Lady’s Park Hack Type (Corinne)
The most important thing for a woman to bear in mind when showing horses is to be a cheerful loser. A feeling of good-fellowship should pervade and the spirit of rivalry should not be carried to extremes. Do not think that you have been unfairly treated
when you have not won, or that the losing of the blue necessarily means that your horse is not good. Perhaps on this occasion he was not in his best form and perhaps at some other time, before some other judge, you will have better success.
One should always remember this: that the names of the judges are published in advance, and if one does not care to submit one’s horse to their judgment, one need not compete. If, by any unfortunate chance, the judges should be changed after one’s horses are entered, there are two courses open—either to stay in and abide by their decision or withdraw one’s horses and state the reason. Certainly, after having voluntarily submitted the horses to their judgment, it is most unsportsmanlike and contrary to the spirit of fair play to criticise the judges for their decision, and it has been my experience, after many years of showing horses, that the judges are fair and impartial and do their best to render their decisions upon the merits of the horses. One should also remember that the judges are usually men of very wide experience and thorough knowledge of the points of a horse, and that they see many faults and blemishes which would escape the eye of the spectator.
A horse presents an altogether different appearance when seen from within the ring to that which
he presents from without. A horse that steps very high and has a flashy, all-round way of going and looks from without like a winner, may be seen from within the ring to have serious faults, such as dishing, paddling, crossing forward, or spreading too wide behind. Outsiders, of course, do not have the opportunity which the judges have to examine the horses critically, and all they can base their judgment on is the general effect which a horse produces at a distance. A horse which may appear to an outsider strong and bold may, on closer inspection, be seen to be coarse-necked and heavy in the shoulder or too big-boned for his class, and a horse with truer action and better quality, conforming to the standard of his class, may easily be overlooked by the outsider.
To prepare a horse for the show ring requires weeks and even months of work. He must be in perfect condition; his coat must be fine, his eye bright, and he must be neither too fat nor too lean, and his preparation must be so timed that, on the day of the show, he will be at the top of his condition. All this involves good feed, plenty of water, and quiet, systematic exercise.
It is most desirable that the person who is to show the horse should have ridden him several times before the show—the oftener the better—so that the
horse and rider may know each other thoroughly, and the rider may understand all there is to be known about that individual horse’s training, and how best to bring out his good points.