Show appearance

[Letsdunit]

My colt will be 3 years old next year. In Holland in order to breed with a stallion we have a stallion show where they can get their licence to breed. I showed this little boy last year but he seems to be lacking just that little extra show appearance.

Can someone give me some advice in how I can start training him. The show is in April so I think now would be a good time to start slowly.

He is 28" so a small boy. Also in Holland we are not allowed to clip away the hair around the nose and eyes.

His picture is in the link

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk26/le...pg?t=1228299902

 

[rabbitsfizz]

If Holland is in the EU (and I know it is!!) then they are breaking European Law....basically, if your colt is registered, and the mare is registered, you can register the offspring.

Licensing stallions has been illegal except as a voluntary act, for over five years.........

Your Society needs to enforce the law.

And Holland has been warned, seriously, a number of times, they just will not stop doing this, so really all your society needs to do is bring this to the attention of the EU...

What Society do you register with??

The colt looks fine to me....do you get prejudice against the blue eyes in the ring??

(I ask as we still do to a certain extent)

Also, for the record, I do license all my stallions, as I think it is a "mark of excellence" that all people understand, but their progeny would be eligible for registration even if I did not)

 

[MiLo Minis]

Are you allowed to polish hooves? If so I would polish his a nice shiny black - dresses them right up! If not then get them immaculately clean and give them a clear polish. I would also dye his forelock and mane to match his coat and then slick it down for show. I would also get him spotlessly clean (he has dirty knees in the photo) He is a little bit butt high in the photo as well but it is being exaggerated by being stood slightly downhill. I hate having to show on sand! It throws their legs off all over the place. In your photo he seems to be a bit over at the knee on the left front - be VERY careful how you are placing him if you always have to show them as stallions on sand. If you asked him to raise his head it would give him a more regal bearing and show off his lovely neck. Bring his front feet out just a bit more (not stretched) and then ask him to lean into them to bring them up straight, that will help with his back end as well. Good luck with it but if what Rabbit says is true then I wouldn't be overly concerned about getting his license.

 

[Genie]

In my humble opinion he is beautiful.

You wouldn't have to do anything to make me like him

 

[TN Belle]

In my very limited big show experience, I hate shaving the face at all (clip yes, shave no) and still win some classes, so that's not a "have to" anyway. I do agree with Milo about cleaning up hooves and the forelock hair (it looks sun bleached, more brown instead of black). At only three years old, his body will still teeter/totter for a while before the final front and back end will stay that way, so don't stress too much over that.

He is GORGEOUS regardless, he's a keeper!

 

[Vanessa]

I'm in the same situation, I live in Belgium but here we have the same rules in our studbook. So I will follow this topic, and hope to learn something here. I train my little stallion twice a week by lunging him.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

Belgium is also in the EU, this is NOT legal!!!!!

 

[Vanessa]

Belgium is also in the EU, this is NOT legal!!!!!

You could be right, is there a text or something as evidence of this? Maybe I can take it to the annually meeting and ask for some explanation. Because next year, our studbook wants to make it more difficult for the members to use a stallion that hasn't have a license of their studbook. So if I want my mare to be bred by a American stallion that hasn't has that license, they will register the foal in the studbook but with inferior papers. That's their way to insure that the stallions used, are being approved by them. We have to vote for this new rule next year on the meeting.

 

[JWC sr.]

While I understand what you are saying Rabbit, it still goes that if the folks over there want to be able to sell the horses they produce. They are pretty much forced into doing things as the stud book says to do it. They also insist on measuring to the top of the withers which is contrary to the rule books of both registries, even at "sanctioned registry shows".

A darned if you do and a darned if you don't situation as the stud book is so ingrained in the gerneral publics thought process.

In any case as far as the colt is concerned, I like him a lot and would do the following to finish him out:

1. Work him with a fat suit in the round pen 4 - 5 times a week starting at 3-4 minutes each way in the begnning and up to 10 minutes each way later to remove the belly and tighten him up. Be sure to cool down, wash and groom him after this each time you do it.

2. Use a neck sweat on him while in the stall at night and also during the work out time.

3. Address the forelock and the rest of the mane with oil treatment etc.

4. When you set him up and have him in the postion you what then as a last thing reach in between his legs and slightly spred those back legs the way he is standing makes him appear to be cow hocked, which I bet he isn't and is just pointing his feet incorrectly.

5. Use a show sheen or something like that to give him a polished/finished look.

What blade did you clip him with on the body?

Hope that helps as a starting place. Good Luck with him, I loce his color, who is he out of?

