Gulf Coast Quarter Horse show in Tampa, Florida

Recession?  What recession?  At least that’s how it appeared to this first time visitor to the Gold Coast Quarter Horse Show series held at the Florida State Fairgrounds.  The Gold Coast is part of the Winter Quarter Horse Circuit, consisting of the Gold Coast, Gulf Coast, and Fox Lea Winter show series.  TWENTY AQHA shows held between December 27, 2009 and January 17, 2010!  Talk about a horse lover’s dream! 

Trainer Rob Meneely taking a break from warming up his mount.

I stopped by the show this year to check it out as I’d never before gone.  Not knowing what to expect, I was shocked when I pulled into the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa.  Row upon row of horse trailers, trucks, and cars.  Numerous vendor trailers displaying their wares; western attire laden with enormous crystals sparkling in the sun, saddle pads in all the colors of the rainbow, horse tail extensions bundled together like a wigmaker’s dream.  Horses and exhibitors in various stages of preparation meandered through the golf carts, dogs, and spectators.   I couldn’t believe the magnitude of the activity taking place.  Trainers admitted that entries were down in comparison to previous years, but this was by far the biggest horse show I’d ever been to in Florida.  Shows were run on a two day system – Day 1 consisted of hunter events (over fences and flat), cattle classes, and trail.  Day 2 was halter, western pleasure/horsemanship, western riding, and trail.  Each show repeated 3 times for the circuit, so exhibitors were alternating daily between hunter and western events.  Numerous awards were given out including overall high points for various divisions for the combined circuits, high points for individual circuits, and circuit awards to the top two in each class for each circuit.  Fees were steep though, with all day fees and office fees priced per judge, and drug testing fees priced per circuit.  An amateur showing one horse in the all around (typically at least 5 classes) would incur over $350 in entry fees, plus an additional $200 stall fee just for the Gold Coast.  These costs would repeat for the Gulf Coast and Fox Lea series and don’t include feed, bedding, trainer’s fees, etc.  As you can imagine, this resulted in an elite level of exhibitors and horses being presented.  The very best Quarter Horse trainers, exhibitors, and judges were in attendance and it was fun to observe and learn for the day.  Exhibitors were courteous and gracious and I saw no poor sportsmanship or mistreatment of horses while I was there. 

Vendors line the streets at the horse show

I enjoyed wandering between the main show arena where the western pleasure was being held, and the indoor trail course where horse and rider expertly navigated a series of obstacles, including a gate, bridge, and multiple lope- and trot-overs.  Outdoor practice areas were filled with hunters bounding over fences and western riders effortlessly changing leads.  Spurs jingled and it was Christmas for me all over again!  I was like a kid in a candy store, not knowing which way to turn next.  I spent the whole day there and would have gone back the next if I had been able.  If you enjoy horse shows, especially stock breeds, and are even slightly close to the central Florida area, I would recommend putting this event on your calendar for next year.  It’s a great place to meet people, see horses, and stock up on supplies, and you can even make a vacation of it.  Maybe I’ll see you there in 2011!

Scenes from the Gold Cost QH show

I have been debating about whether to post on this topic or not, as Billie has done such a fantastic job of covering the issue on her site Camera-Obscura.  In the end, I decided to mention it as I know I have some readers that don’t generally follow blogs and so may have missed the story.  I really believe that more people need to become aware of the issue and the resulting flurry of activity, and hopefully join the legions of people that are calling for change.  Please visit Billie’s site for all the details and for the excellent coverage that she continues to provide on the subject.

I’m no expert in dressage and I’m not going to pretend to have a complete understanding of the topic, but here is my attempt at a brief overview for those (like me) who are relatively new to the idea of rollkur.  I would like to invite those who are more educated to jump in and correct/add to my explanation.

