Over the years, I've seen many different kinds of competition. Arab fancy dress (women in *very* fancy exotic costumes, riding Arabian horses who also were in fancy costumes). Western cutting horses (horse and rider separate one bovine from the herd, and keep it from rejoining the herd). Halter classes (the horses walk along with a walking person).
This year I saw classes I'd never seen before. Draft horses, pulling vehicles.
It takes a very long time to get a horse ready for this sort of competition. You may recall I posted a pic of a horse getting primped for the show. There is bathing (shower stalls on the premises, for horses and humans). Brushing. Mane combing. Mane braiding. Embellishments added. Hooves sprayed black. And that doesn't begin to include polishing all the metal bits on the harnesses. All that (and more I don't know about, I'm sure) has to be done for each horse you show.....
The first class we saw was for individual horses, pulling small carts. All that power, pulling such a light thing......... I'm sorry to say that the pics I got inside the arena mostly suck. Sigh.
Here's one of a horse ready to go in and strut his stuff. Doesn't he look sharp? Notice the doodads in his mane, and his shiny hooves......
2 comments:
I believe that the combination of big hooves and all that weight means that they often need special shoes to protect their feet. Especially if they spend much time on pavement............
We saw one guy, all primped, actually in line to compete, with the farrier frantically working on one of his feet. To no avail, alas. He managed to throw what looked like a large piece of black rubber off his foot, walking toward the arena, and had to scratch from the competition.
What a disappointment -- all that effort, and then to miss your turn to shine................
Yes. Only one comes out "on top," transforming all the rest into "losers."
DEFINITELY doesn't seem right.
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