Hunter in Hand techniques

[Cactuskate]

One of our local yokel shows is offering a Model Hunter in hand class. Like we would have anything fancy enough to qualify. Oh well starting somewhere I guess.

So if I were to get the wild hair notion to show my gelding, aside from the fact that he is still recovering from the “tail eaten by a farm animal” episode of a year ago, what should I be aware of?

What is the proper technique for setting him up?

When jogging? Do I want him looking down and low at the jog, or more free to move?

Obviously, spit polished to the nines. What do you use for hoof dressing when showing? We always used normal hoof dressing, but here it is so dusty that a couple of steps and it doesn’t look like you have done a thing. I hate the shiny polish look. Is there some product in between?

[Cactuskate]

Toooo funny Flash44.

Thanks Jane Erv![](n, that is great info. I would like to think I could take this so seriously. The tail braiding is definetly out. I never got good at that. Where is Mary Ellen when I need her? My old tail braider.

Besides my horse “allowed” his stable neighbor to eat his tail last year. [IMG]http://www.chronofhorse.com/ubb/eek.gif) Yep, looked like I had come up with a “new style” for banging. It no longer reached his fetlocks, but instead had one layer at about 2" below his hocks and then another at about 5" ABOVE his hocks. Cool huh? I thought I would shoot them both. Spent the next month with his tail in a braided wrap. It was tooooo depressing. It is growing but oh so painful and embarrassing. so I would rather not call any more attention to that part of his anatomy with a poor braiding job.

Thanks again.

[MsHunter]

Buy a tail, it is well worth the investment!

[Cactuskate]

One of our local yokel shows is offering a Model Hunter in hand class. Like we would have anything fancy enough to qualify. Oh well starting somewhere I guess.

So if I were to get the wild hair notion to show my gelding, aside from the fact that he is still recovering from the “tail eaten by a farm animal” episode of a year ago, what should I be aware of?

What is the proper technique for setting him up?

When jogging? Do I want him looking down and low at the jog, or more free to move?

Obviously, spit polished to the nines. What do you use for hoof dressing when showing? We always used normal hoof dressing, but here it is so dusty that a couple of steps and it doesn’t look like you have done a thing. I hate the shiny polish look. Is there some product in between?

[Everythingbutwings]

I want to know, too! A friend and I went to the Middleburg Classic just for the breeding classes (stayed for weanlings, yearlings, 2 yrs and broodmares) just to get a feel for proper etiquette. I am interested in showing my baby as a yearling, anyone got some tips or know of a good book.

Darn! Won’t someone make a how to video? But NOT Colin!

[Cactuskate]

Here you go ETBW

[barb]

You know what I use sometimes?? Try using a soft sandpaper and then spray the feet with show sheen and then buff away…don’t ask who told me to do that but it works pretty well!! Yah the regular polish doesn’t really dry and the dust and dirt rubs it right off…

[Everythingbutwings]

Thank you, thank you! If someone doesn’t come up with that “definative text” then mayhaps we will collaborate!

Have digital camera and week ends off, will document! It does distress me that, although I first went to the library and then to www.dogpile.com, everything I found had to do with specific breeds, nothing much on the hunters.

[Anne]

EWWWW NO! Barb, sorry to react so strongly, but this is one of my pet peeves! Sandpaper can make feet shiny, but it removes the periople, the outer layer of the hoof wall, and can be extremely damaging. I’d suggest using a brush to remove dirt, and plain old hoof oil. If the footing sticks, the judge will understand, especially if you make an effort to clean and reoil between classes.

[Smiles]

How does one get a horse to have a super shine? Also baby oil is it only for the breed people or what? Just wondering cause I think I’m doing my paint in a couple inhand classes this summer. We have the bridle trot thing down, but standing in place is another story. Do they want the youngster to be as square as possible?