Basically, rollkur is a highly controversial training technique that is increasingly common in dressage style riding.  It is also called hyperflexion, and consists of the horse being ridden for extended periods of time “behind the bit” – often to the point where the nose/mouth is held to the chest as the horse is driven forward.  Proponents of the technique claim that it stretches the horse’s back muscles.  Opponents say it’s horse abuse.  From what I’ve read, I certainly tend toward the latter sentiment, but I’m no expert and encourage you to educate yourself and formulate your own opinions.  If you Google “Rollkur” you’ll get no shortage of information and images to study.  Either way, riders who utilize the technique are apparently winning at high levels in dressage competition, which makes it difficult to enact change.

What I do know is this:  the current frenzy on this topic originated after Epona TV aired a video of Patrik Kittel riding a horse during a warm up period for a show and utilizing this technique.  The video goes on for what feels like forever, and shows the horse’s blue tongue lolling out of his mouth, as he rides around and around in this restricted position.  You can watch other riders casually going by, no one giving this guy a second look despite the obvious distress his horse is exhibiting.  Due to the public outrage following the release of this video, a firestorm of petitions has made its way through the system and people are calling for change.  Although I am not a dressage rider, I feel that this is important because it makes a statement about winning at any cost.  I think that many of us who compete at a high level in any discipline have witnessed questionable training practices that result in winners.  We all know how hard it is to compete against an ideal that is not natural and is not naturally created.  This is our chance to take that first step towards encouraging healthy, fair competition that does not result in or encourage animal abuse.  Even if you are not a “horse person” I ask you to check out Billie’s site and educate yourself.  She has tons of information and multiple ways to get involved, including online petitions, Facebook groups, and contact information for organizations that can enact change.

In August I had the chance to visit one of my old stomping grounds – the Ocala Equestrian Complex, located in Ocala, Florida.  The Central Florida Appaloosa Horse Club was hosting their Fun in the Sun show and I thought I’d drop by to check it out.  Although the weather wasn’t too cooperative, it was still a great day in Appaloosa country as exhibitors from all over Florida engaged in friendly competition.  The show marked one of the last opportunities for competitors to gain the points needed to qualify for this year’s 2009 Appaloosa World Championships. 

Covered arena; view of arena from outdoor holding area

This showgrounds is right in the heart of horse country.  If you’re looking for convenience, this is one show facility that’s hard to top.  Access is extremely easy from I75, which is the main artery from Georgia all the way to Naples.  Hotels, gas stations (with diesel), and food options are plentiful and close by.  Another bonus is the large number of feed and tack stores right in the proximity of the grounds.  Need some hay or bedding?  Break or forget a piece of equipment?  Less than a 5 minute drive from the grounds are several options.  Another perk of the location is that there are several horse trailer dealerships, as well as a repair shop for horse trailers within a 5 minute drive.  I wasn’t kidding when I said this place was convenient! 

As far as the facility goes, there is ample parking with plenty of room for big rigs.  The covered arena has a concession and lots of bleacher seating for spectators.  There are three outdoor arenas and a large outdoor holding area.  There is also a narrow, covered holding area attached to the covered arena that is frequently used for longeing and show prep, especially in inclement weather.  The restrooms are clean and well kept, although I don’t recall seeing a shower on the premises for overnight campers.  There is an indoor barn and plenty of temporary type stalls under a permanent enclosure. 

Outdoor arena and view of one barn; Trailer parking after severe thunderstorm

There aren’t many cons to this facility, but there are a couple of areas worth mentioning.  Trailer parking is FAR from the barn areas.  It is well worth getting a tack stall, especially if you show in all around events.  In addition, access to the barns with trailers (especially large ones) is limited.  There is room for a trailer or two to unload at the same time, but there are often backups to get close.  Also, if you’re not comfortable reversing your trailer in tight spots, you may want to avoid unloading here.  I always find it easier to just unload in the parking area, put my gear in the truck and haul it over to the barns that way.  Another point worthy of mention is that one of the outdoor arenas has some sort of mulch type footing.  It’s probably fine for most events, but App shows tend to run the speed events in that ring and it can be a little slick.  Also, there are lights for the outdoor riding areas, but they are paltry.  At a show that I attended in March, they actually postponed the last few events of the day until the following morning because it had gotten so dark and the lights were not bright enough to ensure safe runs. 

