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Showing
weanlings and yearlings in halter classes requires an enormous amount of
homework and nerves of steel. The better prepared you are to walk into the
arena, under scrutiny of the judge (and all the ringside judges), the better the
show experience will go for you and the youngster.
For those
babies destined for the show ring, their homework should generally start around
72 hours of age. For the yearling (whether having been shown as a weanling or
being prepared for its debut), the winter months provide a good opportunity for
training. For the person handling the youngster, the homework is seemingly
never-ending as it encompasses all the factors involved in showing the
youngster, from care and feeding right on through remembering to pin the number
on your back.
There are
as many variations to showing as there are people showing. There is no One Way
to Show. Each person will have his or her own style, and as he/she enters the
arena for judging, on the end of that lead rope is a very individualistic horse.
There are,
however, a couple of points that apply to every exhibitor:
BUT
FIRST, A WORD ABOUT JUDGES
Judging
horses would be easy if it were an objective thing, with a little checklist that
read: Two ears (yes or no). Two eyes (yes or no). Four legs (yes or no). But it
isn't. It is highly subjective. It is an opinion. This opinion is based on
studying conformation and performance, training and showing their own stock or
others' stock, and having looked at and evaluated hundreds or thousands of
horses. It is what is called a "learned opinion."
And
despite rumors to the contrary, judges are human.
Judges
bring with them into the arena their knowledge and their preferences. I, for
one, do not care for blue eyes. But if the best horse in the class happens to
have blue eyes, I pin that horse accordingly. There are things a judge can
overlook (personal preferences that don't affect soundness or ability), but
there are some things that no judge can ignore, such as crooked legs.
Being
human, the judge also takes into account the manner in which the horse is shown.
This is not to say that the turn-out of horse and handler is the primary factor
the judge looks at, but the overall picture certainly plays a role in the
judge's decisions. A good handler enhances a good horse; an inept handler can
ruin a good horse's chance of placing. (There are a number of ways to polish
your presentation of your horse, and many of those will be discussed below.)
BEING
PREPARED: START AT THE BEGINNING
First, the
youngster has to lead. This may initially seem like an obvious component to
showing in any in-hand class, but a well-behaved horse at the end of a lead rope
is a learned skill. Leading quietly consists of more than just going from Point
A to Point B. The horse must be attentive to the handler, perform at the
required gait on cue, and do it all without being in the handler's pocket.
Especially at the noisy, action-packed show grounds, the young horse will be
interested in all the strange goings-on, and is likely to discover lots of
wonderful things to scare himself with. The "safe place," therefore,
is as close to his handler as possible. It is only through much handling and
lead work at home that the baby learns the trust necessary to move or stand a
distance from the handler under all conditions.
Second,
the judge expects the suckling or weanling to be alert and "full of
it," but also under control. Because of the limited attention span of the
babies, judges try to work fast and quietly. When with a baby on the end of the
lead rope, you must be prepared for anything, at any moment. Judges, too, have
to be on their toes in a baby class because one never knows what the next second
holds. The weanling standing perfectly still until the judge walks behind it to
evaluate the backside will, at that moment, 1) turn to look at the Judge, 2)
kick the Judge, 3) nip his handler, 4) rear up, 5) pass gas, 6) poop, or 7) all
of the above. (Be prepared. Have a sense of humor. And get the baby back under
control!)
Yearlings,
on the other hand, are expected to behave and be under control at all times in
the show arena. The yearling is not expected to stand statue-still for the
entire length of the class, but is expected to promptly assume its straight
stance when asked. When the handler cues for a trot, the yearling should move
out on a straight line without being pulled, urged, or chased around. When a
halt is requested, it should occur promptly. And yearlings are expected to stand
quietly for evaluation without taking the opportunity to sniff the judge, taste
the clipboard, or chew the lead rope.
The
biggest point in handling the youngster in the show arena is the ability to keep
the critter under control, or in a worst-case scenario, get the horse back under
control quickly. This is done only through lots and lots and lots of homework.
Many factors play into this training, so it doesn't need to be a scheduled
20-minute-a-day halter training situation. But it does need to be a consistent
handling, complete with expectations met.
