Planning a driving class for an open show

[susanne]

Our county Rodeo/Horse Show puts on a couple of open shows each year. This year I requested they include a driving class or two and they agreed.

The coordinator knows nothing about driving and said that we could plan the class however we want, and left it there in my hands.

I'm thinking just a basic pleasure class, but I really don't know what that would entail. (The blind leading the blind...) Entries will certainly include horses of all sizes, with 4-H kids to recreational drivers to (possibly--hopefully) a couple who know what they're doing.

We have a complete absence of ADS pleasure shows in the area, so I'd like this class to have the widest possible appeal and, at the same time, create something that can be built upon in the future.

I have no idea if the judge will have any knowledge of driving or if they will just go by what looks nice to them.

So...those who have organized or participated in driving classes at open shows, what can you tell me? What type of classes have been offered? Which have the most entries? What is involved in each of these classes (what description could I provide)? What have you personally found most enjoyable?

Any and all suggestions will be most helpful.

Thanks!

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

I went to an open show in a nearby town earlier this month for a couple of driving classes (entered 3 classes and came home with 2 firsts and a 2nd

)

Anyway they split the classes by size so minis did not have draft and saddle horses running over top of them in the ring. I have spoken to several people who have entered mixed classes and it was not a great experience since minis even at their very best, can't out trot a standardbred or even an arab. They offered 5 driving classes for each of the sizes; Pleasure - standard pleasure driving class with walk, pleasure trot, and extended trot , judged on way of going, attitude and responsiveness to cues(they had another term for it but at the moment my brain is refusing to share that info...lol, senior moment) Horses to demonstrate they were a true 'pleasure' to drive.

Command class - very similar to the pleasure class, walk, working trot, extended trot, Judge could ask for (command) any gait at any time for any length of time. Made for some interesting transitions when the 1/4 horse judge asked for an extended trot from a walk and vice versa. Not sure how much he knew about driving. Still it was fun and really tested the horses willingness and understanding of the different cues.

Then there was Reinsmanship - a pattern was posted and the class was to be done at a working trot. Ended with backing 5 steps. Judged on the whips ability to guide the horse thro the pattern. This class was my 2nd place, my mare was too tired (out of shape) to push me and the cart back 5 steps thro the deep footing we had there after the previous 2 classes so our back was very sloppy. Oh well, next time we'll be better prepared and she'll be more fit.

The last 2 classes were poles and barrels. Done basically just as a ridden gymkhana would be except for safety reasons horses could not go over a trot and it was in the class description that cantering would eliminate the competitor. I didn't take part in either of the last 2 classes my poor girl was done in from the first 3 classes that each took a good 20 minutes in the ring, but they were very well received and looked like a lot of fun.

I hope that helps give you some ideas anyway

 

[Sandee]

Reignmaker Miniatures said

"my mare was too tired (out of shape) to push me and the cart back 5 steps thro the deep footing"

Now that's the biggest trouble with open shows. After the big horses get done churning up the arena, the minis can't drive in it at all sometimes. I told a judge last summer, "if you really want to see her back, I can step out of the cart and she'll do it." I did; she did and we got second place.

If you want the minis to have a chance at competing it would be best to have the driving classes before the big horse get in there and stir the ground up. On the other hand some places take equipment in and "prepare" the arena which makes it even worse for the little guys.

You might try talking to whoever is running the show about leaving the arena alone and having the driving classes first.

The classes most offered are pleasure in which the horse goes both ways in the arena at walk, trot (collected trot), and "pleasure" or "working" (extended) trot. Unless you have at least 3 or more minis (and or ponies) then they will need to go against the big horses. It's been done.

The other popular class is reinsmanship which involves a pattern that the judge can call out (it does not have to be posted before hand). He can ask for a figure 8 or backing or driving with one hand. Check the Pinto websight rulebook for more ideas.

 

[targetsmom]

Please think about safety when you mix big horses that may never have seen driving, and carts being pulled by equines of any size. This applies to areas where the drivers may warm up in addition to the ring and getting to the ring. I have seen calm horses freak out (and get badly injured) when encountering a mini warming up for a driving class. Be sure there is plenty of room and a perhaps a specific area for this.

For ideas about classes, I would definitely split by size of equine. You can get ideas for classes and rules from the Pinto rule book online at www.pinto.org. They have gymkhana classes too - must trot the pattern - and obstacle driving, pleasure driving, disciplined rail driving (run like command but you aren't eliminated for errors), reinsmanship, and a special pinto class called "ideal pinto driving".

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

Sandee, you are right about the footing getting worse if they prep it before hand , usually they 'fluff' it like they would for a reining class or something. Our local club had someone amazing do the arena we used for our show this spring and the footing was awesome. However that was a minis only show so there was no larger horses digging it up. Altho since it is a community arena we had to watch that riders understood we (our club) had rented it for the weekend and they were not welcome to ride there until after the show

.

This open/fun show I attended was in a nearby town and this was the first time they'd offered driving classes. Turn out was really good tho so I expect they will again in future years. Maybe then they will start to make sure the footing is appropriate for our smaller equines.

