Chapter 1: Starting Out

The secret to successful showing is being totally prepared. You won't win any ribbons if your horse is badly behaved or if you don't know what you are supposed to do in your class. So, before you head off to compete at your first show, take a few minutes to read what you need to do and ask yourself some questions.

Be a Spectator
Watch a few shows. Take a picnic and a pony pal and make a fun day out of it. Go to the show office and get a schedule so you know what's going on. Watch any classes you think you and your horse might enter in the future. Make a mental note of what the competitors are wearing and what sort of tack the horses are sporting. Are the horses wearing mild snaffle bits? Are they wearing martingales to keep their heads down?

Study the riders in the ring. Try to figure out which rider will win the first place blue ribbon. You can learn a lot from watching other competitors.

Walk around the trailer area and watch people getting their horses ready. Walk over to the warm-up arena and watch people popping over practice fences. Imagine how your horse would act at the show. Listen to the trainers as they help their students. Some of their instructions might relate to you and your horse.

You could also volunteer to help at a show to get the inside scoop about how things work. This would involve opening and closing gates, taking entries, or helping the judge¾anything to make yourself useful. You might get a free lunch for helping, and you'll learn a lot, too.

If you've got a friend who is already showing, offer to be her groom for the day. Being a groom is tons of fun, and your friend might help you when you go to your first show.

Are You Ready to Show?
You should have some riding experience before you go to a show. If you've been riding for only six months, it's not a good idea to enter a jumping class. If you're a new rider, you might consider entering a class or two at a schooling show held for fun at your stable, but don't pack your horse into a trailer and head off to a big show. You're probably not ready yet, but you will be soon!

Before you go to a show, you must be able to walk, trot, and canter a horse safely around other horses. You also must be able to handle a horse if he misbehaves. You can't get scared if he's naughty. You should also know how to groom and tack up your horse without any help.

No Horse? No Problem!
Even if you don't have a horse, you can still compete in shows. If you take lessons, your riding school may let you borrow or "rent" a horse for a show, especially if the show is taking place at the school. You'll be able to groom your horse and braid him if you want. It will be like competing on a horse of your own. Ask your instructor how much it costs to borrow a horse. If a lesson horse is really popular, you'll have to book him a few weeks in advance because everyone else will want to ride him in the show, too!

Is Your Horse Ready?
Don't even think about going to a show unless your horse will do the following when you're at the barn:
· lead quietly
· tie up to a trailer and not pull back and break his lead rope and halter
· walk, trot, and canter calmly
· work near other horses without kicking or acting grumpy
· stop when you ask him
· stand quietly

What Will You Wear?
Don't rush out to the tack shop and spend all your money on brand-new show clothes. Check the bulletin board at your barn first because older kids might be selling their outgrown clothes. Also check tack stores for used clothes on consignment. Here is what you should wear:

Helmet: Wear an approved safety helmet with a fixed chinstrap. Most people show in a velvet hunt cap, but if you have a schooling helmet or a jockey skullcap, you can put a black velvet cover on it.

Shirt: Girls wear a ratcatcher. This is a special shirt that comes with a detachable collar. Most girls button the collar to the shirt and many fasten a pretty stock pin on the front. A monogram with your initials on the collar looks great, too. Ratcatchers come in different colors and in solids and stripes. Choose one that matches your jacket. Boys wear a shirt and a tie.
Show jacket: Navy blue jackets are always popular, but some competitors wear green, gray, or black. The jacket can be pinstriped or plain. Try to get one that fits you properly.

Jodhpurs or britches: Both are made of stretchy material. Most people wear beige jodhpurs or britches at shows. Jodhpurs are long and go down to your ankles. They are worn with short boots. If you wear jodhpurs, wear garters (leather straps that go around your leg under your knee). They keep your jodhpurs in place. Britches go down to just below the knee and are worn with tall boots.

Tall boots or short boots: If you are younger than thirteen and you are small, you can wear jodhpurs, garters, and short boots. Most young people wear paddock boots that lace up the front, zip up, or pull on. If you're a bit older, you should wear tall boots and britches. You can wear plain boots or field boots (boots with laces that tie up in the front). Your showing boots should be black. If you're just starting out, you can wear rubber boots, but as you become more experienced and start going to bigger shows, you'll need to buy leather boots.

Gloves: Wear black gloves. They can be leather, which are the most expensive, or cloth, the least expensive. Gloves give you extra grip, plus they camouflage your hands if you have to tug on the rein to get your horse to turn!

Hair Tips
Your hair should be neat and tidy under your helmet. Boys, trim your hair. Girls, if you are younger than twelve years old and have long hair, put it in two tight braids. If you're older, keep your hair under your cap. Here's the best way to do it:

1. Put your hair in a low ponytail using an elastic band.
2. Flip the end of the ponytail up so it rests on top of your head. Secure it with a bobby pin or a clip.
3. Hold your hair in place with a hair net. If the net is too big, make a knot in it.
4. Gently slip your hat on from back to front. Squeeze any wispy hairs back under the helmet. Very stylish!

Your Horse's Tack
Keep your tack simple at a horse show. Judges don't like colorful saddle pads or neon-pink boots or bandages. Most horses compete in brown-leather tack. Equitation or hunter class judges like the "traditional look." They don't like black or synthetic tack.

Here's what an equitation or hunter horse should wear:
· A brown-leather saddle; most people use fairly flat jumping saddles
· A brown-leather girth
· A fluffy white saddle pad, which is shaped like the saddle
· A brown-leather bridle with a plain noseband. Flashes or dropped nosebands are not allowed in hunter classes. Show bridles should be plain, without brass or white fittings. The reins should be plain or braided. Don't use rubber reins in hunter classes.

·A mild snaffle bit such as an egg-butt, a D-ring, or a full-cheek. If you ride a very strong pony, you could use a stronger Kimberwicke bit in cross-rail, beginner rider, or short-stirrup classes. Pelham bits can use a bit converter, which is a leather strap that attaches to the bit and allows you to ride with one rein instead of two.

· A standing martingale: The kind that fastens to your horse's noseband. Check the shows in your area. Some people may not use a martingale at all. A running martingale-the kind that fastens to the reins-is not allowed in hunter classes. If your horse is wearing one, you'll be disqualified.

Judges are less picky in jumper classes. You may spot strong bits, such as gags or Pelhams, and running martingales in jumper classes. You will also see different types of saddles and breastplates to help keep the saddles in place while the horse is zipping around the course at top speed.

You may see a horse wearing boots in a jumper class. Support boots are not worn in hunter and equitation classes.

If you're going to a very small fun show, don't panic and go out and buy new tack. Your tack should be fine as long as it's clean and in good condition. Synthetic tack is fine for small beginners' shows.

Extra Equipment
· Crop: If your horse is lazy, carry a small brown or black crop. Don't carry a long schooling crop or one that is a bright color.

· Spurs: Only wear spurs if you know how to use them and your trainer agrees that you should wear them.

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