 

[shadowsmystictopaz]

I really like your boy he is amazeing. I do see one thing that iw oudl like o point out. I notice his tummy a little big what I would like to see is a nice line from his back legs to his front legs and no tummy showing near his front legs. maybe just lose a little weight on him and see if he gets that nice line I see on most show horses. also excercise him to make him get stronger and even more fit. Id lunge him maybe 30 mins. also feed is important he will need to have feed that energizes him and makes him feel really good. he will show more dramatic with feed that energizes him. you might also want to put a neck sweat on him to see if he can get his bneck a little thinner. same with his tummy because sweat can take off the little exra fat that isnt needed. id definitly dye his hair and make sure to brush it out everyday the more you brush it out the more his hair will hang with the hair looking more seperated. I would also see what makes him show off better. sometimes treats are good but then a horse will start to get a little nippy with there mouths and that wouldnt be good so see if being around certan things or certain smells make him pizzas up a little more. perfume sometimes realkly is a smrt idea because then your not giveing the horse treats and they smell it and wonder what it is and start showing that they love the smell. I hope this is of help to you. I am one that has looked at conformation on horses and i always try to see what catches my eyes and i saw lots of things so i wanted to point them out as much as i could. Have a fantastic day.

 

[Letsdunit]

Thank you all for the advice, I will start working on it ! I dont know much about neck sweating but have seen some topics on the forum about it so will start reading about it.

I dont know about licencing being illegal but could ask my studbook.

 

[Epona Stable Belgium]

I think you had some great ideas about the sweating and all the other things,

Personally, he has already a huge neck on that picture!

I think for the make up you are doing good jobs, If I look to the pictures of the stallion licenses they have almost no make-up.

I think we will be there at the same stallion licenses...

If I also get my stallion ready to go...

Outlaw is going to be 3?

Tamara, if you have some pictures of Outlaw on a show can you post them? So I can take a look at them?

I would like to see he's entire body and conformation, I know it's difficult for the stallion approval in the Netherlands, I'm stressing also already

How do you train your stallion for a show and what kind of food do you give??

PS: I'm from EU also.

Is it possible that you are looking how to get him showhot?? you know a stallion that is showing himself to the public and judge?

 

[rabbitsfizz]

Just have a look at any EU regulations site.

This sort of thing, as a requirement for registration, has been illegal for five years.

It makes me very cross when our Societies, in some cases Mother Stud Book Societies such as the Shetland Pony Stud Book Society and the Exmoor Pony Society, bend themselves out of shape to comply and then other Societies ignore the rules and the law and get away with it, and their members let them!!

Enforce the law, and license if you wish, it should certainly be available, but do not be told, or accept, that you have to do this, as you do not.

 

[Epona Stable Belgium]

Do you know were we can find that information??

 

[attwoode]

He looks like a very nice stallion. My only suggestion in addition to the others is to look at the angle of his hoof trimming. Sometimes conformation can cause a steep hoof angle but it appears that his hoof angle does not match his pastern. It gives him a bit of a club-foot look. I think this also may affect how his legs/hips extend and look when he is set up. Ask your farrier about this. I've had trouble with farriers wanting to leave too much heel and then keep toe short. It can cause this and may become permanent if done when they are young and tendons have contracted.

 

[Meavey]

I think people should realise this is not an american type show.

He did good last year he just didn´t show his trot in hand, and for this studbook his movement should have good space in it.

So I would say just let him trot over some cavaletti´s and maybe some weights on his legs to give him more power, and practicing the in hand trotting.

I know he has an awesome trot but alot of horses don´t show that in hand, only loose...

Maybe we should accitentally let him escape in the ring?

The other tips can make him look better, but these judges don´t really mind some dirty spots, it´s the horse they are judging not his grooming.

 

[Annabellarose]

I agree that he appears to be over at the knee in his left leg; both legs actually. I also agree about the hoof trimming/high heels. All of his heels are way too high. This will not only appear to throw off his leg confimation a bit (although I still believe that he is going to be over at the knees), but it will make him uncomfortable and may do some permanent damage to him in the long run. He also appears to have very upright back pasterns, but his poorly trimmed hooves are probably entirely to blame for that. I think he looks nice otherwise. He appears to have a stronger hip than most Miniature Horses I am encountering here in the US.

 

[muffntuf]

He looks like a very nice stallion. My only suggestion in addition to the others is to look at the angle of his hoof trimming. Sometimes conformation can cause a steep hoof angle but it appears that his hoof angle does not match his pastern. It gives him a bit of a club-foot look. I think this also may affect how his legs/hips extend and look when he is set up. Ask your farrier about this. I've had trouble with farriers wanting to leave too much heel and then keep toe short. It can cause this and may become permanent if done when they are young and tendons have contracted.

Yes Thank you! I thought that he was over on the front left knee, but proper angles on his hoof trim might be what he needs. Other than that, he is a bit heavy, heavy in the neck. But a nice looking little boy, good color!

Good luck, I hope you overcome the studbook rules. I understand why they are there, the rules I mean, but if they have been outlawed, what are you to do if the societies are still enforcing them?