Suggestions to make my driving horse stand out ...

[Kendra]

My horse, Hawk, has come a long way this year .... it's his second year in harness, and he's really starting to use himself properly, and he had some great drives at the show this weekend, a couple single pleasure classes in particular I was really happy with, even though there was very tough competition. However, what I want is a roadster horse ... after his first roadster class of the show where he was placed below horses that I know were misbehaving fairly dramatically, I was worried that was a pretty clear message that he was never going to make a roadster horse. After the show, I approached both judges, and asked them each a simple question ... "Is my horse a Roadster Horse?". The first explained to me what a roadster horse was, and told me to tighten my check, but otherwise never addressed my horse. The other, a very respected judge who I've shown under enough that he greeted me by name, couldn't remember my horse being in roadster, even though I was sitting there in my cart with him. Just to be clear, I know that this is an excellent judge who on other occasions, and even with regards to my other driving horse at this show, has been able to tell me exactly what my horse needs to work on long after the fact. I took one loop of the arena, and he said, yes, he can do it, he's well on his way, he just needs to work a little harder. Made me feel much better about his roadster prospects!

But, as far as I can see, the trouble is that the judges don't even notice him!! My brother has always said, it doesn't matter how well he drives, he's never going to win because he's dirt coloured! Maybe he's right!

Any ideas to make him stand out? He is kind of dirt coloured ... here he is at a pleasure driving show a couple weeks ago, with a couple months worth of hair. With a fresh clip (like he had at this weekend's show) he loses the rich brown, and turns a sort of dirty brown-ish grey colour. And he doesn't even have a white mane and tail.

We have a rather shockingly coloured pink and orange jacket I'm planning to wear for Single Pleasure at the next show, and had discussed the possibility of new roadster clothes in lime green and hot pink. Though my current roadster outfit is red and silver, which is hardly dull!

Sorry about the long story, but suggestions are appreciated!! I just want to make sure he gets looked at!

 

[LGahr]

This is a GREAT topic. A few weeks ago while watching a roadster class I picked my winners the exact opposite of the judge. The person who won the class had her horse checked so very high and she appeared to be literally hauling on his mouth to hold him in. There were maybe six horses in the class.

The one I chose was moving freely but not charging. Would someone out there with the experience

please advise just what a good roadster is? My daughter is REALLY wanting to get one of our minis

involved and we recently purchased a show cart that has a removeable basket so the only thing I guess

we need is knowledge, experience, practice and a set of bright silks............. Did I saw that was all?

Am watching this topic with great interest..................

Also, do most people have a "handler" at roadster classes to lead the horse in and catch them on the way out? I think I want more control than that......I love my minis and my daughter is kind of important to me too so I don't want anyone in danger. I have only seen a few classes but it sure seems chaotic at times.

 

[disneyhorse]

It's really hard to say, without seeing your horse and the other horses in the class. Here are some things to try:

Put white bellboots on his front feet. This will stand out on a dark horse and accentuate his front end action.

Try the "lean" when you show... it does kind of look silly to lean back when you drive a mini because they aren't super fast but it does give the appearance of moving faster. Not all newbies are really into it, but you want to give the illusion you are really speeding. Lean back while you are going, and lean into the turns. Smile and look like you are thrilled! A lot of times a brief eye contact with the judge and a smile at them to let you know you are really having fun going so fast will get some notice. I think this is how I placed at Nationals in Ladies Roadster with a fairly slow horse

Braid your matching silks colors into his forelock and mane, as allowed in the Rulebook.

I have also seen some people use colored harness pads (or even more awful is the colored harness or carts) that match the silks. A colored pad is something inexpensive and something you might want to try.

To answer the other questions, yes Road horses should be checked up. It is modeled after the Shetland/Hackney Road Pony classes where the head should be checked up and "set" while they are going. The horse must have reasonable manners and be a safe risk in the ring... yes this means it will be chaotic. You really want that horse FAST and HOT! The most flashy fast moving hot horses are the ones the judge will be looking for, this is the point of the class. Manners are for horses that are showing in the Pleasure classes (Country and Open) and motion is for the Park classes. Roadster class should of course be safe, but it is about speed after all! That's my general feelings on the class.

