What is trending in the hunter show ring? (new to it)

[findeight]

Beau, belated welcome to the board.

Dont take anything personal, it’s hard to determine intent from just text, especially from a newer poster. Take what you can use, let the rest go. Arguing about the intent of what was posted on either side is pointless.

Arguing about theory, training techniques, pluses and minuses of various disciplines is fine. Try to avoid arguing what you think somebody meant or what they think you meant or inferred. Just spirals downward. And, really, you don’t know each other so who really cares?

Enjoy the good on here, even the better arguments. Ignore the rest. You’ll get more out if it.

[RxCate]

A running braid is extremely easy. If you can french braid, you can do a running braid as that’s exactly what it is.

Stand up as high over your colt as you can. You want to be braiding literally on top of his neck, not on the side. And you want that sucker as TIGHT as you can so it stays in all day.

To help, you can smooth some wax through his mane to control flyaways and help keep it in for your classes. When you take it out for your reining/ranch horse events, it’ll be nice and wavy.

My personal preference is if you are braiding the mane, to also braid the tail. And also the forelock.

Clothes:

Black hunt coat, white long-sleeved shirt with collar, khaki breeches, tall black field boots. Your hair should be tucked, in a hair net, into your helmet, no fly-aways sticking out. Black gloves, leather preferably.

The only really expensive thing in that ^ paragraph will probably be your boots, but they are easily found on consignment.

Get a leather saddle, if you get a nice enough one, it will hold up. Plan to spend at least $500 + and look at consignment. Be sure to take it on trail and make sure it fits, or you will have more than just fashion problems.

[horsegal301]

[QUOTE=beau159;7734222]
???

What is your problem? Have I done something to you that I’m not aware of?

If you start off the battle by giving me a snarky remark, I’m not exactly going to just let you trample over me. But this is getting a little bit uncalled for and immature.

Wonderful tips. Thank you. I have seen those “show bows” recently, especially the ones for kids. Ick.

As far as the mane pulling “debate”, I agree with you 100% about first impressions. However, maybe I should have been more complete. There will also be ranch horse competitions I am entering him in (one is actually in a couple weeks) and the pulled mane would be a NO for that as well.

I think the best compromise I can make based on all the different events I want to do with him is to try the braid to make him look as neat as I possibly can while keeping his mane natural.[/QUOTE]

Long mane is fine for local shows. You’re going to get sass from OTHERS on this board, because I find a lot of them to be quite snarky as it’s easy to be anonymously behind a keyboard… and the majority of them are very much H/J people, not breed people.

Do a running braid for your hunt seat classes, and band, if you like, for the western. I’m not sure what she means by 2 vs 1 - long manes in western have become increasingly popular and accepted in most, if not all, western classes. Please google Brandy Smith and Struttin my Assets and you’ll see a good example. Remember, it’s a local show! My guess is if they’re following the same rules as all the local OPEN shows near me, most of them use AQHA rules, so they will want you to use a number pad. Judges want to be able to see the number clearly without having to wait for you to pass them or move around, because most of those local, Open show judges stand inside the ring. Of course, check to see what type of local show it is, but if it has HS/Western/Reining/Games, I’m going to guess it’s more of the open style, so number pads are just fine, as is the long mane as long as it’s in a running braid in your H/S classes.

I will say this - brown tack, conservative color coat, white shirt, gloves, non-cotton breeches. Mostly everyone covered that. Please don’t sacrifice your horse’s mane because some anon on a H/J board told you to. It takes a lot of maintenance to get them that long!

[vxf111]

I agree with others who say go watch the show and see what people do. Norms can vary widely. In my area there is one county where people turn out for a local hunter schooling show looking like they could ride in an A rated USEF show. The next county over, lots of number pads, colored helmets-- a real mishmash. One counter over-- everyone looks like they’re about to step into an APHA/AQHA show.

The common demominator is clean/neat. No matter what style, it is always better to have more rather than less attention to detail.

Now my beef about that number pads. It makes it all but IMPOSSIBLE to see your number 1/2 of the time on the flat. They drive me BATTY when I judge. It’s not the turnout per se, I really don’t care if people look “breed show” or “A rated” as long as they’re clean/neat-- but there is nothing worse than looking at someone, wanting to write down their number, and then having to wait until they come ALL THE WAY AROUND to right in front of me so I can see the number. Hugely annoying. I think at real breed shows they issue 2 numbers, so there is one on either side. If your show issues only one number— please, please, please-- do it on your back rather than just one side of the pad.

[gumshoe]

Bring both a number and fitted fleece pad. Borrow them if you have to for the first show. That way you can just use what you see everyone else using. My observation is that if you are doing AQHA, the number pad is more appropriate.

[saddleup]

They do give you two numbers at breed shows, by the way. That’s why the number pads work.

[Running_Fox_Farm]

OP- just like the " little black dress", the classics never go out of style. Yes, there have been trends I can remember since I was a kid( a very long time ago) but you can’t go wrong, schooling show or AA, with a black ASTM helmet, hair up in a net( please God no ponytail), white or light blue stock show sytye shirt with matching choker, navy or black jacket, tan or beige breeches, a belt if there are belt loops, well-fitting high black boots, and black riding gloves. The USEF handbook actually used to have a section that outlined proper attire- does that even still exist?

[enjoytheride]

If you want to keep his mane long then you should learn how to do a nice french braid (not a running braid, it doesn’t stay up against the neck as well). Even if you move from doing “open” shows, which is what we call the type of show where you have english/western/speed classes and multiple breeds in their type of tack to a local hj show you will be fine.

I have pinned well on my arabian with her french braided mane in classes of TB types because I fit in with everyone else and she gets her distances and changes. When I don’t pin well it’s because we banked the corners like a stock car and couldn’t find a distance if it mailed itself to me and not because I had a french braid.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/20892581@N04/15066572355/