Today's post comes from my friend and well known judge/hobbyist Teresa
Buzzell. Teresa was one of the performance judges at this year's NAN and the experience inspired her to write the following article. She originally posted this in her Blab Blog, so some of you have probably already seen it. Still, there is a lot of really good information here and it's well worth the re-post!
The pictures are courtesy of Melissa Sage and they are
not here to illustrate any of Teresa's points. I simply chose pictures of my friend's models or set-ups that I thought looked particularly interesting. So, don't be offended if you see your horse in a "how to lose" posting, OK?
The last photo shows Melissa's Stone Arabian,
Darkh Knight, winning the huge OF Arabian Costume class with a costume made by Melissa herself. The costume is beautiful, well fitted and well documented--that's how you
win a class at NAN!
That's it for me--the rest of the posting is all Teresa!
Now, these comments are based on what I saw at NAN this year and they are mainly geared towards performance showers. However, that doesn't mean that there aren't a few things that halter showers can take with them....
So, without ado...
How to lose a class at NAN!
Documentation: lack of, wrong, or none at allI saw breed halter documentation in a performance class, documentation that was a history lesson more than giving me information about the entry itself and documentation that told me the entry was wrong. I think a lot of people find documentation to be hard. It's really not - you need to tell the judge *why* your horse fits the breed or is doing the class correctly. If the information does not match the horse or the class, you need to redo the documentation. Research for documentation purposes teaches YOU how to put your entry together, it's not just for "dumb judges".
Reins, hands and dolls I saw a lot of badly placed reins in doll hands. Split reins aren't held like
romal reins are. The hand itself has a place to be with each. Double bridle reins have their own placement too - and it's not both sets coming up under the pinkie. I was shocked that so many people did not have snaffles or
bosals on their western horse - it's the easy way for a rider!
And more dolls If you can't get your doll to sit well, LEAVE IT OFF. I saw SO many badly riding dolls, it wasn't funny. If they didn't have the rein problem, their butt was not in the saddle. Or they were crooked on the horse or the legs were
waaaay off the sides of the horse.
Curb bits Curbs needs straps - leather or chain but to function on a real horse, they
NEEEEEED a strap. Did your tack maker forget a strap? TELL THEM and do NOT ever buy anything else from them that resembles a bridle. And, you don't find them in EVERY Western event. Speed event horses? Don't tend to have curbs. When there's time, CHANGE your bridles out! It's that little detail that can win BIG.
Breast collars/plates - English, Western, Arab Costumes Wow... I saw more incorrectly adjusted breast collar/plates than anything else - a handful, if not more, in EVERY class. Which is silly - in your western stock horses you don't SEE breast collars
IRL. As with everything, if it doesn't fit, DO NOT put it on! Now, in the Arab costumes, it's a necessary piece - but still, the majority of horses in the classes are standing and there's no extra excuse for a shower to not make sure it's not loose and sloppy.
Wraps, boots and other protective devicesWraps and boots aren't just placed on a horse with no care. The straps are wrapped around from front to back as to not help the horse bow a tendon. And, if there is fetlock protection, it should cover and cup the fetlock. Plus, make sure that the boot is tall enough to protect the cannon correctly. And, of course, make sure they are appropriate to the event. Did you know that you will find open front boots in eventing but most judges do not know or do not agree? So...put something else on your horse!
Oh, and bell boots? The velcro goes to the front of the hoof and the straps go from front to back. That way, the hind feet can't strip them off.
One event wonders stretching their talentsI'm all about the one or two event wonders going in many things. Some people are incredibly talented at this, some are not. If you want to do this, be smart. Make sure your horse is placed correctly - if he's in a cutting pose, make sure he's not going to knock the barrel down in barrels. Don't push your entry further than necessary. Not every horse can do every thing so pick your classes wisely.
Numbers...1...2...3Entry numbers are for identification. If you are in a rail class, your number needs to be displayed for the judge at all times. Now, if it's on the back of your doll, it can be seen by the judge - they just have to change where they are. If it's on the blanket... you need TWO numbers. There is no way the judge can see the number that's on the rail side! And since you can buy them in sets of two - there's no excuse.
Oh, and the oval numbers you see on working English horses? They are NOT SMALLER than a real horse's eyeball. Think more the size of the horse's nostril. In dressage/jumper/eventing, you are usually only issued one. There's not a problem of knowing who you are - you have an order of go, score sheets or are the only one in the arena at the same time!
Patterns, tests and movementsIf your class requires a pattern, test or movement, (Dressage tests have MOVEMENTS, not patterns - sorry, pet peeve!) place your entry correctly. If you have a lead you need to be on, make sure your model is ON that lead. If you're to be going right, make sure you ARE going right. Plus, place your horse where it does that part the best. If you're picking up the passage at V, going to F and then to D, you may want to place your straight horse between V and F, not at F, completely missing the turn there for D.
