The Show Horse Talk

Do you compete with your horse(s) in any event? Barrel Racing, Roping, Eventing, Endurance, Trail or anything in between! Beginner, intermediate, advanced, professional... compete frequently or just a few shows, the whole nine yards. I am talking about anyone that competes in anything, plans to in the future, and even those who are just wanting to learn more about various equestrian and rodeo events.

- General Chat / Stories
- Questions and Guidance
- What you're up to
- Daily wins and fails, both in and out of the arena
- Progress, hopes & dreams
- Tack / horse care
- Training & Preparing you and the horse

(Take everything posted online with a grain of salt, always seek a professional over an online community over any serious topics)

Thank you for joining, be nice, share with us your questions, goals, and anything that goes along the lines of showing or show horses. Go free. This topic is purely meant as a fun community chat.
- Roanie

Well.. I suppose I should have the first post, right?
I compete locally at small shows and some through 4-H. I compete in western currently - Halter classes, Performance (Trail, Western Pleasure, Horsemanship..), and Speed Events (Barrel Racing, Pole Bending, Goat Tying..) I want to learn to rope someday.
I am going to start some English showing - just flat classes in 4-H.
I have 3 horses - Skeeter, Storm, and Rain
I compete during the summer mostly, first show of the season is around May.

When I was about 9 or 10, I competed in two rodeos on my Flaxen brown quarter pony named Josaphina. I can't remember if it was my first, or second rodeo, but I participated in Barrel Racing, Poles, and Dummy Roping ( from the ground )
Anyways, I ran a perfect run around the barrels, but they told me I had to do a re-run because they ran the time wrong, and the next run I didn't do very good, but I still made 3rd place. In the Poles, my pony spooked, and came to a sliding halt, sending me flying off the side of her, ( yeah, it was embarrassing...tehee) and in dummy roping, all the kids were supposed to get both horns in the loop 5 out of 5 times. Anyways, I roped perfectly 5 times, but the judge miscounted, and said I only had thrown a loop 4 times. Well, of course I missed the 6th time, and only won 3rd place. But I had a splendid time anyways, lol. I was quite dissapointed the , but now I'm amused, xD

Currently working with a TB who's spent most of her life as a broodie. Would love to manage meters this year at Sliver (B) level, but am hoping to eventually move up to high Amature Owners with her. We shall see what happens in the meantime...

I'm technically a USEF Professional - but I consider myself a learning professional for the most part. I do teach lessons for profit and hack horses so lost my amateur status this year. Which is fine with me as I am moving into training professionally and currently work as a full time working student at a H/J facility. I've functioned as groom, instructor, stable hand, and competitor in the last year- among various other things. I also volunteer on several state horse boards and community at large. So I'm quite active in the horse showing community as a whole, from running them to riding in them.

I competed this past summer in 3'3" equitation and 1.00m jumpers; schooling this winter up to 1.10 or so but I don't plan on competing this year H/J, but I did that the last three years. Our plans are far as jumping are pretty simple, just getting comfortable with higher fences/coursework and more miles.

Planning on doing dressage, training and first level with my guy this year, which will be fun since both of us are fairly new to dressage so it's a nice challenge. We might dabble in second level if all goes well; he catches on quite fast but I'm aiming pretty low since we've only been at it for about four months.
I hope to continue with dressage up to fourth level with him. We decided on dressage this year so I can improve my consistency, which has been a major problem for me- and he's always been a speedy little jumper so it's a good process for him as well. Super excited about this actually since I've always wanted to get more into dressage and it's just wonderful to actually have a horse that is athletically very capable of it all.

We also do Pony Club (through I'm nearly aging out here, ahahaha) and we'll be getting through ideally both my C-1 and C-2. Through we ride closer to B level, I haven't rated in three years...because I'm lazy, so I have some catching up to do. It's pretty funny. So I'm dragging my nearly twenty one year old self to Pony Club camp this summer. It's hilarious when you really think about it. Ah, well.

Weather's getting better, so I can work with my TB.

Going to start out with straightness to even him out with his preferred side vs his weaker side (cause horses have 'handedness' just like we do, and it affects their entire sense of balance). Then we'll be moving on to our basic dressage and jump training. I hope to eventually get into eventing with him.

The only downside is we probably won't compete into any sort of higher levels because, sadly, most of what is scored highly in the present day is incorrect (not to mention physically and mentally damaging to the horse). I'm not sacrificing my horse's health and comfort for ribbons...

Well, tomorrow I am going on a club trail ride with my 5 year old mare, hoping it will help prepare her for showing this summer. Get her used to trailering more and keeping her cool around various horses and people. Very nice, calm filly in general. Looking forward to it, haven't been on a large group trail ride in several years - certainly never on my baby horsey.
What all do you do during your offtime or as "relaxation or easy" ride days when you aren't working hard and conditioning for an event?

Also, sometime soon there is a clinic I may get to go to! Never really get to go to those, either. So excited, finally starting to do more with my babes!

Next month, I am most likely going to be in my first show! I am so excited! I am going to do equitation and hunter jumping! EEEKKK! I am SO SO SO SO excited!

I'm currently in Ocala with my boss and his jumpers.

I'm not competing this month, but this spring I hope to be doing the 1.20m/1.30m jumpers with one of the horses that didn't come down to Florida this year. Ideally, I'll get my butt in gear and be able to do some 1.35m mini prixs by the end of the year. That would really be ideal.

I also have several horses getting ready to make their 3rd level dressage debuts (possibly 4th level this fall), as well as a 6 y/o ready for 2nd level and possibly 3rd by the end of the year.

I have been eventing for the past four years, but Riding for the past 11. I love showing my two horses. I don't show for the ribbons, I show because I love riding and it gives both me and my horses great joy. I can jump up to 3', but I would love to go higher. I compete at my local 4-H fair and I am on my schools equestrian team. Horses are my passion in life and I wouldn't want it any other way!!!