 

[Coventry Lane Farm]

We had a miniature horse open fun show for 6 years for the Westmoreland County Fair with offering various driving classes being Country Pleasure, Pleasure, Roadster, Obstacle driving, Cloverleaf Barrel racing with being in a cart and Egg & Spoon. We had up to 78 horses attend the show with 30 classes with a carded judge and everyone had a great time.

 

[BBH]

I think biggest issue is the footing...have done one open show which is very well organized and the do office one driving class.......BUT the footing was so deep in arena that even a large pony was having trouble pulling cart, we had to put to in the arena after all saddle horses had bene cleared as so many were afraid of carts and the warm up was about two minutes/two rounds and they called for class to begin......it was a great learning experience for me but I won't go back due to the footing. The class would have been better held in the warm up area that was somewhat packed.

I think barrel racing in a cart would be great and other types of classes......sort of a cart playday......

 

[rcfarm]

We have mini classes at our local show. We had a nice grass area 2 years ago, but club decided to combine judge. So we only have 1 judge for the minis and big horses. That means we have some halter classes with the biggies and driving in the sandy area after the pleasure classes. Very unhappy mini people. I did not show but 2 shows last season. Not sure I want to this season, maybe just the driving classes.

I would love to do barrels also. Games sound like alot of fun. Maybe some day.

 

[RhineStone]

So...those who have organized or participated in driving classes at open shows, what can you tell me? What type of classes have been offered? Which have the most entries? What is involved in each of these classes (what description could I provide)? What have you personally found most enjoyable?

Yes, the typical pleasure and reinsmanship classes can be held. If I am going to an open show, I like to see at LEAST those two. Otherwise, it is a WHOLE lot of work for one class and I am less likely to show up.

Another pretty simple class to put on is Cones. There are many versions of Cones, but I am thinking of Pick Your Route. The first time I was exposed to these type of Cones was at an open show put on by a Morgan horse club before I even knew what ADS was. You need about 20 road cones that you can get from the highway dept. if they are throwing some out. Otherwise, you can also get them from some home stores. Home Depot has them here. Lots of times, shows have them anyways for trail class. Set them up at 2.5 meters (roughly 8 ft.) apart in various locations around the arena. Get some tennis balls to put on the top of the cones. Each turnout has to pass through each set of cones in any order, but only once. Fastest time from start to finish wins. If a set is missed, that turnout is eliminated (unless you only have a few entries, and then maybe you can decide to give that turnout a ribbon anyways...).

Sometimes, trail classes are set up in another area of the show grounds, and judged by a different judge. Cones can be set up the same way with a volunteer judge that just makes sure every set was gone through and count the balls dislodged. Every ball dislodged/cone knocked over adds 5 seconds to the time.

You can also do Numbered Cones in the same way, using red and white paper plates stapled on small wood stakes. Number each set of plates 1-10, with the red plate on the right. Each turnout just goes through the course in numbered order. You can also do Double Jeopardy with the same course. There are two drivers and after passing through set #10, the first driver stops and hands the reins to the second driver and drives 10 to 1 (backwards, red on left). This is a great class for Juniors, since they can drive the first way forward and "help" (not in an official ADS class, but in open shows who cares...) find the way backwards.

To see photos of these types of obstacles and more in action at a show, see this link.

http://picasaweb.google.com/janelicht/07ThreeGaits4thOfJulyShow?authkey=7_haKpdgSTs&feat=directlink#

Here are some more of Line Driving Obstacles and Gambler's Choice obstacles from this year. This takes a little more work to accomplish, but is done pretty easily if you already have Trail Class stuff.

http://picasaweb.google.com/janelicht/3Gaits4thOfJulyShow?authkey=Gv1sRgCLPskarV9aOZqwE&feat=directlink#

These photos have a lot of Cloverleaf Barrel obstacles, similar to what has already been said about driving a Barrel pattern. This judge/organizer has "beefed up" the rules a little bit by giving the driver a tennis ball to get into a feed pan on the third barrel. If you get the ball in the pan, it knocks five seconds off the time. They have actually set it up as a relay with two drivers and two horses, and four balls. Lowest total time wins.

http://picasaweb.google.com/janelicht/07ThreeGaitsHorseShow2009?authkey=Gv1sRgCN7Lov6hveaKVQ&feat=directlink#

All of these obstacles are limited to trotting. No cantering. Drivers LOVE this stuff, and even beginner drivers can usually handle cones. The show above also offers Pleasure Driving and Reinsmanship, which drivers normally "dress up" for, but just dress safely for the obstacles. If there is enough drivers, they have split the arena classes, but haven't by size. I would if I was organizing, but it would be hard to do unless you had the breed of horse on the entry form. When they "dig" the arena, they leave 8-10 ft. of grass along the rail for the drivers. This show normally attracts about 10-30 drivers, and is a great one for green drivers and horses looking for experience before they show "big time".

Hope this helps,

Myrna