Horse Show Preparation
Tips & Advice

What is the secret of successful horse show preparation?

Obviously, you want to wow the Judge as soon as you enter the ring!

We show you how to get a flawless finish to maximise your horse's appearance and give yourselves the best chance of getting to the top of the line.

Turnout is everything, even in classes where you are judged on your riding ability, the first impression that the Judge has should be a polished and immaculately presented horse and rider.

Under this topic, we will focus on the grooming element of horse show preparation. We will cover Ringcraft and Etiquette shortly under our Riding Section.

Advance Preparation Is The Key

The key to successful horse show preparation is advance planning.Do as much preparation as you can in the days leading up to the Show.

It is not mere luck that the horses and ponies that continually win on the Show Circuit do so. You can bet that hours of careful behind the scenes efforts have combined to produce the horse to show standard.

Whether you are attending a small local Show or a County Level competition, there is no excuse for overlooking the detail.

It is far better to be moved up the line when the Judge looks over your horse than to face the embarrassment of being moved down because your horse does not pass a closer inspection.

Put Yourself in The Judge's Shoes

• Confirmation - the way that the horse is put together and whether it has any obvious skeletal faults that could restrict his movement or ability to do his job.

  For showing classes, the Judge will also penalise unsightly blemishes, scars, lumps or bumps that detract from the overall appearance of the horse.

• Movement - also called "Cadence" -this is the action and expressiveness of the horse through the gaits of walk, trot, canter and occasionally gallop and of course his ability to halt on request!

  Movement should be straight and fluid showing off the horse's stride. The judge will observe the horse's responsiveness to his rider when being asked for upward or downward changes of pace (known as transitions). He will observe the horse's manners and composure despite the noise and bustle of the show environment and particularly if ridden by a different rider such as the Judge or a Steward.

• Presentation - this is the factor you can do most to enhance. For example, if a Judge assesses a class and finds 3 horses all with comparable movement and confirmation, the deciding factor will be the presentation.

  He is looking for a horse that stands out from the others, one with "presence" or the "look at me" factor. This would be the horse that the Judge would most like to own/ride himself, so it becomes his natural choice for a winner.

Top Tips for a Tip-Top Turnout!

We recommend following our Top Tips and turn your horse into a winning Rosette machine! Put the effort in and you will definitely be rewarded!

For day to day grooming tips return to the main Grooming topic.

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