Cowboy Hats

[Belinda]

ItWhat does get a bit amusing is the way some who show at halter do all sorts of unusual fencing style moves and bob up and down and back and forth, twisting and turning, waving arms around, holding themselves in bizarre positions, fussing and bouncing... pointing their pockets at the horse as if they were holding up a bank...

Offering your hat to the horse is a least one smoooooth move and does not involve a lot of gymnastics!!

That was the best thing I have read in while.. And so much truth to it. But I will have to say I might be one of those bob up and down people at times..

But it is all about getting the most out of your horse..

Hats , coon tails , skunk tails, feed, hay , grass, foil paper, those krinkle cat toys, I can not even remember everything I have seen folks use to get their horses attention.. Use to be bic lighters before they made a rule againist that , guess some folks got a little carried away and lit the horses up or something not sure what happen with that..

But hats are sure not unfair. and years ago , we all wore Western hats, look at some of the video's from back in the middle 80"s and on yepper we were all dressed in our hats , boots, and those western shirts and Jackets.. But times do change.. But any woman is still Welcome to wear a hat if she wants to..

 

[Leeana]

I can imagine where this started at, people will do anything to bring those better then them down to size...

I dont think it is unfair and i would find it pretty silly if that was wrote into the rulebook. I'm not a hat person, but its just another tool anyone can use if they see fit

. Hey, if it works...it works

.

I like to use the crinkling paper from inside my feed bag as it has the feed smell on it and makes noise, takes out two birds with one stone and i do own a skunk tail or two. Only thing i do not use is tic tacks or anything that will be distracting to the point it bothers others horses, always great when your trying to work a horse in the ring and behind you someone is rattling tic tacks...guess i was just raised up a little to polite

.

Tagalong ...

 

[maestoso]

No, I do not think it is an unfair advantage. in most classes, baiting is allowed, and there aren't any rules that I know of restricting the type of bait permitted. I could douse a skunk tail or rag in any smell I wanted, hide it in my pocket and pull it out in front of the judge.

Personally, I wouldn't wear hat that smelled of a mare in heat, for fear that my hair would then smell like that, and being around horses as much as I am when showing, this could cause all sorts of problems

Also, I have seen women wear western hats, it's their choice to or not too. Saying it is unfair, IMO, is just whining. I've been in classes where the women are wearing clothes that are so covered in sequins that I am blinded and the glare is horrible, I don't think that's fair, but I'm certainly not going to go find a sequined ensemble to retaliate with!

We can only micro manage so much before things get ridiculous. Are we going to hire an extra ring steward who's job is to smell hats on the way into the ring???

 

[Annabellarose]

but I do wear western attire, including a hat when I show my mini "Quarterhorse" or a derby if I show my little "Arab".

Arabian halter people do not wear derbys; just an FYI if you are trying to mimic the Arabian show world.

 

[wildoak]

I have shown Quarter Horse and Paint Horse halter (quite successfully!) and I have NEVER heard of such a thing!

Nope, me neither when I was showing QHs but then, showing a QH at halter is a much different thing. You set them up and leave them alone - with minis, as has been posted there is a great deal of contortion going on to get "that look"

For the record, I see nothing wrong with hats - I like the look and might wear one but for the hat hair and headache it gives me LOL.

Jan

 

[Genie]

Where there is a will there is a way!!!!

I have a old fashioned ring that has a compartment that opens to hold a lock of hair ,or could have a bit of snuff, or any small item, like a little smell that is interesting to a horse?

Who would guess????.

I don't show very much but do show at local fairs and I wear a cowboy hat.

I am not a contortionist and do not "wind myself up" in unusual positions to set my horse up. I haven't got that figured out and actually do not like looking at show people who do that.

Very unnatural but I guess if that's how you get your horse to "assume the position" then I guess that's what you have to do.

Wouldn't it be easier to train them to set up properly without standing on your head?

Sorry, couldn't resist, I am trying to treat the topic lightly and maybe it's serious to a lot of people.

 

[sdmini]

I can think of one person who showed very successfully that would take a nerf ball dip in mare urine cut it up into manageable pieces and stick it in his pocket. Never did it myself but admired his inganuity. He never wore a hat either by the way.

