TIPS ON PREPARING FOR A HORSE SHOW

Hi Horse Pals ~

Corby wrote in and asked a great question that I wanted to share with you all.  I know lots of you will have great advice for her so make sure to comment on this post and share your ideas.

Corby writes:

i can see you guys have been to a lot of shows so i was wondering if guys could give some tips.  i am showing strawberry for the first time so any jumping or flat work tips would really help me out love uguys corby  @('..')@

I think the most important thing to bring to a show is preparation.

PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!  My trainer often sets up mock courses and we pretend like we are doing each class I plan to enter. For jumping, we will set up all different types of jumps and courses I might encounter and then pretend like our arena is the show arena.  She will quickly tell me the course and then off I go.  We also set up mock flatwork classes and she calls out the varying gaits and positions.  Avery and I also love to do this on our practice days.  It's fun to imagine being in the show arena and it's great practice.

For flatwork classes, make sure you stay focused on your correct diagonals and leads and listen carefully for the change of commands.  For jumping, remember strong flatwork is key and maintain your rhythm and balance throughout the courses.

Also, it's important to be really organized prior to the show ... we always check and clean all of our tack and try on our show outfits to make sure everything fits well.

And once you arrive, do your best to stay calm.  It will help you and Strawberry relax and have fun!!

Hope this is helpful!  Can't wait to hear other Horse Pals' thoughts!

Good luck, have a great time, Corby!!

Love,

@raya

P.S.  Horse Pals, if you have any questions, send them on over and I'll post them so all of our fellow riders can share their ideas.

Comments

[Araya and Avery]

Hi Morgan ~
Welcome to the blog! We're glad you found us. We're glad to hear our blog may be helpful to your riding. We would love to highlight you and your horse for all of our Horse Pals, so send us a bit about you along with some photos.
We've actually featured the Morgan. We love them, too! If you click on the left column on 5 Fun Facts ... you can find the Morgan.
How long have you been riding? We'd love to hear more about you.
Your Horse Pals,
@raya and Avery

[Morgan Timmerman-Helmuth]

Hi I'm Morgan,
I'm knew to you but not knew to horses. I think that your information will help me a lot in becoming a better rider. I like your openness and think your a great rider, also I was hoping for some information on the Morgan breed that came from Justin Morgan in the 1800's.