It’s A Cinch 4-H Club

Open Model Horse Show

 

Saturday, November 22, 2008

Manitowoc County Office Complex, 4319 Expo Dr, Manitowoc  WI

Judge:  Betty Mertes

We had a nice turnout of people; some youth and some adults.  We hope you’ll join us next year!

 

SOME FUN THINGS WE LEARNED FROM OUR JUDGE:

4-Hers CANNOT show stallions; THIS IS A 4-H RULE and it even applies to model horses!  Check your models to make sure they’re ‘gelded’.  There is a new surgical procedure that leaves their ‘parts’ intact.  If you note that on your horse’s entry card, you may show a stallion model.

4-H rules (in the Wisconsin State 4-H Handbook) state that model horses must wear halters in halter classes.  If you’re showing in 4-H classes, you must follow the 4-H rules.  And make sure that halter fits the horse properly!

Study your breeds!  Model horse manufacturers produce what sells, NOT necessarily what is accurate.  For example, someone was showing a lovely palomino in the Arab class—real Arabian horses don’t come in the palomino color!  (The entry card could have referred to the color as light chestnut though.)

Most model horse shows hold their performance classes first, then the halter classes.  Unlike real horses, models don’t get all sweaty and look unpresentable for their later halter classes.  Plus, it takes more time to make sure every detail is perfect (doll, tack and bit placement, etc) for performance, but it can all be ripped off quickly for halter.

Details, Details, Details!  That’s the key to doing well at showing model horses, just like showing real horses.  Or doing well in school or at a job.  Model horses are just another fun way of learning life skills!