It looks like there are going to be some fun fairs and the such this year, and though Cin isn't really a WP or Barrel horse, I am feeling like participating as a lot of my friends are. A lot of people think he would do well in Halter or Showmanship but I am CLUELESS as to what I should be doing. I have a friend who says she will help me with Cin but I thought I'd ask for a little more input here on clothing, halter, etc.
The last time I did anything WP was back in the 90's when people wore colorful shirts and scallop edged show CHAPS and matching western boots, vests etc. And um, I guess that's not the style these days.
And as for a halter, I'm not sure what color to get. I have his light blue halter I take to dressage shows (the one in my avatar) but I was thinking of something leather with silver. I mean, if I'm going to lean a little more WP I might as well go the distance. What do you guys think of a light oil or natural leather halter for him? I'm worried that a darker color will blend too much and make it look like someone glued silver to his face. I also noticed that most show leads have chains. Um, yeah, Cin flips out if you put a chain on him.
There is a super DVD on showmanship by Richard Shrake. I watched in the 90's on video, I am sure they have it on DVD now. Anyways I practised all the exercises on that & I won almost every showmanship class & a provincial championship.
In order for Robohog's pockets not to feel lighter, you might be able to rent the dvd online. Or buy used (under $20) on Amazon. I agree Robohog, we must be thrifty where we can be.
I found it under 20 bucks on Amazon, but I think he was actually talking about Show Halter, Grooming supplies, and the fact that I can't exactly go in there wearing my Dressage garb....
Oh Cinny, you're a girl after my heart. Showmanship is my absolute favorite class to show & judge.
I'll second Richard Shrake, he has some fantastic videos. My mom had the whole VHS series that she rented out when she had the tack shop in the 80s. I wish she wouldn't have sold them.
Robo - don't worry too much, be glad she picked something that doesn't require a new saddle :lol:
I wouldn't worry so much about the leather color but fit. There are a ton of sloppy, ill fitting show halters out there. The shank you don't have to use, I don't with 90% of mine, I just use one with a shorter chain and double it through the regular ring.
Clothes, check out Hobby Horse, Berry Fit (if you want to see the ridiculously expensive ones for fun) the QH Journal and you can get a good idea of trends. I'm fortunate to have a grandma that is a tailor/seamstress that makes my jackets & matching pants for me. If you can find someone to make them you can save a good amount of money.
The halter I am looking at is on Ebay eBay - New & used electronics, cars, apparel, collectibles, sporting goods & more at low prices and appears to be fully adjustable. As for clothing, I can sew and I'm actually gearing up to make Cinny and me matching show stuff (stable sheet, saddle cover/bag, bridle bag, boot bag, pads, etc). I could probably whip up a nice showmanship shirt so it would mainly be the hat/boots as the big ticket items. Would plain black boots work? I thought they would go with any color shirt no matter how I feel like changing my wardrobe. Once I get my sewing thang back on, I might try a dressage coat but that pattern sort of scares me, LOL.
That's the part I dread, you can't fit and tailor for yourself ha ha. Could you imagine me trying to pin the hem of the back of the bottom with it on, ha ha.
You definitly need a leather halter for showmanship and halter.
To get a good idea of the style now, look at showmanship photos from recent shows by going to a photographers website! Just google "congress showmanship photos" etc. Now the outfits at congress are going to be WAY over the top compared to what you need, but will give you a general idea of style and fit of the day. There are also lots of great sites that sell used show clothes!
Another great thing to do is to go to youtube and lookup videos of folks doing showmanship classes at congress or world shows. These folks are at the top of the game with the class and it is great to watch them to see what is appropriate for rate, transitions, positioning etc.
I know one of the things that most people mess up when working on showmanship, if they dont really know enough, is thinking the pivot is a backing motion! IT IS NOT....it is a forward motion for the horse and when you very first start teaching it always make the horse take one step forward to start the pivot. The second you start pushing your horse backwards in the pivot, it will mess it up!
Also, perfect a quarter turn pivot before moving on to a 180 turn, perfect that before you ever try a 270 degree pivot, and perfect that before you ever try a 360!
It takes a good deal of time to teach a horse, AND a handler good showmanship technique! Make sure you find someone who has done well at shows in the class (not just says they know what they are doing) to help you along! It is so important to have an eye to watch you and fine tune!
Good luck in your new ventures!
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