# What was your first horse show like?



## xTIDx (Oct 1, 2014)

What was your first horse show like?


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## Bright (Aug 18, 2014)

My first show went okay. It was with a green horse who had just turned 3. I showed in Halter and Young Horse Trail in hand. We came 6th out of 15 i believe, in the Halter Solid Color. (she wouldn't hold still, and it was very windy) We came first in the Trail class.


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## Woodhaven (Jan 21, 2014)

It was so long ago that I don't remember. And they say that short term memory is the first to go

I'm sure I was very nervous and worried about how my horse would perform.
I started showing again this year after about 7 years away from it with a green horse and I admit I was a little nervous about how she would behave, but she was great, no problem.


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## Zexious (Aug 2, 2013)

<3 I remember my first show so fondly!

I was 7, and did a HUS class and an EqUS class on a school horse named Larry. We took sixth and second respectively, and I remember being so proud.


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## Purplelady (Dec 6, 2014)

Hello . My first show was Great .Fab and made me really really Happy and made up for him being a right get for so many many years. Signing off Purplelady
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## kewpalace (Jul 17, 2013)

I think the 1st "competition" I ever did was a trail trial. My horse was very green at the time and I was to a certain extent. We had a great time and came in 5th.

The 1st Arena show I did was probably 3 years after that. I hated it, but my horse did well. We did showmanship, country pleasure trail and some other class I can't remember. The only class I liked was trail. I've only done a few other arena shows as they are not my favorites. But love other types of competition!


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## SwissMiss (Aug 1, 2014)

My first show is still pretty fresh in my mind, even though it's a couple of years back:wink:

Started riding again after a ~15 year hiatus in November and entered the first show in spring (March). 
My friend, who gave me lessons, couldn't ride for 6 months due to surgery and decided his horses needed to be shown regardless. So he paired me up with his beautiful 5 year old Appendix mare and told me to enter as many classes as possible and have fun:icon_rolleyes:

Mind you, I was still a fresh "import" and had never been to a show in the US:wink:. So tried out halter, showmanship, in-hand trail and every w/t class I could get to - and was hooked! The blue ribbons (a few) didn't hurt either.

But honestly, the reason why we were that good was simply that I tried not to interfere with that mare! She knew exactly what to do!:loveshower:


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## RaiRaiNY (Feb 19, 2010)

Honestly, not great. My trainer convinced me to go to the show, and then basically ignored me for most of the day. She told me to wait by the trailer with my horse until it was time to get ready, and then I was paged by the announcer for my first class because I was about to miss it. I asked her what classes I was in, and she told me not to worry about it.

LOL, fast forward to my last show, when I attended for the first time without a trainer. We did very well for my horse's first show, and had a ton of fun!


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## kelseyannxo (Jun 25, 2015)

Looking back, I would never take my first show seriously, but at the time...I was 7 years old, and I took it HARD. I now ride primarily English and haven't been in a Western saddle in God knows how long. But, when I first learned how to ride, I rode Western. Didn't know an English saddle till the age of 14. Anyways...my first show was on a gelding named Dude at the farm 2 minutes down the street from me. He has to be long passed by now, considering he was approaching his late teens/early twenties when I rode him. He was my favorite. 

We were participating in games. Keyhole, poles, barrels, and your basic w/t/c. It was cold outside and I was nervous. I was loping along on Dude, minding my own business, when a horse and rider approached the inside of me quickly with no verbal warning. Dude didn't like that. He kicked out at the other horse, barely clipping his shoulder, and the rider gave me a nasty look like it was my fault. I can't remember if I was disqualified for his kick or if I just didn't place because of it. Either way, I didn't bring home any ribbons. I was so hard on myself for not placing, I cried! I mean...I was 7, so I can't really blame myself now being an adult, but it was rough for a child! Back then, I couldn't really comprehend horses being wild animals with instinct to fight. But honestly, just the adrenaline of being in a show and having spectators made me feel great. I think I showed Western once or twice after that before just riding for pleasure and eventually becoming a jumper.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

Oh my, that was over 40 years ago! I had no one help me get ready, I had no idea what was called for, so needless to say, I sucked! But I really had a good time and watched everyone so the next time I showed, I didn't suck as bad, lol.


