Showing young horses is challenging. This year we took three of our 3 year olds to shows. In the past we have not shown the 3 year olds very much, but the three fillies we had this year were really special. Typically we will take a 3 year old to a show late in the year and may only take them into the schooling ring and let them get acclimated to the horse show environment. This year, however, because they were doing so well in their training, we took them to a local show earlier in the year to see how they would behave. We were pleasantly surprised! We only took them for two days and let them dictate how much they would go in the ring. They were all a little excited on the first day, but settled in like pros!
By the end of the showing season they were all scoring in the mid to upper 60's in Training Level tests 1-4 with Petite Belle earning a 71% at the September USDF Region 2 Championship show in Traverse City. In the hunter ring, they all showed baby pre-greens and Providence won one of her under saddle classes! When their changes are confirmed, I am confident they will all be in the ribbons over fences.
I believe that these results are a direct result of their breeding and training. Patrick has a wonderful, calm, sweet disposition and he passes this on to his offspring. As a result, they are all easy to train, curious, and eager to please. We pay a lot of attention to each horse's personality in the starting process and are careful to insure that they are happy and calm at each stage before proceeding to the next level. This produces horses that are confident and able to adapt to new surroundings and situations with little or no stress.
Not all 3 year olds are ready to go into the show ring. Some are too high strung and need to be eased into the environment more slowly. That does not mean that they will not do well later - they just need more time. As I said earlier, showing young horses is challenging, you have to really pay attention to their individual personalities and introduce them to the show environment in a manner that will instill confidence and a positive attitude. In the beginning it's not about the ribbons, it's about what kind of experience the young horse had in the ring.
