Showing Turnout Tips

Daffy Dilly

Daffy Dilly

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Dec 5, 2004
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I am determined to win a Best Turned Out class next year, and on a welsh cob it wont be the easiest job going, so I need to really get an edge and want some ideas. If you want a list of our tack and my gear, you can have one, but it was going to make the post so long. :p

I currently have a black cane and want to change to brown. Any recommendations for what cane/whip to go for? I fancy a toothpick one, but not sure if a proper cane is better.

As far as hoof gloss goes, I have a clear one by Absorbine but it's not that shiney. As he's a native is that ok, or shall I try a different make?

Should I put baby oil gel around his eyes and muzzle? What about on his legs?

If I can find a perfectly fitting numnah (or have one made, whichever) should I use it in that class?

Any other tips you have? :)
 
right, not sure about the stick as the link wont work for me! i like the plain leather covered one with a silver button at the top as i drop mine!

for the numnah, i personaly wouldnt wear one for T&T, its just anouther thing to worry about and to raise dirt from thier back.

baby oil around his face, under his tail and on his sheeth (outside). do this just before you go in the ring otherwise it will collect dust. if you are absolutely certain his legs are clean then some on his knees and hocks, but in my experiance, knees are never cleen enough and you end up with a pile of dust collecting!

if you can afford anouther one i would go for it, i like the sabelene (sp?) one

make sure he has no gunk in his ears!
use lots and lots of show shine and a buffer to make him shiney.
clean everything twice, then problem areas a 3rd time then when tack is on go over your bridle, reins and boots with a shoe buffer that you can get in asda!
instead of useing silver polish, stick your bit (provided it isnt rubber) and stirrups (take out the treads) in the dish washer!!
make sure the underside, inside and tread of your stirrups are clean.
lots of detangler in his mane and tail, and brush it well, again if it is clean then you can run a little bit of babyoil through it to make it shine, but be very carefull about this!
if possible warm up with a numnah on, wear different boots and a different bridle to warm up in.
chalk his feathers and comb them out.
use hoofoil inside the hoof as well as on the outside!

stick a list of what you wear up, and what he wears!!!
 
right, not sure about the stick as the link wont work for me! i like the plain leather covered one with a silver button at the top as i drop mine!
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That's what I have at the minute, but in black, so might see if I can get a brown one, although I think the toothpick one would be better as I could actually give him a smack if needs be. I'll think on that.

make sure he has no gunk in his ears!
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There's too much hair in there lol! I trim up the outside though so they look neat (not allowed to go inside and I doubt he'd let me anyway) and I also do his jawline.

instead of useing silver polish, stick your bit (provided it isnt rubber) and stirrups (take out the treads) in the dish washer!!
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I am the dishwasher :( Might try a bucket of coke or something, but I have a completely different set of stirrups for showing and I will be getting completely different bit(s) so they should stay clean enough to just need a wipe.

if possible warm up with a numnah on, wear different boots and a different bridle to warm up in.
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I rarely warm up before a turnout class, we rarely get asked to trot and he's always been ridden/led to the shows anyway! I'll try bareback if needs be though, with waterproof trousers on. ;) I wont change his bridle on a showground, too risky, and I'd be leaving the bandage on his sock until the last minute.

stick a list of what you wear up, and what he wears!!!
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Me

Navy hat with leather harness, tails sewn under
Green tweed jacket and the closest ribbon I could find for number string.
"Sunshine" coloured shirt with a collar pin
Burgundy tie, has a discreet pattern of small black and gold horses on
Plain gold bar tie pin
Brown leather gloves but they don't flap at the wrists (I need a second pair which I'll keep purely for ridden)
[insert brown show cane here] ;)
These but with a self seat
Black long leather field boots but mine are nicer (older version)

Daffy
Brown sabre hunt bridle which matches the saddle perfectly. 7 strand plaited reins on top, spliced reins on bottom.
He currently has an eliptical link normal pelham. If we can handle it we'll be in a double (with a sliphead) next season, otherwise I'm going to try and order a show pelham from Flyde, specially made with an eliptical link, which will cost the earth, but look better than rugby or bog standard pelham IMO. I don't know whether a slip head can/should be used with that, when I emailed them about it I asked. It'll have loose rings if that's any help.
Brown leather saddle, matching girth, sabre leathers. Black treads in (perfect fitting) stirrups.
Single plait behind his ear, done with thread, no ribbon. I do a slight running plait and put more mane forward to make his forelock look like it exists, this shows off his jawline better too.

