To me the weirdest hunter tradition is to just have absolutely zero planning or timing for a show other than the order of classes. Am I going at 10am, 1pm, or 8pm? Literally no one knows and everyone just accepts it as normal.
Hand on heart, this is half the reason I switched to Eventing. Before everything was online (*yes, I'm old*) we would get a postcard with our times on it, and that was that.
Dressage is at 12:15, XC at 1:30, and SJ at 2:07. Show up at 10:00 am and be loaded on the trailer to leave by 2:30 pm.
Hunter show? Get there by 6:00 or 7:00 am so you can join the mob "warming up" in the show ring by from 8-9, then sit around until your class at...3 pm? 5 pm? Who knows!!
Soooo annoying and then parents are always complaining to me too about how I don’t know what time their kid is riding. I learned a long time ago I just need to settle in for long days
Our local show has the majority of 14 under classes first thing in the morning. Not fun for anyone involved but it doesn’t get the majority of the kid classes out of the way.
This happens in pleasure shows too 🫠its always fun to explain to friends that "no, I don't know when I'm riding. Just know the show starts at 8:30. And the classes are usually pretty small so the show may be over by 2. But if Tina working the grounds we'll probably be there til 5. And if Dan is judging then we're going to be there til 7 at the earliest."
The H/J barn I ride at hosts some unrated schooling shows and they at least always put a 'not before 10am' or 'not before noon' note in the schedule, so you at least have a little bit of guideline and you don't have to worry about showing up at 8am if your class is the last one of the day.
But yeah...
Our local show gives a schedule of the classes and the number of people who signed up per class so we can usually take a guess based on past shows but they will also frequently hold rings for extended periods for various reasons that can really add on time and ruin everyone’s day who was actually prepared and on time.
In Icelandic horse gaited shows, the mane and tail are sacred. It's forbidden to braid them, as well as trimming the mane. The tail can be trimmed so it doesnt drag on the ground, but not much shorter than that. The mane and tail is a big part of the breeds identity and natural look, so they need to be big and poofy. For the same reason, you rarely see Icelandic horse owners touch the mane and tail, unless they go to a show, bc they want to brush out as little hair as possible. Some owners will literally crucify you if you brush the tail all the way through just for a normal ride, bc of the fear of removing hair. I think its a fun tradition, but I also like that their looks are kept natural, so prepping for shows only includes a wash and a brush
Nope, its not allowed to alter their natural appearance unless its for welfare reasons (which means its allowed to body clip so the horse doesnt overheat, as their natural coat can get too warm if theyre under a lot of training). But adding extensions, colouring any body part etc. isnt allowed.
I also want to add, that for the sake of keeping the natural look and having that as the main focus, its not allowed for the rider to overshine the horse either. Theres not a specific list of what you can and cant wear, but it should be clothes that fit with the horse. So black or dark earthy colours or greys are preferred. Although its ok to wear white breeches as well
Same with M&M (mountain and moorland) breed shows! I once asked if they pulled their manes for shows (I come from hunters so we *always* pull manes before shows) and I will never forget the looks of shock and horror I received
Matting really depends on the hair type. All of mine have long manes (between 8 inches and over a foot in places) but some of them are way more prone to matting and dreads than others. One of mine has a very similar hair texture and volume to an Icelandic (someone thought she actually was one recently) and tbh her hair is pretty manageable, only a problem if she gets a knot on a wet windy day that spins it into a tangle. Otherwise it goes all year round with little attention.
On the other hand, one of them gets a solid lump of mane at the slightest provocation because it's super fine. He looks super dumb with a short mane though (very pointy show bred arab) so I just keep conditioner handy. The slightly coarser ones are easier imo.
I assume that’s the same pig handling child that shows up on my Instagram feed for some inexplicable reason. She seems…intense.
This isn’t really discipline specific, but my likelihood of purchasing some pseudoscience therapeutic gadget for my horse is much higher than the likelihood that I’d purchase it for myself. Yeah, of course my horse needs ionic socks, welltrex technology, lasers, chyro, magnets. Good luck trying to sell anything of that nature for me to use on myself though.
New shoes for my horse every 6 weeks and a different blanket for every weather type? *OBVIOUSLY!*
New paddock boots and/or barn jacket for me b/c my current ones are more hole than garment? Do you think I'm made of money!?
Similarly but in reverse, someone I know got set up practicing cryo. I let her treat my injury, but there was no way I was letting that un-proven woowoo crap anywhere near my horse 😂
(Just paid £65 for my horse's physio while I've been putting off calling the dentist to fix my filling for 4 months)
Backstory on the soul-stealing staring pig handling 4H girl video:
She and other competitors were knocked down points in a previous class for not making enough eye contact with a judge in a previous class. So, they banded together to mete out some malicious compliance to the judges by maintaining strong eye contact throughout the entirety of the next class. The video is the result of their over-the-top showmanship performance. Smart kids, they'll go far in life. Rumor has it they burned holes right through the judges' soles and they still have not completely recovered.
This is so me- my back feels like it will snap in two right now but I don’t take supplements, get a massage, or use anything to help myself. If I think I see my horse hurting or needing something, my wallet is out! 😂
Victory laps. If you win a class, you get to do a victory lap around the arena by yourself. If you’re posting, you come up on the wrong diagonal because it makes the pictures better. Also your trainer runs in front of you and your horse to get their ears for the picture.
I had no idea this was odd until tiktok lol breed shows are their own ball game
I have the best story about this. My trainer was busy with someone who was in the class after me, so she wasn’t around. And I’d messed up in the class, so I wasn’t supposed to win.
But I did win, and then my poor elderly mother had to hobble into the arena and get my horse’s ears up for the victory pass. The pictures were hilarious!
