Bling it on!

Again, a million topics to post on went through my head this weekend. Again, I did not jot the ideas down but this one just crept into my thoughts and I think everyone, exhibitors and judges, has an opinion. This is mine.

Attire in the Western Show Ring
I'm asked all the time what I think of the amount of silver on saddles, halters and bridles. Many times I am within earshot, most likely on purpose, of people making comments about so and so's glossy lambskin and rhinestone outfit, gawdy and otherwise. Whether anyone believes or not, I do not judge a HORSE show as a beauty pagent. Unless you are wearing flannel pajamas, I am not staring at your attire. I do not care if you look like an easter egg or a bland dinner salad. Truly I am judging what I need to judge. Whether it is the conformation of your horse, your horsemanship and execution of a pattern or the movement of your horse for pleasure riding.
There are some tricks to make yourself and your horse hide or enhance specific areas. As we all know, dark colors can shed a few pounds for people. If you don't have the quietest hand, I'd say leave off the french cuffs. If your horse has a really nice looking face and expression, don't use the widest, heaviest silver donned halter you can afford.
I do get offended when I hear comments like, the judge pinned by the amount of silver on the saddles. Or, Ann had custom glossy smooth lambskin chaps with a matching shirt and little Suzie only had a plaid cotton shirt & jeans, so that's why Ann won. Give me a break! I can't even tell you what someone was wearing if it was a pleasure class. I can tell you who schooled too much in the class. See-sawing the reins and staring at the back of their horse' head looking as far from having a pleasurable ride as driving down a dirt road in a car with no shocks.
If you are riding an individual horsemanship pattern, I can tell you who knows the difference between an oval and a circle but most likely, I cannot tell you whether they wore chaps or not. Your attire is not what is on my mind even as I look to see the effectiveness of your aids and your position over your leg.
If you are wearing something so loud and so gawdy that it draws my attention to you, you better know how to ride! I look at everyone who comes into the ring. I may only look at a green unsuitable pleasure mount moving like it's in the starter shoot to run down a steer once to catch the exhibitor number but I will look at everyone.
I have to say, too much will draw attention but it will probably not be the attention you want. The most extreme example of too much that I have come across was at a western mixed class show. There was a woman who had a very nice horse which placed well in pleasure classes but it was very hard to see her horse. Why? She wore a cowboy hat that was completely adorned on the underside of the brim with rhinestones and there was a tiara around the crown of the hat.
When the show was over and I saw the woman at her trailer, I couldn't resist. I went over to her and asked what the hat was about. She said, she always wore that hat because she couldn't afford the silver saddles and crystals custom show clothing. I replied that she had a nice moving, suitable horse to ride, she only needed to meet the show attire minimum requirements. She asked me if the hat had helped her be seen and I said no, it kept my eye above your nice horse. Honestly, I don't know how she saw out from under that brim. It was blinding! Had she taken it off and held it towards the sun, a huge fireball would have pelted out and blinded me! She told that the hat did what she thought.....get her attention and she would continue wearing it. It had become lucky to her.
I think if she qualified and won a high point award from that series, that they buy her a hat in leiu of a trophy.
You can wear it but it doesn't make you a better rider. If you want to stand out, train your horse, practice your riding and you will stand out. If you want a lot of silver tack and crystalized outfits, that's fine. But you better have something to show if you really want everyone looking at you! So bring on the bling! Unless it blinds me, it won't change my decision and I doubt it sways any other judges' minds either.
Oh and next time you place or think someone else placed because of glitzy silver and AB rhinestones, ask your show secretary, manager, steward or whomever is halfway in charge of your show to please ask the judge for a moment of their time. I think you'll find out that no one else' tack or attire was the reason for the placings.

The above picture on today's post is from the 2006 American Paint Horse Association Vegas Horse Show. Ms. Thompson, the rider in the picture was riding in the gambler trail class. Her outfit was used as an example of extreme outfits but was perfectly appropriate for the venue and class she was riding. I thought ya'll might enjoy seeing it.

The Judge Did Not Get Top Call....

