Please Critque My Boys & My Technique..lots of questions! Please Help.

[Ferrah]

Getting the show ring jitters is something I am not used to getting anymore. I showed in AQHA style events, hunters and dressage for years, and hardly got butterflies anymore, but now I already have the butterflies and our first mini show is still a month away!

I need some help with Spyder and Cinnabar. I took pictures of me attempting to get a "halter" look. I did pretty miserably I think, showing these guys is a slot different than the Quarter Horses. We used ot get them to do expression, but none of the neck hooking and such.

Anyway here is Cinnabar trying not to laugh at me while I try to get him to do halter:

Here is Spyder, also trying not to giggle:

How do Spyder and Cinnabar look? On which picture did I get the closest to showing them to their best advantage?

I am so worried that the judge will say Spyder and Cinnabar are too fat or too thin. How do they look to you? Weight and condition wise?

It would also be greatly, greatly appreciated if some of you can do a conformation critque on them. If you don't want to post it please PM me. Having a good honest conformation critque will really help me show them to their best advantage. I know they are not perfect and I know some of their faults already, but the more honest opinions I get the better!

Also, I cannot wait to drive Spyder next year, will his conformation reasonably allow him to pull with relative ease?

Spyder just turned two, Cinnabar will be a yearling on June 10

Sorry for all the questions, but I have no one else I can ask...I'm on my own!

 

[kaykay]

pic number 3 on the last horse looks best to me

The first horse needs his front legs brought a bit forward. heres some pointers

Dont stand so close to the horse back off! Give him room to really show off his neck etc. Always keep in mind the judge wants to see the horse not you

To get him to put weight on that back leg either pick the head up high forcing him to put the leg down or wiggle his hips to get that leg down.

Their weight looks okay but I dont see much conditioning on either one. this is really important on the older guy. He needs some muscle etc. What are you feeding them?

And for sure they need their manes and forelocks trimmed back

 

[stormy]

Just a few ideas...more bridle path and thin the mane down some, a thick heavy mane will make a neck look thick. Try to get the boys to flatten on top, many do this by pressing on the loin when setting up, after a few times the horse gets the idea and will do it naturally. The last photo is pretty good, also remember when getting a horse to stretch the neck always go up than out not out than up (can give them an ewe neck look!)

 

[Ferrah]

I will start pulling their manes today, maybe I will have it all pulled and thinned out by the show.

I feed 2 3/4 cups of complete feed morning and night to each of them. I also give them a skinny flake of timothy hay morning and night. The flake weighs around 2 1/2-3 pounds and I try to feed the same weight every time.

I also let them out in a 3/4 acre "pasture" to graze for three or four hours and kick up their heels.

I walk Cinnabar three times a week for as short as 20 minutes or sometimes as long as an hour and a half.

Spyder gets walked three times a week. I luneg Spyder at a trot twice a week for twenty minutes.

Should I be exercising them more? If so, what kind of exercising should I be doing?

 

[mininik]

Their manes and forelocks really don't need to be pulled... they need to be shaved back with clippers. Their bridlepaths also need to longer... You'll also want to go back to that fluffy tailhead with your clippers using the same blade you used on the body and going with the hair shave it down so it's not so obvious.

:

I already PMed you this morning about feeding, conditioning, et cetera.

 

[lyn_j]

[SIZE=14pt]Walking them isnt enough exercise to fit a horse for show if you arent feeding a good show diet... meaning flax , boss etc.... your diet isnt what I consider show food.... but I would increase their amount... complete feed not hay. Also the muscling up isnt going to come from the walking every so often. That requires trotting to a sweat three times a week or about 20 minutes every other day for best results. That will also mean that they will need more feed. My two year old show horses are getting between 4 and 6 cups of 10% fat 10% protein feed, plus 1/4 cup flax, 1/4 cup BOSS and 1-2 cups dry beet pulp shreds twice a day plus about a pound and a half of forrage which is just chopped hay also twice a day. This feed program gives me good muscle and not much body fat.... your boys look out of condition to me also.... did you want just a critique of your showing of them or also of their conformation? Also to what level do you want to show? Knowing these things will help me anyway better help you.[/SIZE]

Lyn

 

[Ferrah]

I forgot to add that they do get 1/4 a cup of BOSS each morning and night.

If I fed beet pulp to them would I then be able to feed them less hay?

Is grazing for three to four hours a day going to hurt their condition also?

I am going to be starting with showing them locally, then later on this summer I am going to be doing travelling around the province to show at bigger Miniature Horse shows. I someday want to show at the national level, but probably not with these two.

I eventually want to show these two boys in everything from halter, to driving, showmanship, obstacles and jumping.

I don't have access to a round pen on my property, but I do lunge Spyder them on a 30 foot lunge line, and he pretty much uses the whole line.

Would lunging Cinnabar at only a year of age be too much for him?

A critque of both how I am showing them and of their conformation will help me out a lot. I need to improve, and the only way I can improve and get better is if I ask for other opinions.

 

[HGFarm]

Their front legs should always be even, and do not allow them to cock a back foot. Someone above mentioned also not to 'crowd' your horse. There should be quite a bit of room between you and the horse- you are merely holding the leadrope and the judge should have a clear view of your horse, without you in the 'picture'. LOTS of trotting!!!