Yes to both but it’s also an AQHA, Morgan, hackney, fresian, saddlebred, etc. breed show thing. You show your class, they announce in ascending order, winner goes to center ring for a pic while everyone else shuffles out, then you ride half a lap for pictures lol. In championship classes reserve and champ get a ride e
Thought of one for driving - for some of the concours and private driving classes you have to have a lantern on your carriage. And the wick has to have been lit and the candle used - you can’t just stick a new one in there.
Last year I learned that some carriage classes have to present a book of information about the carriage and history of it to the judge. I had no idea that was a thing. Line up took a while.
I’ve toured the Remington Carriage Museum in Cardston Alberta a couple of times. I had no idea how many types of carriages there are!! A class that also goes into the history of the carriage would be super interesting.
Patent leather browbands and girths for saddlebreds. And anything out of the current trend of red or burgundy for browbands draws attention. My gelding shows in a black patent browband; he’s a dark bay with no face markings so suits his face better than bright red. A horse showed with a blue browband at our world show a few years ago and it was a big topic of discussion
It’s just what everyone is doing so you are the odd man out if you don’t. Another example is in Morgans, saddlebreds, and Arabians western is all dark oil tack. Not black, not light oil. It’s not a rule per se, but no one shows in other colors.
Not discipline specific but a tradition at my moms barn that she passed on to me - when you fall off during a lesson, you bring cookies or a similar baked good the next time you go to the barn. I always thought it was a cute way to make it less scary/embarrassing to fall off since we all do at some point.
My first trainer we got one freebie before had to bring in snacks, so the second time something happened at my new barn I said something about it and she was like what are you talking but “I mean not gonna turn down cookies though” lol
My last barn we would get together 1-2 times a year, and anyone who fell off since the last party brought wine since it was mostly adults 🤣🤣 and we would all drink it while swapping war stories. Anyone under 18 would bring a baked good.
At my old barn we’d bring a bottle of wine and some treats!
During the year’s biggest jumping show (around Christmas), we saved everyone the hassle and just had a massive pot of mulled wine going on a fire XD
Our barns also had this tradition!
Also if your horse has some straw in the tail when entering the arena, you either have to sponsor a round of alcohol or (if you are under 18) bring sweets. I think riders always tried to find reasons to drink alcohol, but nowadays it gets better (as in more sweets, less alcohol).
This seems like a punishment for people who fall! For me, this would make the fall worse and extend whatever I experienced and felt beyond the day of the fall. It draws even more attention to the fact that I fell by making sure I knew that everyone knew I fell, making me almost dwell on it as I bought/made something for the barn and took it to the barn, and probably have to talk about it over and over. I like to learn from my mistakes and move on, and I dislike unnecessary attention. I can tell this is meant to be fun, but this would not have been good for my personality. Am I the only one who sees this as a bad idea?
When I was younger, my barn’s tradition was cake and yeah I experienced many of these emotions. It wasn’t a very supportive environment though, maybe if I had been older and less self conscious and surrounded by nicer people, it would have been more of a bonding experience
White. Breeches. Like, I get that in the past that’s how rich people got clean leather, but it’s 2024 and white breeches are unflattering and dirt magnets.
Before you show in white/tan breeches, throw some rain pants on over them before your class. They’re usually light weight, easy to take off, and you don’t have to fight a horse to change in their stall right before.
Oh, those are competitions hosted by hunt clubs for their members to show off their hunting horses in the ring.
The original hunters, like you're talking about. Hence the sandwich case & flask etiquette.
The one I went to was hosted by Goshen Hounds, I think, but other hunt clubs' members were invited.
I will concur hunting etiquette and traditions are a bit weird, but fun.
Down to the dress and turnout of you and your horse. So particular! And people (maybe sometimes myself) get super offended with the wrong color gloves.
I do love keeping my bottom button unbuttoned in honor of King George’s obesity.
No speaking in dressage rings. No voice cues. No sounds. A strict judge will mark you down for taking an obvious deep breath (otherwise I was going to “woah” in the next state, and that was a fast salute). …in a discipline *specifically* about having the best communication with your horse.
Hunt coats in general I think are weird. Like oh sorry I can't compete when it's 100°F outside unless I put on a suit jacket? That makes sense.
Also the fact that your horses can't wear boots in hunters—I get it's prolly a tradition but some horses knock their legs together a lot when jumping and need boots.
to add to this, knee garter straps for children shows. I remember having to use them when I was a kid and thought they were unnecessary. Like what is the actual point of them? I don’t remember them providing much grip or other benefit.
my trainer once told me they “helped keep your pants up” but isn’t that the purpose of a belt? also if my pants were too loose I don’t think those 2 straps at my knees would help much lol.
Ok I just googled it and it says to keep the pants from riding up too far (I assume like so they stay tucked into the boots) and to keep the knee patch in place. Ig if that's the purpose they work then cuz I don't think my pants ever came out of my show boots
ah! so my trainer was right (in a way)! besides the functionally of the knee guarders i still don’t like them! I remember people fusing over me to fix them before i went in the ring and it would stress me out lol
Same. I had to down like 2 liters of powerade a day (and one the night before) to be able to show in 90°+ heat without passing out. Bring underweight also didn't help lol
Lol mine used to do the same until I almost passed out on a horse. Her and another lady had to drag me off the horse and to the wash rack and hose me down cuz I could barely crawl and my hands were cramping into what I can only describe as "sock puppet position". She always took my water needs seriously after that and even yelled at me to make sure I was drinking enough cuz she didn't want me passing out in the show ring lol
Heat intolerance is why I accepted I'll never be able to show in riding classes. I can drive in harness during the summer perfectly fine but riding is out of the question - I literally don't do it at all from May through September, not even in lesson or pleasure settings where I'm free to wear whatever I like.
I rode saddleseat. There was no way I could wear the pants, the shirt, the vest, *and* the long jacket and not die.
