Hate them. I don’t care for even small ones! Not once did my sisters or I show in bows back when we were kids (early 70’s - just a different era I guess). They are just too distracting especially the big ones!
Extremely annoying. I will try to be nice about it for the first class, then make an announcement when possible that hair ribbons must not cover the numbers. This is particularly relevant in a flat class. If I can’t see your #, you are telling me that you care more about fashion dress up than you do about winning.
As a mother, I just want to admit that I love the bows. I am a complete and total sucker for putting my little girl in big ass bows. She could absolutely and completely care less. I make an effort to keep her number visible, but looking back through pictures I’m not sure I’ve been totally successful in that. Though I do think I will go back and trim down some of the ribbons before she gets out to any shows this year.
But to the haters, I just want to reiterate what a few others have said. The bows are absolutely more for me than they are for anyone else 
I think they’ve gotten a bit excessive. Believe me, I understand the dress up factor, but some of the bows are GINORMOUS now. I also think it’s sad if show moms think they have to have a certain kind. Shouldn’t half the fun be picking ribbon by the yard out to make bows? (says the person who LOVES ribbon and is always looking for a reason to buy more. 
)
RugBug - I suppose if you lived somewhere where you could get to a place that sells ribbon easily that would be appealing. But for those of us who a) don’t and b) don’t have time to look for something like that and c) are more than a little challenged in our ability to tie bows and have them stay in place, it’s much easier to just have something ready to go. I certainly don’t think they have to be “a certain kind.” But wow, something on some kind of a clip is just a lot easier to manage for me.
I used to be THAT mom, the one that had a million sets of bows LOL… one to match every coat and shirt and pony haha. I had an addiction, we must have had 30 sets of bows. This was when my daughter was between the ages of 7 and 10. Now that she’s 11 I cannot stand them on HER, so hair is up. I just think she’s too big for bows even though she is still only 11 and riding a medium pony in jods and garters.
Anyway, if you have a little one, fancy bows are super fun lol. I do not like gigantic ones on little tiny kids, always have to remember to not cover the number. Be very conscious of that… it does drive some judges nuts.
Here’s a set I loved:https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10202707326347235&set=a.1083434089016.14103.1321271926&type=3&theater
and this is her now… too big for bows…:https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10203668407813671&set=a.3568114364470.162800.1321271926&type=1&theater
[QUOTE=PNWjumper;7563525]
RugBug - I suppose if you lived somewhere where you could get to a place that sells ribbon easily that would be appealing. But for those of us who a) don’t and b) don’t have time to look for something like that and c) are more than a little challenged in our ability to tie bows and have them stay in place, it’s much easier to just have something ready to go. I certainly don’t think they have to be “a certain kind.” But wow, something on some kind of a clip is just a lot easier to manage for me.[/QUOTE]
Guess that’s true. I’m in a small town, but I do have easy access to a fabric store.
Also, having thick, thick, hair, clips were never an option for me. Ever. they just will not close. Remember in the eighties when the clips with the woven ribbons on them were popular? (like these ). couldn’t do them, even at 6 years old. I was a victim of these. I guess I always figured a bow was easier than a clip because of that.
[QUOTE=gottagrey;7563288]
…but supposedly turnout should be the last /least focus and performance of horse/rider should be paramount.[/QUOTE]
Will be flamed for this, but here we go.
Turnout is part of the assessment of the rider’s performance, and shouldn’t be the last/least of the focus. It’s an indicator of the rider’s attention to detail in how he chooses to present himself and his horse. It shows a careful and thoughtful horseman. Thankfully expensive tack, engraved bridle plates, big bows, etc. are not necessary for a beautiful turnout.
There is more to a correct and pleasing hunter performance than counting strides, and style over fences.
just mho
[QUOTE=Mayaty02;7563549]
I do not like gigantic ones on little tiny kids…
Here’s a set I loved:https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10202707326347235&set=a.1083434089016.14103.1321271926&type=3&theater
You don’t think those bows are gigantic? :eek:
[QUOTE=Dewey;7563723]
You don’t think those bows are gigantic? :eek:[/QUOTE]
haha no i do not. trust me I’ve seen gigantic bows, these are normal every day bows that you will see on every kid at a horse show right now. I have seen little kids, smaller than my DD with foot long bows, that is Gigantic in my view!
