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For the Love of Showing Horses and Ponies
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New York Carriages
I read in the news this week that, starting June next year, carriage horses will no longer be allowed to offer rides in New York City. No...

Showing on a Shoestring
Oct 81 min read


Keeping active over winter
What to do with your show horse or pony to keep them going over the winter? This used to be more of a problem years ago when there were...

Showing on a Shoestring
Sep 111 min read


Show Hunter Pony Turnout
What to wear for a show hunter pony class? For the show hunter pony classes, you need to wear a tweed jacket, shirt, and tie. You can...

Showing on a Shoestring
Aug 281 min read


Numbers
In the UK, we wear our numbers on our backs, and it used to be that we rounded the edges of them, but I notice this is being done less...

Showing on a Shoestring
Aug 141 min read


The cost of qualifiers
Entering a qualifier can be expensive. Though there are many qualifiers that you don't need to register to be a member of or be a member...

Showing on a Shoestring
Aug 62 min read


Mountain & moorland small and large breeds
You may notice at a lot of shows that the mountain and moorland classes aren't split by individual breeds, but that they are split by...

Showing on a Shoestring
Jul 281 min read


Showing classes that don't have age restrictions.
The problem I have is that although I'm short and lightweight and can absolutely ride a pony, for the majority of classes, I am out of...

Showing on a Shoestring
Jul 221 min read


Cornbury Horse Trials
Cornbury Horse Trials is one of those events that just makes you feel good. Set in the stunning grounds of Cornbury Park, it has a...

Showing on a Shoestring
Jul 91 min read


Are County Shows Making a Comeback
In my opinion, they absolutely are. Just a few years ago, the county show circuit seemed to be in serious decline, especially some of the...

Showing on a Shoestring
Jul 81 min read


The Royal Three Counties Show
Wow. Honestly, the best show I think I've ever attended in terms of visiting an agricultural shows. I felt it had so much more to offer...

Showing on a Shoestring
Jun 281 min read


Showing ponies in the 90s
So I'm jumping on the back of the trend that I saw in Horse and Hound the other day about nineties childhoods. What do I remember from...

Showing on a Shoestring
Jun 281 min read


What to wear when stripping a horse for confirmation
In some showing classes, it's necessary to take all your horse's tack off so the judge can better see their confirmation and looks. This...

Showing on a Shoestring
Jun 282 min read


Unaffiliated rings
Something I've noticed this year, and it may have been going on for longer, is that many large shows are now featuring unaffiliated...

Showing on a Shoestring
Jun 101 min read


Rediscovering in hand showing
Something I've recently learned to enjoy is showing horses in hand. It's not something I liked when I was younger, but I've actually...

Showing on a Shoestring
Jun 91 min read


What I love about showing ponies (and horses)
Honestly, I love so much about it. I love being in the ring competing. I don’t care if I'm propping up the end of the line. I think...

Showing on a Shoestring
Jun 31 min read


Do I have to have a showing saddle to go showing?
Absolutely not. There's nothing saying that you've got to have a showing saddle to go showing. What a showing saddle does is it's...

Showing on a Shoestring
May 291 min read


Self doubt in the show ring
Its natural to have self doubts when it comes to showing horses. I'm sure of it, and I'm definitely not an exception. Some of my showing...

Showing on a Shoestring
May 281 min read


Training Stakes
Training stakes are classes designed to get people into working hunters, as well as mountain and moorland working hunter ponies. The...

Showing on a Shoestring
May 281 min read


Lead rein, first ridden and first year first ridden
What is the difference between lead rein sharing, first ridden, and first year first ridden? Well, lead rein is pretty self-explanatory....

Showing on a Shoestring
May 281 min read


Showing a horse with bad confirmation
What to do when you've got an absolute wonky donkey? Lovely horse, but confirmation-wise, not the greatest. Well, there are a few little...

Showing on a Shoestring
May 221 min read
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