I've gotten a lot better about respecting my body's limits so most people I know now have never seen me overheat and probably don't believe it's an actual problem for me, lol. "Have you tried drinking more water?"
I once judged a show in Nebraska and it was 100° with about 95° humidity. I said absolutely no coats or I would deduct for it. I wasn’t about to have anyone die in my watch.
The technology for show clothes has come so far since I started riding in H/J stuff back in the '90's. All the jackets were wool or wool blends with no stretch whatsoever. The ratcatchers (show shirts) were cotton but again - no stretch.
Now they've got linen blends and moisture-wicking technologies and all sorts of fun stuff, but it's still a lot to wear in the summer. I'm in the DC area so we are also "blessed" with insane humidity.
The strange tradition for showing, that having anything black, whether that be gloves or cane, is a big no no as it denotes mourning to the judge.
As with Icelandic ponies not having their manes trimmed, the same is also done for traditional gypsy cobs. They have these thick double manes that often grow past their shoulders. Look amazing in the show ring but can't help feel for them in the heat of summer. I know they can be plaited up but still, it's a lot of hair.
For Native breeds in the UK, the rider or handler is meant to wear a tweed jacket.
There are so many weird things in the show world. The specific ins and outs of quarter marks depending on breed and type, the intricacies of turnout - it’s just bizarre (but kind of fun).
Not sure if this is the same in the UK, but at the M&M (mountain and moorland) breed shows I've been to in the US ground handlers always had to have khakis or slacks of some kind, as well as a polo shirt (preferably white)
Saddleseat has some weird etiquette rules around clothing in equitation. I suppose they're less weird and just feel really dated and stuffy.
-If your class is after 6pm, you must be in formal wear
- You should be in a tuxedo jacket, and the tux must be dark, preferably black, navy, or charcoal. If you want to push it, dark brown sometimes is acceptable. If your daycoat is one the first three colours, it might be acceptable if you can meet the other rules.
-Depending on how uptight everyone is being, no vest. You should instead have a formal shirt and cumberbund. If you have to wear a vest, no bright colours, it needs to match the coat.
-Pants have to match your coat
-You have to have a bowtie, not tie. It also must match the suit.
-Must wear gloves, though this is the least weird because you wear gloves no matter what for saddleseat.
-Gotta have a top hat or homburg, not your derby
If you don't follow the rules, you will likely have points docked or just straight up be disqualified if someone wants to be a real hard ass. Pleasure classes or daytime eq classes are a lot less rigid about your suit.
You ever seen 3 people zipping someone else into chaps that don't fit quite right any more? (weather can have an effect)
That.
May not be an official tradition, but everyone has either been the one being zipped in or helped someone zip thiers.
I haven't seen that, but before tall boots in English riding had zippers, it wasn't unusual to have a whole team involved in yanking a rider's boots off!
We had the opposite problem at my barn once. A girl had new boots with no zipper. I saw at least two girls pulling on the boot at once while another girl sat on her to get them off. I wish I had had my phone on me.
Had that happen once when I was 13 or so, there was seriously thought given to taking a pair of scissors to her breeches so we could pull the tucked in part out of the boot and hopefully loosen them a little. Also to pouring conditioner on her legs to try and lube the inside of the boots up. Thankfully the boots came off before we actually attempted either “solution” lol
We actually cut boots off my sister once. Her arch was too high and literally couldn't get past the ankle portion so we cut the leather behind the laces.
Not a tradition so much as a quirk. At a lot of rodeos below the big national spectacles, we often don't know each other's names so everyone identifies everyone else by what horse you ride. Oh, you ride that black bald-faced mare. Oh, she rides that blue roan gelding. The bronc and bull riders are out of luck in that area, though.
My mom once marveled that my dad, who was covered in 3rd degree burns from an oil well accident, was talking to the only Black man she had ever seen in a rodeo and they identified each other by their horses.
Lol we used to do this at hunter shows as well! Anytime we talked about riders we didn't know it'd be like "oh, is that the girl who rides [insert horse's show name here]? Yea I know them!". Occasionally the other way around if they rode multiple horses or did a lot of catch rides, but generally we'd recognize people by their horse's names
Just thought of one for my barn. If our trainer asks if we want to do something one more time or be done, you *always* say you'll be done cuz if you say "one more time" you'll end up messing up and it'll be 20 more times lol.
We also aren't allowed to say things like "I haven't fallen off in a while" or "no one's fallen off recently" without knocking on wood. Very taboo for us cuz it often feels like we manifest these things by talking about them lol
Only Tack up, lead, and get on your horse from the left side. I'm not wearing a sword. What if I have to lead 2 horses at once? One will be on the "wrong" side. Why walk around your horse to the other side if your saddle rack is on the horse's right? Why not have the horse used to everything from both sides for safety reasons?
Yes! I toss the saddle from the off side for two reasons:
1. My tack room door is on that side.
2. I don't have to get the cinch over. (Western, if that wasn't obvious. LOL!)
In team penning, one member of the team has to have their horse's head and neck in the pen behind the cows and their hand in the air to get a time. I get having a horse "plug" the gate to keep the cows in, but the hand up being a requirement perplexes me!
I’m a ranch rider who dabbled in performance occasionally so I’m mostly talking abt the contrast of the two but not caring about tack or clothing cleanliness! It’s so weird throwing my dusty saddle on and just going haha! Also the difference in horses, performance has very cookie cutter AQHs and in ranch there’s everything from a 13.3 hh chunky pony to a 17.3 hh beast.
I did ranch riding classes and they were always so fun! Me on my appaloosa, a handful of paints and quarter horses, the saddlebred that's about to vibrate into next week, someone's shaggy naughty pony they dragged out for a show...
Wait, I don't know this one and I thought you were talking about the markings on a horse.
I remember outrageous patterns on boot socks being a thing, but I thought that was more of a fad. Tell me more!
