is it really worth it?

Question

there is a 4-h horse show this weekend and I have been training my 4yo anglo for a year now and he has really come a long way..I wanted to take him to some smaller open shows so he could get the feel of it...the only problem is that where I live there are not a lot of shows and what there are of shows there mostly only western and I ride mostly english since it just makes more since with his breed and all..anyways, out of 30 classes I could only go in two b/c they are all western stuff...do you think its worth the trouble to trailer just for that??..any other tips I would love...Oh!..there is a halter and showman ship class but I have no idea how you do those..well..I know like that you never get between you and the judge and stuff but anything else is highly apprieciated!!!

Answer 1

Yes, it is worth it. It will be good experience for the two of you. Being on the show grounds will be a completely different environment for him and that alone will be well worth the trip. It will be great to see how he reacts to all of the noise, people and other horses. You will also know what you need to work on based on how he does in his classes.
Good luck!
Jen :-)

Answer 2

Hauling to the show will be worth it for quite a few reasons.
1) You and your horse will gain tons of experience, not only in the classes you enter, but the ones you watch. And your horse will learn things in the warm-up pen, tied to your trailer, being hauled, etc that cannot be copied at home.
2) You will meet new people who enjoy the same thing you do - showing horses! They can provide you with info about other shows, clinics, trainers, etc in the area.
3) You will increase your horse's value by hauling him to a show, even if you don't win. Take lots of pictures, promote him, even if you aren't planning to sell him you never know what the future is and this will increase his worth.
4) It will give you new goals and point out you what you need to practice in the future. Showing gives you a chance to compare yourself to others around you.
You may want to consider halter and showmanship in the future. But if your horse isn't trained to set up, pivot, back easily from the ground, then showmanship will be a disappointment for now. Why don't you buy a good book on showmanship, get an idea how it goes, and then watch the class carefully? It will give you something new to work on for next year!
Halter is slightly easier with an unprepared horse as it is just on your horse's conformation. But your horse still needs to know how to set up according to breed standard and then hold that position for the judge to examine him. So I would suspect you'd be better off watching this class this year, too.
Have you considered also working on Western for the future? Many exhibitors show both English and Western, then they don't have the same problems you have - limited classes. Yes, your horse may be stronger in one area than the other, but that doesn't mean you can't compete.
Good luck and have fun.

Answer 3

I think it would totally be worth it. a little show exposur eis betetr than none at all. Look at it this way. would you rather trailer him to a show, ride 2 classes and have him start getting used to the show atmosphere OR don't take him and wait for a larger show, eneter 8 or more classes without him being used to the crowds and all and have him freak out? after I broke and trianed my gelding I hauled him to a huge open show..... entered every class, by the 3rd class he threw me off, 5th class he was so keyed up and freaked i couldn't get him to settle down and he bucked the entire time in the arena..... off i came again right in front of everyone. All b/c i had not exposed him to large crowds and the noises of a show. He has since been hauled to many smaller shows, some of which I didn't even ride in... now at shows he's a perfect angle b/c I got him used to being there and seeing the sights. Halter would be a good experience for both him and you. I'm not exactly sure how to explain how your stance should be in it except that when the judge is at the left of the horse you should be in front of and off to the side a little to make the horse fully visible, you move as the judge moves around your horse. Also make sure he is standing "square" all 4 legs planted in a good standing position according to his breed. You might check out a website that details halter classes to learn more. Hope this has been helpful, but definately go , no experience gained is time wasted

Answer 4

If this were a show put on by amateurs where you really don't know what you're getting into, you might wonder. However, you said it's 4H.

If you just go and stand around, you're going to learn things. If you participate, you'll learn things, meet people, and be more experienced next year, regardless of whether you take the same horse or not. If you're smart enough to have fun whether you win or not, so much the better.

If you're serious about breeding/training horses, and this is as legitimate an event as it being 4H suggests to this old country boy, I'd say go and have a good time.

Answer 5

It's always worthwhile to trailer to a show. Even if you're only in a few classes, having him around other horses will help for when you do start showing in your own discipline.

The halter and showmanship are both pretty simple classes that you can enter english or western at most open shows. For the halter, you'll have to walk, trot, and then line up to be evaluated by the judge. You'll just want to stand your horse square and normally you'll want to make sure you're on the opposite side of the judge.

For showmanship, you'll have to do a pattern, and then be "inspected" by the judge. During inspection, you'll perform what is called the "quarter system." The judge will walk around your horse, and you're expected to change sides. If you draw a line across your horse's shoulders and then down his back, he will be split into quarters. As the judge walks around the horse, you will change sides whenever he walks into a new quarter. Basically, if the judge is in the two quarters by the head, you're going to be on the opposite side of the judge, and if the judge is in the quarters by the rump, then you'll be on the same side as the judge. Here's a slightly dorky visual I just drew up...

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y13/MarkerMaker/quartersystem.jpg

hope you have fun!

Answer 6

Yes, it's definitely worth it. Exposing a horse to such new, busy and exciting surroundings is excellent mileage for them. We have schooling shows fairly regularly at my barn and I always take my babies out and walk them around and let them see everything, and if they are calm enough I might lunge a little bit or get on and walk around, regardless of whether or not I'm showing. This is especially valuable if plan to do a lot of showing with that horse or even trail riding. I help my horse get adjusted to his new surroundings and relax and be confident even if everything around him is chaos. It's wonderful for them, they may hate it, but the more you do it, the easier it gets on everyone. Soon they figure out that it's no big deal and to just relax and get over it.

It will give you an idea of what his reaction will be like when you do more serious shows where it actually counts, and practicing loading is always a good thing. Even if you go to one of these shows and don't actually show, it's still so good for your horse, even if the show is right down the road and it's all western, it's still show experience and surroundings

Answer 7

It's worth it, believe me it all pays off for this youngster. The english showmanship class is sort of like western showmanship, but as far as I know, you only have to square up the first front feet. There should be a pattern for the class. Ex. my pattern was to walk until cone A, then turn left and make trot in a circle around Cone B, then come to Cone C, then walk to judge, square up, pivet, show your horse to the judge, then pivet again and exit. It's pretty easy if your horse can square up and pivet.

Answer 8

I think any pratice is GREAT!!! Two shows may just enough for him. First show?? The more he sees & does the calmer he will be at shows to come. My mother would take her mare & foal down there to see my cousin's show, so the baby was exposed to everything. Just my food for thought!!!!

The first one will tells the differance of halter & showman ship.

http://www.postquarterhorses.com/html/halter.htm

These, tips.

http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/pr_eyas/training.htm

http://equisearch.com/horses_riding_training/western/halter/

http://www.arabianhorsefair.com/GoverningRules/tipsheet.shtml

Hope this helps!!!! Good luck!!!!!

Answer 9

Way back when I was showing I always took my young horses to a couple of shows that I never entered. We'd just walk around and get used to the noise and all. Enter or don't enter but go. It's the best thing you can do for your horse.

Answer 10

A lot of people take their horses to a show for just the experience with no intention of showing. It allows the horse the opportunity to adjust to new surrounds and it allows you to see how your horse will react to new surroundings. If you have never been to a show before, it is probably worth it just for eduction purposes.