You’ve already brought your young horse to enough competitions as a non-compete that you can ride them around fairly relaxed and they accept hectic surroundings. The number of outings this takes depends on the horse. It is also helpful to bring your horse on other types of field trips. If your horse lives at home, trailering out for lessons is a great field trip. Going to public equestrian parks is also a good excursion. After as many outings as it takes for travel and new places to become non stressful it is time to take the plunge.

If you are lucky enough to board at a barn that hosts shows, participating in a show at home can be a great first step. Having your trainer show your horse first is also a smart way to give your horse a positive experience. Finding C rated or schooling shows in your discipline is a super way to watch the budget in giving your horse its initial mileage. Dressage, eventing, and hunter jumper all have unrated and schooling show options.

In the Hunter Jumper discipline you are able to school the jumps the day before the show as a non compete which can help give your horse a lot of confidence and learn what his job is. There are pro classes and warm up classes that can also be utilized for your horse to learn his job. In H/J most horses start with a professional in the 2’6” Baby Greens at the A circuit. C or B rated shows will have even smaller divisions that can give some mileage at 2’ or 2’3”. Even when a horse will ultimately be a jumper it is nice to go around the hunter ring to teach them straightness and rhythm. Though many shows also have puddle jumpers and very small jumper classes. Be mindful of not doing too many classes with your horse even if they are eligible. The bigger the jumps the less classes a horse should do per show. No more than 2 divisions for hunters. Jumpers should only do 1 or 2 classes per day and not every day of 4 or 5 day shows.

*Lindsey and young horse Apollo Rocket at his first Combined Test.*

Mini events, combined tests, and dressage schooling shows can offer a lower cost and sometimes very small jumps to help give your young horse confidence. Many mini events allow schooling of the courses beforehand. You can also show in opportunity classes at rated dressage shows which don’t require membership. Dressage horses can do intro classes at just walk trot. If the canter is still not really happening a walk trot test can be much less stressful. Mini events and Combined Tests often have cross rails or 2’ vertical only divisions. Doing a combined test first without the added question of cross country is also a good way to introduce your horse to his new career.

What level should you start at? Even if you are schooling more at home or in lessons it is always a good idea to start small. I would much rather finish the first couple competitions confidently and thinking that was easy or boring and we could have easily done a higher level rather than thinking that it was scary for the horse and we did too much. It is difficult to rebuild confidence.

*Maddie and 5 year old Louisiana Blues at his first combined test.*

The most important factor in beginning your horses’ competition career is to create positive experiences that inspire confidence in your horse and allow them to be happy and sound and enjoy their jobs.