# i wanna show my mare but have no idea what i doing



## kinky_oz69 (Sep 19, 2007)

well i wanna show my mare but i don 't know what i'm doing and shes never been showed before i was woundering if you guys could give me a couple of pointers on what i need to do before after and during the show and what i need to work with my horse on before during and after the show thanks ahead of time


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## We Control The Chaos (Sep 19, 2007)

Okay It depends on what kind of shows are you planning to do? English or Western? I show English...if you need any information about that you may message me or just reply =]


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## kinky_oz69 (Sep 19, 2007)

its an open horse show i wanna see how she does with both but idk if thats ok since i'm only paying 20$ to go into all the events all weekend


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## horsey_gal_18 (Oct 26, 2007)

Hmm.. well to start with you might wanna decide what sort of showing you want to do.. if you have a young horse you might wanna do led events or if your horse is being ridden he/she might want to do some of the ridden events.. think about what you'd like to do at the actual show and I'll get abck to ya!


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## Chief101 (Sep 23, 2012)

I don't know what I'm doing either as I want to show my Clydesdale X Arabian but I don't know what class to put her in


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## DancingArabian (Jul 15, 2011)

I really recommend a trainer. The only tips that we can give you are to show up on time, make sure you have all the things you need, bring a helper, make sure your horse is very clean and tidy and make sure that you are clean and tidy.

We don't know what disciplines/classes you have available to you, your riding education or your horse's training background. Shows have a lot of little nuances to them that we just can't give you because we're not there and don't know the shows. A trainer can help you through these things - from the little things of the best places to park at a particular location, to walking you through the paperwork, to holding your hand through the whole process and helping you train for it all beforehand. A trainer is going to be able to help you decide what classes you should enter and how to train for them. A trainer will know the judges and what they look for. A trainer will know what all the classes mean and what tends to score well.

If you're just showing "for fun" and not to win, then most of that doesn't matter. Figure out what classes you want to enter, show up on time, neat and tidy and go for it. If you want to win ribbons, then you have to put in work.

Good luck!


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## ChingazMyBoy (Apr 16, 2009)

I'm going to presume that from your previous threads (e.g. 'Getting her to canter) that you are new to this horse and are still a beginner rider.

What type of show is it (what is the actual _name_ of the show? Do you want to do ridden or led classes? 

I think that it would really help you if you had someone more experienced go along with you, specially if your horse is new to showing as well. Attending your very first competition can be both a stressful and confusing time for both the horse and rider. Having someone who is more experienced in showing means that you will spend a whole lot less time stressing about filling out nominations, walking courses (if your doing jumping), understanding workouts, or preparing your horse. 

Also, if you can't take someone more experienced. Can you take a 'horsey friend' that can help you tack up, untack, almost like a groom. Maybe you could arrange it so that you can act as a groom for them at another show? 

You need to find out things such as - do you need to plait up the horse? You want all your gear, including your horse to be as clean as possible. Make sure you wash your horse before hand and make sure that they stay clean. So, stabling or rugging them if it is an option? You need to make sure that all your gear is clean - saddle, bridle, bit (is a key point, which people don't normally realize), boots, your show clothes. Depending on the class, you will need to wear different attire, if it is a casual open show - you may just need a neat polo shirt. But, check on the programme or on the association running the events website, you should be able to find it there. 

Know the horse you are showing with well - this will help you develop an idea of how they are going to respond to the showing environment. Are they the type of horse who is usually spooky or misbehaves, or are they normally quiet and your classical 'school horse' type. Practice, don't just 'rock up' without schooling a 'mock' of the classes which you are entering in. You need to be comfortable with what you are asking the horse to do, because when you're in the showing environment and asking the horse to do something that you haven't practised in six months - everything will be so much harder. 

Don't set yourself huge expectations - afterall, it is the first show for both you and your horse. Don't worry about the other competitors, compete against yourself. Set yourself a goal to 'have fun', or 'be ready for my classes on time'. Instead of having a goal like 'Place in the top three for - this event - '. 

At the show, breathe. Relax - if you are tense as a rider, the horse is going to be tense as well. To stop yourself from being so nervous - be organized. This way you don't have to rush around trying to find things, or clean things at last minute. Put all your show forms in an envelope and have them with you - in the glove box of your car or somewhere. If you are hiring a float (horse trailer) from somewhere, organize to pick it up the night before. This way you can prepare by putting your hay bags and tack in, instead of rushing around to do it the morning of the show. I always put some 'baggy clothes' such as track pants and a jumper over the top of my jodhpurs, that way I just have to put my show shirt & jacket on.


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

yall realize this thread is from 2007????? but anyways for the people on here that want help still

i would reccommend signing up for Novice Rider/Green Rider whatever its called there if they have those classes available.

or depending on the show they may have novice/green horse but there may be age limitations for the horse, or award limitations. some of them ive ridden in are 5yrs and under...some of them the rule is you cant have won more than 5 1sts to ride in green horse/rider etc. so look up the rules for it

at the show sit outside the arena and watch how the others are riding, and see what the judge is placing, such as how people are placing for their riding position, the way they ride the horse, the way the horse moves etc.


stay relaxed dont over work your horse before the class and go in all sweaty and worked up.

have fun with it!

and most of all...i recommend a trainer. theres only so much you can get from an internet forum, and what you really need is somebody on the ground watching you ride and giving pointers as it happens.


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## ChingazMyBoy (Apr 16, 2009)

Oh, lol! How do people manage to re-find these threads! It just came up in my 'new posts' section, I wrote all that for no reason. lol.

Maybe someone else will be able to gain some sort of knowledge from it.


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## DancingArabian (Jul 15, 2011)

Haha it showed up in my new posts too. I didn't think to look at the date.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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