A Healthy Approach to Showing Horses

December 17, 2007

My family didn’t have the funds to really show horses big-time, but we certainly got a whole lot out of showing hunters in 4-H and local C-rated shows. And for doing as well as I did, I actually kept a pretty healthy perspective on showing and success.

I rode in my first-ever horse show when I was 11 years old. I had been riding Smoke, a 10-year chestnut quarter horse for about two years, and we’d learned a lot together during that time. I remember cleaning my own saddle and struggling for hours to do the show braids by myself. I rode in one class … a beginners walk, trot, canter. I have no idea how I placed. I don’t remember much at all about that first show, other than the few pictures I’ve seen.

The next years, however, I do remember vividly. I started learning to jump that winter, and mom trained Smoke and I hard to compete in the hunter hack class, which included flatwork and taking a two-jump line at 2′6″, moving up to a hand gallop after the last fence, and coming to a halt at a designated point. I was young and inexperienced and didn’t know much about finding the correct take-off spot, but I did know that Smoke was short strided (we measured him the next year and he actually qualified as a large pony), and if I could get him moving out we’d hit good spots and manage to get the correct number of strides inbetween. The next tricky step was hoping that he landed on the right lead to take the turn, because Smoke didn’t do flying changes. As if that wasn’t enough, bringing a bullheaded Quarter Horse to a halt from a hand gallop was tricky business for a 12-year-old built like a stick.

Each summer we had three 4-H point shows in which we competed, and that’s all I knew about the system. I can remember my mom telling me not to expect to place in the ribbons, just to go out and concentrate and do the very best that I could. I rode Smoke into the ring with my mom’s voice coaching me in my head. “Move him out of the turn, get him going.” We hit a great spot on the first jump. “Drive him forward!” We hit good striding and a nice spot for the second fence, and thankfully landed on the right lead. As we moved out of the turn, I could imagine her yelling “Hand gallop, hand gallop!” And we did. A few strides before we were supposed to stop, I heard her coaching “Sit up, sit deep in the saddle, and pull back on those reins!” And we stopped. I was thrilled that it had gone so well, and was completely shocked when we walked out with a blue ribbon.

I remember riding home in the car with mom that day, just the two of us following along behind the trailer. “You did a great job today, Jackie,” she said. “You deserved that first place and I’m very proud of you … but don’t expect that to happen every time. Just keep going out there and doing your best.”

For the next two shows that’s what I did … listened to my mom’s voice in my head and did exactly as she said. I don’t remember winning the hunter hack class again, but Smoke and I always placed in the top three.

Little did I know that those 4-H shows were called points because I was actually earning points that would send me to the district horse show that year … a show I didn’t actually even know existed. In September I was headed to compete in the hunter hack class against the top riders in eight counties …

Miracle at Meadville
That District 4-H Horse Show in the fall of 1995 has been dubbed “The Miracle at Meadville” by my horse show dad and is quite the historic event in my family. Mom trained Smoke and I hard for this next event, and we were at the top of our game. As usual, we went into the show ring with the same words ringing in my head “Just do your best, and don’t expect to place. It’s ok if you don’t, just have a good ride.”

Like the first county show, I had my mom’s voice instructing me in my head, louder and clearer than ever before. Smoke went into his lively horse show trot (he absolutely loved to travel and show and was a completely different horse in the show ring), and went to canter immediately when asked. We came out of the turn and headed for the first fence, me in half seat driving him forward with my skinny little legs. I kept my eyes up as we soared over that first jump, and headed nice and straight, driving him hard to the second fence. Our second spot was a little long, but still good. Luck was with me, and we landed on the right lead, and as we came out of the turn moved up into one of the best hand gallops we’d ever had. I focused my eyes on the pole 2/3 of the way down the ring where we were supposed to screech to a halt. As we got nearer, I sat up and hauled back with all of my heart and strength. And to my surprise, Smoke stopped on a dime. We waited a few seconds before walking back to our spot in line.

As we waited for the class of at least 20 to be pinned, Smoke and I just stood there grinning at a job well-done. His head and ears were up, and I was sitting as straight and with as perfect equitation as I could muster. Then I heard the familiar words, “First place and congratulations goes to…” and I didn’t even realize that they had called my number.

I was in such shock over that blue ribbon that I hardly understood what was going on when mom and dad drug me into the trailer office to sign Smoke and I up for the 4-H State Horse show in Harrisburg the next month.

We had a pretty good round at States, even though Smoke dangled a foreleg and knocked the rail of the second fence (it didn’t fall, just made an awful noise), and didn’t have our best halt in the world. We still managed to walk away with a sixth place. I can remember leaving the class and walking down the hallway back towards where my family and best friend were waiting to congratulate us, thinking “wow, I can’t believe we are the sixth best hunter hack team in the whole state!” I was so awed over the whole thing I can remember tearing up as we walked that concrete victory strip.

That year set the stage for many years of showing left to come, happy when I placed well, but most thrilled as long as we had a good ride.

Posted in Jackie's Thoughts, Riding and showing