Getting your horse ready for a show.....issues

[Linda]

I regularly let a couple of local school aged riders use my older well trained jumper for some low level shows. He knows his job,and goes around the course without much direction from his rider. So he is a favorite with them.

However his current rider is not so good about preparing him to look his best for the shows.

We were recently preparing to leave for a local show in the morning, so I checked in on him in the evening. He had not been bathed. nor had his tack been cleaned. His whiskers were long - so I clipped him.

The rider who was going to show him was just showing up that evening as I was leaving. She is in school so she could have come to clean him earlier and done the bath before it started to get cool out.

We chatted and she said she was planning to give him a bath that night. Well its still pretty cold here and he still has a coat. So I vetoed that choice and told her not to take him to the show.

He was dirty - lots of dirt in his hair from rolling around while he is outside during the day. I was certainly hoping his riders would have taken the time to get him cleaned up before the show. But that was not the case.

I was irritated…I have a lovely horse who will pack his riders around. Im glad for them to have him to use in shows. BUT I expect the riders to prepare him properly for showing. I was always taught to “show off” my horse by preparing him to look his best for competitions. So I was irritated that this rider planned to show him, not looking his best.

Hopefully these couple of riders will figure this out. But I was not happy that they could not be bothered to take the time to get him cleaned up during the day before it got cool. Clearly they could have planned ahead if they thought they did not have time the day before the show. But they did not do that.
Looking for input and ideas… Im glad for him to have a job. But I also want him to be properly cared for.
Thoughts?

[Training_Cupid]

Sounds like you just need to be more clear on what your expectations are. Lower leverl + jumpers - some people might think a good grooming in the morning may be sufficient. Next time someone asks to use your horse in a show let them know what your conditions are so everyone is on the same page and you don’t end up feeling annoyed.

[nccatnip]

I would be annoyed no end. If they are short changing him on basic grooming, I would suspect they will short change other things like proper warm up and cool down, details on fitting tack, etc. Disregard for something so simple that not only adds to his presentation but his comfort would be a deal breaker to me.

[arapaloosa_lady]

It sounds like you just need to sit down & discuss your expectations for that with the riders. School-aged kids may not be allowed out to the barn before completing their homework, especially if there’s a show over the weekend (even college-aged kids - with overbearing parents!). They likely just weren’t clear on how much importance you put on cleanliness - it’s something that may not have been taught by instructors.

[enjoytheride]

Were you clear with this inexperienced young person about your requirements for going to a show? Although most of us wouldn’t even think about taking a dirty horse to a show, other people simply have no clue and need to be educated.

Did you sit her down before the show and explain about shows, and the horse being neat, and let her know that he would need to be clipped and have a bath? Does she know the temperature range where it’s ok to give a horse a bath? People new to horses probably don’t. She had already planned on giving him a bath, chances are she had no idea it was going to be too cold. I would not be surprised if you lose this lease due to lack of clear expectations.

[Luseride]

I would not let someone give mine a bath while they still have the winter coat on, take to long to get them dry. I say that to say you may just need to be clear on your expectations.

[hj0519]

It sounds like his rider did plan to show him looking his best, considering she said she was planning on bathing him that evening. Maybe she thought that bathing later would be better, because then he would have less time to get dirty again.

I would make sure that you’re very clear with your expectations of what needs to be done before a show and when those tasks need to be completed by. If these are riders that aren’t experienced competitors, then they need help “figuring it out” - how are they supposed to figure it out if no one teaches them?

[Hunter_Mom]

Maybe offer a day of How to Get a Horse Ready to Show boot camp and teach them what you expect.

[Carol_Ames]

could you draw up a list of activities :)which must be checked off before going to a show? the trimming must crrtainlt bu do, ny you or somepne but, a good 30 mintes/ day des more for the coat than a bath; have these kids ever been to a show?

[JenEM]

[QUOTE=Carol Ames;8066761]
could you draw up a list of activities :)which must be checked off before going to a show? [/QUOTE]

I think this is a great suggestion, Carol, if these young riders’ trainer hasn’t already given them one. They may simply not have any idea of pre-show expectations.