I pull his mane lightly to level it, but it's still quite long. His tail is also quite long and I may shorten it a bit, but it's still feathered.
 
i have a show pelham, ive seen it used both with and without a sliphead, depends on what looks better on his head. i use it without as it clutters stans head.
could you not try him in a ported pelham, stan is normaly ridden in an eliptical link snaffle at home, he wont take normal snaffle he starts chucking his head around, but he doesnt like an eliptical link pelham, he is very happy in his ported pelham.
this is a pic of stans head in his,
P1010001.jpg

and this one (excuse the wolly yeti impression, this was an early spring show and he refuse to drop his coat!)
http://groups.msn.com/NRphotos/fayespics.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=2450
and this is a pic of the bit he uses, it has a slightly bigger port in it. he actualy prefers this bit to anything else ive ever put on him
http://www.derbyhouse.co.uk/ProductDetails.aspx?language=en-GB&ProductID=3140114&CategoryID=Bits
 
Daffy doesn't like a port; when I first tried a pelham I borrowed one. He currently has an eliptical link pelham, his everyday snaffle is a french link. I used to ride him in a jointed one, but when it got nicked I thought that seen as he isn't strong in the show ring and the eliptical one looked so nice for their mouths I'd try that, and he goes really well in it.

I'll probably put a sliphead on for turnout classes, and if it does clutter his head I'll take it off for the other classes. I figure its more correct used with a sliphead though, as it looks more like a double than any other pelham. :)

I knew what else I wanted to ask, do you have to use a lip strap? I don't normally, it clutters him and my curb doesn't come off easily anyway, but I think it may be correct and better to do so for T&T?

Just trying to get some decent pictures that actually show the details of our turnout etc.
 
ok it was just a thought!

anyway i think you are realy brave doing T&T, i dont do it, i cant be bothered with all the faff (particularly as its normaly the first class of the day!)
 
I like to turn out to absolute perfection anyway so I rarely have to do anything extra-extra, even when I decide the night before that I'm going to a show the next day and have to rush everything. :rolleyes: I blame it on my days of being part of the Show Ring, but it's a good habit to get into none the less and I like to do the "walk and trot" class as a warmup; it's more organised than a collecting ring. ;) Shame I'm not that much of a perfectionist the rest of the time :p

Sorry, not great pictures.
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Sorry about the last picture (and my ugly mug), but nevermind, it was the only closeup of my tie :eek: *wonders if it'll scan well*

New breeches are darker (and not see through!) and new boots have laces, but that's the only difference.
 
hehehe I never go to bed until midnight normally either. Must be mad. At every show we go to, if they ask for comments, Mum tells me to ask if they can start later. Personally I don't think I could stand a whole morning full of the nerves. :rolleyes:

Got a picture of my tie. I have it in the burgundy and gold, but we decided burgundy looks best with the jacket. If I can manage it will get pictures of both together and you can see. I think the gold would need a cream shirt though.

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the worst shows are the county shows for that!!! ive had to be in the ring for 8.30 in the morning before, had a 2 hour trip to get the show, 45mins in the queue to get into the field, left home at about 4am, went to bed at midnight as stan was being a moose and took ages to bath, so i didnt get my tack done till midnight!
ive also done the whole, wake up in the morning early and decide to go to a show! washing a horse at 5am is not fun!!!!! nor is haveing to clean your bridle in the car, and your saddle and firth as soon as you get to the show!
 