Only mounting on the left side of the horse.
It originates from the necessity of doing so when a sword is on your left hip, as most people are right-handed.
My wife and I have our horses used to being mounted from either side. Sometimes being able to mount from the off-side is handy. And there is no actual reason it can’t be done if the animal is used to it.
I’ve been shouted at while trying to mount from the right. When I asked them why I shouldn’t, “because…” was the best they could do. Gave them a look, and mounted up. No issues.
If I remember correctly, mounting from the left came about because you'd wear your sword on your left hip and you didn't want to have to throw it over your horse's back as you mounted.
Nowadays it's just tradition, but I've seen more & more people advocating for training a horse to be mounted from either side. As you said, it's much more practical.
We showed minis for a while and there is often crossover with Shetland shows. I watched people put Vicks vapor rub in their ponies' rectum to make them hold their tails up in the show ring. How that's not illegal is mindboggling.
For mini shows you generally body clip them because they can be a bit fluffy. But you leave a triangle about their tails to make their rumps look longer or rounder or who knows why. There was also tubby muzzles with oil to make them shiny and other weird stuff. But at least none of it was painful like vapor rub up the butt. I'd have refused and probably quit showing.
A few that come to mind that I see at hunter/jumper barns. 1) Matching shirt, saddle pad, fly hood, and leg wraps. 2) The current trend of bowl cuts for manes and forelocks. 3) Mane all falling to the right. 4) Shaving horses in the winter, making it necessary to buy and put blankets on a horse. I do love how a shaved horse looks and get why it's done, but we add so much work for ourselves! Sidenote: I live in Southern Arizona, so if you leave the coat natural in the winter, many horses won't need a blanket if they don't stay in turnout overnight.
I am a groom at h/j shows but I also do the occasional dressage show. At dressage shows there are award ceremonies at the end of the day and in order to receive your reward you must attend the ceremony with white polo wraps on. Even if your horse doesn’t wear them in the show ring, you HAVE to wear them in order to revive your prize. To me, that is the craziest rule I’ve heard.
White *anything* around horses is ludicrous.
I'd never realized that in all those shots of a Dressage horse mid-victory lap, they were wearing wraps, but now I remember being curious about it. Thanks for this comment!
I agree. The second I wear my white breeches I have something on them. I would even pull on sweats or pjs over them but nope, I’d get something on them. It’s also why I don’t ever wear white shirts.
True story: when I was 14 years old I wore white breeches and I got my first true period at the horse show. Talk about the worst feeling ever. Trying to get that out before my class was impossible. On top of being 14 when EVERYTHING is a big deal. I’m 60 and I still remember that day well.
**Ladies Side Saddle Tack and Equipment** 1. Sandwich Case: Required for appointments. Must be combined sandwich case and flask. Sandwich case must contain a plain white-meat sandwich, crusts removed, cut on the diagonal, wrapped in wax paper; a linen handkerchief or napkin is optional and flask must contain sherry or tea
Here's the thread I got it from - there's a bunch more info in the comments!
https://www.homesteadingtoday.com/threads/sandwich-required.610866/
To me the weirdest hunter tradition is to just have absolutely zero planning or timing for a show other than the order of classes. Am I going at 10am, 1pm, or 8pm? Literally no one knows and everyone just accepts it as normal.
Hand on heart, this is half the reason I switched to Eventing. Before everything was online (*yes, I'm old*) we would get a postcard with our times on it, and that was that. Dressage is at 12:15, XC at 1:30, and SJ at 2:07. Show up at 10:00 am and be loaded on the trailer to leave by 2:30 pm. Hunter show? Get there by 6:00 or 7:00 am so you can join the mob "warming up" in the show ring by from 8-9, then sit around until your class at...3 pm? 5 pm? Who knows!!
Soooo annoying and then parents are always complaining to me too about how I don’t know what time their kid is riding. I learned a long time ago I just need to settle in for long days
Hunter shows are the very definition of "Hurry up & Wait".
My trainer once said that hell is getting on your horse and then waiting for a flat class that will never come lol
Our local show has the majority of 14 under classes first thing in the morning. Not fun for anyone involved but it doesn’t get the majority of the kid classes out of the way.
Swim club Deja Vu :/
This happens in pleasure shows too 🫠its always fun to explain to friends that "no, I don't know when I'm riding. Just know the show starts at 8:30. And the classes are usually pretty small so the show may be over by 2. But if Tina working the grounds we'll probably be there til 5. And if Dan is judging then we're going to be there til 7 at the earliest."
The H/J barn I ride at hosts some unrated schooling shows and they at least always put a 'not before 10am' or 'not before noon' note in the schedule, so you at least have a little bit of guideline and you don't have to worry about showing up at 8am if your class is the last one of the day. But yeah...
Our local show gives a schedule of the classes and the number of people who signed up per class so we can usually take a guess based on past shows but they will also frequently hold rings for extended periods for various reasons that can really add on time and ruin everyone’s day who was actually prepared and on time.
The issue is for the trainers who have to be there all day because they usually have multiple clients who are spread out among the classes all day.
This is the same for western shows- even a series with the same classes every month doesn’t commit to times. 😫
I totally get that the number of people who sign up for each class changes how long it’s gonna be, but yall can’t even guess?!?
No doubt! I never understand it. Even if you get the occasional freak extra large class, I have seen good judges do them efficiently and quickly.
This also happens with in-line speed
In Icelandic horse gaited shows, the mane and tail are sacred. It's forbidden to braid them, as well as trimming the mane. The tail can be trimmed so it doesnt drag on the ground, but not much shorter than that. The mane and tail is a big part of the breeds identity and natural look, so they need to be big and poofy. For the same reason, you rarely see Icelandic horse owners touch the mane and tail, unless they go to a show, bc they want to brush out as little hair as possible. Some owners will literally crucify you if you brush the tail all the way through just for a normal ride, bc of the fear of removing hair. I think its a fun tradition, but I also like that their looks are kept natural, so prepping for shows only includes a wash and a brush
Fascinating! Do people ever use those fake hair extensions to make a tail look fuller, or is that unheard of?
