Lessons from a Horse Show Parent

Lessons we have learned in the horse showing world – from horse show parent Lessons from a Horse Show Parent:

• Surround yourself with the best people.
  • Get to know people at the shows. You’ll see the same people over and over again and it’s good to have friends. They will become your show family.
  • You’ll need help and advice along the way. Be very open to it. (Read a great article on accepting criticism).
  • Don’t be afraid to ask a lot of questions. There are always people that know more than you do about this stuff. Don’t hesitate to swallow your pride, you don’t have to be the smartest person in the room.
  • Align yourself with good teachers, leaders and trainers. Make sure you like who these people are inside and outside the show environment. They will be making a huge impression on your child.
  • Horse showing is an individual sport, but it takes a dang village to make it happen.
• Give your child appropriate responsibilities whenever you can.
  • Teach your child to clean their own tack. It’s not your job, and they will take much better care of their tack if they are the ones maintaining it. The same can be said for bathing their horse, too.
  • Make a checklist and encourage your child to get the trailer and their things organized the night before the show. They should know where everything is and that everything is packed. They’re never too young to take responsibility for their things.
  • Encourage your child to set goals and help them understand the work it will take to reach those goals. Without a plan, a goal is only a wish.
• Organization is the key to success.
  • Have some favorite back numbers and make duplicates of them on card stock so you can get them put on your pads early in the day before it gets hectic.
  • Pack sunscreen, water and food. Make sure your nervous, busy child remembers to eat and drink or they will pass out and fall off their horse. It’s not pretty.
  • Print out the showbill, entry forms and patterns at home before the show so you have copies at the show and can fill out forms in advance.
• Horses are expensive and showing horses can get really expensive. Set a budget and look ahead at the season and plan for what you want to do. There will always be surprises. With that in mind, remember that there are a lot of used tack and show outfits available, so you don’t have to break the bank getting started. You don’t have to be the flashiest person in the ring. A clean, well-kept, tidy outfit and a good hat are always in style.
  • A well-fitted saddle makes the rider and the horse a whole lot happier and more successful. Don’t just get one that looks pretty or is inexpensive. Make sure it fits well.
  • Check out these Michigan State University Extension articles on horse showing on a budget: “Horse showing on a budget – Part 1,” “Horse showing on a budget – Part 2,” “Broke and love horse showing? You’re not alone” and “Top 10 tips for sewing your own show clothes.”
• Model good sportsmanship!
  • Encourage your child to watch others compete. Pay attention to who is winning and watch the way they present themselves. Take notice of their posture and position in the saddle, the way they handle their space in the arena and the way they ask their horse to move. It’ll serve to be way more valuable than you telling them what to do. They can see it for themselves and emulate the winners.
  • Be encouraging and positive. Going in the arena and being judged is daunting and some kids handle the pressure better than others.
  • Don’t fight with your child at the shows. Discuss up front that horse shows are stressful for everyone. Be a team and handle the hectic times together. Check out this My Horse University webinar on “Parenting Tips at the Horse Show.”
  • Horse showing can be a team sport, and when it is, there are all new and valuable lessons to learn. Look for opportunities to join teams with your school, 4-H club, Pony Club or an organized show group through a trainer or barn.
• Recognize that you can’t control everything.
  • Sometimes the horse you have is not the right horse for the job. It’s best you come to terms with that versus trying to jam a square peg in a round hole. It never ends well.
  • Judging is subjective. The judge is in the middle of the arena and they do not have eyes on the back of their head. Most importantly, they are watching everyone in the ring, not just your kid. So when your kid doesn’t get the blue ribbon, there’s probably a very good reason for it.
  • Riding is a sport for athletes. It requires discipline and hard work for the horse and the rider. It’s not for the weak at heart.
• Lastly, figuring out how to get your daughter’s hair in a tidy little bun that fits neatly below the brim of their hat is a big accomplishment. There should be a ribbon Mom gets for that!

I cannot say enough about the amazing experiences that owning and showing horses has afforded my daughter. I am so grateful for the time it has given us together over the years. Without a doubt, she is the person she is today because of the lessons she has learned from this amazing sport.

From Taylor:

I couldn’t agree more with Amy, especially on her last statement. I, too, was fortunate enough to grow up in this environment and I can truly say it shaped me into the woman I am today. I hope you found these tips as useful as I did! Hopefully, horse show parents – especially the new horse show parents – can save themselves a good deal of time and strife by heeding Amy’s advice!