As of yesterday, I am no longer a showing newbie. By no stretch am I claiming to be good at showing, or even massively successful, yet I have tried it and thought I would compile what I learned from my first experience…

• If you have a grey / mostly grey horse, ensure that travel boots are clean before you place on newly washed legs. This will save you a lot of stress and baby wipes.
• Make sure you are correctly dressed. I wasn’t wearing a shirt and tie, but did look smart in a coloured stock. Also, it was unaffiliated level so I probably got away with a hell of a lot more than I should have done. Maybe consult Horse & Hound for facts about showing etiquette.
• Instead of the fancy sheepskin numnah, opt for a simple plain turnout. A black or brown numnah (no fluff allowed) will suffice. Also, if you show your horse clipped make sure that the numnah and saddle cover the unclipped saddle patch. Nobody needs to see a square block of hair poking from underneath a smartly rounded saddlecloth (hands up, I am guilty).
• Also, make sure that tack is simple and traditional. I need to invest in a Hunt Cavesson bridle to emphasise Pancho’s (beautiful) face. The judges do not like modern gimmicks, so avoid them completely. No drop nosebands and no bits that “look like they’re from a Western movie”- direct quote from the judge.
• Remove all boots from your horse. This was a big no-no that I found out after I entered the ring with overreach boots on.
• If you have a big arena to show your horse in make use of ALL the space. It’s no good trying to show a large horse on a 20 metre circle. Really let your horse stretch out in canter and gallop so that the judge can effectively judge all paces.
• Make sure you listen to the judges instructions. Line up when asked to (oops) and when they ask you to step forward towards the judge, make sure you point your horse’s nose in the right direction- towards the judge (guilty again).
• Don’t stress out if your horse is naughty. Cantering disunited, napping, neighing and also refusing to stand when he had hands run down his legs- this all happened. Horses are horses, don’t put unnecessary pressure on your partnership. There will always be another day. Don’t sweat it.
• Lastly, a smile says a thousand words. Smile, look pleasant, act like you love trotting round in front of a group of people even if you have a sweaty upper lip and needed a breather 5 minutes ago. There’s nothing worse than looking unapproachable and miserable. This last point can be a general piece of life advice if you so wish.

I didn’t bag any prize money, win loads of rosettes or get given a medal. But I did have a good day out with my amazing (yet quirky) horse and I learned from my experience.

Next time I attempt showing who knows what will happen, but I am excited to give it a go.