Show or No?
Didn’t have a remarkable equestrian weekend. Light hack Saturday in the afternoon heat, and then I attempted to murder my horse pulled mane and tried to clip ears. Lets just say that Simon and I battled a but over ear clipping and no one won – he got his ears clipped but he was so naughty that they look really bad.
Sunday I had a lesson but my head wasn’t 100% in the game. Simon is getting quite fit again and therefore is fresh and amped up for our rides lately. He was blowing me off in the beginning but we had some nice trot in canter out lines by the end, so I felt like it was a productive lesson that ended on a good note.
Now for my waffling – there is a show at the end of the month that my trainer thinks will be a good goal to work towards taking Simon to. Me? I’m torn.
At first I thought it was financially irresponsible to go since I’m flying home this weekend and spent funds on a plane ticket, but I recently sold my western saddle which gave me some extra cash for showing.
My gut says we need more time, but it’s 3 weeks worth of lessons and training rides away and this is a very chill show with no pressures. Simon has been to the facility before, and they have several divisions outside of the local circuit points that will probably run smaller. It’d be an excellent “get back out there” show, and I won’t have another showing opportunity like this until September.
Still I feel like we just got back to things and I wish I was more prepared. Even though I could go trot all the fences and give my boy a good experience the competitor in me wants to attempt more than that. At the end of the day, I trust my trainer and if she says we’re ready than chances are it won’t be a disaster… But still I’m waffling.
What would y’all do, show or no?
25 thoughts on “Show or No?”
Definitely show! Like you said, you’ve got plenty of time for more training rides between now and then. And it’ll be fun!
For me, doing all those courses back-to-back at a show really brings out what I need to work on. My advice? Go! Have fun and try not to put any pressure on yourself or Simon. Try to tell yourself that this show is about assessing where you are at in your training and that placings don’t matter. I know that is a lot easier said than done!
Hmmm… hard to say! If you’re nervous or unsure, September isn’t all that far away. Maybe by then you won’t feel unsure at all, and you’ll feel like you two will rock it! Either way it will be a good experience and FUN!
As of now definitely not nervous, but if I became so I would definitely wait. Nerves are a big warning to me that I’m just not ready for something!
New barn looks awesome, btw!
Thanks, I love it!
I’m waffling about the same show. But ya know what? You don’t have to make a decision till like 2 days before. If things aren’t going well, don’t go. If things are awesome and you feel like it would be a productive experience (and not a fight), then go. Just help me remember to follow my own advice, hmm? 😉
LOL seriously! We probably won’t know until the trailer is hooked or not hooked up the night before 🙂
I think you should go because I think you’ll surprise yourself with how well you actually do! it might be a good confidence boost. and worst case scenario, he’s a bad boy and you just trot all the fences, at least a good learning experience in a low pressure environment!
In my opinion, if you have enough money and Simon is sound enough to show, go for it! Who knows, you could get first place. 🙂 Go after it! If you don’t do well, it was a learning experience! If you do well, yay!
I would personally wait to build up more conditioning and be better prepared, that being said, its your pony and your money!
I say go if you can financially swing it. Keep it fun, low pressure. 🙂
I would not count the next three weeks as training/practice opportunities for this show. Usual rule of thumb is that you will have in the ring whatever you had in practice six months pre-show. Individual mileage may vary depending on individual coolth, but nobody is Zen enough to benefit from work done in the previous couple of weeks.
So count this month as investment in the future. If I didn’t feel confident that it would be a positive experience (whatever that means for you guys) if I went and horse-showed tomorrow, I personally would take a pass on three weeks from now.
That’s a very good point. If he had never gone to a show or proven to me that he can jump a 2’0″ course with no drama, I wouldn’t even consider it. Since he has done those things and we’re just off our schedule because of rehabbing, it puts things in more of a gray area for me.
I was the same way before my first show with Fiction. I definitely didn’t feel ready. We had just gotten him to do a nice slow canter over one fence (though he would freak out over combinations/courses) and I was only able to jump one course before going in to show.
That being said, I decided, as I normally do, to wing it. We didn’t come out on top (3rd out of 5) but we had an amazing experience and it was sooooo much fun!
I say if your heart isn’t in it and you’ll feel uncomfortable, don’t do it. However, showing (no matter the level) is supposed to be fun! Even if you don’t want to aim to win (like me), it is still a great experience. Trust your gut though, but personally I would go for it!
DO IT.
I need jumping pictures of JenJ’s new man and I think I’ve talked her into going. The key component is having you there so you guys can switch off the camera and get excellent pics. 😀
And no, I’ve never met either of you. I just like pretty pictures.
You should definitely go to the show. In my opinion the more you do the more experinced and better you guys will get. Even if it doesnt go to plan at least you are out there doing something and everything is a learning opportunity.
Even though Simon was bad for the ear clipping he does look gorgeous!!
You should definitely go to the show. In my opinion the more you do the more experinced and better you guys will get. Even if it doesnt go to plan at least you are out there doing something and everything is a learning opportunity.
Even though Simon was bad for the ear clipping he does look gorgeous!! He has such a sweet face.
I say do what your gut says 🙂
Show!! Show = ribbons. Preeeeeetty! 🙂
I agree with above comments, the more you go, the more comfortable you are. Also for me, I don’t always get the awesome horse I have at home, and get the amp’d up speed demon instead. So it’s good for me to get more experience with stuff like that, which I can’t emulate at home.
And yes, PICS or video!! Video is good for rewatching 🙂
I’m kind of in the same place as you are. Me and Libby are just getting back into work, and theres a show coming up in two weeks, but I’ve already decided that I’m going. I think it’ll be good for us, and me, to really see where were at, and I think we might come out on top! Maybe…
I’d say go. Not only do you have the full three weeks to prepare you also can decide to just trot the jumps or not go in the ring at all if you feel like you’re not ready when the day arrives. Though I understand how frustrating that is!
I personally would probably wait if it were Hue and I, but you know your guys ability and if you’re ready. If you go into it as a schooling experience or just for fun then I say yes! I have taken Hue to some stuff that we might not have been prepared for and without the right mindset I have been quite disappointed. Either way I hope you have fun! 🙂
I say go for it! I think shows are really good training opportunities especially if it is reasonably priced and local. You have time to get ready and if you are like me you will never feel “prepared.”
I love this post. Struggling with this myself, and glad to see you went for the show option. Gives me courage!