My First Show horse some one help.?

Question

Ok so i am getting an AQH and i have plans on showing in Western Pleasure, Barrels, And Pole bending Only thing is i never showed a horse in my Life. I am looking for some one that can help me. GIve me tips and tell me alittle more about WP. Thats the only one i am not sure.Also if anyone Knows of any good show trainer around PA that would be great to.Also i want to get into Showmenship. If you can tell me anything about clipping and What gaits i am going to need to Know.

Answer 1

i don't know about any good trainers near PA, but in western pleasure it about the horse. have the horse's head low and going pleasurable (slow and controlled) with a flat walk. Showmanship is how well you can show off your horse.Tip: have your horse squared off (front feet lined up together in a line and back feet lined up together in a line) Also, you may be asked to do a pattern so from experience don't follow the people or person before you, do what you think the pattern is yourself. The three main gaits that you will be ask to do is the Walt, Jog, and lop. also if your going in barrels and pole bending there timed classes, so your horse would need to know how to gallop. which is easy, its just a really fast lop. just be able to bring your horse from the canter to the gallop and back to the canter, so in other words have control over the gaits. if your horse doesn't get it right away be patient it could take a while to understand what your asking. while clipping your horse there are two main places to clip your horse. one is the muzzle, get rid of the long whiskers. the second place is on the leg, where the fur overlaps the hoof.  Good luck at your first horse show! Showing is so much fun!

Answer 2

in showmanship all you need to do is memorize a patter, right?    WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

it takes alto of practice. your horse has to know how to walk on command, trot on command, stop and back up on command. Pivot( Keep at least one foot planted on the ground while the front criss cross over one another while your turning him in a circle) and set up on command( stand wit all four legs even so that if the judge looked at him from the side all he would see was one front leg and one back leg). as for clipping, if your horse has white socks then shave then with a #15 blade going down the leg, you need to clip his bridle path, muzzle, ears, jaw and eye whiskers on top and bottom.

Western pleasure it looks so easy but takes so much work. first you need the proper seat. there should be a straight line from your ear, to your shoulder, to your hips, to your heels. you will have one hand holding your spit reins and the other one is straight down by your side. your hand that is by your side should never go any where near the front of the saddle. if the judge sees your free hand touch the reins, pommel or anything in the front of the saddle, he will dock points. remember to keep your heels down, shoulders back and chin up with a big smile. you want to make the judge believe that your horse is a pleasure to ride(hint western pleasure)

i hope this helped and good luck!!  :-)

Answer 3

idk a lot about western pleasure, but it always helps to go watch several shows beforedoing one. you'll know what goes on and you'll be much less nervous.

Answer 4

Most all around horses cross over from pleasure to english and maybe some reining or cutting but pleasure horses are usually too big or too  slow for barrels and poles. As for trainers the best thing to do is visit a local show or go the World Show coming up. If you are registered already and have your reg # you can get a breeders and trainers brochure from the breed web site.

In pleasure it is all about how you show your horse and how the horse responds. It is important for your cues to be almost nonexistent. The horse should have a good collection and propulsion from behind with a cadenced and flat kneed gait. You want to be sure the horse is slow but not so much so that he cross fires or becomes heavy in the front and drops his shoulder. You'll want the horse to have a nice slick coat free of blemishes (there is coat colored spray paint at most tack stores). Clip ears, muzzle bridle path and around the eyes. Most people use show sheen and some form of vaseline type shine on his nose and eyes. The whole point is to make it LOOK easy and flawless.

You need similar grooming for showmanship, a nice dark leather halter with silver and a leather lead with a chain. You will need to know how to cue the horse to walk and jog in time with you, stop, set all four feet square in only a few seconds, pivot to the right and back up (with out stepping on his tail). When moving with the horse stay at his throat latch with your hand just behind the corner of his mouth. Moving your hand forward indicates an increase in speed and back means stop or reverse.

Answer 5

Barrel shows are more laye back then horse show.

Western pleasure, horses should be very pleaurable. At the horse show, horses enter the ring in there class. Western pleasure horses, Walk , jog, and lope on the rail. When the reverse the usualy turn to the inside and turn on the hind end. The second way of the ring you walk jog and lope on the rail. Then the annoncer will call for the line up were you then go into the center of the ring and set up your horse. The jugde or ring master will then ask you to back your horse were they should willingly back a straight line and then walk back into there line. The judge will then pin the class she or he thought best repusented a western pleasure horse. All breed are allowed in western pleasure classes, unless otherwise specified for example American Quater Horse Western Pleasure, only AQH can enter this class. In Open Western pleasure classes any breed any rider can enter. As you enter the show, you recieve a prize list that will say all the rules and standards. As for clipping, clipping is usualy based upon the breed. For a quater horse you should clip ears,mussle. the ankles were horse grow goate type hairs. Also on a horse white leg you can clip all of his white leg... this makes it cleaner and more sharp looking. Other then that, thst is all you clip. You may also want to use hoof black on the horses black foot..

Showmanship is a inhand class. It is based on how well you show your horses. There is usualy a pattern involved but you are leading your horse not on him. Its hard to tell you about showmanship with out showing them but you basicly use your horse as a prop and your toes need to always be pointed toward the juge. You never want to be in the way of the judges view.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_ple...

When you show you need show attier and western show tack.

When looking for a saddle you might want to get one with silver trim and the same with your bridle. You also ride with a show saddle pad which is square and people usualy match with there attire.

http://www.statelinetack.com/western.asp...

If you want to come familar with western pleasure and showmanship classes watch some youtube videos of some horse show  classes, just to get an idea of it.

Here are a few...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMHZrnwi_... western pleasure class

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKCVs8oDA... training/clinic wp video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-frEygO48... showmanship

.. you can find good video of what you are planning on doing....

You seem very enlutiasic about showing. Its very exciting no matter what horse your showing. Find a good trainer and they will walk you threw everything you need help with.