What are some tips for these classes?

Question

We have 3 classes tomorrow for the end of horsecamp. They are command class, equesition (or however you spell it) and pleasure class. I ride English and my cousin rides Western. What are some good tips for those classes? And what are some good tips for grooming our horses before the show? Thanks! =)

Answer 1

If you have time, a full body shampoo the day before.

Use a soft rubber currycomb to work the shampoo into the fur, to remove all excess scruff and dirt.

Rinse well, again rub over gently with a currycomb to get the last loose fur out. (Pay attention to any lighter fur or white spots, as those showcase dirt blatantly)

If you have it, then use a special mane/tail shampoo.



While wet, comb with your fingers first, then with a wide-toothed comb, the mane and tail. Be gentle. No one likes to have their hair yanked on. Start from the bottom and work up.

Apply a generous amount of conditioner to the tail, but only to the ends of the mane. (If you're NOT going to band the mane, then you can put a little conditioner throughout)



Squeegie off excess water, and allow the horse to air dry. Pray that he/she doesn't roll around in the stall. XD



Well before the show, brush first with a very stiff-bristled brush, over his/her entire body, and a gentler bristled brush for his/her face. (Again, who wants a hard brush to the eyeball? Ouch)



Just before the show, you can take a cloth that is DAMP not dripping, with a mix of water and rubbing alcohol, and rub your horse down, to remove the fine dust that will have gathered while you guys were walking around. Avoid the face, though, because the fumes will not please your horse.



Make sure all riding equipment is polished and shining.



If you want, you can add a little whitening agent to any white spots on the fur (Chalk or baby powder works)

Don't go overboard, or sweat will make it run into darker fur.

You could also use hoof polish, if your horse has dark hooves (black polish on light hooves doesn't look good. haha) Clear Polish works well for other colors. make SURE you do this when your horse won't be stomping around in dust or straw or sawdust for a good 5 minutes. Otherwise you'll ruin the shine with gunk that will get stuck in the drying polish.



Do your best, and SMILE!

Have fun!

Answer 2

Command class is what it sounds like. They will tell you what to do( a command like halt or trot) and you should be able to do this whithin a couple seconds of the command being said. ( i guess it doesnt really matter because its a camp show). this class is the same for english and western.



Equitation is based 90% on the rider and 10% on the horse. They look at your position on the horse mainly. Remember to keep your heels down :)



Pleasure now is based on 10% of the rider adn 90% of the horse. They should look like they are pleasurable to ride. they should be on a light rein but not too light so that you have no control. keep nice even paces. and the judges usually like a long and low head set for western. for english you dont want a horse to have a high head set you want it to be either a little bit above or at the hieght of the horses whithers.



I suggest to groom for theshow is that if you can give them a bath, but you dont have to because its just a camp show. Groom your horses till they shine :) make sure there not dirty. and dont forget to pick their feet and comb their mane and tail. adn i dont know if you can or you need to but if you want you could clean their tack. ive never been to a horsecamp show so im not totally sure what your able to do when it comes to bathing or cleaning tack. It also may be unnessary. Ask some one like a counsler at the camp and see what your allowed to do :) good luck!!

Answer 3

I don't know what "command class" is but equitation is based on the rider and how they handle the horse. Pleasure classes are based on the horse and how it moves. In equitaion, there is generally a pattern and then rail work. Pay attention to your position and how you handle the horse. In pleasure, you want the horse to look like a pleasure to ride and easy to handle. If you are riding a quarter horse, they look for a loose rein.

In any class, make sure you get the correct leads and when posting in English, make sure you have the correct diagnol.



As for grooming, I don't know what you are allowed to do at your camp but definitely bathe the horses. Comb out the mane and tail and scrub legs, especially if they are white. If you can (and the horse is broke for it), clip the muzzle, lower jaw, eyelashes, ears, and legs (the fetlock hair). It makes the horse look polished and good for any class. If you can't clip, see if you can use sharp scissors to trim where it should be clipped. But a bath does a horse wonders and then use a cloth or a soft brush to clean off any excess dirt.



I hope this helps! Good luck!

Answer 4

Well for command class, the judge will usually call out a gait or something & you have to wait until they say "NOW!", or something like that, to do it. You should try to do it as quickly as possible once they say "NOW!". If you break or don't respond fast enough, you are out. The last person in wins. As for the second class (I assume you mean equitation?), its judged on the rider. So keep your shoulders back, heels down, eyes up, and legs still. Make sure you get the correct diagonal for english and sit very quietly for western. Make sure you pick up the correct lead for the canter/ lope. You want to respond as soon as the judge calls out an instruction. Pleasure is about how pleasurable the horse is too ride. So you want to try to ride with a light rein and keep the horse quiet. Make sure your horse is clean and well-groomed with clean tack. You should pull the manes, or at least brush them out, and brush the tails.