Showing Veterans

[peeweesgal]

Hiya,
I have a show this weekend (the first one of the season!:D) and really want to do well in the one class i am doing. Surprisingly enough, it's the ridden veterans:p.
I'm doing it on the welsh sec D I showed a bit last year. I have decided to try my hardest to win more classes this year by getting him going the best he possibly can.
Can anyone give me some advice on the folllowing questions:

1) Peter brings his head in very easily, but alot of the time he carries his head very low, meaning we get placed lower because he is making himself look long. How can I stop him from doing this?

2) How can I get him working with his backend underneath him more?

I will probably think of more in a mo.:p

Thanks

Sarah x

[peeweesgal]

Bump :d

[tigs]

first of all good luck!

so to solve those problems: first thing i would suggest is to have a look at the length of your reins?as he has a good mouth shortening your reins and carrying your hands higher should help;lots of half halts should help raise his forehand and come under with his hind more.i would also recommed doing loads of transitions in your schooling as he is naturaly going to lift his forehand this way.

[peeweesgal]

Would his bit make him lower his head by any chance? He is in a pelham. I do not have any time to school him before the show, but will try and work through some transitions etc when I am warming him up.

Any more comments are well come.

Thanks
Sarah x

PS. Can you give me some critique on these photos please.

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f343/peeweesgal/Tarrant%20Gunville%202005/File0005.jpg

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f343/peeweesgal/Tarrant%20Gunville%202005/4d95b0cb.jpg

[Daffy Dilly]

After this show you need to take him out of the pelham and work him in a snaffle. Lots of transitions and circles to get him working his back end properly and plenty of half halts to lift his front.

For this show stop taking any contact on the curb. It'll be pulling his head down and as a result he has the low outline, but he's also overbending (as in the second picture). I know it's easier said than done, but it needs sorting.

As for critiquing the pictures...

I'd like to see him in a thicker bridle, that one is too dainty. At least 1 1/8th noseband and a 5/8" everything else. Reins, bottom should be 1/2" and the top 5/8" laced or plaited - these will help you keep the contact on purely the snaffle rein. His mane looks a little too pulled to me, it could do with roughing off. Best way, don't brush it for as long as possible and then drag a plastic curry comb through it. Then just take the straggly hairs out, don't try and shorten it. I'd quite like to see his tail a bit shorter, do you know how to switch a tail?

Also, I'd like to see you in a hat with a leather harness, preferably navy, but if you're keeping that jacket long term then brown would be best. Brown leather gloves and black long boots too, regardless of age.

Overall you create a good picture, it's just a case of getting the finer points. :)

[peeweesgal]

Thanks DaffyDilly. I have got a Brown Velvet hat with a leather harness now. I agree about his bridle, but I will leave that to his owner to decide. His tail, I think was done a couple of weeks ago, (that photo was taken at the end of last show season). I do sometimes ride him in a snaffle, but because we do open classes, we have to use a pelham, plus in a snaffle it is impossible to get his head in!:p (well it takes a long time:p). I will get some Long Black boots when I have the money, what ones would you recommend? I forgot my gloves on the day of that show so I had to borrow them, and they were the only colour.

Sarah x

[peeweesgal]

BUMP:p

[star]

this is me showing my Welsh section D in a veteran class. any comments from anyone in the know? anything i can do to improve. he is an elementary dressage horse really, but we like to play at showing in our spare time. i cant afford hat with leather harness at the moment - i have a beagler for dressage, but i think that probably wouldn't be allowed in veterans. he is in a double bridle which he has a tendency to go slightly overbent in sometimes but generally works quite well in it. i suspect true welshie people would like his tail much shorter and switched but i like it longer to help with flies in the summer. i do have a slightly wider noseband on him now as well.

http://groups.msn.com/UpSaddle/welshcobsrulespiccies.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=23958

[Wally]

I think you'll do very well, best of luck with him.

[Aphrodite]

He's certainly a beautiful horse. I notice in the picture you are riding in a pelham. Unless the class states that it is pelhams only, I would suggest you try him in a double bridle (as long as his mouth can accomodate the two bits and as long as you speak to his owner first). :)

A double bridle is the traditional 'kit' used with many showing classes.

