Bleather

[cameg]

As it s bit quiet on here just now I thought I would air some of MY views as a relative newbie to showing in hand .
I have been involved with arabs for about 25yrs but competing in endurance up to FEI level, last year I decided I needed a break and wanted another challange I was also very busy with my yard and about to submit plans to build our house. Andrew my husband had just bought me Tammuz for my 40th birthday and a number of people had said I should "show" him. I soon realised that you cant show in hand and compete in endurance, even to a lower level as the horses are "too lean" for the showring. So I decided a new challenge was what I needed and I would give the in hand showing a go.
I must admit to being a bit OCD when it comes to turning out my horses, I just love getting them all clean and ready, its hard work but the end result is very rewarding. I have said many evenings before a show "why do I have greys???"
I was very lucky in the short time I had Tammuz to do very well here in Scotland showing him, and yes sometimes you were at the top of the line sometimes at the bottom. But it would be a funny old world if we all liked the same thing!!!!
A few weeks ago Andrew and I decided to go to Towerlands International show, we had a great weekend and YES it was quite an eye opener.
As I was used to travelling my horses all over the country when I did endurance I had no qualms to take Khalif to Valliants just the other week, I thought the experienced would be good for his education.
Once comment I had when I was there was that I would need to give him to a "proffesional handler" if I wanted to do "well" with him!!!
It is so aparrant that down south it is the same group of handlers at all the shows (or is this just my take on it!!) My horses know ME and I am the one at home doing all the work with MY boys and I am the one who wants to take them into the ring Sorry but this to me was just a bit alien......while I can still sort of run and still want to do in hand I will take my boys into the ring. Even if I do look very inexperienced and amateurish.
The judge at the weekend was good enough to give me her "comments" and although she really liked Khalif she commented that he did not have enough "topline". This is another topic altogether, having just lost a horse to laminitis you can imagine I am not overly happy about pumping hard feed into my horses to get them "fat". Also Khalif at 4yo is still growing and to me has a good covering on him, he is fit and healthy but not fat.

When I went over the rules of the show at Valliants it clearly stated that there was to be no noise or outside assistance from the crowd to horses in the ring. But when it was the 4yo and over gelding class one of the "proffesional" handlers rent a crowd started whooping and cheering to get the horse to run out. Khalif went nuts and just about fell over spinning round me with fright, then the steward told me to start my run out he trotted out beautifully but think this was more luck that he didnt break.

What it has made me realise is that we are VERY lucky here in Scotland to be able to show in a kind and relaxed way for our horses against other like minded people who have been up during the night lifting poo out of their stables to stop poo stains, and up at the crack of dawn cleaning and polishing our beautiful arabians to then drive to the show and take them into the arena ourselfs.

I do understand why people use "professional handlers" and each to their own, but I am so glad it is more the "norm" up here that its the owners showing themselves.

I will probably go back down south again to show, why not ? I think it is good experience for the horses and myself, and being who I am I always do my own thing anyway and dont mind that I am the only one not making my horse pose etc, I am generally just wanting to hold on to them and in Khalifs case stop him from tearing lumps out of me ;D

So what's right and what's wrong ??

No answer to that, as long as we all enjoy our horses whether that is by handing them over to a "professional" or "doing it ourselfs" its all about what we get out of it.

Sorry for the rant, and feel free to shoot me down in flames

[Admin]

Personally - i think your absolutely right.
I dont believe in sending MY horse away to be proffesionally handled
Or schooled - and im more than capable to handle my own horse - our horses will always go better for us - no matter what - in - hand and ridden.

I was asked more than once last year who my horse had been to, to be "proffesionally" backed and schooled - and my blunt reply is "Why would i send my horse away - when he is MY HORSE - and i am more than capable to bring him on myself, not that im saying there is anything wrong with sending them awya if you do not have the relevant experience or the appropriate timescale to do it yourself.

As for this fad that has finally crossed the water from America - regarding the shouting and banging to make horses "GO" its absolutely disgraceful - and cruel - no animal should have to go through this ritual everytime they go to a show.

Can i please add

THIS IS MY OPINION.
and its not gonna change.



K x

[esstarah]

great post,there are 2 ways to look at it,i quite happily show my anglos and part breds myself all over the country but will only show the pure breds at home where it does not really matter if i let them down it is just a fun day out for both of us,but if i have what i consider a very nice pure bred who moves like stink and it has cost me a minum of £500.00 to get to any show in the north of england and even more if we go further the last thing i want is to let it down by being shown by a fat,geriatric,midget i.e its mum.I do all the training,condition etc at home but love to see them shown to their full advantage by a kind sympathetic handler,a well trained in-hand horse is the same as a ridden horse if it knows its job and has been taught well it will show for anybody.