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## BreezylBeezyl (Mar 25, 2014)

In my first show I did two classes: 
English Pleasure (placed 6th/13)
English Equitation (placed 2nd/12)

I remember being pretty confident and just excited. Nervous going to the gate, but calmed a bit once I got in the ring. I just really focused on me and my horse and not the other riders, because that meant pressure.

I just focused on having good, productive rides... And we did!


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

I wore a pair of beige english pants and a black sweatshirt with a turtleneck underneath. I had rubber tall boots. I rode a lesson horse named Chico. We lived in Germany at the time and my german wasn't the best. My instructor didn't speak english and I had to figure out what to do by watching and trying to decipher the directions. I placed in all three of my classes. I have no idea how I really did. I ended up with three ribbons. 2 Blues and a Yellow I think. (The placings are not the same as in the US.) I remember the day was like a dream. It was absolutely amazing. And I think the best part was... I didn't have a clue how I did... Good or bad, I just had a good time.


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## Eclair (Jun 22, 2015)

I've had a couple "first" shows.

My first inhouse western show (basically all the little schoolies): a bird pooped on my leg and head LOL

After a couple years, I switched to Hunterland and eventually started showing.

My first english show: old horse refused to go on trailer so we couldnt go LOL

My first ACTUAL horse show: I puked in my mouth as I went over the last fence of my course. Took it like a champ and held it in until I got out of the ring. LOL

Good times, good times! I love showing. Something usually goes wrong for me (I'm a klutz) but I've learned to have a sense of humor about things like that. I don't take myself too seriously!


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## Zexious (Aug 2, 2013)

Haha, farmpony! I wore a red sweater to mine... Oh, goodness.


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## starfast (Aug 30, 2014)

It was a little scary. I was riding the horse that I leased at the time, who had only ever done jumpers and I was competing in hunters. Our first class went ok, but after the last jump he just booked it because that's what he was used to doing in the jumpers. In our second class he went, as my trainer put it, into "jumper mode." So he basically just went over all the jumps as fast as he could and my trainer was telling me to slow down, but I couldn't get him to do it  

Also, it was pouring rain.

By the end of the weekend we sort of figured things out. My horse realized that he didn't have to go super fast, and I relaxed a bit. We ended up getting first in one of our classes.


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## FrostedLilly (Nov 4, 2012)

My first show didn't last very long. I was in the 4-H club and was leasing a 4 yr old gelding. I was 9. In hindsight, a young rider and a green horse - not a good combo - but my parents weren't as knowledgeable back then and they trusted someone whom they thought would match me with a decent horse. 

It was the year-end show and I was very nervous because my horse had thrown me twice in 1 day the previous weekend at the "practice show". We walked into showmanship and while we were standing in the line-up, my horse started biting me. I tried to be subtle correcting his behaviour, but he just kept darting in and taking a good chomp - arm, shoulder, stomach, really whatever was convenient. One of the 4-H leaders saw this, walked into the ring with a very thick dowel and said "the next time he does that, you whack him!" (maybe not how I would deal with that now, but at age 9, I basically did what I was told.) Needless to say, we didn't place in showmanship. 

After that, I saddled him up, got on and could feel he was a ticking time bomb. I looked at my dad and said "I'm not riding him." and got off and refused to get back on. My dad didn't argue. That horse threw me nearly every time I rode him and my persistence finally wore out that day. He was returned very promptly to his owner a few days later. I don't really consider that my first real show because I really was only in that one class. 

Fast-forward a year later, I had a fabulous 12 year old Arab mare. We placed 1st in Western Equitation and placed something in most other events. I don't recall being all that nervous, because that mare and I worked so well together, that I didn't care if we placed or not, I was just out there to enjoy myself and was thankful I didn't have to worry about being bitten!


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