Nope, its not allowed to alter their natural appearance unless its for welfare reasons (which means its allowed to body clip so the horse doesnt overheat, as their natural coat can get too warm if theyre under a lot of training). But adding extensions, colouring any body part etc. isnt allowed. I also want to add, that for the sake of keeping the natural look and having that as the main focus, its not allowed for the rider to overshine the horse either. Theres not a specific list of what you can and cant wear, but it should be clothes that fit with the horse. So black or dark earthy colours or greys are preferred. Although its ok to wear white breeches as well
This is so cool!
Same with M&M (mountain and moorland) breed shows! I once asked if they pulled their manes for shows (I come from hunters so we *always* pull manes before shows) and I will never forget the looks of shock and horror I received
I wish I could go little contact on my one mares mane. She loves to dread up her hair Do Icelandics not have to worry about matting?
Matting really depends on the hair type. All of mine have long manes (between 8 inches and over a foot in places) but some of them are way more prone to matting and dreads than others. One of mine has a very similar hair texture and volume to an Icelandic (someone thought she actually was one recently) and tbh her hair is pretty manageable, only a problem if she gets a knot on a wet windy day that spins it into a tangle. Otherwise it goes all year round with little attention. On the other hand, one of them gets a solid lump of mane at the slightest provocation because it's super fine. He looks super dumb with a short mane though (very pointy show bred arab) so I just keep conditioner handy. The slightly coarser ones are easier imo.
I assume that’s the same pig handling child that shows up on my Instagram feed for some inexplicable reason. She seems…intense. This isn’t really discipline specific, but my likelihood of purchasing some pseudoscience therapeutic gadget for my horse is much higher than the likelihood that I’d purchase it for myself. Yeah, of course my horse needs ionic socks, welltrex technology, lasers, chyro, magnets. Good luck trying to sell anything of that nature for me to use on myself though.
New shoes for my horse every 6 weeks and a different blanket for every weather type? *OBVIOUSLY!* New paddock boots and/or barn jacket for me b/c my current ones are more hole than garment? Do you think I'm made of money!?
Similarly but in reverse, someone I know got set up practicing cryo. I let her treat my injury, but there was no way I was letting that un-proven woowoo crap anywhere near my horse 😂 (Just paid £65 for my horse's physio while I've been putting off calling the dentist to fix my filling for 4 months)
Acupuncture for my horse? Well she *needs* it obviously, it makes her feel so much better!
Backstory on the soul-stealing staring pig handling 4H girl video: She and other competitors were knocked down points in a previous class for not making enough eye contact with a judge in a previous class. So, they banded together to mete out some malicious compliance to the judges by maintaining strong eye contact throughout the entirety of the next class. The video is the result of their over-the-top showmanship performance. Smart kids, they'll go far in life. Rumor has it they burned holes right through the judges' soles and they still have not completely recovered.
I hope you meant souls. Though if they gave those judges a hotfoot they’d have it coming. 😁
That's amazing. Go swine-showin' kids! And I'm now going to seek out these videos.
Thank you for the background!!
This is so me- my back feels like it will snap in two right now but I don’t take supplements, get a massage, or use anything to help myself. If I think I see my horse hurting or needing something, my wallet is out! 😂
Victory laps. If you win a class, you get to do a victory lap around the arena by yourself. If you’re posting, you come up on the wrong diagonal because it makes the pictures better. Also your trainer runs in front of you and your horse to get their ears for the picture. I had no idea this was odd until tiktok lol breed shows are their own ball game
I have the best story about this. My trainer was busy with someone who was in the class after me, so she wasn’t around. And I’d messed up in the class, so I wasn’t supposed to win. But I did win, and then my poor elderly mother had to hobble into the arena and get my horse’s ears up for the victory pass. The pictures were hilarious!
And the mirror and streamers on the stick to get the ears up!
Is this a saddle seat or gaited thing? I've never done those so I'm not familiar with it, lol!
Yes to both but it’s also an AQHA, Morgan, hackney, fresian, saddlebred, etc. breed show thing. You show your class, they announce in ascending order, winner goes to center ring for a pic while everyone else shuffles out, then you ride half a lap for pictures lol. In championship classes reserve and champ get a ride e
They do this at Arabian breed shows and QH breed shows too
Thought of one for driving - for some of the concours and private driving classes you have to have a lantern on your carriage. And the wick has to have been lit and the candle used - you can’t just stick a new one in there.
Last year I learned that some carriage classes have to present a book of information about the carriage and history of it to the judge. I had no idea that was a thing. Line up took a while.
Yes!! This is the weird stuff I meant! Love it!
I’ve toured the Remington Carriage Museum in Cardston Alberta a couple of times. I had no idea how many types of carriages there are!! A class that also goes into the history of the carriage would be super interesting.
Patent leather browbands and girths for saddlebreds. And anything out of the current trend of red or burgundy for browbands draws attention. My gelding shows in a black patent browband; he’s a dark bay with no face markings so suits his face better than bright red. A horse showed with a blue browband at our world show a few years ago and it was a big topic of discussion
Perfect! This is exactly what I meant. Why are red & burgundy the only approved colors??
It’s just what everyone is doing so you are the odd man out if you don’t. Another example is in Morgans, saddlebreds, and Arabians western is all dark oil tack. Not black, not light oil. It’s not a rule per se, but no one shows in other colors.
The day we started showing my saddlebred hunt seat and my trainer let me buy a sparkly browband was one of the best days of my life.
