Meet The Horse Show Mom January 14, 2008

 

 

January 31, 2008

I am very lucky to work everyday with a wonderful group of women who are very much like an extended family.  Because they are so wonderful and supportive (and I am the “boss”) they make a point at the start of each week to collectively ask me how Savannah and Skittles did over the weekend.  I am not quite sure what kind of mental exercises they have to subject their minds to in order to prepare for the twenty minutes of babbling that occurs once they open the flood gate but I am always amused at the blank stares on their faces as I proceed to speak in a different language that they do not in any way understand.  I am always so appreciative when I finish my whirlwind account of her weekend accomplishments and they sweetly say “that is great, you must be so proud” having no understanding of a thing I just said.  I am sure they are glad when the weekly duty is completed.

So today I have decided as a tribute to the great women I joyfully work with I am going to explain and define the terminology of the hunter ring. 

We should probably start with how a hunter is judged.  A hunter class judges the horse/pony carriage and movement.  A good hunter should be relaxed and graceful with a long and low neck line.  Probably the most important factor is the horses jumping style.  Over jumps the legs should be folded high and evenly.  His head and neck should naturally stretch down and his jumping should look effortless.  In a hunter class the horse or pony is being primarily judged however the riders job is to show off  the horse by navigating the course and keeping the correct pace therefore ensuring the course looks even.

Many times on this site we discuss equitation.  Savannah most enjoys concentrating on good equitation.  Equitation refers to the riders position, balance and effectiveness in communicating with the horse or pony.  A good equitation round should look smooth and effortless and the communication between horse and rider should be invisible to the judge. 

Now that we know the difference between hunter and equitation we should explain how the shows are organized.  Each horse and rider participates in divisions.  A division is made up of usually 2-3 or as many as 6 individual classes.  At the end of each class the riders are “pinned”.  Pinning is when the winners are announced.  At our local shows the riders are pinned first place through sixth place.  Each placing is given a point value and at the end of the entire division points are added and a champion is announced (highest points for the division) as well as the reserve champion (second highest points for the division).  A horse and rider may participate in a division based on one or more of the following considerations:

1.  Riders Age

2. Riders Skill Level

3. Horse/Pony Skill Level

4. Pony Size

A division usually consist of at least two hunter over fences (O/F) classes and one flat class.   A flat class is a class that does not involve jumping.  We often refer to the flat class that judges the horse or pony’s movement as the ”under saddle” class (U/S) or the ”hack” class.  Some divisions also incorporate a second flat class which judges equitation.  We often refer to this as the ”equitation on the flat” class.  Over fences classes are just that … classes that involve jumping over fences.  Sometimes a division will not only have the two over fences hunter rounds (judging the horse/pony) and an equitation over fences round (judging the riders effectiveness)  but will also offer a “warmup” round.  This round is the first round over fences and does not count towards point totals.  The ”warmup” is a great opportunity for horse and rider to see and ride the course without having to worry about mistakes and points. 

I am sure, despite this entry, it is still somewhat confusing.  My poor husband still, after two years, ask me at every show whether the pony or rider is being judged and what is a “hack”. However, I hope that by taking this time to define many of the terms commonly heard my wonderful friends might look at me with some sort of ability to follow along when I begin to excitedly exclaim “they did great… they won the eq on the flat, got second in the under saddle, took first in the warmup and got a second and third in the hunter rounds and ended the day as reserve champs!”. 

Now if I could only get them to understand why there is no exact ”time” for when she will ride they can come out and watch! 

 

 January 19,  2008

Rain, Rain, and snow Go Away and Don’t Come Back On a Show Day!!

Well today was suposed to be the day… you know the first show of the season.  Savannah and Skittles worked hard all week.  All Savannah talked about every night this week before going to bed was how she just could not wait and how it had been “soooooo” long since the last show (November).  All I could think about was all the work that had to be done before we got up in 30 degree weather at 6 a.m. and horse showed.  I was dreading getting off work at 4 on Friday and driving 45 minutes home and picking up Savannah and then driving 60 mph to get to the barn so she could get in a ride before it got dark.  Then there would be scrubbing the pony, cleaning tack, packing and going over our horse show lists.  Then I would drive home, put Savannah to bed, throw her jacket in the dryer, fold her show clothes and check that list, wash the pad and girth, and finally hit the sack.   

Well guess what, I still have to do all that just not this weekend.  Yesterday afternoon I got the news that with snow expected the show was a no go.  Fine by me but I still had to deliver the news to Savannah.  Boy was she all doom and gloom when she heard the news.  All day she has been bumming around the house… that is until about thirty minutes ago when the snow started actually falling.  I guess snow makes the lack of a horse show acceptable because she is all smiles now!  As for me, I am taking the oppurtunity to enjoy a cup of hot chocolate and read a good book…Grooming To Win.  I’ll be ready to horse show this coming weekend!  Happy Snow Days!

 

January 18th,  2008 

I have decided to take over this part of the site.  I am Savannah’s mom and like many of you somewhere along the line I officially became known as a horse show mom.  Many of you know what this entails already but for those of you who are new to the horse show world or are just embarking on your own journey as a horse show mom I thought this part of the site could be a source of great support. 

 

I have often wanted to share my frustration with other mom’s when my daughter spills ketchup on her riding pants just before her class starts even after I specifically demanded she stay away from the concession stand or share my exhaustion when it is 10:00 p.m. on a Sunday night and I still have to drive  three hours back home and work the next day and she is still waiting at the in gate.  I often wonder how many other moms spend their Friday nights faithfully in a wash stall scrubbing a pony only to discover poop stains on them again in the morning.  I bet I am not the only mother who has picked their child up from school with a trailer and pony on the back of an SUV.  Then there is the financial sacrifice we make.  I will never forget the day I loaded my mare on someone else’s trailer and sent her on her way to a new owner with tears streaming down my face so that I could use the money spent on her for my daughter’s increasing number of horse shows and lessons.  But none of these stories are different than other horse show mom stories.  We wash, braid, travel, pack, finance, tack up, dress, do hair, lounge, stand and wait, plan, schedule and anything else our children need to make their horsey dreams come true.

 

So get a leg up and tell me your horse show mom stories.  I invite you to continue to visit this page to be inspired and to share.  Please check back for my weekly updates.  I will be sharing my favorite horse show mom stories from the week.