| Chapter
13
Dressing
Children for the Show Ring
What horse show participant hasn’t been charmed by the sight of an arena
full of youngsters, dressed with care and riding their childish best, in a leadline
or walk-jog class? There’s something special and reassuring about watching
the next generation of show girls and boys making their arena debut, gripping
their reins carefully and smiling with fixed intensity at every parent, grandparent,
and friend that coaches them from the rail.
While many folks view these ‘tot classes’ as novelties to amuse the
crowd and add a degree of charm often missing at horse shows, events for very
young riders are becoming serious business to their parents, and oftentimes the
small riders themselves. Where a leadline class used to be simple fun for those
too young to really show, these days it’s not unusual to see a child hauled
to a full season of shows to chase a year-end award in this formerly innocent
class. By the time some exhibitors graduate to the walk-jog ranks, they are seasoned
competitors with a clear understanding of the difference between a blue and a
red ribbon.
As the parent, grandparent, or instructor of a young show rider, you have a responsibility
to not only make the experience fun for the child, but to help them learn from
the undertaking as well. It’s your job to help teach them about showmanship,
sportsmanship, and the highs and lows of competition. You must decide how serious
you want to be about the pursuit of show-ring glory, and then commit to your
plan wholeheartedly so that the child has a positive experience with you and
with showing.
If your goal is to have some fun with your child at club level shows, then the
plan will be much simpler than prepping your youngster to compete in the Small
Fry horsemanship class at the Quarter Horse Congress. In the first scenario,
you’ll have a small investment in clothing and tack, and probably use a
gentle, reliable horse you already own. Being competitive at the Congress level
is a different game: expect to spring for custom clothing, a hand-made saddle,
and quite likely, a special horse purchased or leased just for those events.
Before you even consider telling your kid they’re going to ride in a horse
show, give some thought to how much time and money you are willing to invest
in the adventure.
Want to take your little buckaroo in leadline next weekend? Great! Your goal
should be to dress them similar to the adults who will ride at the same show,
but perhaps more colorfully. Your cowboy or cowgirl probably has some jeans and
boots already, so next you’ll need to find a hat. Look for one that actually
fits your punkin’s head, instead of faking it with an adult’s proportioned
hat.
Most kids have bigger heads than you’d guess: measure their head with a
tape measure at the widest part, then divide by pi (3.14) to get an approximate
hat size. If you’re lucky, and the number you calculate translates to 6.75
(size 6 3/4 hat) or bigger, you may be able to use an inexpensive hat from the
western store with the brim cut down to about 3 1/2". Try specialty western
catalogs if you need a smaller size, and don’t overlook nicely styled kid’s
straw hats.
Don’t buy a toy hat, but don’t spend a fortune, either. Kids can
somehow destroy a hat while it’s still on their head, and they can lose
one between the tack room and the bathroom as well. While a decent felt or straw
child’s hat is hard to find, it’s worth the effort to create a proportionate,
not comical, impression, in the show ring. Make sure your rider knows the hat
is to receive extra-special care, and is not to be worn except in the show ring.
Give ‘em a baseball cap for around the barn, like all their heroes wear.
Now, for a shirt or blouse. Small boys and girls can again usually wear something
from the western store, but buy it to fit or taper the garment to look shapely
and let it out as they grow. It needs to fit when they wear it in the show ring,
not at some undetermined point in the future. Solid color shirts can coordinate
with a boy’s saddle blanket, and beware of turning your little girl out
like a frilly valentine or a Vegas dancer: strive for an age-appropriate miniature
version of what the big girls wear at the same shows, with a little less flash
and frippery.
Vests and jackets tend to bunch up on very small kids and make them look misshapen,
so start with a basic shirt, blouse, or girl’s slinky top for your first
assault of the show world. A small scarf for boys finishes the collar, and a
pin or pendant looks right for girls. In leadline, consider a matching neck ornament
for the leader, and possibly a matching shirt as well. Remember to keep all eyes
on the child though: the leader should always coordinate with, but dress simpler
than, the child.
Chaps are usually not needed for young children in local level showing. Nicely-
fitted jeans will do the trick, but make them lay smoother by sewing a short
length of heavy elastic under the instep to keep the pants snugged down under
the rider’s boot. Big rubber bands with clips are available in catalogs
to do this chore too: look for them in places that cater to saddle seat (gaited
horse) riders.
Finishing touches for our young weekend rider include a belt and buckle, again
proportionate to the rider. All that’s left to do is figure out how to
get the stirrups short enough (try having strap fenders made by a leather craftsman
to fit an adult’s saddle) give some two-minute equitation lessons (at home,
please) and buy lots of film.
If your kid wins, great. If not, consider that the poor judge may simply pick
the cutest or most miniaturized-adult presentation to take home the blue ribbon
and glory. Winning’s important? Then get ready to spend some money to make
sure your kid is the one turned out to win. Should you pursue competition at
more than club level or weekend shows, or at almost any level of youth showing
beyond leadline and walk-jog, the game gets serious, fast. Begin your homework
by watching videotapes to see exactly how the winning children were dressed.
Note how fancy and fitted their clothing was, what their saddles looked liked,
and of course, how well they rode.
For leadline and walk-jog, and all youth classes at breed shows and major events,
young riders will be turned out as well as their adult counterparts, in styles
mirroring those of the open classes. Custom-everything is usually the order of
the day for the wee ones, as few catalogs and fewer stores stock specialty show
apparel for little kids. Remember, though, that the resale value on custom children’s
apparel is very high: if you spring for the good stuff, you’re likely to
be accosted by parents lining up to buy the outfit the instant your kid outgrows
it. Expect to recoup about half of your initial expense in quality pint-size
tack and apparel.
If you and your family are serious about winning in leadline or walk-jog, as
well as other youth classes, make sure your child is the best-turned-out rider
in the class, every time. Don’t handicap your child’s chance of success
by compromising the fit or style of their clothing, or expecting them to ride
well in a saddle that’s too big. Keep in mind that most kids stay in an
outfit at least a full year with a few careful alterations, and again, it’s
a snap to sell a child’s outfit or saddle: wouldn’t you buy quality
second-hand show equipment for your little star if you could find it?
Remember, especially when competing with kids, that there’s nothing ‘fair’ about
showing horses: it is, at all levels, a totally subjective event that merely
represents one person’s opinion of the horses and riders presented on any
given day. Be realistic, but most of all, keep a perspective about what it’s
worth to you and your family to win versus to compete at shows. The cold, hard
facts: just because your child sold lemonade to pay their own entry fee doesn’t
make them a better lead-liner than the kid whose grandparents spent $5,000 on
equipment and $10,000 on a horse. If this reality makes you uncomfortable, get
your child involved in 4-H or Pony Club and know you are still helping to create
a horseman.
Next:
Chapter 14 - Plus Size Suggestions
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