GROOMING
Grooming
is the most valuable and versatile training tool. Besides the obvious benefits
of grooming, the horse learns how to stand quietly and how to tolerate all sorts
of being fiddled with (from having his ears handled right though having his tail
braided). He also becomes accustomed to things being flopped around his body –
rags, blankets, lycra hoods, hoses, electric cord, lead ropes, and the
inevitable flying brush. (Which, in turn, helps him get used to you reaching
around his legs as you pick up that brush.) The young horse learns the basics of
trust through the grooming regimen, associating the handler with things that
feel good. For the human, grooming provides the means to become totally
comfortable working near the horse. Bonding is best built with a curry comb.
Clipping
the show baby should be part of the show preparation, but limited to the muzzle,
the outer rim of the ears, and the bridle path. If the youngster has feathering,
his fetlocks should also be trimmed as this gives a good, clean line to the leg.
Some people body clip the foal to try to achieve a slick appearance, but it is
not necessary. Too often the body clip occurs too close to show time and the
clipper tracks are glaringly apparent, or the person clipping is not skilled at
it and ends up with a baby looking like he was made of corduroy. The best way to
achieve a slick, shiny coat is simply to brush the snot out of them.
Bathing
baby: I don't see any reason to do this unless absolutely necessary. If the time
brushing has been adequate, the baby is clean. Okay, for Appaloosas with
white-and-green areas, bathing is appropriate. To make this less traumatic for
the weanling, try to use water that is not bone-chilling cold. You must also
keep in mind that the baby's skin is tender, so you must be quite careful in
your choice of shampoo and other grooming aids as they may be too harsh. One
baby I know was washed with a whitening shampoo followed by an application of
Show Sheen. She looked wonderful, but had a minor reaction to one or both items.
She became so hypersensitive to touch that even a fly landing on her would send
her into whole-body skin spasms.
For
touch-up work, faces and noses, and cleaning under the tail (or even in lieu of
bathing), diaper wipes are great. An added benefit is they are handy at the show
grounds for wiping hands, faces, boots, and even for cleaning off the bird
dropping on the truck windshield that will happen just as you are pulling out to
head home.
FIRST
IMPRESSIONS COUNT…What to Wear?
For the
horse, a well-chosen, well-fitted halter is essential. This does not mean it has
to be an expensive or a silver-laden halter. For some horses, the less fancy the
halter, the more attractive the head. Here are some guidelines for choosing the
best halter for your horse.
Look at
your horse. If he has a plain head, of plain coloring, a halter with do-dads may
be your best choice. If your horse has color galore, a plain leather halter in a
complimentary color will work well. If your horse has an exquisite head, you do
not want lots of thick leather or big chunks of silver covering it up; a
rolled-leather halter in the same color as your horse may be just the ticket. A
finely-boned horse looks like it will topple over on its nose if the halter is
too heavy, and the bulky horse will look a bit prissy in an Arabian-type,
thin-chained halter and lead.
It is
tough to pick the perfect halter. Your best bet is to either take your horse to
the tack store (oh, what a wonderful opportunity to practice hauling and being
in a strange place!) or develop a really good relationship with your local tack
store so they trust you to walk off with a slew of halters to try on at home.
When you
try on the halters, remember that show halters are not supposed to fit like
stable halters. Show halters are not designed for grazing and hanging around.
They should hug the face. The throat latch area should be snug and follow behind
the jawline, not cut it in two. The part attaching the noseband and throat latch
should not droop. The buckles should fall evenly on both sides, at a point
between the ears and jaw. This attention to fit is especially critical when
using a halter that draws attention to itself, such as sporting silver or
contrasting leather work.
What if
you are showing an English-type baby? There are Arabian halters in rolled
leather, complete with browband and matching lead, that look like a bitless
bridle. You can also opt for a thin (but well fitted) track halter.
It is
important that the halter match the type of horse you show, and equally
important that your dress match the halter type. If you have a Western show
halter on baby, you wear Western show clothes. If you are presenting your colt
as an English type horse, then in-hand or hunt seat clothing is appropriate.
For the
human, clean and well fitted clothing is top priority. Again, this does not mean
expensive or flashy. You need to focus your clothing choices on the type of
horse you are showing, the color scheme that best compliments your horse, and
fit.
"Fit"
is probably the most fun to discuss. It doesn't matter whether you are male or
female, unless you are a fashion model (and most of you aren't) tight pants and
tops look bad. Very very bad. Breeches that are ready to split at the seams are
truly frightening. I understand that it may be difficult to buy a pair of pants
or a shirt that is a "larger size than one normally wears," but think
of it as a necessary component of a specific costume. Buy something that fits in
a complimentary way.