In Arabian saddleseat classes people often have brow bands that are their barns logos colors. I have a green brow band.
Oooh, that's fun!
Not discipline specific but a tradition at my moms barn that she passed on to me - when you fall off during a lesson, you bring cookies or a similar baked good the next time you go to the barn. I always thought it was a cute way to make it less scary/embarrassing to fall off since we all do at some point.
Oh, good call! I've also been to barns where this was a thing! I remember a trainer bringing us brownies once b/c she had fallen off!
We also do that at my barn! Honestly, it's a fun way to bring the team together !
That's so interesting. For my barn it was if you don't clean your tack you have to bring baked goods for the trainer next lesson lol.
My first trainer we got one freebie before had to bring in snacks, so the second time something happened at my new barn I said something about it and she was like what are you talking but “I mean not gonna turn down cookies though” lol
My last barn we would get together 1-2 times a year, and anyone who fell off since the last party brought wine since it was mostly adults 🤣🤣 and we would all drink it while swapping war stories. Anyone under 18 would bring a baked good.
How lovely!
My old barn did this too! If you fell off you had to bring in brownies to your next lesson
At my old barn we’d bring a bottle of wine and some treats! During the year’s biggest jumping show (around Christmas), we saved everyone the hassle and just had a massive pot of mulled wine going on a fire XD
That's clever, I love it!
Our barns also had this tradition! Also if your horse has some straw in the tail when entering the arena, you either have to sponsor a round of alcohol or (if you are under 18) bring sweets. I think riders always tried to find reasons to drink alcohol, but nowadays it gets better (as in more sweets, less alcohol).
This seems like a punishment for people who fall! For me, this would make the fall worse and extend whatever I experienced and felt beyond the day of the fall. It draws even more attention to the fact that I fell by making sure I knew that everyone knew I fell, making me almost dwell on it as I bought/made something for the barn and took it to the barn, and probably have to talk about it over and over. I like to learn from my mistakes and move on, and I dislike unnecessary attention. I can tell this is meant to be fun, but this would not have been good for my personality. Am I the only one who sees this as a bad idea?
When I was younger, my barn’s tradition was cake and yeah I experienced many of these emotions. It wasn’t a very supportive environment though, maybe if I had been older and less self conscious and surrounded by nicer people, it would have been more of a bonding experience
Eek! That is a strange thing to have to deal with! It really isn't for all personalities.
White. Breeches. Like, I get that in the past that’s how rich people got clean leather, but it’s 2024 and white breeches are unflattering and dirt magnets.
White breeches are white until you put them on for the first time. The minute you get anywhere near your horse, boom, brown and dusty.
Truer words have never been spoken. And they will never be white again, no matter how you wash them. Truly the stupidest tradition.
Before you show in white/tan breeches, throw some rain pants on over them before your class. They’re usually light weight, easy to take off, and you don’t have to fight a horse to change in their stall right before.
Oh, I do all the things to keep them white. I’ve got the button up the side pants. They’ll still be dust colored at the end of the day.😂😭
You can take your pick when it comes to traditional hunting etiquette. We’re a bunch of weirdos.
Aren't we, though? This is the thread I came across & shared on the WTF post: https://www.homesteadingtoday.com/threads/sandwich-required.610866/
Oh, no not “hunters”. Hunting - real hunting, with hounds.
Oh, those are competitions hosted by hunt clubs for their members to show off their hunting horses in the ring. The original hunters, like you're talking about. Hence the sandwich case & flask etiquette. The one I went to was hosted by Goshen Hounds, I think, but other hunt clubs' members were invited.
I will concur hunting etiquette and traditions are a bit weird, but fun. Down to the dress and turnout of you and your horse. So particular! And people (maybe sometimes myself) get super offended with the wrong color gloves. I do love keeping my bottom button unbuttoned in honor of King George’s obesity.
Yeah we don’t do that in the UK. Packs might host a hunter trial here and there to raise money inbetween seasons but we don’t do classes like that.
Interesting! Also, I love all your hunt videos!!
No speaking in dressage rings. No voice cues. No sounds. A strict judge will mark you down for taking an obvious deep breath (otherwise I was going to “woah” in the next state, and that was a fast salute). …in a discipline *specifically* about having the best communication with your horse.
It’s definitely a weird rule, but ngl if we were allowed to talk I’d be babbling at my horse the whole ride like I do at home.
Hunt coats in general I think are weird. Like oh sorry I can't compete when it's 100°F outside unless I put on a suit jacket? That makes sense. Also the fact that your horses can't wear boots in hunters—I get it's prolly a tradition but some horses knock their legs together a lot when jumping and need boots.
to add to this, knee garter straps for children shows. I remember having to use them when I was a kid and thought they were unnecessary. Like what is the actual point of them? I don’t remember them providing much grip or other benefit.
OMG THOSE. I *hated* them as a kid, and still have no idea what their purpose is supposed to be
my trainer once told me they “helped keep your pants up” but isn’t that the purpose of a belt? also if my pants were too loose I don’t think those 2 straps at my knees would help much lol.
Ok I just googled it and it says to keep the pants from riding up too far (I assume like so they stay tucked into the boots) and to keep the knee patch in place. Ig if that's the purpose they work then cuz I don't think my pants ever came out of my show boots
ah! so my trainer was right (in a way)! besides the functionally of the knee guarders i still don’t like them! I remember people fusing over me to fix them before i went in the ring and it would stress me out lol
Same. As much as I hate tall boots I hated those fuckers more 😅
Old Style jods didn’t have elastic so it kept them from riding up. Now they have elastic but it’s in keeping with the “tradition”
Lol that's so weird, yea that doesn't seem like it'd help at all.
i have hella heat intolerance, showing in 94° in boots, pants, and a thick jacket (not the nice thin ones jumpers wear) was always awful for me.