[Jess]

haha wanna know how the app/QH people do hunter in hand??
WELL at home it starts with 5min in the round pen, then they go on to working in hand…
apps have a triangle pattern, first you walk a small triangle, then you trot a huge triangle. (YAY my baby knows the whole thing now, just the side going to where we started she leans on you, lol but she is learning she can be independent)
Anyways we want them to go VERY long and low, but still move out… Its good for all 4 legs to be able to be seen from any side for the judges perpose… But with the weanlings however they stop, if it doesn’t make them stand funny, we don’t fix them… then with the weanlings when teaching them stretch the neck out we use treats… after a while we use a pepperment wrapper or a sand clump and rub it… None of the yearlings or older horses get treats for this, they are WAY to mouthy lol.

At shows we use the absorbine clear stuff, let it dry for 5-10min. and have them polished from head to tow… like its gonna burn your eyes they are so shiney… I am not sure what spray we use (I think peppi) that we spray their whole body, then rub them down with a rag, then spray again, then rub again, then spray again… then take the rag and shine the bridle with the peppi (whatever is on the rag works since you don’t want your bridle drenched in peppi)We then percede down to the ring… As we send the HIH horses in we spray there feet with some kind of hoof polish enhancer (doesn’t stick to dirt) make sure no hair is out of place, any nicks or cuts are coverd with color horse hair spray… we untie the tail, make sure it flows and send them in… lol (yes I work at an appaloosa farm, I have gone to three shows so far to show and groom for them) We use fake tails, we have about 12… The weanlings get tiny ones, yearlings get taperd ones, two year olds get taperd ones that are long, and once they turn three they get the full tail that is cut straight across.

One hint if anyone has a fake tail that is knotted after a show or something, DOWNY SOFTNER… let it soak in downy and conditiner for a while… then come back and wash it and you will have such a nice tail… lol Two or three of the tails aren’t of the best quality, and are so bad you can’t get them to suds they are so knotted… (they are kept in ‘fake’ tail tail bags… lol)

haha sorry I am bored

[MsHunter]

No dont square them up… That is a QH thing.
Front end square, hind end offset. NO babyoil, it attracts dirt… Their is a face polish, it is in a bottle with a cactus on the side… I can’t remember the name, but it has vitamin E and it just shine enough… You rub over their eyes and muzzle. I tend to use cornstarch on the white socks instead of baby powder IF I HAVE TOO… But, I try real hard to use Quic Silver to do white socks and then towel dry at horse show before entering ring. The shine comes from the feed. Try some flax seed, corn oil, rice bran, calf manna things like that… My secrets really are VERY good quality alfalfa, even if you can only supplement them with cubes, get some alfalfa into them for the shine. That and plain old elbow grease with a rub down with a cloth. I also feed barley mixed with my sweet feed. My babies get smaller feedings of grain 3x a day. Keep them out of the sun, that burns their coats.

[MsHunter]

i can help, if you’d like to email, Hunter breeding is my forte. First, you must have a CLEAN horse, and NO SHOW SHEEN, it attracts dirt. They should have their ears,muzzles,bridle path (not an airplane landing strip) under the jaw line clipped with surgical blades. No five o’clock shadows. If they have white socks clip them with 15s or so. Braid mane and tail, use yarn same color and pinwheel tail. Bridle should be at least a shade darker than their actual coat color. Big D or a full cheek is fine. When you are asked to trot, start quietly and then let it build so the horse can trot vs jog, and relax the reins if you can. Khakis, paddock boots, shirt and tie or
nice sweater with jacket and hat is appropriate attire. Need not be in formalriding attire. Hoofs look best with good ole Fiebings hoof dressing. Pay attention to how you stand them up! Dont’ have a foot point east and another west!
Try to get them to stand straight,and look their best attentive and stretching their neck out with their ears pricked forward!
OK, if i left anything out or you want to ask more let me know! Good Luck!

[Flash44]

If your horse limps, kick him in the other leg so that he moves evenly.