Western
pants should have a nice drape to them, and the length should be to where the
hem touches the ground when wearing your boots. The hem should not drag the
ground, nor should it look like the extra yard in length is all bunched up to
your knees. The fashions seen, particularly in the women's section of the
western catalogs, are nice western fashions, but not necessarily appropriate
show ring fashion.
Western
shirts should be relatively sedate, and will look quite finished with a tie of
some type. Fancy cut-work, fringes, bangles and sparklies are better suited for
the barn dance than the show ring. There may be times, depending upon the
horse's coloring, that some fancier adornment will set off the picture. I had a
black mare with little chrome, and the only color in the "complete
picture" was a subtle embroidered strand of ivy leaves on my shirt. With
any other horse, this shirt would have looked ludicrous, but with her it was the
perfect accent.
Jacket or
vest or not? In great part, that depends on the weather. If it's chilly, a
jacket or vest is wonderful. If it's 97 degrees and humid, a jacket or vest is a
bit dumb. (After all, what type of a professional image will you have lying on
the ground from fainting? And don't forget that while you are lying there, your
weanling is probably not under the best of control.) For showing in-hand or
English-type, a polo shirt or smart looking turtleneck over chinos (not jeans)
and paddock boots present a good, all-weather basic outfit. In cool or cold
weather, a blazer or hunt jacket is appropriate. However, avoid mixing the two
types of dress–cowboy boots and a hunt jacket do not present a professional
image.
I cannot
avoid mentioning glitter-clothes. Sequins, rhinestones, and other types of
formal wear are certainly appropriate dress under specific conditions, and can
present an eye-catching picture. First, the person must have the body type that
looks good wearing such clothing. Second, night-time under lights is when it
should be worn, not at 9 am on a Sunday morning, before the judge has coffee.
These glitter clothes are the prom dresses of the show ring. I figure it this
way: If your show outfit is something you would not wear to a church social,
then it's probably not the best choice for the show ring, either.
Hats.
First, they must stay on in the show ring. Oh my, you do not want your hat
flying around, scaring the willies out the babies! Jamb that hat down if you
must, but keep it on your head. Second, your hat must compliment your outfit and
your face. Not just any old hat will do, either. Remember all the fun you had
fitting a halter, finding the perfect one? Well, do the same with the hats. Ask
your hat dealer for advice. Ask people whose opinions you value for advice. Try
on lots and lots of hats. Once you have the right hat for you, set it squarely
atop your head, about two finger-widths above your brow. Don't tilt it backward,
don't pull it down. And this does, by the way, apply to both Western and English
hats. Get the one that fits in all ways.
The color
of your show outfit should compliment the horse without being overpowering or
distracting. Your favorite color may look terrible next to your horse. Take a
variety of fabric swatches out to the barn with you and hold them up next to the
horse. It is amazing how even a small piece of the wrong color fabric will cause
your horse's color to fade away, or simply clash with the subtle tones of the hair.
When showing a flashy colored Appaloosa, the horse's pattern is best set off
with subtle solid colors. For the more sedately colored horses, visual
excitement can be created by a few smatterings of contrasting color, such as a
tie and hat band.
Okay, you
now have a clean baby sporting a perfect, well-fitted halter. You have your show
duds on—clean, ironed, starched. Your shoes are clean, your hat is set
properly, and off you go to the show ring.
ARENA
ETIQUETTE
Rule #1:
Be on time for the gate. You may think trotting up to the gate, waving your hand
and shouting, "I'm coming! Wait!" makes a noticeable entrance. It
does. It isn't a favorable one, but it certainly is noticed! Listen for when
your class is called, and be there ready to waltz on in.
Rule #2:
Don't socialize. You are not out there to pass the time of day with the judge,
with the other exhibitors, or anyone standing ringside. You have a job to
do—presenting that baby in its best light for the judge's evaluation. You
should remain focused, calm, and in control every moment.
Rule #3:
Know the rules under which you are showing. For halter, the walk, trot, and
stand are the required components. The judge must see a walk and a trot to be
able to evaluate movement. The judge must be able to walk around the calm horse
to judge conformation. If your youngster doesn't cooperate on that day, and you
don't place, it wasn't the judge's fault.
