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The tack room

Discuss horse riding and ownership on our Horse forum.

Original poster

insanely excited about our first show

56 replies

MitchyInge · 14/07/2009 19:23

. . . and it's only a fun local one but within hacking distance - planning to do working hunter, show jumping (2' 9, woohoo!) and the minimus . PLEASE let him not go mad when he gets there, will be first 'event' since he was banned from pony club a few years ago.

Does anyone know if it is likely to be absolutely vital to have brown tack for working hunter at a little village show?

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Nekabu · 15/07/2009 06:11

Nope, whatever you've got will be fine! Try to get/borrow a plain numnah though, a GP rather than a saddle pad.

Good luck and have fun and don't forget to post a report!

QuelleSodMaMingeEstItchy · 15/07/2009 10:46

they said at newmarket not to use anything under the saddle and it's definitely helped his stupidly sensitive withers issue so am guessing that will be even better

my thighs though they will look enormous

Original poster
MitchyInge · 15/07/2009 10:48

ooops forgot to change out of my Bastille Day name

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HairyMuff · 15/07/2009 10:50

Oooh good luck. I am trying to work up the courage to go to my first show (well first since I was a kid). Let us know how you get on, when is it?

Original poster
MitchyInge · 15/07/2009 11:25

not until end of August - will I be able to sustain this level of excitement?

how can we encourage you hairymuff?

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HairyMuff · 15/07/2009 11:38

Well I've only had my horse a few months but I think he knows his job, I have faith that if you point him at a jump he'll get me over it. I think he'd do an ok dressage test too (have been having jumping and flatwork lessons on him).

But I've only been back riding for a year after a 10 year break (had horses as a kid and am reliving my youth, cantering on verges etc)

Its me though, I get so nervous at the thought that he'll misbehave terribly at a show and never be allowed back. I've been to a few local shows to watch my friend recently and the horses are all so calm and well behaved, everyone just looks so good. I feel they are all out of my league.

He isn't too brilliant around other horses so I'd have that to contend with. He gets really mardy and puts his ears back and starts getting on his toes. He's never actually kicks but always threatens it - I would be mortified if he went for another horse at a show

I also have a crap memory and think I'd go round the course wrong or something .

Pixel · 15/07/2009 11:48

For your first go you could find a little show that has clear round jumping. You won't be competing against anyone else and if you get lost you can have another go!

It will also give you a chance to see how your horse behaves at a show without being committed to anything ('in my day' [old biddy emoticon], clear rounds were entered on the day, not in advance so apologies if that's all changed now!).

Original poster
MitchyInge · 15/07/2009 11:48

I have trouble remembering courses. Actually I have trouble all round, wrong leg, insane approach/departure lines and am the untidiest rider in the world - but effective! Have yet to fall off own horse when jumping, or anything else (apart from the first time I rode him but he has a lot of 'movement' and I have 'not much balance' ). I love it though, I love the way we work together and how he knows what I want.

My biggest worry is also the potential for misbehaviour at a show, and this is based on his ban from pony club and other local events in years gone by (before I had him). Reasonably confident he is a different horse now, although he was banned from our own cross country course earlier this year . He likes to dump his rider on the table for some reason. Oh maybe this is a crazy idea!

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HairyMuff · 15/07/2009 17:58

Pixel - I remmeber good old clear round. That would deffo be my best bet - would have to do it when no one was looking. Do they still do clear round, didn't see it at that show I was watching before?

Mitchy - you sound just like me. I am untidy, all over the place, I'd love to have a video of myself jumping I feel like a right shambles. My mind goes blank and I forget about what I'm supposed to be doing but.... somehow my horse always gets over the jumps and I manage to stay on. Bless him, he is very long suffering. He knows what he's doing (he's an ex-eventer), its just me thats shite!

But I enjoy it and there's no point in doing it if you take it all too seriously I reckon. You are inspiring me though Mitchy, it would be such an achievement, I'd get so excited if I won a rosette . Do you get to gallop round the ring after with it in your teeth like in the Jill books?