Kanuma said:
ive also done the whole, wake up in the morning early and decide to go to a show! washing a horse at 5am is not fun!!!!! nor is haveing to clean your bridle in the car, and your saddle and firth as soon as you get to the show!
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I just dont bath, stick some chalk paste on and I have some tack wipes to do the once over thing when we get there ;)
 
ive got a pale yellow shirt and a burgundy tie, it has green griffons all over it though!
 
cant get away with not bathing stan as he has loads of products on to stop his sweetitch, they leave him all gunky!!
 
Hi there!

I used to do T&T with my show pony. Tricks of the trade that i were taught are to obviously have your horse turned out to perfection but from the pics it looks like you have that one sussed! Put a spare pair of gloves under the flap of your saddle and under the girth straps (does that make sense? lol?) Just for spares really! Have a fold up hoof pick in your pocket and a 10p piece! Hoof pick is self explanatory really. 10p is very old fashioned but never the less i always did it, it was supposed to be if you need to call for help or anything like that for the phone box but now a days there are such wonderful things as mobile phones! and i don't know about you but i personally have never seen a phonebox out on a hunting field! lol!!

Also i personally don't believe in all the shiny 'gunk' as i call it, i think it just gathers dust! My pony being pure white i don't need to use it anyway. Although if i had a black horse i would put some baby oil on his muzzle and around his eyes. One thing i did notice an awful lot when doing T&T the judges always without fail have always checked the underside of my reins and on quite a few ocassions i have had a judge put a white glove on and run it over my ponys bum!!

I have mine in a double bridle for her working hunter purely for show as i think it looks great and really sets off their neck. If you can i would put yours in a double as to the judges it looks more like a show off bridle rather than a pelham which looks like you need the control in some cases.

As for the whip i think it looks lovely and it would look very smart, good choice i'd say!

SM xXx
 
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i love my shiney gunk!!! and if you use the correct brand then they dont get dusty!!
 
Put a spare pair of gloves under the flap of your saddle and under the girth straps (does that make sense? lol?) Just for spares really!
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Now I have heard that before, but never done it. I am planning on getting a second pair of brown leather gloves for ridden as my old ones went two toned; judge asked me to pick up his foot in an inhand class, and I'd put baby oil on his leg. Whoops. So now I'll keep those for inhand only, and they'd be perfect for under the girth straps ;)

Have a fold up hoof pick in your pocket and a 10p piece! Hoof pick is self explanatory really.
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I'd never heard of the 10p one or thought of taking a hoof pick into the ring, but yes both are for obvious reasons (although I think the nearest payphone is well over a mile from the show ground) and if I have real pockets (can't remember) on my jacket I'll do those.

Although if i had a black horse i would put some baby oil on his muzzle and around his eyes.
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I only do it because it's a native its the only real way to "bling them up" as obviously you cant go out with posh browbands and button holes etc. I've never had a dust problem before but I never put masses on; he isn't a show pony and it's only a small part of the overall picture.

One thing i did notice an awful lot when doing T&T the judges always without fail have always checked the underside of my reins and on quite a few ocassions i have had a judge put a white glove on and run it over my ponys bum!!
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I'd fail the white glove test!! He has such a dusty backside, I'll have to work on that. My tack is always immaculate, although I might get a bigger browband, that one looks a smidge small to me which would be why it seems so high up.

I have mine in a double bridle for her working hunter purely for show as i think it looks great and really sets off their neck. If you can i would put yours in a double as to the judges it looks more like a show off bridle rather than a pelham which looks like you need the control in some cases.
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I'll use a double if my instructor thinks I'm ready, I'd like to be but I'm not sure if we'll manage it. He goes well in the pelham and at local shows I'm competing mostly against kids in snaffles anyway, but if possible a double would look much more professional.

I hope I don't end up looking too professional, at the last show (where those piccys are from) it was filmed on the video camera and on the tape there's someone saying "It's obviously just more experienced" as we're doing our individual show. They might think I'm a pot hunter :p
 
have you got a pocket in your jods? my jacket doesnt have pockets either and i keep all my qualifying cards in my jod pocket (got to remember to take them out after though!
 
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