Rule #4:
Be prepared for anything. This means you must remain alert, not only as it
relates to your colt's position and behavior, but his lightning-quick reactions
to a variety of stimuli. What happens when some spectator's two-year-old child
decides to slip under the arena railing, quickly followed by a big person
shouting, "AIMEE! GET BACK HERE! NONONO!" Be prepared. For anything.
Rule #5:
Relax and keep a sense of humor. Your baby is likely to take things much less
seriously than you do, and will be interested in looking around and wondering
why the devil you want him to stand right there. He may get it in his mind that
this would be a good surface to take a roll…nice and sandy, oh gee, it would
feel so good! Then it will be time to taste-test the lead rope once again. If
you take everything seriously, you won't have any fun. Showing is supposed to be
fun for you, for your horse, and (of course) for the judge.
Most horse
show judges also show. The judge has probably, at some point in his show career,
been in your shoes. I was showing a large and relatively ring-savvy weanling
when he decided that in that first class on that one day he'd rather not trot or
stop, but would like to see what was on the other side of the arena. As we
neared the judge where we were to stop before trotting off, he wouldn't. I
planted my feet. I grasp on to the halter as well as the lead rope, and leaned
back as hard as I could in an attempt to stop the colt. My feet created two
distinct furrows in the arena sand as the colt marched purposefully past the
judge (and on to the far end of the arena). I said over my shoulder, "Can I
try trotting him back maybe?"
Which
brings us back to Rule #4: Be prepared for anything!
OH NO!
GOT A PROBLEM!!!
Problem
#1: Baby poops just before the judge gets near.
Solution:
This is not unusual. Horses poop when they are nervous, or anytime they feel
like it. Simply move the horse a few steps forward so he's not tromping around
in the manure and set him up again. (It's okay. Let the judge step in or around
the pile!)
Problem
#2: My youngster is "losing it" and acting up in the line.
Solution:
Be kind to those around you. One baby going ballistic sets off surrounding
babies. Move to either the beginning of the line (if you have already been
judged) or the end of the line (if you have not yet been judged). Oftentimes the
walk to another location helps focus the youngster's attention back onto you,
calming him down. If you can, catch the ring steward's eye and point to the new
location or flail your arms in frustration—do something to let him know you
are moving.
Problem
#3: My youngster is relatively calm for the moment, but the horse next to me is
going spastic and it's getting scary and he's going to run over us or kick us or
trample us…
Solution:
Move. Either to the start of the line-up (if you have already been judged) or to
the end if you have not yet been judged. And don't forget to wave to the ring
steward!
Problem
#4: Baby was physically perfect when we left home, but apparently in the trailer
(in the new stall, walking to the arena, etc.) he cut himself.
Solution:
Do appropriate medical stuff for the wound. If it requires a veterinarian's
attention, get a vet. If it needs washing and some neon-yellow (and
eye-catching) spray, wash it and spray liberally. If it requires bandaging,
bandage it and don't go into the ring. At all. Bandages don't go into the ring.
(But if it needs bandaging and you don't do it and go into the ring, shame on
you!) First, keep the well-being of the horse in mind, and do whatever is in its
best interest. Second, a judge can recognize a fresh wound and pretty well can
figure out that it happened unintentionally. Third, babies do these things. And
the judge knows it.
Problem
#5: "My youngster is black or dark bay, but he's sun-bleached and
reddish." "He is missing a spot of hair where another colt bit him
while out playing." "It's autumn and he's starting to grow his winter
coat and he looks a little fluffy." "She's a month old and hasn't shed
out her baby hair yet, so she looks a little fluffy."
Solution:
So? These are BABIES. Assuming the colt or filly is well groomed and otherwise
fit for the show ring, these types of cosmetic factors don't override good
conformation. (Specific note regarding winter coats: the judge probably knows
there's a change of season coming.)
It should
be noted, however, that given two youngsters of equal quality, equal color
(e.g., both bay with a large blanket and an equal number of peacock spots),
equal care in general grooming, equal disposition and behavior, and both
competently handled, the judge will most likely place higher the "show
groomed" non-sun-bleached slick-as-a-statue horse. I do not advocate
late-season clipping nor keeping a baby stalled 24 hours a day simply for a
ribbon. Again, keep the best interests of the horse in mind, and act
accordingly.
Problem
#6: My baby isn't weaned.
Solution:
Bring Momma along. Also, bring along someone capable of handling Momma. Some
judges will permit the dam to come into the show ring while others will not.
