of rider wear for ponies - if you've got a M&M, a SHP, a WHP, pretty much anything apart from a show pony or an intermediate, the rider wears tweed and you have plain tack (no blingy browbands, white girths etc) Only show ponies and intermediates you wear navy or black (usually navy for a girl and black for a boy). M&Ms are unplaited and SHPs are plaited but you wear tweed on both. WHPs you wear tweed whether it's plaited WHP or M&M WHP.

Sorry just read your last post again - he's a M&M breed so you can choose whether you turn him out as a M&M or as a SHP, i.e. unplaited or plaited.

If you're doing WHP it's probably best to plait, unless you can find a M&M WHP class, but these are more common at affiliated shows than local ones.

Style and appearance again you're probably best to plait as it'll be partly judged on turnout so looks like you've made more of an effort.

But being a Welsh B you can also show him as a M&M and a M&M WHP, and he'd need to be unplaited for those classes.

Whichever of those two types you choose to turn him out as, the jockey wears tweed.

Maybe the lady who said your DD should be in navy thought he was a show pony (in which case navy jacket and blimey browband are correct) or maybe she doesn't know what she's on about

Hope that helps, it sounds far more complicated than it is when you try to explain in writing!

Have a look at the BSPS website, that should help with regard to dress and turnout too.

Blingy not blimey! Damn you autocorrect!

Thanks very much. X

Prosecco nails it.. Yes wear tweed for all the classes she mentions. The only time you'd wear blue jacket is for show pony classes and for show jumping. Maybe that was the confusion..

With the sort of classes you want to do stick to tweed and plain browbands etc.

We complete our New Forest and Connemara in WHPs and plait them for WHP and leave them unplaited for M&M WHP. Usually at affiliated shows kind secretaries run the plaited classes first so people can unplait rather than the other way around !

Going forward if she likes it she may want to go to affiliated shows where she can do M&M First Riddens or Junior Riders classes. These are unplaited and very popular..

If you did want to go down the Show Hunter Pony route (we did with great success with our Section B - HOYS etc) then you'd not only need to plait but also strip him out (pulled tail, clip feather etc). However this would be drastic at unaffiliated level as you would be better showing him as an M&M and then just plaited for WHP.

Think the problem being was on Sunday we did first ridden with him plaited as we also did working hunter class. This is a local show that we will do regularly where the classes are very close together. He has been shown in the past as a shp and done well so leaning towards this. was our first time out doing a show and he qualified for ESUK and actually looked a bit of a scruff as I didn't really know what to show him as. Think I will trim feathers and get tail pulled and show him as shp?

Will there be enough SHP classes at your shows to justify it? All locals shows have M&M classes but SHP is more specialist. If doing affiliated classes then he'd be in the under 13 hand category so he'd be a bit on the small side if 12.2 but could get away with it.

If you did this for SHP classes though it would also smarten him up for WHP plaited classes. Just make sure that your jockey also looks the part and that he has plain brown tack where possible.

It was a mistake replying to this before bed last night - I had a dream that other MNers could rate posts and leave smiley/angry/puzzled/rolling eyes smileys on them in judgement, and woke up thinking that my posts had been slated with lots of people rolling their eyes at me! Oh dear.

This is them at the weekend

Instant first impressions;

The plaits need work (sorry please try not to take offence, just an observation) or show him as a M&M and you won't have to bother
Tail could do with pulling
The numnah is quite big and fluffy,something less obtrusive would be better, barely larger than the saddle
If you were showing at a higher level you'd need a straighter cut saddle to show off the shoulder (for flat classes, OK for WHP)
Rider turnout is good, at a higher level you'd want a navy velvet hat rather than a jockey skull with a silk (for flat classes anyway, skull fine for WHP)
I think a nice neat bun looks smarter than plaits/ribbons, but that's personal preference. Bun rings and loads of hairnets and bands are your friends
Check individual show rules as some don't like hanging cheek snaffles

All meant to be helpful and constructive and not tearing apart, and for local level they look great, I do quite a bit of judging and wouldn't be critical of this pair at local. When's your next show?

I would agree with all Prosecco's comments. I'd also add it may look a better picture if she could raise her stirrups by a hole. Your bridle would be OK for a novice affiliated SHP class but in Open classes a show hunter would be expected to go in some sort of double with two reins - maybe in a Pelham to start with.

Glad she is enjoying her showing !

Hi,

I totally agree about the plaits, I wasn't happy with them at all! 🙈

The saddle pad was deffinately too bulky but am I still ok to use the sheepskin gel pad?

I would love a Fylde Samantha saddle but need to save some pennies.

We have tried so many velvet hats and none got. We have a Charles Owen Hampton on order that comes in a round fit but iv been waiting weeks for it now.

Looking back at the pics, I also agree a bun would be better, think she's too old at 9 for bows 😟

The show we did at the weekend was very very busy but is a local and relaxed show, it didn't say anything about the bit. He also rides in a Wilkie, would this be better?

Oh meant to add, he's having his tail pulled tonight and mane, hopefully will be easier to plait. Next show is on Sunday. A first ridden but doesn't state M&M or SHP etc.

My thoughts are that if we show him as a SHP she will also be able to do WHP without having to unplait.

Thanks

Hi Butkin1,
Would you be able to wear Pelham rounding or have to be double reins in affiliated open. We are happy to do unaffiliated local shows but just interested

Hi Kelstimali, roundings are not used at County level but if you think your DD might find dealing with two reins a bit of a step you can use split reins. Our SHP won at highest level in these- he just liked them and small children couldn't pick up too much bottom rein which he did not approve of.

Hi,

What other bits could we use? For SHP first ridden. Don't like the thought of a Pelham? 😳

You can't use a pelham for first ridden, it has to be a snaffle. Which snaffles are permitted depends on which society the sow is affiliated to, if any. At local level I should think anything goes if it's not specifically stated in the rules.

If DPony will tootle along happily in a standard snaffle then I would use that every time. If he can be a bit strong or cheeky then the Wilkie will give more control, the most important thing in FR classes is they perform well together but there will always be judges who disapprove of Wilkies.

He only came with the drop cheek and the Wilkie, never tried him in anything else. Don't think he's strong or cheeky though. He's a sweetie on the flat x

Sorry if I confused you. You should go with a simple snaffle and one set of reins for anything to do with novice classes or First Riddens.

My only mention of using a double would refer to if you step up to doing Open 133cm SHP classes at affiliated shows.. You may be a season away from doing this...

Ahh I see. Thank you x

How did your show go, OP?