Andrea

 

[ruffian]

Just because some judges didn't see him, doesn't mean the next ones won't. It sounds to me like he still needs a little more experience under his belt. I had a similarly colored gelding, but he wasn't as pretty as yours and took 6th at nationals.

What is your harness like? Is it all black? Can you put some color on it, perhaps some conchos?

 

[Magic]

Don't do a fresh clip!!

He looks so pretty with his coat grown out a bit.

And I like Andrea's idea of putting the ribbons in his hair. Then just go FAST. I bet you'll be placing well in no time, once he gets a little more experience!

 

[hobbyhorse23]

I agree entirely- clip him further away from the show, let him get more experience, teach him to REALLY GO, put white bellboots on his front feet and use brightly colored braids to draw the eye to him. A horse trained in ADS style (trained to drop his croup and round up in self-carriage without checks) is going to take a long time to develop the power and musculature to hold a strong and correct road gait for several laps of the ring...if that's one of your goals for him, then frankly you're better off to teach him that a super-tight overcheck means GO and use it as a prop for him. The same way some stallions have breeding halters and road ponies know how to turn it off when the check comes off, he can learn that too. Tight overcheck = GO NUTS, no tight overcheck means drive normally and behave yourself.

Personally, I like those crazy colored harnesses if it's done tastefully. I can't help it- I've seen too many marathon outfits!

Leia

 

[shane]

yep i agree with everything above, and i aslo wanted to say I LOVE the colour of your boy!!!!!

i have a grey horse, actually hes now snow white, and i get the same thing, people dont like greys!!

but hey GOODLUCK!!!!!

 

[LGahr]

Are there any informative videos out there regarding roadsters?

 

[susanne]

How about getting some extreme hold mousse or gel and making your hair look like its being blown back? Hmm...you could do your horse's mane and tail as well!

Sorry Kendra, I couldn't resist!

 

[Dontworrybeappy]

I have also seen some people use colored harness pads (or even more awful is the colored harness or carts) that match the silks. A colored pad is something inexpensive and something you might want to try.

Hey! I just ordered Appy a purple harness to go with my silks and the purple pinstripe on my Jerald!

And you should SEE his bellboots!

 

[Kendra]

Thanks guys!

I was thinking of harness pads, but I know that judges have frowned on it before, so thought I'd wait and see what general opinion was!

We're showing AMHA, so no bell boots or braids, to bad too!

I don't want anyone to think this is sour grapes ..... there was a ton of very talented horses in the class, I absolutely wasn't expecting to win, and the placings didn't bother me. It was the one horse who was being a brat, cantered the whole class, my brother felt so badly he did so well with him that he wanted to know all the horses he placed above so he could apologise!!

Had to clip him .... he hadn't been done since April, and I figure this was the right timing so I didn't have to do it again this show season!

I'm pretty comfortable with driving a roadster class, though it's been a few years ... thanks for the reminders though, I used to be a much more aggressive driver I think!!

I was thinking about a new browband too ... and I'll take the hair gel under consideration!! LOL! Between my hair and Hawk's we're wild enough as it is!!!

 

[MiLo Minis]

How about getting some extreme hold mousse or gel and making your hair look like its being blown back? Hmm...you could do your horse's mane and tail as well!

Sorry Kendra, I couldn't resist!

You would just HAVE to do his mane and tail too! Wouldn't you look silly if your hair was being "blown back" and his wasn't???

 

[Kendra]

How about getting some extreme hold mousse or gel and making your hair look like its being blown back? Hmm...you could do your horse's mane and tail as well!

Sorry Kendra, I couldn't resist!

You would just HAVE to do his mane and tail too! Wouldn't you look silly if your hair was being "blown back" and his wasn't???

I can just see us standing in the lineup with our collective hair streaming out behind us ... LOL!!!! I wanted to get noticed .....

Just a note ... I absolutely do not think that it's necessary for a horse to be so wild it has to be led to the ring and caught on the way out. They can LOOK full of fire and energy without actually being wild. My old horse was a great roadster horse, and he darn well knew what "whoa" meant .... my favorite trick was to go flying up to the ring steward in the lineup and at the last minute say whoa and watch their eyes get big as he did a sliding stop worthy of a reining horse.

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

KENDRA< I'm shocked to hear you would do such a thing.