What do you do when you want to cancel a horse show and it isn't for weather conditions? Managers work hard and plan everything for a horse show only to have it come to the entry closing date with only 4 entries. Maybe it's the economy, maybe they didn't plan it well enough in accordance to conflicting shows within the area, maybe they need to revamp their divisions or restrictions to widen their clientele range.
So, they put out the word. Posting cancellations on their websites, online calendar sites and send out the word in their email lists. It's hard to cancel a show when it isn't for obvious reasons like a typhoon or a blizzard. But I would like to offer this tip to all show managers when cancelling a horse show. Ad this to your checklist for cancelling.

CALL THE JUDGE

Yes, I showed up to judge a show on a very nice spring day. I had been booked for that show almost a year in advance. It was an annual show that was well attended from what I knew and had heard. Even if I had 24 hour notice, that is better than nothing. Sometimes I think because they have signed a contract with the judge to protect themselves from a no notice no show, they think that if the SHOW is cancelled, the judge will still require payment, partial or full, depending on contract requirements. Personally, I would not require any payment regardless of what a contract says, if I get at least 24 hour notification and depending on the circumstances, may waive fees even if it's less than a 24 hour cancellation. This particular show manager, did not even offer to compensate me for gas for driving to the show. I drove 210 miles round trip.
When I arrived at the show, the manager sort of hid from me, sending a child volunteer out to tell me they were just there picking up things from the showgrounds. I asked to speak with the manager and was told she was busy. HUH?????? So am I!!! I'm SUPPOSED to be judging a show!!
Finally with some pushing, I found the manager. I told her my mileage to the show and it seems I should at least be compensated for the gas to get there and that was being generous. Many judges' in this situation would demand payment in full.

So today's post is actually my venting after a few months of stewing about this particular show manager. I see where the show is being planned again for next season and they are already begging for sponsor money and have posted the judge they have booked. I would love to contact that judge to tell them my experience and to be wary but then I don't want to cause bad blood. It seems their returning clientele were not loyal to them last year and I don't want to sabotage any plans for their attendance in the future. Besides, every judge has to learn for themselves I suppose.

Blessings to all showing this weekend!

Send me a picture and I'll critique it in the fairest manner possible. Maybe that could be my next post!

Photo Submission - Description from rider - In this picture, my horse, a 13 year old off the track thoroughbred, and I are schooling a fairly difficult grid for him. It was 3 trot poles to 3 bounce x-rails to a one stride 2'6" vertical to a two stride 3' vertical to a three stride 3'6" oxer. All strides were set a little short for him to encourage him to get a little deep and have to round a bit over the fences. He is very much a long and flat kind of jumper. The eventual goal was to compete at USPC Show Jumping Championships. The picture was taken in March while it was still a bit cold here so please excuse the extremely informal attire on my part and Jazz's slightly less than gleaming winter coat. katieandjazz.blogspot.com

is it okay to post the picture with your description (below) along with the critique on the blog? I just wanted to be sure about that before I posted. Thanx~!

Most definitely! Feel free to edit it or whatever if you think it would read better/be easier to understand.