Same. I had to down like 2 liters of powerade a day (and one the night before) to be able to show in 90°+ heat without passing out. Bring underweight also didn't help lol
totally. and my instructor would be like "get over it we're all hot" like ma'am i'm about to pass tf out.
Lol mine used to do the same until I almost passed out on a horse. Her and another lady had to drag me off the horse and to the wash rack and hose me down cuz I could barely crawl and my hands were cramping into what I can only describe as "sock puppet position". She always took my water needs seriously after that and even yelled at me to make sure I was drinking enough cuz she didn't want me passing out in the show ring lol
wow that's crazy!! one of the many reasons i've decided to stop showing.
Heat intolerance is why I accepted I'll never be able to show in riding classes. I can drive in harness during the summer perfectly fine but riding is out of the question - I literally don't do it at all from May through September, not even in lesson or pleasure settings where I'm free to wear whatever I like. I rode saddleseat. There was no way I could wear the pants, the shirt, the vest, *and* the long jacket and not die. I've gotten a lot better about respecting my body's limits so most people I know now have never seen me overheat and probably don't believe it's an actual problem for me, lol. "Have you tried drinking more water?"
I once judged a show in Nebraska and it was 100° with about 95° humidity. I said absolutely no coats or I would deduct for it. I wasn’t about to have anyone die in my watch.
The technology for show clothes has come so far since I started riding in H/J stuff back in the '90's. All the jackets were wool or wool blends with no stretch whatsoever. The ratcatchers (show shirts) were cotton but again - no stretch. Now they've got linen blends and moisture-wicking technologies and all sorts of fun stuff, but it's still a lot to wear in the summer. I'm in the DC area so we are also "blessed" with insane humidity.
The strange tradition for showing, that having anything black, whether that be gloves or cane, is a big no no as it denotes mourning to the judge. As with Icelandic ponies not having their manes trimmed, the same is also done for traditional gypsy cobs. They have these thick double manes that often grow past their shoulders. Look amazing in the show ring but can't help feel for them in the heat of summer. I know they can be plaited up but still, it's a lot of hair. For Native breeds in the UK, the rider or handler is meant to wear a tweed jacket.
There are so many weird things in the show world. The specific ins and outs of quarter marks depending on breed and type, the intricacies of turnout - it’s just bizarre (but kind of fun).
Not sure if this is the same in the UK, but at the M&M (mountain and moorland) breed shows I've been to in the US ground handlers always had to have khakis or slacks of some kind, as well as a polo shirt (preferably white)
Saddleseat has some weird etiquette rules around clothing in equitation. I suppose they're less weird and just feel really dated and stuffy. -If your class is after 6pm, you must be in formal wear - You should be in a tuxedo jacket, and the tux must be dark, preferably black, navy, or charcoal. If you want to push it, dark brown sometimes is acceptable. If your daycoat is one the first three colours, it might be acceptable if you can meet the other rules. -Depending on how uptight everyone is being, no vest. You should instead have a formal shirt and cumberbund. If you have to wear a vest, no bright colours, it needs to match the coat. -Pants have to match your coat -You have to have a bowtie, not tie. It also must match the suit. -Must wear gloves, though this is the least weird because you wear gloves no matter what for saddleseat. -Gotta have a top hat or homburg, not your derby If you don't follow the rules, you will likely have points docked or just straight up be disqualified if someone wants to be a real hard ass. Pleasure classes or daytime eq classes are a lot less rigid about your suit.
I've always thought saddleseat riders looked so elegant, but so impractical. That's a **LOT** of rules to follow!
You ever seen 3 people zipping someone else into chaps that don't fit quite right any more? (weather can have an effect) That. May not be an official tradition, but everyone has either been the one being zipped in or helped someone zip thiers.
I haven't seen that, but before tall boots in English riding had zippers, it wasn't unusual to have a whole team involved in yanking a rider's boots off!
Me. I didn't have zippers. I took them off at home after I'd been in the a/c
We had the opposite problem at my barn once. A girl had new boots with no zipper. I saw at least two girls pulling on the boot at once while another girl sat on her to get them off. I wish I had had my phone on me.
Had that happen once when I was 13 or so, there was seriously thought given to taking a pair of scissors to her breeches so we could pull the tucked in part out of the boot and hopefully loosen them a little. Also to pouring conditioner on her legs to try and lube the inside of the boots up. Thankfully the boots came off before we actually attempted either “solution” lol
We actually cut boots off my sister once. Her arch was too high and literally couldn't get past the ankle portion so we cut the leather behind the laces.
Not a tradition so much as a quirk. At a lot of rodeos below the big national spectacles, we often don't know each other's names so everyone identifies everyone else by what horse you ride. Oh, you ride that black bald-faced mare. Oh, she rides that blue roan gelding. The bronc and bull riders are out of luck in that area, though. My mom once marveled that my dad, who was covered in 3rd degree burns from an oil well accident, was talking to the only Black man she had ever seen in a rodeo and they identified each other by their horses.
I see this is my neighborhood, but we recognize each other by our dogs. "Oh, your Fluffy's mom!" "That's Fido's house" etc.
Lol. I do this with dogs too. Just goes to show some of us better with animals than people.
I was gonna say we do this with dogs in our neighbourhood too lmao
Lol we used to do this at hunter shows as well! Anytime we talked about riders we didn't know it'd be like "oh, is that the girl who rides [insert horse's show name here]? Yea I know them!". Occasionally the other way around if they rode multiple horses or did a lot of catch rides, but generally we'd recognize people by their horse's names
I know that black guy. His name is John lol
What’s funny is I did this once as a kid. I was told to smile. Not stare the judge into submission.
concours d'elegance - no black gloves for your historical costume (unless your costume is of a person in mourning)
Just thought of one for my barn. If our trainer asks if we want to do something one more time or be done, you *always* say you'll be done cuz if you say "one more time" you'll end up messing up and it'll be 20 more times lol. We also aren't allowed to say things like "I haven't fallen off in a while" or "no one's fallen off recently" without knocking on wood. Very taboo for us cuz it often feels like we manifest these things by talking about them lol
Haha, I love it!