(And some dams don't give a hoot what the judge prefers.) If you feel you need
to have Momma accompany the foal, clear it through the show secretary long
before the class, not as you are getting ready to march through the gate.
It has
been frequently successful to start taking the foal out of the stall for 30
seconds, then for longer and longer periods, until Momma and Baby are both
confident that they will shortly be back together. At that time, you can have
Momma stand ringside so she can keep a close eye on her precious charge, and
have Momma meet her youngster at the out gate immediately after the class. (This
can also work well if you want to show the mare while she still has a suckling.
And by "suckling" I mean a colt or filly under the age of three
months. After that age, they should be able to be separated long enough for one
class at a show.)
A
COUPLE OF THOSE PROFESSIONAL TECHNIQUES FOR SHOWING
A good
handler has spent many hours practicing how to stand and move in the arena. One
reason that you may not have ever noticed quite what they do out there is
because their movements are so automatic and subtle that the focus is on the
horse, not themselves. I find it interesting to see a new handler who has the
ambition and desire, but lacks the skills. He's the one doing all sorts of
gyrations to get his horse to stand square and appear alert. You know the one
I'm talking about—everyone in the stands are whispering to each other,
"Hey, watch that guy over there!" And I bet you, not one of the
spectators (and possibly not even the judge) could describe the horse he was
showing, but they can do a great imitation of his actions.
There's
nothing special about the actions required for a professional presentation. But
they do need to be well-practiced so they become automatic. The most important
one are discussed below.
First and
foremost, watch your posture. Stand up straight and proud. When running
alongside your trotting horse, don't bend over at the waist and hold your hands
out in front of you, like your head is winning a race with your butt. Stay
upright, and use your body to say, "I have a horse here who is
worthy!" Do not stand "at attention," or with your back bowed or
arched. Be relaxed and able to move, but do it straight and proud.
When
leading at a walk or trot, stay consistently at your horse's cheek level. As you
become practiced and in tune with your horse, you will be able to stay in step
and maintain the same cadence as his footfalls. This consistency and rhythmic
performance presents a very pretty picture.
The most
overlooked aspect of leading in a show-ring-manner, however, is Don't Look At
Your Horse. Look to where you are going and expect the horse to follow. That is
his job. As long as you don't look at your horse, he will move straight. When
you alter your focus point by shifting your gaze to him, he goes crooked.
Whether
leading or standing in the line up, keep your horse at a distance from you. If
he wants to be in your pocket, move him over. If you are tense or fearful of
losing control, you will tend to grasp his lead shank close to the snap, and
that will pull you into him. What the judge will see at that point is the two of
you attached to each other. What the judge WANTS to see is the horse. Stay about
12-18 inches away from the horse.
How you
position yourself aids in control of the horse. Stay at a 45-degree angle, right
about cheek level, facing your horse's near shoulder. Keep you cheek hand up
next to the cheek when leading or standing so the judge can see how the neck
ties into the shoulder. Also, this hand position provides a means of correction
when the colt brings his head around to taste the lead rope--you can gently poke
him back with your index finger. This is not an obvious action, but it is an
effective one. This position also places you ready for action, whether to move
for the judge or to step in and calm down an excited weanling.
While the
judge is ambling around your calm weanling, you are going to have to move from
side to side. When crossing over from one side of the horse to the other, don't
back yourself around. Start with the foot closest to the horse and calmly walk
around, taking usually three steps. When using the foot closest to the horse to
start your walk, this places your third step for an easy pivot rather than a hop-jump
to get into position on the other side. It's a smoother movement. And while you
are moving from side to side, shift your hand downward to let the lead rope move
under the horse's chin, then bring your hand back up to cheek level.
There will
be a time when you are required to turn the horse, and you will want him to
pivot and move in a circle with you rather than being pushed or pulled around.
The technique for turning the horse to include a pivot is to ask the horse to
shift his weight onto his haunches. As soon as the weight shifts--and before he
starts to take a backward step-- step out promptly (starting with foot closest
to horse) and walk into his cheek faster than the horse walks. He will move away
from your hand as you move into his space so you don't whack your fist or face
into his. But don't slow down or else the turn will fall apart.
Showing
off your young horse is an involved process. Developing a show ring strategy
encompasses many aspects, with no single aspect being more important than
another. Time spend in preparation, however, will get you well on your way to
having every advantage. You present a professional image when you know your job
in the show ring and go out there and do it.
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