Can an "ugly", badly conformed horse win in a Showmanship Class?

If showmanship judges you & how you handle/present your horse. Can a very non-perfect horse place?

I would love to be able to show my old boy, Dunn in a class but I am really limited because he doesn't have very good conformation. He is pretty old, and he also has cancer so he has some large tumors around his sheath. He is only used for very light riding, so I would not even think of showing him in some of the under-saddle classes.

Here are some pictures of him.
http://www.horseforum.com/horses.php?horse=3270

Would it be possible to show him in showmanship?

Thanks!

-Nicole

I would like to say yes but probably not :-/

He looks like a very sweet kind boy!

Why not?? Showing is supposed to be for fun (most of the time). It would be such a great bonding experience for both of you, and that's a lot more valuable than ribbons!

Ideally you should be able to place and win in showmanship with any horse - good or bad conformation. It will still take a lot of work to get the polished look in your performance that is needed to win. Your horse has to still be able to walk, trot, stop, back, pivot & stand square. Can you teach an old horse new tricks? Sure you can, but is it enough to beat the other horses who have been doing showmanship since they were 2? Then there is the issue of learning showmanship yourself if you've never done it before. He also needs to be groomed precisely. It is sometimes harder to get an older horse as fit as needed to win against younger horses. Diet & proper nutrition are vitally important to the finished look of a showmanship horse.

I would guess if your pattern is perfect, more perfect than every other horse then you will for sure place.

I see no reason not to try. Getting a ribbon does not mean much. Having good safe fun with your horse is what matters.

I guess I should clarify ... you can totally do it but not sure if you would win.

But hey girl if you want to do it go for it!

I have no problem putting the time into grooming him, working with his diet, etc. He is my baby. Dunn is my once in a lifetime horse. I would do ANYTHING for him!

I have shown showmanship before with my instructors horse last year so I have some idea of whats going on, but no I'm no showmanship queen! Lol

Thanks for the advice. I just wanted to ask and see what ya'll thought.

You can do it... but you will need a LOT of hard work perfecting your pivots, walk, walk to trot, trot, stop, presenting... but at the end of the day as long as you have fun with your horse it doesn't really matter about where you end up. I would love to hear if you decide to do it.

The best tips I was given before going into a showmanship class were:
_ go in as though you know that you horse is the most beautiful of them all
_ no matter what ALWAYS smile

Good luck and have fun!

He already knows how to walk, trot, stop, etc on lead(I feel its important for all horses to know how to trot in hand). He will stand square when asked. The only thing I'm worried about is pivots. He doesn't know how to, but we are going to work on that.

If I do show him I'll be sure to take pictures and let everyone know how it goes. As for thinking my horse is most beautiful...I know my horse is beautiful. I am so proud of him and I think he is stunning. I just wish other people could see it :-D

You can help the juges see it through you. Show them how beautiful your horse is and they will see (if that makes any sense :) )

As for the pivots 30 mins a day general showmanship but concentrating on pivots and depending on how quicker learner he is he will start to understand soon enough.

Good luck :)