Tips for RC coloured showing?

CassieAmber

Hi all,
I'm very interested in doing a bit of showing with my 15.2hh skewbald mare but have never set foot in a showing class before. I've entered the AIRC festival coloured horse class and I am starting to get very anxious as I'm completely new and know nothing about the world of showing!! I'll probably do one coloured class before the festival to get a bit of practice in but can anyone give me a few tips??

I have myself a tweed jacket, shirt, tie, hairnet and skull cap with balck cover (?) and long black boots. For my mare I do not have a double bridle (is it essential?) I have a snaffle (without the flash noseband i'm assuming!) and a GP saddle with saddle shaped numnah (is white alright or a darker colour?) Should I pull her tail or plait it?

Also what would be recommended to do in your individual show? Are the horses stripped and trotted in hand?

Very sorry for the MANY questions but some tips would be much appreciated, thank you!!

mariannewims

Hi there,

I have limited experience of RC showing so others may have more tips but for what it's worth...

What you have for yourself is fine. It's not necessary to pull your mares tail if you don't generally have it pulled. A well plaited tail would be absolutely fine. A double bridle isn't absolutely necessary-a snaffle is fine instead or if your horse goes nicely in a pelham and you wanted to ride with double reins you could do that instead.Yep, just take your flash off the noseband. If you had access to a simple cavesson noseband that would look best but a flash with the flash strap gone is fine either. A gp saddle is fine, it's best to try and match a small, saddle shaped numnah to the colour of your saddle rather than using a white one.

That being said, RC showing is very friendly and easy-going. They don't expect you to be professional level although some people who do the classes are perfectly turned out not everyone is and a lot of people have never done any showing before and are just doing it to add another class while they're in Stradbally for the weekend!

Generally there isn't an individual show for the showing classes, once you're pulled in the judge rides the horse and they're stripped and trotted up, but no individual show.

I hope you enjoy your experience and definitely getting out to a warm-up show this weekend would really put your mind at ease!

Have fun!

Dark Phoenix

your outfit sounds fine. For the horse use either a double bridle, a pelham with two sets of reins or a snaffle with a flat noseband (no flash strap, no rubbers on reins or on bit).

Plait the horses mane. You can pull the tail or plait it. Personally I'd never plait a mares tail. Even if you just pull a bit from the sides to tidy it you can then put a little bit of gel in and bandage over it and it should sit neatly. Bang the ends of the tail and trim up feathers.

Format of class will be ride around in walk trot and canter on both reins as a group with an extention / gallop on one rein. Then judge calls you in by order of preference. Judge will then ride each horse. You then take off saddle and stand them, walk and trot them in hand. You go back out as a group walking and judge will call you in as per the order of placing.

At home practice getting the horse to stand in hand for you and also walking up, turning (turn horse away from you so judge sees horse not you) and trot back. ALso if you can have someone groom for you that helps as they can give the horse a brush over before trot up and can help you if horse wont trot up

CassieAmber

Thank you so much for your help, hopefully it'll go smoothly, fingers crossed!

byhookorbycrook

I have found the surface in Stradbally to be quite slippy, as it is grazed quite close and even on a dry day can be dodgy, so maybe you need to consider studs too?

CassieAmber

I'll be jumping too ( going to be a rush to get from jumping class the showing but I'm hoping for the best...) so I'll have studs in alright! Praying that it won't rain!

monflat

CassieAmber wrote: »

I'll be jumping too ( going to be a rush to get from jumping class the showing but I'm hoping for the best...) so I'll have studs in alright! Praying that it won't rain!

Good luck and enjoy it.!!!

Kamili

What level are you riding at? The reason I ask is that if I recall correctly there are rules on what tack you can use in some levels, so just check if you can ride in a pelham/double bridle at your level.

I could be wrong and apologies if I am. But worth checking the rules or maybe check with your club secretary.

mariannewims

I think it's only primary riders that can't use double bridles and obviously you wouldn't have been able to enter a coloured horse class as a primary rider so I presume you're a higher grade and would be ok with one if you wanted to use it. I wouldn't bother buying one especially though