Those first few outings with your young or novice show animal are always exciting times. Will they explode like a dry tinder box packed full of chinese firecrackers, doused with petrol and then lit with a single match? Or will they come off the box and float serenely into the ring, wowing the judge and everyone at the ringside with their grace and poise?
Sometimes, the ones that you would least expect turn into fire-breathing dragons and the so-called 'nervey' ones are perfectly well behaved. Our horses like to keep us on our toes you know.
Thankfully, there are a few things you can do to prepare your horse or pony for it's first show ring experience:
- Firstly- it might sound obvious- but do try to take your horse to a couple of small, inconsequential competitions before you tackle anything more important. That way, you can get an idea of how your horse will react and accustom him to the environment without it mattering tooo much.
- Make sure that your horse is properly trained before you start entering him in classes all over the place. If he is a ridden prospect, ensure that all of his transitions are smooth and unrushed etc. If you are wanting to show a youngster in-hand, practice leading, trotting and standing quietly until he is performing calmly and obediently.
- Have a few practice runs at home. Go through the whole shebang- washing, plaiting and loading so that you know exactly how long it will take you on the day (this cuts down HUGELY on your already soaring stress levels!)
- If at all possible, practice leading or riding with other horses around....
- Show grounds can be a lot buzzier and noisier than most horses are used to. Consider playing music while you are riding or leaving the radio switched on next to his stable/paddock so he gets used to different sounds
- Desensitise your horse to as much as possible! Balloons, flags, livestock- all of these things are often present at larger shows and can cause a bit of a horsey meltdown if he hasn't come across them before
- For the big competitions, which will have plenty of spectators, consider downloading a clapping soundbyte from a website such as this one. Believe me- it is well worth getting them used to this noise as countless laps of honour etc have been wrecked by horses freaking out at the sound of clapping
There are also a number of things you can do once you are at the show:
- Leave yourself plenty of time. A stressed owner = a stressed horse!
- Warm your horse up at the edge of the showgrounds if you can, so that he can see/hear all the action but isn't in the thick of it. Easing him into the show environment is much better than hurling him in and expecting him to deal with it
- Take your horse for a walk in-hand around the grounds (for both ridden and in-hand animals). Let him have a look at everything before you ask him to do any work.
- Before you enter the ring, take note of any horses that are playing up or riders that look like they aren't coping. Stay as far away as possible from them!
- Once in the ring- stay calm, think ahead and don't get bunched up with other competitors. If you think you are going to catch up with a group of other riders, simply turn and ride a large circle or ride deeper into the corners. Keep plenty of space around you (as well as being more relaxing for your horse there are also obvious ring-craft benefits)
Happy showing and those that are venturing out for the first time, enjoy your first event!
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