10 Essential Tips for Beginners
February 10, 2020
This is spot for showing tips if you're new to showing, getting back into the hobby, or are new to the region.
More Information to follow soon
New to Live Model Horse Shows?
Here are some helpful tips to make your first show a success.
Before the show:
Read your packet for all the rules, and important information. Create your class list or horse list to stay organized and one to give to the show holder for results. List important details for each horse under its division and class, such as tag number, name, breed, gender, and leave a spot to jot down results if it places. This is also the time to ask any questions you may have. You can use this handy breed list to help you know which breeds go where.
Before the show:
Wash your horses with a gentle soap and warm water if they are OF. Be sure to get in the manes, tails and bridal paths. It is always a shame to not place a horse due to dust. For Customs and Artists resins, you can do the same just be extra careful as to not ruin the finish. Use a soft cloth to gently rub, and avoid any air holes! Once Dry, it’s the perfect time to put their hoof tags on before the show.
Before the show:
In most cases you want to wrap your plastic horses in something like bubble wrap, or pony pouches if you have them, but I have used t-shirts, sweaters, and towels in the past – whatever keeps them from rubbing together or against your container. For customs and artist resins DO NOT mummify them in T.P. this has a nasty habit of adhering to the finish. Whether you are using totes, gun cases, plastic shoeboxes, or custom designed carry cases, just make sure that your horses are safe from rubbing hooves, snoots, ears, manes or tails. Anything that sticks out has a potential to rub.
While at the show:
Take the time to learn the layout of the show hall, who your judges are, and don’t be afraid to introduce yourself. If you are walking around and see something you are curious about, if the owner isn’t busy, ask questions. Nerds love talking about nerd things, don’t worry most of us are happy to chime in about our collections. It is also common for people to sell items at their tables, so It’s good to introduce yourself.
While at the show:
Observe how others clean and primp their ponies before walking away, especially in Performance classes – check and re check that bit! If you want to know why a judge placed a class the way they did, wait until after they are done judging, have called the class, and then ask politely “What made the difference in this class,” and they will gladly tell you the thought process. If you have a model in the class and want to know if there is anything you can do to improve, now is also the time to ask. Judges tend to judge other shows, learn their habits, preferences, and I guarantee showing will become easier. Every judge is different and no two shows will ever be alike.
While at the show:
Remember that class list, check off what has passed and prep for the next class. Classes that have many horses like Arab Stallion, or Quarter Horse, you most likely want to have your horses already in hand to “swap out” any horses you have on the table. Another good show tip is to look at the lighting; no show hall is equal, find the good lighting. Therefore, if a spot clears up, during the class change, you are ready to go. Don’t forget to bring a dusting brush to clear off any fuzzy hairs or dust. Some showers use pocketed aprons or trays to carry many small ones safely. Just be mindful as come in and out during class changes, no one wants to break a horse!
While at the show:
Record your results fill out your cards immediately, and in the chaos if you miss a class – just remember – IT’S NOT THE END OF THE WORLD. We have all done it; we were chatting, in the bathroom, or just plain did not hear the class get called. It is a hobby and it is supposed to be fun. There will always be another live or virtual show down the line.
After the show:
Turn in your show holder copy of your horse list. If you want fast results, it’s best to hand these in ahead of time or during the show. If you send a digital copy, use things like excel or google sheets, so that way it’s easy for the person doing the results to list things numerically to find your horses info quick.
After the show:
Unpack and inspect horses as you unwrap them. This is just good practice to make sure no rubs or bumps have happened, and place them back where you had them. The can also stay in their show tote, and that’s up to you.
After the show:
We are a community of hobbyists so if you take photos share them on either the NAMHSA Region 1 Facebook page, or any of the Model Horse groups on social media. Please feel free to share them with us directly and we can add them to the site (with your permission). If you are new to showing, photos are also a great way to create reference photos of good set ups, documentation, and models.