I added the email dialogue so everyone would know I have permission from the rider to post the picture and her description of the work being done in the photo.
So that said, attire is not an issue, nor turnout of the horse. I was very happy to see an auto release. This type of release just isn't being taught these days and it is so much more efficient especially when working through some tough gymnastics. I'm so tired of seeing upper level hunters and riders using half crest and even full crest releases. So I commend the rider for having such a nice hand and auto release. Following well as you can see the straight line from the bit to the elbow. Her rein is merely an extension of her arm. I can see a little slack in the rein. Just a slightly shorter rein and you could have brought your arm a little more forward and not test your center of gravity to the nth degree. As with any release, you need to keep those thumbs up. Although your hand is showing towards an angle downward, it is not enough to keep your elbows in, which is why when you look at the photo, the elbow draws your eye to it. Ideally your hand should be parallel to the horses shoulder angle as seen from the saddle. When you are mounted, turning your thumbs up is fine for full & half crest release riders but the most efficient for auto release is to keep the hands apart the width of the neck and look down at your horses' shoulder. Position the hand with thumbs turning up and carry your hand parallel to the downward angle of the shoulder. It is so efficient and nice to see this technique in hunters or jumpers. By using the auto release you simply keep your hand following the motion of the horse and your horse is able to stay easily between your hands. Can you tell I really am partial to old school and the auto release? Well, it's not really old school. It's still the release that should be taught but I believe that as competition has evolved into something geared more  towards a 'get it done now' attitude, it just isn't taught. You should be able to watch any national level medal rider come out and use the auto release on course and now time just isn't taken to do that. SO, I commend your use of the auto release, just shorten up a little on the rein so as to keep contact at all times over the fence. Get your hand parallel to the neck with thumbs on the up side.
Nice leg, right at the girth. You're neither falling behind or forward of the motion. The only tiny nitpick here which if it wasn't a still shot, I probably wouldn't notice is that it seems your iron is slightly forward of the ball of your foot. Not a huge problem but it has kept your upper body very conservative within the hip angle. For this kind of gymnastic work, you need the utmost of security and I would like to see you close that hip angle a bit more but I think I am seeing the correllation with the center of gravity due to the iron being set a tad forward.
Shoulders back and open..... I love it! A keen eye with chin up.....I love it! Freeing up your horses' back to work and show such a nice bascule off the departure is really nice.
Now I didn't see the approach but with regards to your horse not being square behind on departure.....and this is purely speculation... but it could stem from not having held medium contact in the rein to the fence. If you were not able to sit a stride into the base of departure in order to keep contact through legs, seat and hands, your horse can lose a tad of balance compensating, and come off with a less than square departure. Remember to ride the back end of the horse. Get used to knowing where the hind legs are in reference to your stride and departure.
Now I know some of this seems intricate, but being a picture of perfection means being an efficient, handy rider able to use small subtle aids to optimize their mounts best attributes. Sometimes I see trainers and parents only worried about the presentation if it's a hunter judged class. If it's equitation, they don't always understand that unless you are using yourself AND your horse to max efficiency, you are not the best eq rider.
That's why you'll see at upper levels of equitation, horses that are specialized as equitation horses. Just as stock horses are specialized for halter, pleasure, trail and what not, so are hunters. Not all good show hunters are good equitation horses and not all equitation horses are good show hunters. Jumpers is a whole different 'animal' and rarely is a horse good in the jumper ring and good in the hunter ring although a handy jumper can make a very nice equitation horse.
If you see everything in my critique seems directly related to what is going on in the picture, then you are ready to start adding the small details to finesse your equitation, thereby bringing out the best in your horse. If you don't, please feel free to ask for clarification.
Overall, this appears to be a nicely paired horse and rider working well within their abilities. If the rider tightens up their equitation a bit, the horse may also be tighter and more confident in the legs, giving a picture of more symmetry.
I'd also like to ask that no ill comments be left or I will have to moderate them. I was worried about doing individual critiques, but if we all play by the rules and understand this is for positive constructive opinion, use tact and diplomacy, it should be just fine.
Thanx for your submission and I hope my critique will help you. I mean not to offend you in any way and if you've a need for me to clarify anything I've said, feel free to ask.

Photo Critiques

Okay, I said in the beginning of this blog, I wouldn't do individual critiques. I have had a couple of requests to do them so I will but here's a few ground rules and things to remember.

1. I am only one judge with only my opinion and interpretation of the rules.
2. I do not fancy myself as great as George Morris who does these in a regular column in Practical Horseman Magazine
3. I can only judge what is presented in the photo. I have no knowledge of what happens when the camera is not on nor do I know how long one has been riding, what level of training they are at or any knowledge of you mounts. Just what is in the photo is all I can comment on.
4. I would like if you comment on any of the posts that include a picture and critique, that your comments be constructive. If you see something wrong and comment on it, also include a solution to what may be wrong. No rider or horse bashing please.
5. Send your photo or video link to flyinghorse2@cfl.rr.com with a short synopsis of the class you're riding if it's at a show or what you are working on if it's a schooling shot and what I'm critiquing.... rider, mount or both.
6. Keep it civil and I think maybe we can all learn something new.

