[Hillview Farm]

Can anyone share any do's or dont's?

Got a yearling cob colt I think would do really well in the ring and would like to get him out a little this year.
I'd like to do coloured, cob and youngstock classes. What do I show him in? Cotton halter, bitted in a bridle ( I've heard of people showing them bitter but shown with a three way couple to stop the bit from being used)

He has patches of long hair from his winter coat, should i trim them off?

Any tips on teaching a baby to trot in hand? He walks out well but getting him into trot is a little tricky but Once he's going he's fine!

[shygirl]

it depends on what is normal for the breed. we show highlands and 99% use a cotton halter but other breeds use leather show halters. try and visit a show first to see whats what, and see what you are required to wear too.

[sabrina]

We took Toto out for the first time a few weeks ago. He is a part bred welsh . The Welsh pony and cob society state that they should be shown in the white halter but not sure about colts. I used to show my Shetland yearling colts in a leather head caller . They often play up at shows and more than once a judge has told me to bit my yearling. Safety is important, letting a colt lose is not something anyone would want to experience. I like to use a rubber bit when I show colts under 3 years.

[shygirl]

if you are on your own, trotting up with a bag on the end of a stick  in your outside hand is very helpful, depending on his character, you can wave it or touch him with it without hurting him. id does work and doesnt lead to a phobia of bags in bushes its also very handy for getting thick skinned youngsters to keep out on the lunge rather than poking them with a lunge whip. obviously would be too much for a flighty pony but works on a slow thinking plod.
or get someone to stand behind him and shoo him on until he learns the voice command for trot.

[Hillview Farm]

Thank you ladies! I will start to bit him next week and I had never thought about the bag on a schooling whip. He has learnt the walk on and stand command just this trot command to master now!