With all of these great bonuses and fairly minimal complaints about the facility, it’s definitely worth checking out.  There are a number of events that they host and they get some really large barrel races there.  I have also attended a few clinics and even a haunted house!   Ocala is a great place for horse lovers so come by, enjoy a show, and check out the town!

Photo courtesy of Dee Q8, Flickr

As September rolls on, I have observed a great deal of excitement about the fall season.  Excitement about fall traditions, like cider and local festivals, is contagious.  Mother Nature is giving us her own signs:  lower humidity and cooler nights, just the slightest tinge of red in some of our leaves, fall produce starting to hit the market stalls.  While most of the country is rejoicing with the arrival of fall and all it brings, I have some bittersweet feelings about it.  For me, this season isn’t represented by typical fall customs.  For many years, fall was the season of horses and preparation for the Appaloosa World Championship show.  This prestigious event is held every year in late October in Fort Worth, Texas and the months of September and October were always dedicated to training and preparation for the show, which has a qualification deadline of  August 31.  As most of you know, my horse show adventures pretty much came to an end 5 years ago when I started graduate school but this year I was able to get back into the scene a bit, and even briefly entertained hopes that I might be able to attend the World Show this year.  Unfortunately, as the year evolved I realized I wouldn’t be attending the show this time either.  However, last week I received something very special in the mail:  my World Show qualification information. 

 For many people, this might not be a big deal.  In fact, it wasn’t really a big deal for me 10 years ago – it was a given.  I’d worked hard all year, attended many shows, and was generally well over the number of points required to participate.  This year was different:  my horse and I  haven’t worked with a trainer in over 5 years, we attended very few shows, and we haven’t had the opportunity to make practice runs.  We pretty much winged it, doing groundwork and suppling exercises at home and working the barrels and poles at the shows.  Qualification became even more difficult because the game classes at the Appaloosa shows have been very small, making it challenging to get points – we pretty much had to win 1st or 2nd in a class to accrue points.  Combine all that with the extremely limited number of events that we’ve done (4 shows in the past year) and you can understand my pride at qualifiying for the Appaloosa World Championships in 8 events – we actually qualified in every single event that we show in.  It’s a bittersweet pill, because it’s a reminder of how my time competing with Tiny is winding down.  She’s 15 this year and who knows how many more competitive years she’ll have?  While I’m excited and proud to have been able to achieve qualification status, it hurts that I can’t participate with her while she’s still healthy and strong.  So for this fall, at least, I will have to join the masses of “regular” people enjoying their fall season at the arts festival sipping on cider, but I’ll be doing it with a twinkle in my eye as I think of the hundreds of Apps preparing for the World Show next month.

If you want to excel in equitation classes, you must first master the pattern.  In stock horse breeds, equitation classes are commonly judged by individual pattern work or a combination of patterns and group rail work.  In either case, the pattern is your chance to shine.  All eyes are upon you and it is up to you to make a stunning impression on the judges.  Here are my top ten tips on distinguishing  yourself from the rest of the riders and making the judges take a second (and third!) look:

