A Beginners Guide to Horse Showing by Josie Embleton

     As a horse show exhibitor with parents that have no idea what they're doing around horses, I decided it might be helpful for anyone else like me to have a guide to horse showing for their family and friends who might not be used to the atmosphere. The first thing a horse show parent should know is appropriate behavior at the show. The basic rule is not to do anything that may spook the horses. For example, my dad once thought it would be a great idea to bring a beach umbrella to the horse shows in the summer. This is actually one of the spookiest items for a horse. Luckily, I made sure he knew that was a very bad idea before he showed up with an enormous, green, flapping umbrella. Some other spooky items/activities are crinkling soda cans and water bottles, plastic bags, and pretty much any other thing that moves and makes sounds. (You always have to keep in mind that horses are prey animals and are incredibly spooky.)
       The next important thing your parents need to learn is the horse lingo. This is an important part of horse showing because if you are like my dad and think "Under Saddle" means the class is beginning, you might end up rushing down to the ring thinking the class is starting without you, only to realize that it actually begins in two hours. The term "Under Saddle" really is a type of class, a flat class specifically. It has nothing to do with when the class is beginning. Another important term to know is when a rider/trainer says, "That was a great trip!" It is important to know that they do not mean a trip as in the horse tripping, they mean a trip around the jumps. My mom once made that mistake and was quite worried until we explained to her that my horse did not trip. Other terms that may be helpful to know are:

• A "green" horse- This means the horse is young or inexperienced, not that the horse is the color green.
• Lead Change- This means that when the horse is in the canter or gallop, the horse switched his leading leg.
• Schooling- when someone is "warming up" or practicing. You can think of it as teaching the horse how to ride the jumps.

There is much more to know, but this guide should be a good, quick introduction to the appropriate behavior at a horse show.