Guess we will have to start frisking everyone before entering the ring.

 

[Lost Spoke Ranch]

Oh my goodness, "putting mare in heat smell in your hat".

I don't know of or ever heard of anyone doing that, but to each their own!

Having grown up in the Midwest and showing POA's (Pony's of America's) pony apps in the early 70's and Quarter's in the 80's, I wear a western hat at shows and at home. As someone mentioned earlier a straw hat in the summer felt in winter.

As far as using a hat as bait in a class, I have no problem with that.

Dawn

 

[icspots]

Nothing wrong with it at all, and I'm female, and yes I've worn a cowboy hat! I have a lazy gelding that just wants me to "wake him up when it's over", wore a hat last time I showed him, and yowza, couldn't believe it was my horse, little stinker looked GOOD!

BTW, the gentleman mentioned by SD mini, is a mini JUDGE. He knows that you do what it takes to get the look. So if it requires being a contortionist or wearing a hat, or carrying stinky things around, I guess it just depends on how hungry you are for the win. And I agree with previous posts that people whining about it are basically just envious that other people are winning consistently and are trying to take some of that away from them.

 

[MountainMeadows]

Nothing wrong with it at all, and if you think about it -- we are paying the trainers to do the best job that they can to get absolutely THE BEST show out of our horse possible -- if it means dancing a jig, groveling around on the ground for dirt or leftover grain, patting their pocket, or waving a hat in front of them -- as long as they aren't shanking on the horse and causing a look of FEAR, then pretty much anything goes - and it truly does! If waving a hat scented with "whatever" gets those ears up and gets me an higher placing, I am not going to argue -- after all, ALL the handlers are allowed to perform the same "feats" if they want to.

Stac

 

[funnybunny]

Yep. I know those hat hipsters.

When they take off that hat, you know they're desperate for their horse to start showing. When I see that, I know they're struggling and it should be a tip off to the judges that things are not going well for them. To me, it detracts from the horse and makes you notice that they are NOT showing.

On the other hand, I think the trainers who get the horse to show themselves without a lot of weird gesturing are to be commended.

To me, less is more.

Sometimes there will be a whole class full of hat wavers, stoopers, benders, bumpers and grinders. It looks hysterical and should be on Worlds Funniest Videos. Some women stick their puppies out in front and their booties out behind and bend and twist like exotic dancers.

No, I don't think hats are unfair. But as a breeder and owner (and observer, not a shower), I appreciate trainers who bring attention to the horse WITHOUT bringing so much attention to themselves. Drama queens can look outrageous without even wearing cowboy hats!

OK. Flame me. But it's just my opinion...

 

[Charlotte]

Ummmmmmc my opinion here........You'll see Frank use his hat in the ring sometimes........AND here at home sometimes. Not a cowboy hat. A snap brim. At home a baseball cap. What attracts the horse's interest is not the smell (of sweaty hair?) but rather this dark hole coming at them. Try it with your own horse and see. Many of them respond with interest. But if you're planning to use that in the ring don't use it at home cause they lose interest real fast!

I see nothing at all wrong with that. In the show ring in a class that is lasting for sometimes 45 minutes and the horse is bored with the whole thing????? I would stand on my head if I had to and thought it would help! (that's assuming I could manage that feat at my age)

Charlotte

 

[Littleum]

Nothing stopping a lady from wearing a hat if she likes.

I don't see how it's an "unfair advantage" if anyone can do it!

Me, I hate wearing hats and won't be wearing one.

 

[joylee123]

Guys, I am not talking about just wearing the hat in classes, I am talking about taking the hat off your head and baiting the horse with it to get their ears and a hooky neck. I see certain trainers do it all of the time, in front of judges.
One can put the smell of a mare in heat in the hat lining and get the horse to really show himself. If you do that on your sleeve, you will have the horse all over you all of the time. With the hat, you can use it only when the judge is watching and get the horse excited. It is also a tool that can be used when a horse is being trained back at home.

Is this fair? Especially since women do not dress up in western gear to show.