1. Present Yourself – I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, because it is that important.  If you are a judge that has been standing for hours, watching the same pattern over and over, what stands out?  A horse and rider that are impeccably turned out, with pleasant attitudes that look like they WANT to be at a horse show.  The pattern is your chance to sell yourself – learn to do it well.
2. Use Your Markers – Most pattern classes will utilize markers to define transition points.  These markers are there for a reason.  Use them consistently and accurately to score points with the judges. 
3. Clean Transitions – If you’ve watched many pattern classes, you’ll agree that this is one area that exhibitors commonly give away points.  Be sure that your transitions are on target – not early or late.  They should be smooth and effortless and your position should remain correct. 
4. Circles are Circles – Not ovals.  Not triangles.  Not oblong.  If your pattern calls for a circle, make it a circle – even and centered around your marker (if need be).   Furthermore, if your pattern calls for a figure eight or another circle combination, make sure your circles are evenly matched and round.
5. Don’t Look Down – This is one of the cardinal rules of equitation excellence.  If you are going to compete in pattern classes, you must be able to pick up the correct leads and/or diagonals without looking to check yourself.  Practice this until you are confident that you can feel what is happening under you.
6. Know Your Pattern – This might seem obvious, but it is very easy to second guess yourself in the ring, especially if an exhibitor ahead of you does the pattern incorrectly.  Run through your pattern several times, with the markers set up, until you are satisfied that you have it memorized.  It also helps to have someone watch and give you feedback, if possible. 
7. Stop Square – Again, another spot where exhibitors give up the points.  Stop on your marks and halt square and soft.  Don’t lean back excessively and definitely do not let your horse throw you forward upon stopping.  Practice pausing, so your horse doesn’t get in the habit of wandering out of his stop.
8. Know Your Turns – Know the difference between a turn on the haunches and a turn on the forehand (hint:  it’s in the pivot foot).  Practice doing fluid, smooth turns, and be sure your horse plants his pivot foot.  Don’t dawdle through the turns – it becomes painful to watch if it takes forever to get through it.  Likewise, don’t rush through either.  The goal is smooth and fluid.  
9. Don’t Stop Showing – From the moment you enter the ring until the moment you leave, the judge is judging you.  Don’t stop showing as soon as your pattern is complete.  The show ring is not the place to be chatting with other competitors or spectators in the stands while your class is competing.  And especially don’t ever correct your horse in the ring if your pattern is less than stellar.  Nothing is more unprofessional that the exhibitor that begins jerking and spurring her horse as soon as the judge turns his back.  They can still see you and can still mark you down if they don’t like what they see.  Not to mention that behavior like this will sour your horse on patterns faster than you can imagine.  Just don’t do it.
10. Be Confident!  This is your chance to shine.  Take it!  After all your hard work and practice, go in there and knock ‘em dead.  Keep your head up, shoulders square and remember to breathe.  If you have done your homework, you will soon start to love your patterns because you and your horse will be the team that people come to watch. 

Addressing the Great “Spur Stop” Debate

Imagine yourself in the arena, loping softly down the rail.  The announcer calls for the walk, and you……press your heels into your horse’s sides?  Thus begins the Great “Spur Stop” Debate.  The spur stop is a training technique that is commonly used in stock horse breeds and especially western pleasure events.  This technique allows the rider to bring the horse to a halt using only the rider’s spurs or heels.  Spurs are not necessary to perform this technique, although riders at this advanced level often use them. 

The most common misconception about using a spur stop is that it confuses the horse, as leg cues are used to encourage forward movement.  However, this idea is not entirely accurate, at least not in this context.  Riders use their legs to establish forward movement, yes, but seat and body position are also important.  And don’t forget that you should be able to control your horse’s lateral (sideways) movement with your legs as well.  Different cues mean different things and a highly trained horse can distinguish whether a cue indicates to move forward, move over, or stop.  Falsely believing that legs mean to go forward and hands mean to stop is where a lot of riders get into trouble. 

It is important to remember that essentially all movements that the horse performs require impulsion - defined as a driving force that provides forward motion.  Wait!  Forward motion?  At the stop? Yes, in a manner of speaking.  Think about it like this:  what happens when you pull back on your horse’s face (without applying leg aids)?  Chances are, he raises his head, hollows his back, and stiffens.  Keeping your legs on him when you pull back keeps him driving forward into the bit and staying soft and round.  The spur stop is merely an advancement of this technique, in that the hand motion is eliminated and the horse is taught to soften, round, and slow or stop using leg aids.  If you would like to see an example of a highly trained  horse that responds to seat and leg cues, check out this video.  The entire video is shot bridleless and demonstrates the spur stop a couple of times.

