When in Rome Dressing Your Horse for the Show Ring

Horsesaddleshop.com sells saddles and tack for a wide range of western disciplines. Whether a horse is going for a relaxing ride or putting in a hard day'ss work, HorseSaddleShop.com has the saddle to suit the purpose. But the most costly items of the store'ss inventory are items for the show ring. These items--from saddles to spurs--are the cream of the tack crop. Some feature hand tooling patterns with acorn leaves or barbed wire; others are decorated with sterling silver and Swarovski crystals. If a horse had a wedding day, he'sd be wearing items purchased from this section. But one has to wonder: Do these pricey items really matter in the show ring As long as a horse looks neat and clean and performs well, does show tack always win over a regular saddle

Horsesaddleshop.com set out to find the answer. In horse forums and online discussion boards, The Horse Saddle Shop asked show ring participants and enthusiasts all over the country for their opinion. This familiar phrase cropped up left and right: When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

Everyone agrees that training is the most important element, and fancy tack should never be able to pay for performance mistakes. But tack does pay an important role in the ring that shouldn'st be neglected. A well-trained horse deserves to look good; think of it as the frosting on the cake.

Of course none of the rules for competition are going to demand that the participants don some silver to enter the ring. The National Reining Horse Association Handbook gives this answer to the question, How important is what I'sm wearing

It is mandatory for all riders to use appropriate western tack and western attire while showing; this would include a long sleeved shirt, western hat or safety helmet; boots, western saddle, and western bridle. Riders should wear whatever their tastes and budgets dictate. Think of it as a job interview. In other words your ability doesn'st depend on what you wear, but it never hurts to make a good impression.

In other words, the minimum requirement is that the horse and rider present a neat, trim, and pleasing picture. But who gets the job--those who meet or exceed the minimum requirement In the words of Ed Nicholls, a long time horse owner and moderator of dailyequine.com, After all it is a horse show and you need to dress for the occasion.

Of course it'ss important to consider a number of factors when deciding what to wear into the ring. First and most importantly is the level of competition. Local open competitions are more suited to smaller budgets and amateur showmen, because show tack is less common and less acceptable. On the other hand, one rarely finds a horse in everyday tack at breed shows and AQHA competitions. The more one runs with the big dogs, the more one has to look like them. Jeanne Dial, professional AQHA horseman, explains, For the novice showman, one must fit in to a degree. If you stand out as totally different while lacking the skills of an experienced showman, a judge may assume you haven'st done your homework. This is an example of the impact of non-verbal communication.You and your horse'ss appearance make a statement to the judge without speaking a word. You will determine what that statement is, either, 'sI'sm have gained the knowledge needed to make me ready to compete's or 'sDon'st take me too seriously, I'sm just learning.'s What is the statement you want to make

In a perfect world silvered show tack would be as expensive as a loaf of bread and every horse could look like a million bucks. Or judges, like the statue of justice personified, would be blind to the bling. But unfortunately, as Mrs. Hook, long time horse owner and show exhibitor said, Judges are human and they make human subjective decisions. Sure you can wear your baseball cap and jeans to a formal dinner but you are going to get some weird looks. If that is the first impression for people then you are going to come across as lacking in social awareness and manners. Figure out the occasion and dress for it.

Like makeup, tack can also have a cosmetic function for the horse. Tack can downplay parts of the horse that are less than perfect, like a short back or smaller head; it can also highlight the horse'ss strong points. Brandi Heikkila explains, There is an art to picking the right show tack and grooming the horse so that the good points stand out and the not so good points fade. For example, a horse with a head a bit too small or large shouldn'st wear a flashy headstall. Likewise, horses with shorter backs should avoid larger saddles and blankets. Leather color, hardware, and silver can enhance one horse'ss appearance and make another stick out like a sore thumb. Use all three to emphasize the horse'ss good points and distract from what'ss not so perfect.

At the end of the day--and the end of the Horsesaddleshop.com survey--three things are most important when it comes to show tack: the competitor'ss level of ability, time commitment, and budget. Duly considering all three factors will prevent disappointment in the ring, as well as loss of time and money.

To browse The Horse Saddle Shop'ss inventory of show tack, visit www.horsesaddleshop.com.

About the Horse Saddle Shop:

The Horse Saddle Shop first started selling saddles in the small town of Bremen, Indiana in 1986 under the name The Saddle Shop. They served the Northern Indiana and surrounding areas until their expansion to the Internet in January of 2000. Since then, HorseSaddleShop.com has become a major saddle dealer across the nation, expanding to horse owners of many friendly countries.

Contact:

Chuck Klockow, Co-Owner

Horse Saddle Shop

1-866-880-2121

http://www.horsesaddleshop.com

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