Showing Dilutes - Handy Hints and Advice for Showing Your Dilute

Handy hints and advice for showing dilutes in dilute classes.

Showing dilutes is pretty much the same as showing any horse or pony. Just make sure you know what the rules are for your association and abide by them.

 

Here are some of my tips for showing dilutes ....

• if the horse has mostly white feet or long white stockings I personally prefer clear hoof gloss. I just think black feet at the end of long white stockings looks a bit ridiculous. Of course it goes without saying that if you do use clear gloss the feet must be scrubbed clean.

• if the horse throws a foot around when it moves don't draw the judge's attention to it by using ultra high gloss hoof varnish. Same thing goes for crooked feet.

• don't use colourful browbands that clash with their colour. Again, simple is best. Blingy, glitzy browbands might look great in your grooming bag but before putting one on your horse or pony consider if it will actually enhance the overall picture or if you're just putting it on because a) you have it and b) you want to show it off to everyone.

• try to wear trousers etc that contrast with the colour of your horse's front legs. If the horse has white stockings don't wear white trousers. Reason - it is very difficult from where the judge is standing to clearly see the horse's legs moving against yours. If your horse has huge movement you want to show this off so don't wear something that blends your legs in with its legs.

• most judges (except Western) want to see movement. This can make or break a class for you. Dilutes in general are supposed to be riding types ergo they should exhibit good paces in keeping with their breed. Get someone to run them out at home for you or watch them on a lunge. If they aren't moving out from the shoulder properly then get some advice on how to correct this. Believe me, from a judge's perspective there is nothing worse than having a beautifully put together, quality horse or pony in front of you and finding that it CAN'T MOVE....!

• make sure their feet are correctly trimmed. If they're shod make sure they aren't overdue for a re-shoe. A lot of leg deviations can be minimized in appearance by correct trimming and shoeing. Many judges pay a lot of attention to legs particularly in breeding stock. If you've let their feet turn in or out and the horse stands in front of the judge with crooked looking legs then ....

• stand them up properly in the ring. This means a leg at each corner. Don't let them rest a fetlock. Don't let them stand with their legs too far underneath them or too stretched out. Don't do stupid things with their head carriage unless it is a requirement of their breed. I remember watching an arab handler showing a thoroughbred years ago and trying to stand it up like an arab. The poor horse looked simply awful and was noticeably uncomfortable and very confused. Likewise, don't camp them out in the back end unless it is a requirement of their breed that they are shown like that. And....even then remember that you're showing dilutes as dilutes not as a breed.

 

Etiquette or just plain good manners and common sense....

Regrettably show etiquette often leaves a lot to be desired.

Do NOT:

• comment loudly on the judge's decisions. Remember, it is just one person's opinion on the day and if you aren't prepared to cop the bad with the good then perhaps you shouldn't be asking for other people's opinions of your horse.

• abuse other competitors. It isn't their fault the judge on the day prefers their horse over yours.

• abuse show personnel. Most are doing it on a voluntary basis....believe you me running shows is a thankless task and coping abuse from disgruntled competitors is not part of the job description. Do it too much and you'll find no one is prepared to run shows anymore.

• deliberately upset another competitor's horse, especially if it is a stallion.

• take in-season mares too close to stallions. For that matter don't take any horses too close to any stallion. Doesn't matter how well behaved or how well trained he is, he doesn't deserve to have your mare's backside in his face when he's supposed to be concentrating on his handler.

• ride up other horse's rear ends either accidentally or on purpose. This is dangerous and could lead to a serious accident.

• leave the ring before the winner and placegetters unless directed to do so by the judge or steward. Not only is this rude, it could also be interpreted as churlish and unsportsmanlike behaviour on your part.

• hover around the entrance to the ring and block other competitors' passage to the ring

• ride or lead your horse through a ring

• warm up your horse in the middle of the marshalling areas. Find a patch of ground out of the way of everyone else to do it.

• abuse the ring steward, officials or organisers if you miss your class through your own fault.