[esstarah]

just a quick add to the last post,dont let anyone be put off showing their own horses the professionals dont always get it their own way,i have been to Haydock,Ascot and now Malvern since 1979 and have never come back without a rossette of some colour ranging from 8th to british national ch and all were treasured so go for it if you have the legs and the lungs!!

[shanniesgirl]

Yes a lot of good points made. The professional handlers? - in my opinion have almost achieved celebrity status amongst the arabian show people in particular down south. I know of some people who only see their horses at shows as they are produced and ridden by their 'show people'. Each to their own but I too find this strange. They seem to be more interested in all the accolades and rosettes achieved for them through other people. If you are producing them yourself etc and getting someone else to show them as you think they can do a better job - that's fine.

I will continue also to do my own thing even if I look a prat. My horses, my journey.

[mamadarcy]

I dont have an arab - thank the LORD! for Mr Darcy - one bit of whooping and he would pace down the arena like a steam train! with me in tow! LOL
everyone is entitled to their opinion - there is no right or wrong.

[susanp]

Well I show my two youngsters,Stazi and Iana,purely for their benefit.
I think it is really good for them to get out and about as youngsters,I don't give a damn what people(judges) think of my horse ,my horses are the best in the world and I know that! ;D
JMO obviously,but hey I love them and want whats best for them.
I am bringing them on to be well rounded ridden horses,not prancing show horses,that will be unfit to ride,due to "proffessional" handlers beating the sh**t out of them JMO and each to their own,but the highly competitive show scene down south is not for me,or my precious babies

[helen11]

Each to their own. I just do my own thing. I'm a novice rider with a novice horse and I have no problem with that. I'm happy muddling along on my learning curve making good friends along the way. My horse, my mistakes. My horse, my rewards. We're happy.

[cherylnjumanji]

Good post ,Susan.
I "played" at in hand showing with my baby till he was 4,purely for educational reasons and taking him places.
I took him to a show as a yearling ,where he behaved beautifully and never put a foot wrong,there was 3 in our class and i have a lasting memory of a "professional" handler showing a colt and waving a scooling whip,with a little bag tied to the end of it, around his head in the air and yanking at his bit. The colt ,to me seemed to be terrified of this and resembled a giraffe,but could not flee as his mouth was constantly being yanked on.
Ill never forget it ,the colt won of course and when we did our lap of honour,the crowd in the gallery only clapped when i went past(i was 2nd)so i took from that ,it wasnt just me that didnt like the way he was handled.
I went out and took off my showing gear and was called for the youngstock championship and replied i wasnt going in.And i purely did not go in because i was not happy with what i had watched,and did not wish to be in the same ring as this person once again.That sadly was the only time i took him to that show.
We went to shows all over Scotland ,an i was sadded that horses that cantered and leapt around were always high up the placings,but as my friend once pointed out .these horses will not go on and have ridden careers as mine would....................................and do you know something ,she was right.
This,of course is only my opinion and my lasting memory

[kaz]

I have to agree with everything that has been posted. I only show my mare at local shows and whether we have been last or first it doesn't matter so long as we have had a good day out with no mishaps and both of us have enjoyed ourselves.
I have a friend who has an Anglo Arab on a producers yard down south and only rides at shows, and can't understand how can she possibly have any sort of bond with her horse when she only sees it during the show season. i personally only want to have fun with my mare whether we are showing in hand, attempting a walk/trot test or clear round jumping so long as we both continue to enjoy it.

[fiona]

A lot a good points raised. I for one could never imagine sending a horse of mine away for someone else to work with. Since the age of 13 I have broken and brought on all manner of ponies and horses and all have turned out great. They were always perfectly well behaved in the show ring and I took enormous pride in our achievements as a lot of my horses were not easy and generally only went well for me. Showing in the arab world was new to me when I bought Gaby and I did it for a bit of enjoyment.

If and when I get another horse, I will be of the same opinion, they are my horse and I will do the work with them. Bringing them on makes your bond so much stronger and I really enjoy it. You may get bumps, knocks and set backs but it's all worth it in the long run. To me my horses have always been my companions, and I just love having them, even if they can't be ridden or worked. I still get my fix every now and then by helping my friend with her youngsters as I find that so rewarding.

But as everyone has said, we are all entitled to our opinions and what works for one may not work for the other.

All I can say is enjoy and love your horses and treat them well and make the most of the time you have with them.

[kirst]

I have to agree with a lot of what you said Susan.

I think it is great if people in Scotland will continue to just go out and show their horses themselves. As for "doing well" with them, well it depends what you think that is. No matter what the official judge decides, the ringside judges (whether down south or up here) always make up their own minds and if they liked my horse that would mean more to me than a red rosette won by a nervous horse and a "professional " handler!!

I think people showing for the right reasons must get so much more satisfaction for their efforts .

To Susan and many others : Yes we are lucky up here and I hope we continue to be good ambassadors for the breed and not resort to the (in my opinion) sometimes embarassing carry on down south.