# Advice on first time showing



## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

wow this is a huuuuuge topic. first off are you planning on showing english, western, or what?
things to bring-always have a grooming box for last minute touch ups. i always have a rag in my pocket for when my horse or someone im teachings horse gets dusty,dirty, whatever, a hoofpick with a brush is always on me too. 
this is a really hard topic to go into theres so much. if you wanna pm me with really specific questions i can help you more. i showed english and western for 7 years.


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## capercowgirl (Oct 14, 2011)

I will be showing Western. I know that it is a huge topic to cover but I was hoping that everyone can post their past experiences or ask questions. 

I am sure I'm not the only person the horseforum who is interested in showing for the first time


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

okay so another question. how much are you willing to spend. by the time i stopped showing my show attire was $200 plus. its not always like that with my mare i was in regular western shirt, jeans and chaps but it can get expensive the more competitive you get.

things to do in the ring depend on what class. and sometimes on judges. some liked lots of eye contact and smiling. others wanted that serious eyes forward, head up. some liked really loose reins with alot of leg yeilding others like more contact. you still want minimal movement of your rein hands. depending on how old your horse is you can ride one hand or two. after 5 you have to be in a shank bit riding 1 handed.
things not to do-dont touch the reins with your free hand during the class. dont grab the saddle horn. dont jerk the shank if your doing halter classes. 


i like using just the mane and tail shampoo and conditioner. i dont do alot of extra cleaning.


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## BornToRun (Sep 18, 2011)

Have FUN! That was, unfortunately a lesson I didn't learn at my first show. Don't be intimidated by the people who always believe they are going to win, you are here to show your horse, smile, and have fun!


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## 2BigReds (Oct 7, 2011)

Roperchick said:


> okay so another question. how much are you willing to spend. by the time i stopped showing my show attire was $200 plus. its not always like that with my mare i was in regular western shirt, jeans and chaps but it can get expensive the more competitive you get.


What classes were you showing in? Maybe it's just the area I was in but at all of the CA schooling shows I've ever been to every female WP and halter competitor was in fancy, sparkly (or at least detailed) blouses, not just button down shirts. Reining and cutting aren't as fancy from what I hear, though. This also may not be true of shows in all areas of the country. I'm interested to know.


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

i had slinkys when i was showing my mare but she was a much higher level then my colt and i went to more competitive shows than when i was showing my colt (i only showed him for 6 months) i just wore a fancy blue button down, black jeans and my normal black show chaps


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

plus reining and cutting, their looking for more of the traditional and thats what i wore for that, but like western pleasure, horsemanship etc i was in my expensive attire.


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## 2BigReds (Oct 7, 2011)

Okay. Was just curious.  I've only ever shown WP and while they usually had horsemanship and reining as well, but reining was after all of the WP classes and we didn't stick around that long. Wish we had every now and again though!


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

ya its probably my favorite event. now theyre doing it at the rodeos at home too. they just added cutting, reining, sorting and penning to the rodeo sched.


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## 2BigReds (Oct 7, 2011)

I actually stopped showing WP because I was interested in learning reining instead. I'll definitely take my future reiner to some schooling shows this season, if only to get him used to the environment. It'll be interesting to see up close. I've only seen one reining show and for the time I was there it was all male competitors so I didn't get a feel for how women were expected to dress. Not to mention that it was about 7 or 8 years ago!


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

it depends. alot of the ones going for highpoint just where their regular show clothes. 
but we have a few females that where like traditional western clothes


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## mygirllola (Dec 6, 2011)

Stay relaxed and have fun


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## TheMadHatter (Feb 26, 2007)

I haven't read through all the comments so if I just state something that someone else has then  forgive me lol

What to do? - Mingle! You will be surrounded by people who have a passion for horses and equine sports! Find the group that suits you best and make friends. 
Also, if at all possible, watch all the classes and find out which one you like best and wouldn't mind trying out then STUDY, STUDY, STUDY the people who are already in the class. Make notes of who places and what they did and how they did it. Finally, just have fun! My first horse show experience was, at the time, insane. There was so much to watch! and I didn't even have a horse there LOL just try and absorb as much as you can.

What NOT to do? - Don't bring a dog unless its on a leash and you are willing to watch it the whole time. So many people bring dogs to local shows and just tie 'em out and some don't like horses :/ also, don't park your horse trailer too close to someone else's because you and their horse may have a "kicking contest"  during the Timed events like pole bending and barrel racing, try not to stand too close to the arena just in case a horse doesn't turn or get stopped and plows through the fence or slings dirt/mud in your face from taking off. Don't leave cameras or expensive tack laying out in the open. Someone may have sticky fingers and swipe your stuff. 
Try not to park somewhere there isn't shade for your horse. You don't want them to sunburn!

Things to bring - 
A stadium chair
Cooler with drinks, especially water
Snacks
A bucket for your horse to drink out of. Some shows will have a tub that you can let your horse drink from but you really don't want them using a shared tub because other horses may be sick and could pass something along to your horse. 
A large jug of water for your horse, just in case the show grounds don't have an outdoor faucet. 
A HAT! The sun can be brutal lol 
Some type of pain reliever just in case you get a headache or a minor injury (I suffer from migraines so I always keep some Excedrin in the truck) 
Your brushes and a hoof pick
Your camera so you can take lots of pics to have as memories 
An extra halter and lead just incase something happens and you need spares

If I remember anything else I'll post it LOL


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## MyBoyPuck (Mar 27, 2009)

1. Get there at least 30 minutes earlier than you think you need to. Rushing to get to your first class is sooooo not fun. 

2. Bring a mirror. Nothing like using a zillion clips and hair net to get your hair all tucked into your helmet only to find out you missed a few hairs and really look like the thing. 

3. Bring whatever comfort food you need to chill out between classes, a comfy chair and lots of carrots and water for your horse. 

4. Look up at sky when you get there, figure out which side of the trailer the shade is on, and tie your horse on that side. 

5. HAVE FUN!! A relaxed rider makes a relaxed horse. They move better and do well in their classes.


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