DO:

• congratulate the winner and placegetters if you're not amongst them
• congratulate the winner if you are a placegetter
• congratulate the placegetters if you are the winner

You'd be surprised at how much this is appreciated both by the other competitors and the judge.

• be on standby waiting for your class. Sometimes it is not possible to have PA systems operating so you need to be close by your ring waiting for the steward to announce your class

• let the steward in another ring know if you are going to be held up in another ring. Some shows do not hold classes up, some shows do. If they don't and you miss a class, be gracious about it. It isn't the show organisers' fault you entered your multiple registered horse in every single class it was eligible for without taking into consideration clashing classes.

 

What to wear when showing dilutes....

Hmmmmm....

What to wear?

First rule - check with your dilute registry to see if they have any rules and regulations about showing dilutes. If they do, decision made.

Because dilutes are a colour not a breed and unless your association has hard and fast rules on the subject, what to wear when showing dilutes is really a matter of personal choice.

My advice is to wear the appropriate attire for whatever breed or type your dilute is. If s/he is a Quarter Horse or western bred, western gear on both yourself and your horse is probably best.

Likewise, if you have a pony wear the sort of clothing that ponies are generally shown in.

Arabian Derivative - whatever you would wear to show in Arabian Derivative classes.

Australian Stock Horse - the appropriate attire for showing Australian Stock Horses as outlined by the ASHS or plain simple riding attire.

Warmbloods and performance breeds - plain simple riding attire or whatever the correct attire is for showing those breeds.

Continental breeds (Iberian etc) - again, check with those registers and find out what they recommend or require and wear that if possible.

Personally, I think that the most important thing is to complement your horse's breed and type. Don't wear stuff that obviously isn't correct - western gear with an Arab or a pony for instance really doesn't jell....

Of course clean, neat, tidy and SAFE goes without saying, particularly in the shoe department.

And....whatever you wear should also complement YOU and be comfortable to work in.

Another thing I've already pointed out is to try and wear trousers or boots or whatever, that are a contrasting colour to your horse's front legs. When you're running your horse out you're usually running at its shoulder. So .... what the judge sees are 4 legs 'trotting' out - your two and your horse's front two. If you're wearing black trousers and your horse has black legs, all those legs blend in together making it difficult to see just how well the horse moves out in front.

 

What not to wear when showing dilutes (or any horse for that matter)....

Sorry but skin tight (unless it's joddies), low cut, skimpy, see through and so on are NOT appropriate for showing horses in.  Same thing for scruffy, dirty & torn.

 

Showing dilutes under saddle / performance classes....

This one is really a no-brainer. If it's an English class, wear English attire and use English tack on your horse. Likewise - Western ..... western attire and western tack.

 

On the horse....

Again, horses for courses. Western breed - western style halter, Arabian derivative - arabian style headgear, pony - pony in-hand bridle and so on.

Most times you can also use an English riding bridle preferably with the reins removed and replaced with a single in-hand leading rein.

Flash browbands - optional but I wouldn't use one if they detract from your horse. This type of gear draws attention so if your horse has a large plain head it probably isn't a particularly good idea to draw the judge's eye to this. You can also break up a long head with a nice thin unobtrusive noseband.

Whatever you use, try it on at home first, decide if it really suits your horse and if it doesn't, don't use it.

Colour - again, whatever looks best. Brown looks good on some shades of dilute and black looks best on others. Do NOT go in for plastic or PVC gear in bright neon colours, no matter how much you might love that particular shade of pink....

Colts and stallions....

Please be aware that to all intents and purposes stallions are legally considered a potentially dangerous animal in a lot of places. Sure, 99% of them aren't but that is just the way the rules are. So, if you're showing or handling one in public, KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING! A stallion getting loose at a show is a vastly different proposition to a mare or a gelding doing so.

Most breed and show societies do have very clear rules about appropriate head gear (and the minimum age of handlers) for colts and stallions. If you're showing one make sure you know what those rules are and ABIDE BY THEM.