(Yep, know your arena diagram too.)
Tassels, chains and other thingsI love Arab costume. I've never shown it in real life but I've watched a lot and shown a LOT of model costumes horses. But entries here can make me mad almost as easy as bad dressage entries. If you have a halter under your bridle, a halter chain is in order. But, that chain does not need to be so long as to whack the horse in the eyeball if it flipped up over his nose. And if it's the type to tighten up, it needs to not be hanging down, looser than snot.
Don't have a doll? Don't worry, there's not a lot of sheiks out there. But, that does not mean that your reins have to drape oddly or aren't gathered up on moving horses. PLUS...I have seen a lot of costumes - while split reins are allowable in the show ring, on a native style costume, not so much. A dropped rein while running across the desert, chasing rival tribes is not a good thing. And, DO NOT just cross split reins as if there was a snaffle under that tassel and have them lay over the saddle!
And FIX THOSE BREAST PLATES! Pull them up so they lay correctly and make sure all the tassels are swinging freely.
Oh please, show me something new Man, oh, man... I am so retiring my egg n' spoon games entry. On a table full of non speed games, I saw more broken eggs than I care to recall. So, be different and FIND SOMETHING ELSE! There are many, many ideas out there that do not require your doll to balance a spoon or you to keep broken eggs around.And I will scream if I see another poles entry in trail class. You know, a bridge or a gate or even a MAILBOX would be a nice change of pace! Heck, all ya need for a gate is a piece of string and two jump standards! Have a few options available, watch what your fellow entries are doing and BE DIFFERENT. And before anyone asks me, my current trail horse sets ups do NOT involve anyone going over poles AT ALL, English OR Western. (Two do involve poles but aren't the obstacle themselves.)
Rules? What rules?Every show has their rules. NAN has rules regarding setups and props and what not. They aren't there to be ignored and if you do, there's a good chance you WILL be DQ'd or pinned lower for not following them.
Research, research AND MORE RESEARCH
Ya know, I saw something I hoped to never see at NAN... incorrectly created tack. I mean, crooked pieces and things not going where they needed to be and it wasn't just ME who saw these things. And you and I both know that the entrant spent good money on these things. Before you spend money, be it on tack or a model, KNOW what you need to know to make a knowledgeable decision regarding purchases. You'll be much, MUCH happier.
And do research your class. Know what is good and bad to see in your class. Showmanship is all about the DOLL showing the horse. So, the doll really should be neat and presentable and the horse should be close to square (if not square) with a well fitting halter. And if you are setting up your horse for inspection, the doll is just not standing there, holding the lead in a messy manner. I know there are showmanship videos up on the web - WATCH THEM before you set up your entry.
The judge wants to place everyone - don't give them a reason to NOT place you.
It's Jennifer again, just chiming in to thank both Teresa and Melissa for their contributions to today's posting!
Hunter braids should be small, evenly spaced and plentiful. It's common to see anywhere between thirty and thirty five braids on an average hunter's neck.
The yarn should match the horse's mane color as closely as possible. Brightly colored or contrasting yarn of any sort is generally not seen at a hunter show.
Hunters have very short bridle paths--usually just the width of their bridle's crownpiece. The braids should start right up near the top of the poll. (This may be different for horses showing at breed shows--all the horses in these pictures are competing in rated hunter divisions at a large USEF Hunter/Jumper show.) 
Forelocks are also braided. There are several different ways to braid the forelock, and it really doesn't matter which is used as long as the end result is close to the horse's head and tidy looking. 
If you have some real old school books in your reference library, you may have heard of an odds/evens rule regarding the number of braids and the horses gender. This is not something I would worry about. Professional braiders certainly don't, and I've never heard this rule discussed at a real show or among hunter riders.
Of course, there is some room for variation. This short necked horse has less than thirty braids in his mane.
Here's another horse with both fewer and tinier braids. In this case I'd guess it's less about length of neck and more about not having much mane to work with.
Pony hunters are also shown in braids. Their necks may be shorter, but a good braider will still be able to fit an awful lot of braids into that smaller space.
Oh well, at least the running pictures are cute!
She's a very delicate, 
Here he is sporting a windblown 'do.
Rambling Willie was was a bay 
Doesn't he have the cutest face?
He was a Kentucky-bred Thoroughbred who earned eight Eclipse Awards--including Horse of the Year three times--during his six year career.
Last but not least is my old friend John Henry.
I was fortunate enough to see John Henry race several times and have posted some of my other pictures of him here: 
The demonstrations are pretty basic--the "Western" breeds are ridden Western, the Sport breeds are ridden English, and the Shetland pony pulls a cart... 
Model horse hobbyists tend to be pretty well versed on the various breeds and types of horses, so 
Chariot horse bridles. These don't look authentic to me, but what do I know?
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