Here's Your Sign!!

This is a post, I've been meaning to put out here but kept forgetting. I have seen several times, believe it or not, horses being shown with advertising on them. Once, when I called out a horse with a political candidates bumper sticker on it's flank, the mother of the rider told me her daughter recieved sponsor money in exchange for suiting her horse up with a bumper sticker. That is not acceptable 'equipment' for any ring. If you have a sponsor, let them know you cannot and should not do that. If you are lucky enough to get a sponsor of some sort, make sure you tell them you will pass out their business card, put a magnetic sign on your trailer, wear their t-shirt over your show shirt when NOT mounted, but no way will your horse wear a bumper sticker or the like. It's tacky, it's lame and I hope your candidates' sticker falls off and gets pooped on!
This is another one I've seen and although I've thought of it once in a while, I would never do it...... shaving or stenciling FOR SALE anywhere on your horse. Just don't. Ask the show to announce it when you go into the ring for your round; hang a sign on your trailer; post a flyer in the restroom of the show facility but don't humiliate your horse that way and draw attention you may NOT want.
Here's Your Sign...
FOR SALE, this horse that just swapped leads in front of fence 4 and cross fired his canter on the first change of direction.
FOR SALE, this lovely western pleasure horse with fantastic gaits, spooking at the garbage barrel.

Jumper Courses For Open Shows

A few posts ago, someone asked about jumper courses for an open show. Here are 2 courses showing optional jump offs if they are needed depending on the rule used for that class. I also don't know if the show has timers or uses a marker and stopwatch so I didn't go moving the start/finish lines in the jump offs. The only fence that I would say should require an oxer (I know it uses more standards but ...), on course A, fence 8b and I would also make fence 2 a narrow. Set jumps 4, 5 and 6 with at least 5 strides and also 5 strides at least between fence 10 and 11.

This course shows the jumps still in the same position and slight movement for the start finish unless you just use the width of the ring with timers or markers & stopwatch. There is an option for a jump off depending on what rule you use for this course. This course also uses the jumps going in the same direction as course A except for fence 10 is jumped in the opposite direction. That is an invaluable time saver when setting up a course. With only one jump needing to be a 2 way directional, it's obvious that it would be a simple vertical.

Now, I am not a jumper course designer and these are only suggested courses based on a long history of experience in the jumper ring and also from building courses at a bazillion horse shows. With non sanctioned, schooling shows, you can modify things to fit your course or ring requirements. If your ring dimensions are more square or more narrow, or have a low spot, whatever, make sure you adjust the course to maximize the space you have to set up. Also take in consideration what standards, poles, panels, post standards for oxers, etc, you have to use for a course. After you set up a course, walk it. Walk it again and check all the lines approaching and departing a fence. Then have someone ride it before opening the course to your exhibitors. Get feedback and make any adjustments you need to before allowing exhibitors on the course. I also firmly believe that a jumper course should be opened for walking and then also opened to schooling riders' with supervision of course. At sanctioned USEF shows, you can only walk the jumper courses and they are never allowed to be schooled while mounted. But, we're talking about open, schooling, non sanctioned shows. There is a difference and trying to push rated show rules onto exhibitors that may not ever go to a rated show, is a bit much. Give everyone a fighting chance to school at your open schooling show and things will be much safer and more fun.
My intention with these courses is to show that a course (1) can be built with little or no movement of the start - finish lines between courses; (2) to show that you can have variety between courses without moving jumps; (3) to show you can have variety with very few fences needing to be jumped in both directions.
I may even post some hunter courses coming up soon as I am really getting tired of the same old figure 8. It seems that there are many good intentioned volunteers working for local clubs, 4H, etc, that use the same old outside, inside, outside, inside figure 8 hunter course most likely because that's the only one they know or think they can use. As a rider you should get a little bit of challenge, even at a schooling show.

The Show Must Go On

When are you ready to show vs. when you are ready to show

Here is a snippet from an email I recently recieved....