The bradoon (or 'snaffle' bit) is thinner than a normal snaffle and the rings are littler too, so it doesn't take up much space. Snaffles and bradoons are what i call 'elevator' bits. They cause the horse to raise the head slightly.

The second bit, a weymouth, is the 'pelham part' if you like. This is often used to create the bend. A lot of showing people believe that a double bridle is better than a pelham as the aids you give are more defined and prescise, whereas the aids may be more difficult to get across to the horse in one bit only.

I'm not a 'showing' person, but my friends are and this is the opinion i got from them. I used to ride Tig in a snaffle and he would stick his head up like a giraffe sometimes, whereas in a pelham he was much more balanced, so i'm not against pelhams at all.

Again, talk to his owner about it and speak to someone knowledgeable, i.e., an instructor or approved saddler (not that our NR colleagues aren't knowledgeable of course!!:) :) ) before you make your decision.

And don't forget, if you do try a double, as with all tack, don't leave it til the day of the show to try it, make sure he is comfy a few weeks or a week or so before.

Good luck:)

[Daffy Dilly]

I do sometimes ride him in a snaffle, but because we do open classes, we have to use a pelham, plus in a snaffle it is impossible to get his head in!:p (well it takes a long time:p).

Doesn't matter. Most of the producers I know of school their horses in snaffles and the double is put in purely for the show (once the horse is used to it). I know it's hardwork getting the outline in a snaffle - I'm working on it myself at the moment, but it's better than forcing the head with a pelham. I'd much rather see a horse starting to go in an outline with a snaffle than being forced into one by a pelham, in any class with any rider. You don't have to use a pelham in open classes, they just make the horse look more advanced, though in my mind the horse that is in an outline in a snaffle is more advanced than the forced horse in the pelham. The pelham, or rather the curb action, is what is forcing his head down, so you need to lose that and work on getting the outline without it, using impulsion etc. Then like Aphrodite suggests you can try a double although many welsh cobs seem to prefer a pelham (big tongues :p), but until you have a good consistant outline you're best with a snaffle.

I will get some Long Black boots when I have the money, what ones would you recommend?

I have Dublin Distinction long boots. I've had two pairs now and love them, and want a pair for everyday too. They've been discontinued so in theory should be on clearance sometime in the nearish future. :)

[Daffy Dilly]

this is me showing my Welsh section D in a veteran class. any comments from anyone in the know? anything i can do to improve. he is an elementary dressage horse really, but we like to play at showing in our spare time. i cant afford hat with leather harness at the moment - i have a beagler for dressage, but i think that probably wouldn't be allowed in veterans. he is in a double bridle which he has a tendency to go slightly overbent in sometimes but generally works quite well in it. i suspect true welshie people would like his tail much shorter and switched but i like it longer to help with flies in the summer. i do have a slightly wider noseband on him now as well.

You look fine as you are, but I'll be picky anyway. ;)

Pony could do with a thicker bridle, same as I suggested above. I don't know if you have but you can put a plait behind the right ear (left long) to show off the jaw. Again you appear to have quite a tight curb chain? I imagine this would contribute to the overbending, although it does seem quite common in welshies. The tail length looks fine to me, although I would be tempted to neaten the top slightly, but this can be done with bandaging.

As for your turnout, you know about the hat, I would rather see a brown tweed with a cream shirt and reasonably bright (red/burgundy/gold) tie. I don't think a different coloured shirt would go with that jacket unless you go for blue with a pale blue tie. I'd also like to see brighter jods, but again I don't think they'd suit the jacket.

At the end of the day you still look smart and if your main discipline is dressage I wouldn't worry too much about the nit picking I mentioned above. :)

[star]

thanks for that. i do have a thicker bridle on him now which looks much better. i also do use the plait behind the ear. will bear comments about my turnout in mind when i come to look for new clothes, but at the moment i only show occassionally so that stuff will do for now. will try loosening the curb chain a bit - he gets really strong in show classes, so i have tended to do it up quite tight. he never ever overbends in his snaffle doing dressage, it's just that when he gets strong in the show ring i have to increase my contact and then he ducks behind it!