Czars First Show

[firstlovesong]

So now that Czar is actually healing up nicely from the gelding procedure I have decided I am going to take him to a local fair show sometime mid July. It will be his first outing and I havent actually decided if I am going to show him or just take him to see the sights. I know I will probably show him once I end up there and excited about it though. It is actually more of a fun show and gaited horse show mostly tennessee walking horses and racking horses so its just an experience for him to see everything. So I was just going to ask all your opinions on a couple of matters..

Should I show him in Saddleseat attire or Huntseat attire?

I already have the tack for both disiplines but I dont have the full outfit for huntseat. I do have the full outfit for Saddleseat but I am concerned he will not compete very well against saddlebreds? What are your thoughts?

Clipping?

So this is a big ordeal for me.. I am obviously going to clip his ears and bridlepath as well as his whiskers and clean him up but what do I do about his feathers? I HATE to shave them off. Lord knows I have put a hundred dollars worth of MTG on it trying to get it to grow. It is more than a normal horse has but not the amount that most full friesians would have. So do you think a judge is going to take off for them not being shaved? Just a thought because I hate to do it. I know most people like nice clean legs but I really dont want to shave them off.. I am still praying nightly that they just might grow more LOL.


So I think those are my two major questions.. other than that I am very nervous. Any suggestions, opinions, thoughts? Urg.. I havent shown for a couple of years I am so excited but nervous nervous nervous.

[CaddoCinnamon]

Does he look Fresian more than anything? If so I would leave the feathers if not then I would shave them. If you have everything for saddleseat then that is the class I would do.
Glad to hear that he is healing nicely.

[firstlovesong]

I THINK he looks more Friesian opposed to another breed but he isnt quite as heavy built and he doesnt have the extreme feathering. Here is a recent picture. You cant see the feathering but you can tell what he looks like and how he moves. He is coal black all over no white and he has the long thick wavy mane and tail. I think he looks enough Friesian that they may take that into consideration with the feathers.. I just dont know for sure.

http://www.baywindfarm.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=376&pictureid=18642

[Kara]

Leave the feathers. I couldn't cut them if he was mine.

[firstlovesong]

Leave the feathers. I couldn't cut them if he was mine.

Thank you! I am so happy to hear that from someone LOL even if everyone doesnt feel that way.. I just feel so silly but I really think I would cry if I had to shave them off.

[Stalknndashadows]

If it makes you feel any better I show my shire saddleseat. :)

The important part is to go and have fun at the show. Personally with the picture you posted, I would go for saddleseat. As for the feather, it is all your choice. Most friesians are shown with their feather but if he only has a light dusting on the back then I would shave it...but thats me. lol

[WashingtonBay]

From the hints in the picture here I'd say his carriage seems more saddle seat than hunt. It depends a lot on how he moves... when he's moving his best, would he belong in a picture of a fancy saddle horse in the park on Sunday, or with a pack of hounds in the country? :) The other style you could present of course, would be basic dressage.

I would say leave the feathers, to present him as his breed and type, even as a cross.

[GrungeEquestrian]

He looks like he would do well in saddle seat, just from that picture alone. With the feathers, personally I would leave them. They are part of his breed, and heck I like them ;).

[CaddoCinnamon]

With that pic you posted I would leave them. You can tell that he is Fresian. Hopefully the judges will take that into consideration. That is one of the most distinctive identification of a Fresian and their gait.

[firstlovesong]

Ok good.. I was afraid everyone was going to yell shave them off LOL

I think he will do okay shown Saddleseat I just dont know how well he will go up against Saddlebreds but then again I am just showing in an English Pleasure class. So it will be everything from TBS to Saddlebreds to Arabs and who knows what else. English Pleasure is the only non-gaited horse class this show is going to offer.

[CaddoCinnamon]

The day is just supposed to be fun..I know when I took Cutter to her first show even though she ended up blowing up in the class I had a blast just riding her around.

[miatapony]

OMG dont you dare shave his feathers off... he is beautifull with them.... i vote leave them !

[Remali]

The only thing I would clip on him is his whiskers, and a little from his ears (just the super-long stuff that sticks out a lot).... I wouldn't even do a bridlepath on that beautiful mane. I left my Arabian mare's mane full, no bridlepath, she had a nice long mane and I always thought it was a shame to trim manes off. And I definitely would not touch his legs and those lovely feathered fetlocks at all..... he's so handsome!

A lot of the Friesians around here are shown in dressage attire, I always thought that looked nice.....
but either way you go, he is going to look great!!

[gaited07]

Leave the feathers and show him saddleseat and have fun;)

[shewasmyshadow]

He looks saddleseat all the way. ;) Leave the feathers, but trim up anything further of the leg that sticks out. The smoother his upper leg looks the fuller his feathers will appear. Good luck.

[firstlovesong]

Thanks everyone!

I did think about dressage attire but I dont have any of the clothes other than the boots and I dont feel justified buying all of it for one show. We have zero dressage shows around here so I will just be able to show English Pleasure and Hunt Seat. I actually would love to do eventing with him someday but we dont have any of that either.

Hopefully it will go well.. I am going to start getting my old show stuff polished back up. Its been a couple of years. I just want it to be a good expirience for him and have fun.

[dame_wolf]

I don't think he looks like the old style Friesans but he looks like the new lighter ones being bred. So I say keep the feathers.

[Remali]

Have fun, and don't forget we love photos! :)

[prissy18]

I would say saddleseat and leave his pretty feathers! :)

[firstlovesong]

Have fun, and don't forget we love photos! :)

LOL Thanks! I will definitely have lots of pictures!