Schooling Show - What to expect for a rider/horse new to showing H/J

[Foxglove6]

Hello everyone,

I’m considering a local, low-key schooling show for myself and my horse Rigel in November. I’ve never showed before and if Rigel has, it was in the Western disciplines with the trainer I bought him from.

A bit of background: I am 31 and have been riding since I was 10years old but much more consistently and well in the last 10 years. I take lessons at a local H/J and Western barn. My trainer regularly takes her upper level students to big shows in Florida or Chicago. I just bought my 10 year old Appendix Quarter horse Rigel in May. He was trained by a Western HUS and Pleasure trainer. He had jumping talent and she started to introduce him to it. Since starting with poles and tiny crossrails, Rigel has progressed really wonderfully and is very consistent over 2’ and we’ve even schooled 2’6" and spreads. I’m not as consistent at higher heights yet but my boy is honest and tries very hard for me.

Unrelated to jumping, I also participate in medieval re-enactment. Rigel came to his first event at the end of September and handled it all like a pro. Lots of distractions, other horses, noises, sights, and he was focused on me and the job at hand. I believe he would act similarly at a horse show.

I’d like to try this show in November but I’m not sure if it’s a good idea or not, and if so, at what level. My trainer is of the opinion that we have to start somewhere and get some exposure. Is cross-rails not enough of a challenge or enough value for my $$ spent? Is 2’ too risky being that he’s only been jumping consistently for less than a year?

Beyond the prosaic question of whether to do this or not, what exactly do I expect at a show? I know I should wear tall-boots, a polo, and a nice helmet. But do I have to braid? How do I braid? How do I get Rigel (a super cute flea-bitten gray) sparkly clean on my own and keep him that way? How do I know if my flat work is good enough for a judge? How do I choose classes?

I’ve only been to shows twice before, shopping for horses. One was held at the same facility where this schooling show will be held and we watched several classes between trying out the horse that I did not end up buying. The atmosphere seems tense even for kids.

Tl;dr: Ammy rider with greenie jumper nervous about schooling show. Tell me to breath and have fun.

[NoSuchPerson]

For schooling shows around here:

Tall boots or paddock boots + nice half-chaps, breeches, belt, polo shirt (tucked in), and helmet. If it’s cool out, put a trim fitting pullover sweater on. No braiding necessary.

There is absolutely no shame in starting out in your first show in a cross-rail class. For my first show in decades as an adult re-rider on a new-to-me horse, I would have done cross-rails but they cancelled the class, so I rode in the 18" jumpers. Those fences looked huge, as I cantered toward them. :lol:

[MoonWitch]

Breathe!!

Alot depends on your area. Some areas schooling shows are very informal and others not so much. If you haven’t been to a show with your boy before, plan on going and warming up in the schooling ring to see how you both do with the heights and the nerves. If you feel comfortable and confident to do the classes, go for it! IOW - have a goal beforehand. When I introduced my mare, we went with the idea to have a good experience schooling and that was it. She did so well that we signed her up for the division and she was a rock star. However, if she had shown that she wasn’t ready, we would have called it a day and gone home.

We don’t braid here (even for the local shows) but we do wear jacket, and tall boots for hunters and neat polo shirt for jumpers. I would pick classes that are suited to your ability at this point. Are there any long stirrup classes or adult beginner? Even though you have been riding for many years, if you are new to showing you would be considered a beginner or novice rider. These are low level classes that get you started and give you an idea of what you need to work on.

Above all, have fun and good luck!!

[ParadoxFarm]

Well, first off, you may never FEEL like you’re good enough. That’s part of being competitive. But you’ll never know how well you stack up unless you just go out there and do it! I say go for it! Are you comfy with those 2’ courses? I think I would start there. BUT, if you are nervous, definitely don’t worry about just entering cross rails classes. At one show with a green bean, I did a poles class (school/fun show). It was literally poles on the ground. And we had fun. He did so well, I added the cross poles class, haha. We were aiming high that show! Anyway, what I mean to say is, if you go, HAVE FUN and enter what you feel comfortable with. Sounds like you have an awesome horse and you may not have to worry so much about him, which is a nice luxury! Enjoy.

[Night_Flight]

Is there a photographer present at these schooling shows? If so, look at their photos from previous editions of the same show to see what people are wearing and whether or not those in your chosen division tend to braid. You’ll likely feel more relaxed about the day if you fit in with the turnout of most of the riders in your division, and that’s one easy way to check before arriving at the show.

You might also want to ask your coach what she expects you to do. Many coaches have certain standards that they would like their students to meet when at horse shows, and it’s always best to ask before buying anything that your coach would rather you not wear.

If you decide to braid, ask someone experienced to show you how and then practice! While less-than-perfect braids aren’t the end of the world at a schooling show, it’s always best to present yourself as best as you can and with braiding it can take some time to master the technique.

Above all, have fun!

[BAC]

Depending on how many classes you plan to ride in, why not do a cross rails class as your warm up and then the others at the 2’ level if you feel comfortable at that height? With a grey horse you need to allow enough time in the morning to clean up any urine and manure stains he developed during the night, unless its too hot I would put a sheet on to keep him clean the night before. Braiding and what you wear would be determined by the area you are in, some schooling shows are more formal than others.

Have fun! Your horse sounds wonderful.

[Cita]

You should ABSOLUTELY go do it. The other posters had great advice.

IMO, at schooling shows, you are paying largely for the experience and the practice. With that in mind, no class is too small or “not worth it” if you are nervous!

And no need to worry about being “good enough.” If you can steer and get your horse around safely at walk, trot, canter, won’t interfere with anyone else’s ride by tailgating or crashing into them or whatnot, and are quite confident about not falling off, you’re “good enough” for a schooling show With those things in place, what’s the worst that can happen? Someone might say something snarky? Well, eff them, because it’s a schooling show and nobody cares what they think.

For attire, just ask for your trainer’s advice and wear whatever he/she suggests. When in doubt, over-dress rather than under-dress, since it will help you feel more prepared (and fancy! ).

I think it is very unlikely you would need to braid. Unless you really want to, in which case, go for it.

I actually LOVE schooling shows because there’s much less pressure and it’s all about the learning. No pressure, no judgment, just go for it and see what happens and remember to have fun!!

[Pnhntr]

Most local shows will have a specific dress code stated either on their website or in the program with the rules. Every local show that I have been to has required “proper show attire” for hunter and equitation classes; however if you have been to that show before and everyone is wearing polo shirts, I would wear that.
Generally you don’t need to braid for local shows. There are some that most if not all people braid, but if you are wearing a polo chances are you do not need to braid.
Even though it’s a local show you still need to look put together -use a white contour pad, wear a hairnets, clean your boots and tack, give your horse a bath, trim his whiskers and ears,etc.

A rule of thumb is to enter one class below what you school consistently at home. So if you are schooling 2’ enter the cross rail or 18" class. Make sure you check the class list though, some shows have age restrictions for certain classes. If the show offers it, you can try a green horse class.

I know it sounds cliche but the most important thing is to have fun. A lot of judging at local shows can be very subjective and bias especially if it’s already a well established show and has a solid community of competitors who compete at every show and have been for years. Go into it with goals and focus on your own round.