In recent years the spur stop has incited controversy, largely due to its misuse as a shortcut in western pleasure training.  Western pleasure, in my opinion, has devolved into an event that is more about strategy and slowness than about showcasing a smooth, relaxed, pleasurable horse.  As as result, some trainers have increasingly developed tools to give them an edge in the show ring.  The spur stop fits the bill – the perfect way to slow or stop your horse without using your hands (which is often impossible due to the ridiculously long rein length that horses are often shown with).  Riders will sometimes lope while using the spur stop at each stride to keep the horse extremely slow.  Opponents of the spur stop frequently refer to it as “riding the brake” in a western pleasure class as it results in a jerky, halting lope.  Recently some trainers (like western pleasure legend Cleve Wells) and judges have spoken out against misuse of the spur stop.  Organizations like the AQHA have come together to penalize undesireable traits of the western pleasure lope – at the top of the list?  The spur stop.  This policy has trickled down to other breeds and now the ApHC specifies in western pleasure classes to “lope with forward motion” in an attempt to eliminate the misuse of the technique. 

Critics claim that a horse with a spur stop will be a one-trick pony, and that serious injury could result to riders that attempt to ride a horse with a spur stop over jumps or in a barrel race.  This idea is ludicrous to me.  This training technique is advanced and generally speaking, only top level horses would be trained in this manner.  While versatility is great, the reality is that there are very VERY few top level western pleasure horses that also compete in barrel racing or over fences.  In fact, I can’t think of any.  I rode a horse with a spur stop for years and I did all-around events.  The spur stop, when used properly, is extremely useful in pattern classes and trail, as well as western pleasure.  When you are in a class of 50 National caliber trail horses and you can lope your horse into a 12 foot box and stop using only your seat and legs, you score big points.  Additionally, my horse was trained to drop his head with a particular type of leg pressure.  That was a handy technique if his attention was caught by something while we were waiting for our turn to ride a pattern, or when we approached a trail obstacle that he wasn’t paying attention to. 

My opinion?  I think there is a place in the show ring for the spur stop if it is used properly.  I completely disagree with the idea of riding a western pleasure class with your leg dug into your horse’s side so he doesn’t run off with you.  But I do think that having that round, square stop achieved so effortlessly (at least from an observer’s point of view) adds a level of pizzazz to a performance and might score you a second look with the judges.  Just for the record, I have shown many horses that were not spur stop trained, and I did equally well with each of them.  One of them was even a western pleasure horse! 

What is your stand on this topic?  Ever ridden a horse with a spur stop?  Let me know what you think!

Have you ever seen a performance that flowed so smoothly that you couldn’t even see the cues the rider gave?  Have you ever wondered if you could achieve that same level of responsiveness from your own horse?  FromTheHorsesBack is launching a new series of tips titled “Perfecting Partnerships.”  This series is devoted to training tips and exercises designed to improve the communication and partnership between you and your horse.  Everyone from trail riders to top level competitors can benefit from improving their relationship with their horse.  Stay tuned for upcoming tips on softening your horse, increasing responsiveness, achieving control of your horse’s body, and many more exciting topics.  To start things off, consider the following:

In my opinion, one of the most critical elements to a true partnership is…having a partnership.  If you are looking for the ultimate in communication, you have to log the hours in the saddle.  Just as in any relationship, it takes time and effort to establish trust and communication.  Every minute you spend in the saddle is impacting your relationship with your horse, either positively or negatively.  You must choose to create a positive, trusting bond with your horse before you can hope to achieve partnership with him.  Ground work is just as important as riding.  Get in the habit of seeing your horse when you are with him.  Know his personality, his likes and dislikes.  Respect him.  Don’t treat him as a machine meant only to haul you around the arena or up and down the trails.  A big part of the enjoyment of having horses is experiencing them – so don’t short yourself on that!  If you would like to learn about how to improve your partnership with your horse, check back soon for exercises and tips to start you on your path.