 I love the idea of your blog on judging. ......I felt early on that my instructor pushed me into showing..........I now realize I should have said no because I was inexperienced, nervous and the whole thing sent me backwards and not forward......there is a difference between a challenge and getting frustrated. So, I just said no to showing. .....

.....when are you ready to show and what someone should expect from their instructor. PS I have been volunteering .....and have learned a great deal from listening to the judges. It is a tough job.....

Well, this is better answered by instructors who coach at the shows so I hope I get some comments from them here also. I have coached students at many horse shows. Probably through a couple dozen different disciplines, styles and governing organizations, including IHSA (collegiate), USEF, AQHA, VHSA, 4-H and some really odd local show clubs as well. So I'll tell you my opinion on this and those instructors out there, please feel free to chime in. Your ideas may very well outweigh mine by a mile!

When are you ready to show? Well, it should be when YOU are ready to show. Okay, confusing a little but there are some things you can do to help you decide IF you want to show and IF you are ready to show. Your instructor can point you in certain directions but doing some prep work on your own will help you acclimate to the show enviroment. 

• Find a local show: ask your trainer, visit your local feed or tack shops for flyers, ask a friend who rides
• Go to the show just to watch. Take note on what the attire and tack in use are and make sure to pick up local rules, entry forms and any other information they're offerring. Ask any questions that day so when you come back you are more prepared.
• Take your horse to the show facility on a day they do not have a show. If this option is available, it is invaluable to being able to assess your horse' concerns about the facility and get knowledge of the layout on horseback.
• If possible take your horse to the show on show day with no intentions of showing. It gets you both in the enviroment and you can address any issues your horse may have that day. It's fun to be there and there's no pressure.

So you've found the venue, local horse show series, visited on foot during the show, returned with your horse on off days (if that option is available).... you're next step is to talk to your instructor and make sure she coaches at that facility. Find out if anyone else from your barn shows at your chosen series. Even if you're in the same division competing against one another, you'll most likely find that they are happy to befriend you and even help you at the show.

If you get to the show, on show day, with your horse and for some reason, don't find it fun albeit a bit jittery....... scratch. If it makes you sick to your stomache, gives you a headache, raises your blood pressure or you feel any symptoms of anxiety, just scratch. You don't have to show to ride a horse. It's just an outlet for some on many different levels. Don't look at showing as though you have to move up through the levels and get better and better. I've seen some adults show in 2' divisions or walk/jog on the same horse for years and they are quite content to stay at that level. Don't look at showing like you have to not only climb the levels of the local circuit but go on to rated USEF or breed shows (i.e. AQHA, APHA, etc). You may very well be inspired to climb through the levels and find you love the comraderie of the competition. Or you may show for a series or even one show and be content having done it at least once.

What to expect from your trainer? Well, make sure you observe their style of coaching in the show enviroment.  If you have a jeckle n hyde type instructor (they teach lessons like a lamb and go out to shows like a lion), find a friend at your barn or elsewhere,  with show experience and ask them to take you. I don't advocate going around or over your trainer's advice but quite frankly I've witnessed some real nasty 'coaching' at shows even from some very big name trainers. If 'get your head out of your butt' is part of their coaching advice at a show, don't show with them. Trainers, instructors and even parents who tend to get mouthy at the shows, in my opinion, are a direct safety hazard. They rattle their students and invoke emotions that keep the riders' focus completely off the task at hand. 

I would love to hear from some other instructors or students experiences to help this reader out! I love showing and as a judge I am keenly aware of what I say to any exhibitors at a show. I'm not going to insult little Suzie Q's equitation when she bounds over to me on a break to ask 'what did i do wrong?' I'm going to tell her what she did right and maybe add some subtle hints on improving her worst fault....instead of your hands were all over the place, say work on keeping your hands from posting with you when you trot. I want to see little Suzie Q continue showing. For me and many others, the show enviroment is like going home to a warm bed with your grandmothers' afghan every so often. But then again, you may have had a hateful old bat for a grandmother and your old home is now a freeway! LOL!

• Suggested Reading.....
• Are You Ready to Show?
• 4 H Article on Showing