75 reasons why you may be down the line!
We hear the moans and groans – “It isn’t fair! We spent ages getting ready/ spent a fortune and why did that one beat us?”
1. You have gone round on the wrong leg and not even
realised it. nose).
42. You haven’t bothered to pull or plait the tail (in the relevant
CLASS).
2. Your horse or pony went with its nose stuck out (poking its 3. Your horse or pony went over-bent. 4. His mouth was open some of the time. 5. You allowed your horse to graze between classes and his
mouth is green. or both.
43. Your horse isn’t tracking up. 44. Your horse is unlevel on the corners. 45. Your horse or pony is wearing a martingale in a flat class. 46. You’re allowing your horse or pony to run or pushing him/
her out of rhythm.
6. You and your horse are wearing the wrong clothes or tack 7. You don’t know how to put a double bridle together
properly and have all the buckles done up on the nearside.
47. Your horse or pony went disunited. 48. You have not worked-in long enough and your mount is
unsettled or fizzy.
8. Your curb-chain is too tight and/or you have no lipstrap. 9. Your hat does not comply with the rules. 10. Your saddle does not fit your pony. 11. Your legs are too far forward or too far back. 12. You bounce on the saddle. 13. Your individual show was too long – or too short. 14. You wear matching gloves, jodhpur boots and carry a
matching cane, all in black.
49. The horse is on 3 tracks. 50. You are wearing your tie as if you were at school (loose
knot) and not in the show-ring!
51. You keep looking down instead of where you are going. 52. You have got yourself into a cluster of horses or ponies
instead of finding your own space.
15. You’re riding a pony and wearing long boots. 16. Your horse or pony has a curb. 17. Your horse or pony has a splint. 18. Your horse or pony is too fat – or too thin. 19. You arrive at the ring just as the class goes into trot. 20. Your horse or pony has done too much, looks tired and flat. 21. Your horse or pony was bent the wrong way. 22. You’re in line and you are slouching or your horse is resting
a leg.
53. You got too close to the horse in front. 54. You overtook other competitors, right in front of the judge. 55. Your horse’s white socks are dirty. 56. Your horse shied at the banners around the ring. 57. You washed your pony yesterday and now it is cold and its
coat is staring.
58. Your horse is tucked-up. 59. Your horse or pony has poor conformation. 60. Your horse was against your hand. 61. Your pony napped when coming out of line. 62. Those above you are actually better quality horses or ponies
than yours, produced and ridden better!
23. When you do your in-hand show, you allow your horse or
pony to slop along with a low head carriage. back.
24. You turn your horse towards you when you turn to trot 25. You trot AS you turn instead of waiting until you have
turned and are straight before you trot back to the judge.
63. Your throatlash is too tight. 64. You’re wearing jewellery. 65. You’re wearing a big flower in your buttonhole (more suited
to a wedding)!
66. You’re under-horsed or over-horsed (too big for your horse 67. Your horse or pony needs shoeing. 68. His or her feet are a poor shape or not in balance. 69. Your horse or pony is a head-shaker. 70. Your horse or pony has broken knees or other blemish. 71. Your horse is ‘forging’. 72. Your show was not well put together – you lost your way
and didn’t do neat figures of eight.
or pony or your horse/pony is too big for you and too much for you to handle).
26. You have a coloured browband on a hunter. 27. Your noseband is slim on a horse or pony with a long, plain
face.
28. Your plaits are untidy. 29. Your plaits are secured by elastic bands. 30. Your plaits are on the wrong side. 31. You have an even number of plaits (plus the forelock). 32. Your number string is the white tape provided by the show. 33. Your number string is pulled tight and makes your jacket
bunched up.
34. Your jacket is too tight or baggy, too long or too short! 35. Your horse or pony is not the correct type for the class you
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