How To Prepare The Horse For A Horse Show

If you are lucky enough to own a horse with good potential, both physically and aesthetically, you might want to consider participating in some horse show. Of course, that’s easier said than done. However, with the right training, you too could start to get good results and maybe win, with perseverance, application and spirit of sacrifice. For this reason we have decided to bring together a series of information and practical advice that will surely be very useful to you.

Train a horse for any horse show

The name

The first thing to keep in mind is that in every horse show all horses have a name. It is usually assigned right away, from a newborn. A surname is chosen, usually representing the kennel or parent it comes from. If you have named your horse “Silver” and it comes from a stud called “Indian Spirit”, the final name for the competition could be “Silver Indian Spirit”. But this is just an example, just to give you an idea.

Evaluation criteria

The gaits

Among the various  equine gaits,  we must certainly highlight the trot. It is a step made diagonally by the horse, with the right front leg and left rear leg on the ground while the other two are lifted into the air.

There is also the gait and the gallop, which is similar to the trot, but with greater speed. The pace of the steps increases, but the characteristic sound is still maintained.

The Judges

The judges of the horse shows carry out an analysis and comparison of the horses on display and assign a rating. This happens after observing the serenity of the animal on the track. They not only take into account speed, but also the dexterity and delicacy with which the horse presents itself.

An evaluation of the horse’s appearance and physical condition is also made . The position of the tail is important, as is the arrangement of the body. To earn even more points, it is essential that the back is completely straight.

Other criteria are the shape of your horse’s neck, its overall tone and its beauty.

On the track

Horses are usually divided according to the type of specialty, to which they were enrolled, and above all according to age. Depending on how old it is, your horse will be able to participate in the group from 33 to 42 months, from 42 to 60 months and, finally, in that of over 60 months. Obviously, the more mature the animal, the more things it will be required to do, since its training will certainly be more extensive and complete.

Additional tips for participating in a horse show

Train your horse taking into account that for a show it must have these qualities :

• The horse must be gentle. It will be your job to help him develop a calm and balanced personality.
• He will need to have a stamina to cope with the stress that any event (or show) entails. Habitat change , contact with lights, people, other animals and music are not something easy for any animal to endure.
• She needs to be  sociable,  so she can handle the pressure of any event.

Then there are some very important elements to take into consideration:

• To promote its good mood, we recommend that your horse lives in places with good ventilation and in spaces that are not too narrow.
• L ‘ diet for a horse that will take part in an exhibition should start early. At 05:00 the horse should be fed, obviously in a balanced way and according to scientific criteria.

• Take care of the animal’s digestive system because, in addition to having a positive effect on the mental level, avoiding nervous attitudes, the hair and muscles will also benefit from it  .
• Grass must never be missing. This will help the horses get distracted while they wait their turn.

Exercises to do after meals

After breakfast, you should take the horse for some exercise in a riding arena by putting on some shin guards. The work must be progressive: you will start with five minutes of running and gradually increase the times until you reach the optimal level according to age. As a general fact, it can be said that 30 minutes of exercise is the ideal goal to be achieved  after two months of training.

After these exercises, the horse should be washed and brushed, taking great care to clean the legs.

Around noon you can give the horse another 25% of its daily feed (the first 25% is for breakfast). In the afternoon it is advisable to let it rest in the pasture for about two hours.

Starting at 18:00, the horse must be fed the remaining 50% of the daily food. This goes hand in hand with  cleaning the stall  where you will leave plenty of grass for his enjoyment.