How about these for those who want something simple on a clip? You could probably find these at Claire’s or even Wal-Mart.
[QUOTE=Mardi;7563605]
Will be flamed for this, but here we go.
Turnout is part of the assessment of the rider’s performance, and shouldn’t be the last/least of the focus. It’s an indicator of the rider’s attention to detail in how he chooses to present himself and his horse. It shows a careful and thoughtful horseman. Thankfully expensive tack, engraved bridle plates, big bows, etc. are not necessary for a beautiful turnout.
There is more to a correct and pleasing hunter performance than counting strides, and style over fences.
just mho :)[/QUOTE]
turnout of course is important but the class is judged on the horse’s style, way of going - not the size of the rider’s hairbows, perfect hunter hair… and this particular judge what they asked in the class, which had nothing absolutely NOTHING to do w/ the horse’s performance (in a performance class) was a bit extreme IMO - kind of up there w/ fitted pads vs 1/2 pad both are perfectly fine - this judge wanted to penalize rider for using 1/2 pad - and again it had nothing to do w/ the horse’s performance - it’s one thing if its in the class description. All things being equal, then turnout can be a tiebreaker but if a horse has a stellar performance, nails the jumps/distances etc and a horse w/ a less than stellar performance but looks like a million bucks you give the ribbon to the performer, not the fashionplate - IMO
[QUOTE=supershorty628;7563063]
OP, this was a LONG time ago, but my mom used to buy rolls of ribbons at a fabric store and just tie bows at the bottom of my braids. Much smaller and cheaper! She normally would braid my pony in a color and then match my bows to that.
They’d look like this. Sorry I don’t have a better picture - I didn’t have bows for very long.[/QUOTE]
And even longer ago … my mom did the same thing.
OP try these from Fluff Monkey:
http://www.fluffmonkey.com/store/#!/~/category/id=2299708&offset=0&sort=normal
I saw them at Rick’s at Devon last year and they looked cute. Lots of different colors. Fluffy and fun but not huge.
[QUOTE=Mayaty02;7563730]
haha no i do not. trust me I’ve seen gigantic bows, these are normal every day bows that you will see on every kid at a horse show right now. I have seen little kids, smaller than my DD with foot long bows, that is Gigantic in my view![/QUOTE]
I believe you, but they still look huge to me.
I actually quite like big bows. I think they’re absolutely adorable. But the division matters. I think they get less cute as the divisions get more competitive. (Short stirrup, great. Large ponies, not so much). And from judges I know, as long as they don’t interfere with reading the number they’re fine.
As a judge at local shows, I see them a lot. they are distracting…the more modest ones are cute. I guess a Mom just has to decide if it is useful to send a rider in the ring with equipment/enhancement that might be distracting. I don’t mark my card with any reference to it, but probably , subconsciously, if a performance has something annoying about it, it doesn’t score as well as it would with appropriate enhancements!!!
Jeepers I can get my sleeve caught on something when I walk by…what would happen if a large bow got caught? whiplash? :winkgrin:
Personally I like the small bows like what supershorty used to wear…now those I think are super adorable on little munchkins and I wish they would get popular again…large gift box style…not so much!
I think the large bows do not make the kids look like serious competitors. They look like they are playing dress up.
Can’t bring myself to put them on my daughter, even though she’s only 5. I buy a big roll of thick navy grosgrain ribbon and tie off her braids with it, plain bow style. I’m a purist I guess!
Obviously bows shouldn’t get in the way of numbers. That just makes the judge’s job hard.
But in general, I think bows on little girls in pigtails on ponies are completely adorable. Yes, the size is getting bigger and crazier, but they’re still cute (for the most part - I draw the line of “ridiculous” if the combined size of the bows are the same size as the kid’s head :P)
Also, I think the bows need to be in proportion to how thick their hair is. Teeeny tiny little braids with enormous bows look strange.
[QUOTE=Dewey;7563742]
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/57491332717005268/[/QUOTE]
I think those are ADORABLE!!
