On July 10, 2013 I showed Faith and Dakota in the In-hand Trail at our County Fair 4-H Horse Show. I was going to show at a Quarter Horse show in a halter class but that did not work out.
In the weeks prior to the show I worked with the fillies on the different skills we would need for the class. The week before the show we trailered them to the fairgrounds to get them used to the environment. The most challenging task I had was training them to cross the bridge. I began by leading each of them to it and allowing them to smell the bridge. Both are eager to please and after a few minutes stepped onto the bridge. I rewarded them for stepping up by scratching them on their necks. It took several attempts before each would place all four hooves onto the bridge, stand and finish crossing without resistance.
The day before the show I bathed and clipped them. Because they are both outside most of the day I only clipped their bridle paths, muzzles and under their jaws. I had bathed them before and they stood fairly quiet but both were apprehensive about the clippers but settled down after a few minutes. Once they were bathed and clipped I put them in their stalls for the night.
On the day of the show we had to leave the house by 6:45 a.m.. We only live a few minutes from the arena and they were both clean from their baths so I didn’t need much time to prepare them. They loaded willingly into the trailer and they both backed out without any problems. This was the first time they had been somewhere that other horses were but they handled it like they had been at many shows. The only problem we had was when another rider came trotting straight at Dakota. She spooked a bit and went up on her hind legs but then stood still.
I was surprised to learn we would be showing in the main arena and not the smaller arena as in previous years. Before the class I walked each filly around the inside perimeter of the large arena so they could see the bucking chutes, bleachers, fence signs and waving flags.
The pattern included:
Leading safely at a walk and trot
Approaching and standing at a mailbox
Trotting over ground poles
Turning in a box
Backing through an “L”
Crossing a wooden bridge
I didn’t realize we would have to turn to the left in the box and not pivot to the right like I had been taught. Instead of pulling the fillies around me to make the left pivot I changed to their off sides and pushed them away from me. They were somewhat confused but did great for not having practiced that skill. Both gave me some problems backing in the “L”, they would get distracted by trucks driving near the arena.
Both fillies received blue ribbons and I was really happy with their first show experience. I am looking forward to showing them next year in the trail, halter and showmanship classes and possibly one of them in the ranch horse pleasure class.
In the weeks prior to the show I worked with the fillies on the different skills we would need for the class. The week before the show we trailered them to the fairgrounds to get them used to the environment. The most challenging task I had was training them to cross the bridge. I began by leading each of them to it and allowing them to smell the bridge. Both are eager to please and after a few minutes stepped onto the bridge. I rewarded them for stepping up by scratching them on their necks. It took several attempts before each would place all four hooves onto the bridge, stand and finish crossing without resistance.
The day before the show I bathed and clipped them. Because they are both outside most of the day I only clipped their bridle paths, muzzles and under their jaws. I had bathed them before and they stood fairly quiet but both were apprehensive about the clippers but settled down after a few minutes. Once they were bathed and clipped I put them in their stalls for the night.
On the day of the show we had to leave the house by 6:45 a.m.. We only live a few minutes from the arena and they were both clean from their baths so I didn’t need much time to prepare them. They loaded willingly into the trailer and they both backed out without any problems. This was the first time they had been somewhere that other horses were but they handled it like they had been at many shows. The only problem we had was when another rider came trotting straight at Dakota. She spooked a bit and went up on her hind legs but then stood still.
I was surprised to learn we would be showing in the main arena and not the smaller arena as in previous years. Before the class I walked each filly around the inside perimeter of the large arena so they could see the bucking chutes, bleachers, fence signs and waving flags.
The pattern included:
Leading safely at a walk and trot
Approaching and standing at a mailbox
Trotting over ground poles
Turning in a box
Backing through an “L”
Crossing a wooden bridge
I didn’t realize we would have to turn to the left in the box and not pivot to the right like I had been taught. Instead of pulling the fillies around me to make the left pivot I changed to their off sides and pushed them away from me. They were somewhat confused but did great for not having practiced that skill. Both gave me some problems backing in the “L”, they would get distracted by trucks driving near the arena.
Both fillies received blue ribbons and I was really happy with their first show experience. I am looking forward to showing them next year in the trail, halter and showmanship classes and possibly one of them in the ranch horse pleasure class.