[SIZE=12pt]I almost always wear Western clothing in the show ring. It is who I am

I have some very nice Western Hobby Horse bolero jackets, Navajo print Silverado jackets and a black stetson

I even have sterling silver Kilties on my Ropers

[/SIZE]

Everyone has a trick or two to get their horse to show themselves. I don't think it's an unfair advantage

JMO

Joy

 

[nbark]

but I do wear western attire, including a hat when I show my mini "Quarterhorse" or a derby if I show my little "Arab".

Arabian halter people do not wear derbys; just an FYI if you are trying to mimic the Arabian show world.

Saddleseat riders (Arab or otherwise) use the derby and would look a whole lot better than a hard hat used by the hunter/jumpers. The Arab was used because most mini's are shown in halter using a smaller version of the Arab halter. No offense made by it.

 

[Shortpig]

When I rode I wore a cowboy hat. When I showed Jimmy at the local fair I wore a cowboy hat. My hat of choice is a cowboy hat. Forget the fact that I have a small head and therefore have to buy hats made for Jrs when I can find them.

If you wear western clothing to show why wouldn't you top it off with a cowboy hat? If I were to show at a mini show I would like to know that it would be my choice what kind of hat to wear.

Outdoor shows standing in the hot sun we are supposed to wear hats to protect ourselves from the suns rays. I feel that a person should have a choice what kind of hat they wear. Now waving it in front of my horse to get his attention and ears is no different than the other antics I see people doing to keep their horses attention. How nice it would be if when your horse is tired of standing we could just say "show me your ears and neck please, keep your feet planted and stop moving around" and have it work. By putting treats in my pocket to keep my horses attention I can guarantee the opportunity to get mauled. "Happens daily actually here at home". There is nothing like the smell of a good fresh berry treat for my kids.

If you don't like hats its an easy solution, don't wear one!

So how about this here another way to go with the hat.

This is Jill and she wouldn't even consider showing with out a hat

 

[Kendra]

How on earth can something that many people wear every day, and anyone is absolutely welcome to wear, be an "unfair advantage"? Unbelieveable.

The term "sour grapes" comes to mind.

I usually don't wear my hat in halter, but sometimes, if it's right after showmanship, or if I'm paying attention and the judge is wearing one. Not sure I've used it to get ears ... I'd probably drop it in the dirt.

 

[Annabellarose]

but I do wear western attire, including a hat when I show my mini "Quarterhorse" or a derby if I show my little "Arab".

Arabian halter people do not wear derbys; just an FYI if you are trying to mimic the Arabian show world.

Saddleseat riders (Arab or otherwise) use the derby and would look a whole lot better than a hard hat used by the hunter/jumpers. The Arab was used because most mini's are shown in halter using a smaller version of the Arab halter. No offense made by it.

Okay, but we were talking about showing "halter", not under saddle or driving. Arabian halter people do not wear derbys.

 

[Riverdance]

Thank you for all of the responses so far. I have a friend that comes from the big horse world (all breeds) who thinks it looks ridicules that people take their hats off to bait horses in the show ring. It is just not seen in the big horse world and she thinks it looks unprofessional , so she asked me to question you all.

There is nothing wrong with wearing hats, nor was the question posted to get negative responses regarding jealousy of not having horses as good as others.

The question was asked because what if everyone started to wear hats and using them to bait. Don't you think that we would all look silly and rather unprofessional. Is not a horse supposed to be trained to stand and look pretty.

After all, look at the Arabians, Morgan's and Saddlebreds that are shown in halter, these horses are trained to set up, park out and used their ears. They focus on the tip of the crop, not a big hat which is distracting to everyone around.As does dancing around, shaking bells, clickers, shaking a tic tac container or stamping your feet at the horse. It looks very unprofessional and seems to her that some of the trainers and exhibitors just do not spend the time or energy to properly train the horses.

Are we not striving to present our horses as professionally as they do in the big horse ring. Until we do that, we are just not taken seriously.

Don't flame me for this, I am only posting this for a big horse friend who wanted to see what Mini horse people would think and how they would respond.

 

[Reble]

They focus on the tip of the crop, not a big hat which is distracting to everyone around.

Can we use a crop?