*These tips and exercises are based upon my own experiences.  I am not a horse trainer.  Please use your best judgement and consult a trainer if necessary.

As a competitive equestrian, one of your most important tasks is to set clear, attainable goals for yourself and your mount.  In fact, this skill is important for anyone who rides horses, or does any type of competitive activity.  I trained with Meneely Show Horses for many years, and this skill was one of the first I learned after entering their program.  While goal-setting is critical to achieving success, it is equally important to write your goals down and refer to them frequently.  This keeps your goals at the forefront of your mind, keeps you focused on them and moving forward.  Refer to these handy tips when creating your goals:

*  Timelines are important

When I was competing heavily on the Appaloosa show circuit, our big events were the National Show in July and the World Show in October.  At the beginning of every calendar year, I would reflect for a time on what I hoped to achieve for the upcoming show season.  When setting goals choose a reasonable timeline, particularly if you are riding a young horse or are adding new events.  Give yourself plenty of time to put in the groundwork to achieve the goals.

* Choose a variety of goals

You want a wide variety of goals to strive for.  It’s great to set goals that are challenging or long term – that is what keeps you driving hard for improvement in your game.  However the small, step-wise goals are equally important to keep you enthusiastic and focused.  For example, if you are hoping to win the World on your fantastic new Western Rider, you might set the following kinds of goals:  maintain consistent control of my horse’s hips and shoulders, perform consistent lead changes on a loose rein at a steady speed, perform multiple lead changes on a loose rein at consistent speed, perform lead changes at specific point in arena, master timing of cues, perform well at regional competitions, World Champion Western Riding.  As you can see, there is a logical progression of steps that you may need to accomplish to reach your ultimate goal.  By treating each of these steps as an individual goal, you are able to celebrate successes along your path and appreciate your journey. 

* Be realistic

There is a difference between a challenging set of goals and one that is unattainable.  It is crucial to objectively look at you and your horse’s skills and set goals that are attainable, even if they are challenging.  If you nor your horse have ever changed a lead and you are terrified when competing alone in the ring, chances are good that winning Western Riding might be an unattainable goal – at least for this year.  Maybe instead you could focus on gaining control of your horse’s body and becoming a more confident rider.  By selecting goals that you have the ability to reach, you will avoid frustration and disappointment. 

* Personal goals are OK too

Don’t feel you should restrict your goals to skill related ones.  Maybe your goal is to spend more time trail riding your horse, or eliminate negative thinking, or make new horse show friends.  Anything goes – remember this is your strategy for success and there is no wrong answer.

* Present your goals

Almost anyone that seriously competes at a sport will agree that mental preparation is every bit as important as physical ability.  You will be one step ahead of the game if you write your goals down and reflect on them frequently.  At MSH, we created “goal boards” each year with our ultimate goals for each event and overall goals.  Use a large piece of poster board and some markers and be creative!  If you’re an adult and haven’t indulged your creative side in a few years, you may think you are too old for such antics.  Phooey!  You’ll be surprised how exciting and motivating it is to create an inspiring piece of work.  Make it fun, use bright colors, glitter, inspirational quotes – whatever gets YOU excited and looking forward to your goals.  And put the board in a place where you will see it and reflect on it often, and especially take it to your shows when you will need the biggest reminder to stay focused. 

* It’s OK if you don’t meet your goals

If you haven’t succeeded at meeting some or all of your goals, it’s no big deal.  Did you do your best to succeed?  Goal boards are not a contract – you are not guaranteed success just because you set goals.  Likewise, you are not a failure if you don’t achieve every one of them.  In fact, it’s often best if you have a couple of goals that you haven’t met for the year.  After all, what fun would it be if you accomplished everything you set out to do?  If you met every goal you set, chances are good that you didn’t challenge yourself enough with your “ultimate goals.”  And if you didn’t meet any of them, you were most likely too ambitious for your current set of circumstances.  It’s OK, try again next year!