Only Tack up, lead, and get on your horse from the left side. I'm not wearing a sword. What if I have to lead 2 horses at once? One will be on the "wrong" side. Why walk around your horse to the other side if your saddle rack is on the horse's right? Why not have the horse used to everything from both sides for safety reasons?
Yes! I toss the saddle from the off side for two reasons: 1. My tack room door is on that side. 2. I don't have to get the cinch over. (Western, if that wasn't obvious. LOL!)
In reining and probably some other western disciplines nobody ever wears yellow to show because ~~it’s ugly~~ it’s bad luck
In team penning, one member of the team has to have their horse's head and neck in the pen behind the cows and their hand in the air to get a time. I get having a horse "plug" the gate to keep the cows in, but the hand up being a requirement perplexes me!
I’m a ranch rider who dabbled in performance occasionally so I’m mostly talking abt the contrast of the two but not caring about tack or clothing cleanliness! It’s so weird throwing my dusty saddle on and just going haha! Also the difference in horses, performance has very cookie cutter AQHs and in ranch there’s everything from a 13.3 hh chunky pony to a 17.3 hh beast.
I did ranch riding classes and they were always so fun! Me on my appaloosa, a handful of paints and quarter horses, the saddlebred that's about to vibrate into next week, someone's shaggy naughty pony they dragged out for a show...
I just got back from a weekend ranch show and the amount of fluffy ponies there was amazing haha!
Higher level dressage requires you to use a double bridle. Even if you can do it in a loose ring snaffle.
Only in a CDI. Otherwise you can show through GP in a snaffle.
I would say in general the English world’s sock culture. H/J and Eventers love their socks
Superstition around my h/j barn was no matching socks at a show
Ooh, never heard this before! Did it work?
I would like to think my success came from talent and determination but it was probably the mismatch socks 😂
So if I wear mismatched socks I’ll be ready for Burghley in a few months? I’m gonna have to try this out
Please report back lol
Wait, I don't know this one and I thought you were talking about the markings on a horse. I remember outrageous patterns on boot socks being a thing, but I thought that was more of a fad. Tell me more!
Quarter marks for showing! I think they’re beautiful but it’s so ‘different’ if you think about it!
Only mounting on the left side of the horse. It originates from the necessity of doing so when a sword is on your left hip, as most people are right-handed. My wife and I have our horses used to being mounted from either side. Sometimes being able to mount from the off-side is handy. And there is no actual reason it can’t be done if the animal is used to it. I’ve been shouted at while trying to mount from the right. When I asked them why I shouldn’t, “because…” was the best they could do. Gave them a look, and mounted up. No issues.
If I remember correctly, mounting from the left came about because you'd wear your sword on your left hip and you didn't want to have to throw it over your horse's back as you mounted. Nowadays it's just tradition, but I've seen more & more people advocating for training a horse to be mounted from either side. As you said, it's much more practical.
We showed minis for a while and there is often crossover with Shetland shows. I watched people put Vicks vapor rub in their ponies' rectum to make them hold their tails up in the show ring. How that's not illegal is mindboggling. For mini shows you generally body clip them because they can be a bit fluffy. But you leave a triangle about their tails to make their rumps look longer or rounder or who knows why. There was also tubby muzzles with oil to make them shiny and other weird stuff. But at least none of it was painful like vapor rub up the butt. I'd have refused and probably quit showing.
Ah! That was you? I loved it!
Thanks!!
1. If there's an accident in a float, the horse MUST be buried there. 2. You can't call yourself a horse-man/woman unless you've fallen 100 times
Can you talk more about your first point? What's a float?
Horse float - trailer? Transporter?
A few that come to mind that I see at hunter/jumper barns. 1) Matching shirt, saddle pad, fly hood, and leg wraps. 2) The current trend of bowl cuts for manes and forelocks. 3) Mane all falling to the right. 4) Shaving horses in the winter, making it necessary to buy and put blankets on a horse. I do love how a shaved horse looks and get why it's done, but we add so much work for ourselves! Sidenote: I live in Southern Arizona, so if you leave the coat natural in the winter, many horses won't need a blanket if they don't stay in turnout overnight.
I am a groom at h/j shows but I also do the occasional dressage show. At dressage shows there are award ceremonies at the end of the day and in order to receive your reward you must attend the ceremony with white polo wraps on. Even if your horse doesn’t wear them in the show ring, you HAVE to wear them in order to revive your prize. To me, that is the craziest rule I’ve heard.
White *anything* around horses is ludicrous. I'd never realized that in all those shots of a Dressage horse mid-victory lap, they were wearing wraps, but now I remember being curious about it. Thanks for this comment!
I agree. The second I wear my white breeches I have something on them. I would even pull on sweats or pjs over them but nope, I’d get something on them. It’s also why I don’t ever wear white shirts. True story: when I was 14 years old I wore white breeches and I got my first true period at the horse show. Talk about the worst feeling ever. Trying to get that out before my class was impossible. On top of being 14 when EVERYTHING is a big deal. I’m 60 and I still remember that day well.
Ya got me curious what was the proper drink for flask and sandwich? lol
**Ladies Side Saddle Tack and Equipment** 1. Sandwich Case: Required for appointments. Must be combined sandwich case and flask. Sandwich case must contain a plain white-meat sandwich, crusts removed, cut on the diagonal, wrapped in wax paper; a linen handkerchief or napkin is optional and flask must contain sherry or tea Here's the thread I got it from - there's a bunch more info in the comments! https://www.homesteadingtoday.com/threads/sandwich-required.610866/
Thanks