That said, around here, I wouldn’t expect to bathe a horse for what sounds like a schooling show, in the winter. Mine just got her first bath in months earlier this week, and has most certainly been to small jumper and dressage shows over the winter. I absolutely would not bathe a full-coated horse in the winter unless it was an exceptionally warm day; hot toweling and leg washing is the most I’d do, and is the most I did with my clipped horse. (And I bathe the morning of, so mine might be quite filthy the night before, but I’m an adult who hauls herself.) But “cold” in California and winter cold here are probably two very different things Perhaps you also need to have a talk with them about grooming needs, whether he needs to be clipped so he can be blanketed and kept cleaner, how hot toweling works, etc.

I’d also expect someone using my horse to keep my tack cleaned. I wouldn’t ever expect to go out and find my tack dirty, show or not. You definitely need to have a discussion with the rider about expectations for care, showing or not.

[gottagrey]

Agree with the comments above and JenEm beat me to the hot toweling aspect of cleaning when it’s cold out. These are new-to-show-ring riders and I certainly wouldn’t expect them to know the ins and outs of bathing, clipping, cleaning tack etc. Much less wrapping for shipping etc. I don’t know that I would want someone to trim my horse if they’ve never used clippers or trimmers before.

I think if it were my horse, I’d do the pre-show trimming my self and either made sure the trainer/coach was around to help the kids bathe horse or I’d be there the first couple of times to show them the ropes. There’s turn-out and then there’s turn-out.

[BeeHoney]

I would have been annoyed, too. But, at local level schooling shows in the jumpers many horses are a little bit shaggy and not perfectly bathed.

Here’s what I would do. Just tell the girls straight out what your expectations are. Something like this: “Girls, I’m so happy for you to take my horse to the shows and enjoy him. But it is important to me that he be really clean and look his best when he goes out in public. If you take him to a show I want him bathed the day before during the warm part of the day, then you can put a sheet on him to keep him clean overnight, and be sure to trim his muzzle and bridle path.”

Now, mind you, it’s pretty normal for show horses to have evening and early morning baths even if it is chilly, providing there are amenities such as warm water and thick, wicking coolers. Also, mind you, bathing a horse during the warm part of the day and then turning him back out is a recipe for a horse to roll in the dirt and turn into a hideous mud ball. The girls may not have wanted to disturb the horse’s routine and leave him in a stall after bathing.

Anyway, just tell the girls exactly how you want it done and leave some room open for discussion if there are logistical issues. Kids and teens are usually still learning, so I’d worry more about wanting the kids to expend some effort and thought towards the horse’s care and turnout and less about perfection.

[luvdogz72]

[QUOTE=Hunter Mom;8066757]
Msybe offer a day of How to Get a Horse Ready to Show boot camp and teach them what you expect.[/QUOTE]

great idea! maybe they just don’t know how to do it and are too shy to say so. My husband knows NOTHING about grooming and it shows! or maybe they think you’re too fancy and are being contrary -

Just be sure that your real concern is not one of your own ego and pridefulness that YOUR horse may look plain at a show. Who cares if the horse is clean? NOt the horse - I can guarantee that!

[mvp]

[QUOTE=Linda;8066656]
d

Hopefully these couple of riders will figure this out.[/QUOTE]

You are right in every part of your post but this one. How would they know what your standards are unless you tell them?

I grew up doing it the way you do: Horse and accoutrements must be turned out well, no matter what. Get up earlier, stay later, do your homework when it’s cold so you can bathe the horse when it’s cold…. whatever it takes.

But I was taught to to that.

I hope you can reform your young riders. They need to know How It Is Done so that they, too, can carry forward good standards of horse care.

[Albertabound]

I am both a parent of teenagers and high school teacher. From my experience with teens I have learned the importance of communicating your expectations very clearly and directly. Not only do they need it for themselves, but also to be able to tell their parents they need a ride to the barn by a certain time in order to properly prepare the horse. Many families are very busy so the kids get there when they get there, unless a clear time frame has been given. Parents may not understand the amount of time it takes to prepare a horse properly for a show and it is difficult for kids to explain that unless they have been given very clear directions.

You are doing a great thing letting these kids ride your very nice horse. I hope you can find a way to teach these young riders about the importance of show prep and the time it takes. If you get a chance, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to communicate with the parents as well. For example, “Hi Mrs. Smith. I hope Anny told you that I need her here by five on Friday to bath the horse. It’s going to take a few hours to get him ready for the show.” That way, it’s more clear to everybody.

