# Am I ready to show?



## HoofPaw (Jul 26, 2016)

Hi, I am finally thinking of competing in my first show, am I ready? My horse is young but has plenty of potential. We are comfortable with low-level jumping and dressage but my horse has been known to get a bit overexcited when amongst other horses. Do you think I should go for it or wait until I am absolutely certain?

:faceshot:


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

you'll never be absolutely certain.

try a schooling show. let the judge know that your horse is at his first show. do only as much as your horse can do without a meltdown. if you do a dressage test that calls for canter, and you think he will lose it, don't do a canter. the point is to make the experience a GOOD one for your horse. you are tasked with building a foundation of good experiences, first.


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## updownrider (Mar 31, 2009)

tinyliny said:


> try a schooling show. let the judge know that your horse is at his first show.


Even if it is a schooling show, do not approach the judge without permission from the show management. Typically this means after a decision is made in regards to placings in a class, but to notify a judge in advance that this is your horse's first show could bias the judge's decisions.


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

From your other thread I would say maybe not. If your horse is young and unbalanced and you are also unbalanced you will struggle if he gets excited at a show. While agreeing that you are never ready, the basics do have to be in place for everyone's safety. What does your trainer say? They know you better than a bunch of random people on the internet trying to guess your skill level from a few lines of typing!


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

You'll find that even top competitors will take a horse that they suspect might get over excited in the ring to a few small shows to just have a look around before committing to entering in any classes


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

updownrider said:


> Even if it is a schooling show, do not approach the judge without permission from the show management. Typically this means after a decision is made in regards to placings in a class, but to notify a judge in advance that this is your horse's first show could bias the judge's decisions.



I was envisioning a dressage schooling show when I said this, wherein the rider may ride right past the judging booth, and can speak with the judge when she is working with her horse to get it used to the surroundings, in the few minutes before the bell is rung. in our shows, we allow the next rider in when the previous rider is slowly walking out, and they may warm up in little bit of arena left that surrounds the dressage arena marked off by small white rails. 

a hunter jumper show would of course be different.


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

tinyliny said:


> I was envisioning a dressage schooling show when I said this, wherein the rider may ride right past the judging booth, and can speak with the judge when she is working with her horse to get it used to the surroundings, in the few minutes before the bell is rung. in our shows, we allow the next rider in when the previous rider is slowly walking out, and they may warm up in little bit of arena left that surrounds the dressage arena marked off by small white rails.
> 
> a hunter jumper show would of course be different.


All dressage shows allow you to start warming up on the outside once the previous rider is leaving the ring...only once have I ever spoken to the judge, and that was at my last show when she called me over to speak to me. NO ONE should approach a judge before an event, it is not the done thing.

At a schooling show it is usual, at least around here for the judge to let you try again, LOL at our last one the judge was schooling one person to try and get her and the horse to actually do a 20m circle near the judges booth. But seeing as you are schooling in practice for actual shows, it needs to be show discipline you are practising.


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## BreezylBeezyl (Mar 25, 2014)

I used to own a part Arab mare who would get really riled up in the show ring. She always felt as thought it was a race and had to be faster than the other horses!

I went to a few schooling shows and, well... Schooled her! I used this as an opportunity to expose her to the excitement of the ring and work on control of her under saddle. I wasn't focused on placing at all, instead I was concentrating on schooling her through her issues so she could come out of the ring a better horse. Sometimes it meant that I had to do some circles to gain better control of her speed - which is death in a show ring, but to me it didn't matter. I was there to teach my horse the ins and outs of show ring etiquette. There was even a time in one class I got asked to stay in the middle of the ring because the judge thought my horse wouldn't be safe the way she wildly cantering around in all her excitement, but I just used this as yet another opportunity. I plopped her down in the center of the ring and made her stand quietly (another issue of hers at the time).

Sure, we didn't place at all, but that was not the goal of that show. I think if you are honest with yourself about where you and your horse are in your training, you can start showing at ANY time and come out successful - even if you don't place. If your horse has never been to a show before, you have to have the mentality when going in that you are there not to place but to school your horse and get him or her exposed to the world of showing. 

I personally think horses should be showing as soon as possible to gain that exposure... whether you think you are ready or not! As long as your horse is safe, there is no reason you can't go, and even if when you arrive on the show grounds you find your horse is just too riled up, you can pull yourself from your class and lead them around the grounds or work them in some other fashion.

Maybe try to find some cheap, local schooling shows. I've been to a few in my area where the fee for the day is only $20. Good luck!


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## SEAmom (Jan 8, 2011)

I think it's fine to take her to schooling shows if your instructor/trainer agrees that it's good exposure for both of you. There are some times when it's just a good idea to wait until you're both in a better place before venturing out like that because you can feed into each other's insecurities and things can escalate quickly. 

That said, I want to take the opportunity to mention that you should NEVER speak to the judge unless the judge speaks to you first. Doing so can get you disqualified from classes or an entire show. This is generally across the board in any type of riding. Sure there are exceptions to every rule, but it's never good a idea (in my opinion) to test that or jinx yourself. Now, if you want to ask the judge what she/he saw that was good or bad AFTER you're completely done competing, that's all good and you could get some great feedback.


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## updownrider (Mar 31, 2009)

tinyliny said:


> I was envisioning a dressage schooling show when I said this, wherein the rider may ride right past the judging booth, and can speak with the judge when she is working with her horse to get it used to the surroundings, in the few minutes before the bell is rung. in our shows, we allow the next rider in when the previous rider is slowly walking out, and they may warm up in little bit of arena left that surrounds the dressage arena marked off by small white rails.
> 
> a hunter jumper show would of course be different.


Your informal schooling shows may allow a rider to speak to a judge before their ride, but it is not the norm in Dressage or Jumping shows. If you do not know showing etiquette or rules, it is best to not to give advice. It could result in an elimination of a horse and rider.


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## Prairie (May 13, 2016)

When I was showing, I' d often haul a greenie to the closer local shows for the "practice" of performing in a ring with all the commotion and strange horses, knowing that my chances of placing were low because I'd have to do a lot of correcting and blowing a class to get the horse focused on me and performing like he should. However, I never approached the judge till after the show was over even though many were friends and good acquaintances. A judge can tell quickly that a horse is a greenie at a show, so there is no need to tell him/her. A schooling show is just that---a less expensive show where riders can "school" their horses in a show environment without the pressure of trying to earn points or perform flawlessly.


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## SlideStop (Dec 28, 2011)

There are shows out there for everyone's ability! I wouldn't recommend you going to a rated show if you're a beginner, but a local show would be great. It's good to get your horse out there, you can see what his limits and abilities are as well as yours.


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## PoptartShop (Jul 25, 2010)

I would start with a schooling show as well. Just to get a feel for things and see how your horse does with a crowd too. They can act very different during a show than when they're working in the arena training. I also wouldn't recommend speaking to the judge, it's not really the norm. I know when I used to show, you weren't allowed to. It's rare. But anyway, just try a schooling show to get your feet wet.


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