Moving away from traditions in showing?

It is fun and I sort of do it for fun, although I have gotten quite competative recently, but that doesn't mean it's not important to me to turn out perfectly.

I know that I'm perfectly turned out and the judge can't pull me up on anything, and that makes me more confident, I can relax and have more fun, we show off better which makes me feel better still, then we get placed high and I feel even better. Then if there's an ice cream van Daffy gets an ice cream at the end of the day, and we have fun watching him eat the ice cream and turn his nose up at the cone. :p

I know it is expensive to turnout correctly, and a lot of hassle to learn it all. It's cost me a lot, but then I've saved on other bits. It's just things like number string - a ribbon to match a jacket costs you less than £1, and putting hair in a bun isn't that hard for most people. I look and those things are so obvious to me (been over trained by theshowring I think) and yet the people that are doing them don't seem to notice, or think "hey, it'd look better if.." I guess it just doesn't make sense to me now that I've been through it all.

Have to say I'm proud of you MM, it's hard to stick to your guns against so many people and then have the guts to say, ok, I'll try it your way. *big thumbs up* :D
 
Nope, I give up lol.

Do you remember that thread on tsr where I asked them to critique my turnout? Some of that was well harsh. I think I might find it and see if I managed it all. :cool:
 
ok i give up will try agian when i dont feel like throwing computer out of window!

I dont remember the thread. but i must admit ive been torn apart by them several times.

Im well peed off at the moment. was supposed to go and get measured for my new jacket yesterday. ended up sitting at mercedes garage all day with a car with airbag and window problems!
 
Have just read this thread through from start to finish and have enjoyed it all :) . Just wanted to add my two cents - I do think that showing, even the lower levels of showing, are highly competitive which is one of the main reasons I've never shown before despite being really keen. The idea of attending and preparing for a show alone scares me silly, and although I intend to start going to shows this year I can see me bottling out at the last minute because I don't really have a clue what I'm doing ;) .

However, as far as traditions are concerned, I think they're fairly important. I don't know enough about treeless and bitless to comment on that aspect, but I feel if I intend to compete, I need to stick to traditional dress code (whatever that may be! There's so many rules about colour of jackets, etc). So (assuming I don't bottle it at the last minute) I will be covering up my tattoo collection, hunting down a hairnet huge enough for my dreadlocks and (shock horror) wearing the correct shirt, jacket and jodhs rather than my traditional black - I will so have to post a pic if I ever get brave enough to do it! :D Why? Because half the fun of showing is getting dressed up in traditional attire and "looking the part", and because I want the judge to be looking at Salsa and recognising all the hard work we've put in, rather than fixating on my non-mainstream appearance. Getting dressed up for the occasion makes it feel more formal and more like a presentation, rather than just a normal schooling session. I think "formal" is the word here, rather than "traditional", because the fashion for showing has changed over the years and can't really be called traditional, but it is always a formal dress-code that is usually safety-aware, smart and shows off you and your horse. To my mind, if it's not broke, don't fix it.
 
why should they have to?? showing is very subjective anyway its all down to personal choice of the judge. Personaly if i were judgeing id be more inclined to go for the correctly turned out people because turning out correctly shows respect for the judge and that you have spent enonough time reasearching (provided of course they had deacent horses/ponies).
 
You are right there Kanuma. you can have the best turned out person in the world, but if the horse isn't up to scratch, then it is all pretty pointless. Horse and rider have to be a good match, if they aren't then no amount of money spent on the rider will make the slightest bit of difference to the outcome. If a judge suddenly decides to prefer bays or blue roans, then you may as well be invisible some times! I've been in rings, and have been the only chestnut in the class,and got nothing, cos the judge thinks bays are prettier, or feels sorry fortheperson withthe grey!
 
