Preparing a youngster & a nervous pony for showing

[Stiltz]

Right then New Rider, your challenge of the day is to tell me how I would prepare my Section D to be ready to to in hand with (thinking along the lines of next spring/summer) I have never shown in hand before, have never been to any show that wasn't being held at my yard and well obviously neither as Idris bless him :p

So, this is him, he is about 17mths old now.
http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd128/AdidierX/Helz%20Oct%2007/IMGP5975.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v687/helz13/Ids.jpg

He already loads/travels well, but although can lead him he is quite sluggish and lazy, so tips to improve that would be helpful also.

The other is Raine, who previously has spent most of her life just being a companion. As far as I'm aware she's never been on an outing, and I would like to maybe take her out once or twice just for an experience. She's a 10.2hh 15yr old Welshx and is very nervous of anything new, so could be fun :D
http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd128/AdidierX/Helz%20Oct%2007/IMGP5966.jpg

Also what sort of classes can I enter for them both. Is Idris purely restricted to youngstock or can he do things like 'handsomest gelding' etc?

Thanks for reading my long ramble, any advice welcomed :)

[shandy84]

Of course you can do other classes my pony when a two year old entered colour classes and came third, M&M unplaced and best condition 3rd.

You can enter in any novelty classes same with your companion pony. If it were me I would actually take in hand with helpers to a show or event that I wasn't going to participate in first so they can get used to the environment without the pressure of the ring. I would also practice standing up and trotting in hand at home. I would also just trim the mane of the youngster so it looks a little more uniform while being in the "natural" state :)

[Mehitabel]

i'd also recommend going to shows without competing - the first one even without the horses! if you've never done it before it can be very helpful just to go and see how they work, how the classes run, what you have to do, etc. yard shows can vary a fair bit in how similar they are to 'real' ones, so that would depend on what your yard shows are like.

going just to walk round is also very useful, they can get their goggling over with without having to concentrate on a class, and if it all gets too much and you have to go home, you've not lost any entry fees. also if they are very chilled, you can late enter.