The ability to create clear, attainable goals is an important skill for competitive riding.  As you progress through the levels of show, it will become more apparent how critical mental preparation is to achieving success.  Good luck with creating your own goals, and feel free to share some of them here to inspire others.

Some of my favorite inspirational quotes:

“I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.”  William Ernest Henley

“Self confidence is the first requisite to great undertakings.”  Samuel Johnson

“Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat.”  Theodore Roosevelt

“A goal without a plan is just a wish.” Antoine de Saint-Exupery

“Shoot for the moon and if you miss you will still be among the stars.”  Les Brown

FromTheHorsesBack is excited to announce the launch of “Creating Champions,” a new series devoted to tips and tricks for excelling in the horse show arena!  These handy tidbits have been amassed from my own experiences in competition and I hope that you will find them useful as well.  *Disclaimer:  I am not a professional horse trainer or coach and am presenting this series based on my own experiences.  Please use your own judgement and seek out a professional opinion if you are unsure about any of the information provided here. 

To kick off the series, here are my Top 10 Tips for Entering the Winner’s Circle:

1.  Present Yourself

You wouldn’t go for your dream job interview without being prepared, why would you enter the show ring with any less thought?  Make sure clothes and tack are clean and fit well, hats are clean and shaped, and horses are turned out properly.  Attention to detail is key!

2.  Be a Good Sport

Regardless of your performance or placing, be a gracious winner or a good loser.  You can always learn from your performance and recognizing this is the first step in becoming a better rider.

3.  Never Give Up

If you make a mistake in the ring, CARRY ON!!  Don’t ever let anyone see you sweat.  Judges may not have seen or noticed it, and even if they did, you don’t know how the other riders in the class are performing.  It may be hard to believe, but I have seen riders make a critical mistake but still place high. 

4.  Practice, Practice, Practice

Nothing contributes to success like putting in the blood, sweat, and tears behind the scenes.  The more you ride and the better your riding program, the more consistency and confidence you will have in the arena.

5.  Fitness Counts

Both you and your horse should be fit to achieve optimum results.  Muscular and cardiovascular strength are important and should be addressed.  I have seen riders ensure their horse’s fitness, only to falter when asked to post the trot for an interminably long time in the summer heat.

6.  Cover Your Bases

Preparation is not only restricted to riding practice.  Before your show day arrives, be sure to have a current Coggins test and health papers for your horse, truck/trailer maintained and ready to go, directions and hotel arrangements made.  Don’t let last minute details trip you up – think ahead!

7.  Looks are Everything

Always project an air of confidence in yourself.  You should never need to look down to check a lead or a diagonal (this is where the practice comes in) and keep a relaxed, happy expression on your face.  When a judge is comparing you to tens or even hundreds of other competitors, you must have charisma to stand out.  Even if you are scared to death, don’t act like it!

8.  Master the Art of Riding With Your Seat

Top level competitors have the ability to control their horse’s speed and direction with the use of their seat and legs.  Steering, turning, and stopping should be done with a minimum of voice and hand cues. 

9.  Maintain Control at All Times

You should be able to control your horse’s shoulders and hips anytime you are riding (again, NOT with your hands!).  One thing that separates great patterns from good ones is the ability to create soft, consistent elements on a loose rein.  Complete control of the horse’s body is required in presenting a pretty picture that functions well.

10.  Make Horse Shows Fun

At the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about!  Spend some time enjoying your horse, walk around the show grounds to cool off and explore.  Watch some other classes and cheer for your fellow competitors.  Meet people and exchange ideas.  The more enjoyable shows are for you AND your horse, the more longevity you will both have.