[Princess_Sparkles]

Yeah, I would say that you are making assumptions that these girls can read your mind and know what you would want. Not sure where you live, but I showed my hunter in winter rated shows last year without bathing her (and she wasn’t even clipped! Horror!). Actually, I took her to our first outdoor show of the season without bathing her, and she looked fantastic. I ended up buying professional pictures from that show and my non-horsey sister asked me how long I had to bath her to get her to shine like that. And I got to tell her my mare actually hadn’t had a bath since the previous summer!

I am obviously more relaxed than you, however–I think a horse should be neat and clean for a jumper schooling show, but that does not necessarily equal bathing and clipping. Some people choose not to clip their horse’s whiskers/ears at all, and in fact, I have known some people who strictly forbid it on their show horses. It seems these girls can’t win–because if they had taken it upon themselves to clip your horse, they very well could have been chewed out for it, since many people have varied views on what is okay to clip. I would always advise a leaser NOT to clip someone else’s horse without express direction to do so.

Have you ever actually checked out what your horse looked like at a show with one of the girls? She did show up–she could very well be like me, and think that the later you prepare a horse, the less time they have to get dirty. Even when I do bath my horse, I do it as late in the day as possible, so she can go in her stall, and be sheeted if its cool enough. Then I do a full groom in the morning before I load.

Basically, I think that if you are going to set high expectations for how your horse has to be turned out at shows, even jumper schooling shows, where things can be a bit more casual, you have to spell it out clearly. If you want to be picky, fine, its your horse and you can do that. But be very clear that is what you expect. I’m an adult and I would have thought nothing of skipping a bath and doing a good grooming, along with having a neat, unbraided mane, and calling it a day at a jumper schooling show. I might trim whiskers if they are out of control, but I NEVER do ears, ever, not even in the hunter ring.

And that is my two cents, for what it is worth!

[Linda]

Thanks all for the great suggestions. MY rider showed this horse last yr a few times at the small local shows so she knows the drill about cleaning the horse and tack. But your point is well taken that I can certainly review it with her and her mother since its been a yr since the last time she showed.

While its clearly still winter in many parts of the country, its in the low 70s here during the day.So bathing and then a light cooler works for him.
As it turned out, after I chased the Mom several times during the day to get the daughter out here to do the bath, they didnt arrive until 6 in the evening. And it was getting cooler by then. Tack was not organized, they had not reviewed the prize list which I emailed earlier and the mom was out of touch with the plans for the show (such as “what time do we load and go”.

So I nixed it. Horse is home. Had a “heart to heart” with the rider and the mom reminding them what we needed to do to get ready and that while I am happy to help, this is their responsibility. Its irritating when I am offering them a chance to use my NICE horse who will always jump around and find the distance no matter what the rider does - but they cant seem to get a plan together ahead of time. This is a small local show circuit. So we will try again next month. Hopefully with better results. sigh
Hopefully my cancelling the show late in the day will get their attention. Hope so because I would like to see them use him. But being able to use him, means they need to step up and take responsibility for getting him ready to show.

[JenEM]

[QUOTE=Linda;8067065]

While its clearly still winter in many parts of the country, its in the low 70s here during the day.So bathing and then a light cooler works for him. [/QUOTE]

Ah, that’s an entirely different matter. The jumper show I didn’t bathe for, the temperature was 25 when I pulled into the show grounds Your weather is a perfectly acceptable bath temperature!

Its good you had a heart-to-heart, but I’d still perhaps follow up with a checklist of what needs to be done for showing. Some people need things more spelled out in black and white than other It does also sound like a lot of it is the rider’s reliance on parents for getting to the barn to get things ready, so not entirely her fault.

[iJump]

[QUOTE=Hunter Mom;8066757]
Maybe offer a day of How to Get a Horse Ready to Show boot camp and teach them what you expect.[/QUOTE]

^

[Treasmare2]

I would do just what you did. You are generous with your nice horse and they owe it to take care of business without you having to babysit and teach them. If you decide to continue I would construct an expectation list. If the terms are not met they don’t show and they don’t get another crack. That would be the best life lesson for these casual kids that tend to see these creatures as vehicles rather than partners. That horseman/horsewomanship is missing in today’s teaching. We are producing riders not horse people. It is sad but for you it is your horse that needs the care and respect for being such a giving do bee. On that note I would have no sense of humour nor would I allow for an excuses.