HairyMuff · 15/07/2009 18:01

Also my lad, as good as he is at getting me over jumps, thinks he is the Hugh Heffner of horses. He sees a mare and gets his old man out and starts snorting and stomping. Not sure it'd ever be in at a show .

QuelleSodMaMingeEstItchy · 15/07/2009 18:22

I have a horrible feeling we'll be galloping round the ring with or without a rosette in my teeth

HairyMuff · 15/07/2009 19:20
Grin
Pixel · 15/07/2009 20:51

I still have most of my Jill books stashed under the bed. For years I hid them in dd's bookcase in the pretence that I'd saved them for her, but she's 13 now and it's become too obvious that she's never even taken one off the shelf. I had to spirit them away when no-one was looking in case they became car boot fodder .

Nekabu · 16/07/2009 05:08

You can get high wither numnahs - make sure you pull it well up into the saddle gullet, away from his spine. You can do the showing class without a numnah if you want (and technically that is correct) but as he has a sensitive back and you've mentioned your balance/movement in the saddle issues before he will probably be more comfortable if he has a numnah.

BTW, I have spent years having a horse who's earned the Worst Behaved badge at shows, so don't worry about yours too much - just remember you're out to have a bit of fun!

Ponymum · 16/07/2009 09:20

How big is the show? If it's quite little you might be surprised at the various standards of behaviour. I was steward at a small local show last year and in one ring there were hardly any entries. In one class there were two entries - one was shaggy and moved badly, and the other was half wild! The judge and I were practically clinging to each other in fright when we told them to canter and this horse took off galloping at top speed around the circumference with the rider holding on for dear life! I thought at the time, well I can definitely do better than that! And they went home with a rosette!

Good luck! Very excited for you.

Original poster
MitchyInge · 21/07/2009 13:40

still insanely excited, wish we could enter everything

life has dealt me a heavy blow today though, one of my boots has completely disintegrated sob the sole is flapping off and it's all slimy in there now

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Original poster
MitchyInge · 23/07/2009 11:31

further woes: horse loves having mane pulled but goes bananas when you try to plait

does not seem to want to jump sideways on a regular basis, in fact it appears to have been a one-off fluke

OP posts:
Pixel · 23/07/2009 13:37

You aren't practicing enough obviously, I'm sure everyone else here got the hang of sideways jumping years ago, didn't we girls?!

Original poster
MitchyInge · 23/07/2009 23:56

hahaha! my instructor looked like she lost the will to live when I asked for a lateral jumping lesson today

I got a friend to video Barney and me jumping a scary course today, must must must be brave and get her to put it on youtube so I can show you lot some people - funny how am not scared to jump anything but am scared of the constructive criticism I so badly need!

OP posts:
Pixel · 24/07/2009 21:00

Come on! you've had a whole day. Where is this video?????

Original poster
MitchyInge · 24/07/2009 21:30

ah my friend is on holiday now, excuses excuses, but I could ask someone to film me tomorrow - be gentle with me though if when I post it

thunder and lightning added a whole new layer of excitement to our jumping experience today

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Pixel · 24/07/2009 22:29

I haven't ridden all week, I don't know how dhorse will ever be trained. Trying to do the poo-picking today with ds running off every five minutes, dd moaning because she stung herself on a nettle...argh I've got six more weeks of this!

Pixel · 24/07/2009 22:33

Wish we could put videos in our profiles like we do the photos. I don't really want to put any on Youtube.

Original poster
MitchyInge · 25/07/2009 20:39

yes, like on facebook!

well I got someone to film and photograph us today and have a lot of blurry shots of sand and her shoes and one of me and the jumping king in the extreme distance, not even jumping and I just look rubbish and fat even from far far away

pah!

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Pixel · 25/07/2009 22:47

Goodness, I wasn't going to post any videos of me! Are you mad?
But I have got one of dhorse when we first got him doing his lovely floaty trot in the paddock. It makes me laugh because there's my sister with a bucket trying to catch him (he'd just got on some grass after 2 weeks quarantine in a bare paddock) and all you can hear is my mum and I saying "ooh, doesn't he look lovely".