If the judge can judge "Best in Show" amongst several differant types and breeds of Horse/Ponies why can't they see past the tack and dress and judge the horse and rider?
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I agree .......... whilst I also agree that it IS easier to judge a horse to the standard on a level playing field ( which some people equate as the horse and rider clothing)

however ..... the only way that one can really and truly be judged on a level playing field is for all the horses be "naked" ;) .... no make up, no tack and a standard halter !!!!


Of course in a tack and turnout it's different ........ and I think that as long as the gear worn by horse and rider is safe and suitable for the individuals concerned then it should not matter at all wheter the saddle is treed or treeles, a bit in th emouth or not.....


Tradition is never static ........... it evolves. What was permitted 20, 30 years ago is now in some cases dangerous (re hats) and in others cases would cause todays riders to crease up in hysterical laughter :eek: ........

so replies to the origional question is I suppose based on a limited number of years tradition and depending on how old each reader / poster is :confused: just whos definition of traditional are we to equate to ? ( JJ's memories and mine go a weeeeeeeeeeee bit further back than some here :p sorry JJ :eek: )


I think that there lots people writing to the different equine associations re the issue of bits and treeless saddles ...... and questioning why a bit is seen as a NECESSARY piece of equipment.

My personal view is that If I wanted to partake in showing I would get all the gear and dress myself up ...... acknowledging the current view of tradition and abide by the code of dress.

...... but if my horse is uncomfortable in a certain piece of tack why should I be denied access to an equine discipline because I want my horse to be comfortable ? I can see why certain bits might be disallowed as they are viewed as "harsher" than a snaffle and perhaps that is why that rule is in place for showing ...... just like I can see that a german hackamore can be a much more severe bitless bridle and would anticipate that even with biltess bridles there might be some that are allowed and some disallowed.

So if judges can see past all the different nosebands to a horses genuine conformation ...... they can look past the different bitless bridles . I credit proficient judges with the ability to do so :)
 
Mehitabel said:
if people don't like the paraphernalia and nitpicking that goes with showing, then don't do it!
but please leave those of us who do enjoy it alone - everyone gets a kick ourt of different parts of horse ownership and there is enough variation within the sport for us all to do as we please. .
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Well if we're taking that opinion, the if you don't agree that people should be allowed to query your position-don't join in!! I don't think that would be reasonable!
I actually don't participate in shows, I don't have the opportunity as I don't have a horse, and I have always been more interested in jumping and x country, although I may be showing a horse for someone this summer, so I'd suggest my view is about as middle of the road as you can get, I am neither offended or estatic by showing.
Vicki xx
 
vickinffc said:
I actually don't participate in shows, I don't have the opportunity as I don't have a horse, and I have always been more interested in jumping and x country, although I may be showing a horse for someone this summer, so I'd suggest my view is about as middle of the road as you can get, I am neither offended or estatic by showing.
Vicki xx
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I only started doing it because I couldn't get to anything else. Always planned on getting jumping and doing XC etc when I had transport. Something went wrong with my master plan though, and I got hooked. :p
 
Mehitabel said:
i have no issue with following the outdated traditions of showing. i want to show and i accept the limitations of the sport. if people don't like the paraphernalia and nitpicking that goes with showing, then don't do it!
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I agree and I like that some traditions are still upheld. It may seem archaic to some people but, as you say, if you don't like the rules then do something else. The only thing that I would take exception to would be if it was a safety issue.

I don't show myself but that's not because of the 'restrictions', I actually quite like the discipline of certain pursuits and am quite happy to stick to the 'rules' if I want to take part. In my opinion, it's part of their charm.

With that I'll shut my cake hole (maybe fill it with a cake ;) ) and go back to watching my DVDs on Classical Dressage :) How outdated is that? ;) (I'm joking before anyone gets their knickers in a knot :p ).
 
Tazzle, there is one problem with that though hun, how do you judge a shire against a shetland?? or an arab against a warmblood, unless you have a photographic memory for breed standards, then we would be in trouble. Mind you though, some local judges have trouble telling the difference anyway!!!!
 
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