Showing 101: An Introduction to Model Horse Showing

Breyerfest Entries Start Today!

2010-03-01T15:10:00.000-08:00

No show fills up as fast as Breyerfest. The entry form says entries are open until June, but if you don't get yours out in the next few days, don't bother. It's already full.

The secret to getting in is shipping by the fastest method you can reasonably afford. Express mail, FedEx, carrier pigeon are fine, but snail mail is probably too slow. I lucked out my first year when I stuck my entry is a stamped envelope and sent it out the day after entries were open. I was entrant 99 out of 100. Today I shipped via Express Mail.

If you want to show more then your 50 allotted models, enter a collector's class even if you don't intend to show in one. This allows you to add 5 extra models to your show string. It's not a bad deal (5 bucks for 5 extra models) *if* you can handle a show string that big. I know people that can, but they are veteran showers.

And always go for the full table. It's a long day and you will appreciate the extra space. Even if you are only bringing a small string (10 traditionals or less) this will give you space to lay down any unstable models. Plus, sharing a table with a stranger...can suck. Don't get me wrong, meeting new model people is half the fun of Breyerfest! However, many showers overestimate the number of horses they can fit on half a table. You may soon find yourself with only a small corner of the table.

Temporary Break

2010-01-13T21:46:00.001-08:00

I'm not thrilled to do this, but my time has been very limited as of late. I'm going to be taking a break from daily posting for while I'm searching for a new full-time gig. I'm hoping to post at least once a week, but for the moment, my other priorities have to come first.

Zebras, Donkeys, and Mules (Oh My!)

2010-01-12T12:18:00.000-08:00

This post primarily applies to customs (and sometimes resins.)

Mules, donkeys, zebras, and exotics are not horses with longer ears or stripes. If you are looking to add a longear to your show string, it's crucial that your model as the appropriate body type.

A Belgian draft mule

A Belgian draft horse

On average, a mule has a longer, flatter back, narrower hindquarters, larger heads, and thinner muscling. Mule inherit a donkey's muscling, which is flatter than a horses. A donkey or mule isn't weaker than a horse, but they do have much more endurance than a horse because of their unique build.

Before you add a mule, donkey, zebra, or exotic to your show string, try to familiarize yourself with the body type of the model you are buying or creating. A draft mule is built a little differently then a QH mule, a mini mule, or gaited mule. A donkey or zebra is more drastically different.

The difference between a longear/exotic foal and a horse foal is subtler than in an adult, but still crucial. I don't like to see OF horse foals shown as mules because their ears are larger and out of proportion.

For more information on longears and exotics, I recommend joining Braynet Yahoo Group. You could ask for a better collection of experts on this topic. These girls also have a great sense of humor, so don't expect the topics to always stay serious.

What Molds Show Well: Ponies

2010-01-06T13:48:00.000-08:00

I mentioned when discussing the typical classlist, ponies weren't always their own division. Once upon a time, you had one class to show all of your ponies. If you were really lucky, they may even split it into two whole classes.

In recent years, this trend has been bucked with the introduction of multiple new pony molds. However, there is little consistency at this point on how the pony division is split into classes. Some classes split by region, like so:

Welsh Ponies
Other British Ponies**
European Ponies*
American Ponies
Other Pure/Part Ponies

*Because there has been confusion on this in the past, the Newfoundland Pony is not a European Pony. Newfoundland is a province in Canada, and not some mysterious country in North Europe. A Newfoundland Pony should not be confused with a New Forest Pony. For those of you who think I'm kidding about this, this was an issue at NAN and Breyerfest last summer. I had a horse nearly disqualified from his class.

**FYI, I'm also the reason they've announced at the last two Breyerfests that they acknowledge that Ireland is not part of the UK, but put your Connemara's in UK Pony, anyway. Laura: the hobby's Geography Nazi.

Other shows split by general pony type. As a judge, this is one of the most confusing possibilities:

Stock Ponies
Sport Ponies
Light Ponies
Draft Ponies
Other Pure/Part Ponies

I get Stock Ponies (POAs, Paint Ponies, Quarter Ponies) and Sport Ponies (German Riding Ponies, Connemaras.) I'm iffy on Light Ponies, although I'm sure it includes American Shetlands, Hackney Ponies, and American Walking Ponies. But I'm always lost what is meant by Draft Ponies. It's not popular concept (to my knowledge) in the real horse world. I guess you could put Welsh and other British Native Ponies here. But where do Shetlands--the most popular breed--go?

I've asked this question a lot and never gotten a standard answer. If you are confronted with this type of classlist, ask your judge where they prefer to see them shown.

For this division, I prefer Flash over everything else Breyer produces. For more on potential breed assignments for Flash, see this post.

Bouncer has been very popular in the OF show ring since his release. Personally, I have a problem with the stance of this mold. When you look at him from the front, his legs are set excessively wide. If you plan to show this mold as a Welsh, be mindful of the different sections. The original release was advertised as a C ("Pony of Cob Type".) In my opinion, his body isn't heavy enough to depict a section C. I would rather see them as a section B, the lighter riding-type pony.

I also adore the Peter Stone pony. I've seen this mold be particularly successful when shown as a riding-type pony or pony/TB cross. Many pony breeds are often crossed with thoroughbreds to produce good mounts for young riders. This kind of cross will often resonate with a judge as being very realistic cross.

The Buddy System

2010-01-05T12:45:00.000-08:00

The links I've posted in my last two posts are not only great places to find shows, but great places to find buddies and mentors.

In my opinion, shows are the most fun when you have fun people to hang with. I know new showers often find their first shows socially intimidating. I moved to three different regions in three years and kept feeling like the "new kid at school."

First time showers have reported to me that they felt like established showers were already broken out into "cliques." After my experience, I would argue that we're not cliques in the Mean Girls sense. Many of us travel, carpool, split rooms, and share tables with our showing buddies. But we don't bite! We love new people, especially those that share our obsession.

If you are intimidated by new crowds or just looking for a mentor, check out any of the groups I've linked or your regular model horse-related haunts. You will be surprised how many people are willing to help out new showers.

NAMHSA Regions

2010-01-04T10:13:00.000-08:00

A handy-dandy map! (Click to embiggin)

Your respective Yahoo! Groups are below:

Region 1 (also NWModelHorses)
Region 2 (also BAMH for the Bay Area)
Region 3
Region 4
Region 5
Region 6
Region 7
Region 8
Region 9
Region 10
Region 11

Where to Find Shows

2009-12-30T16:48:00.000-08:00

Do you want to attend a show, but don't know where to find one? These are my primary resources:

NAMHSA - Member Shows

This list is all NAN-Qualifying shows. Many shows are announced before they are approved for their NAN-cards, so this list is not always the most up-to-date. By the time a show is listed on this site, it may be full.

Model Horse Blab, Fallen Leaves, The Watering Hole

All three of these are discussion boards. Showholders will often announce their upcoming shows here, but not every showholder is a member of every board.

Model Horse Gallery - Live Show Listings

Gail does a great job of keeping this list up-to-date. A great resource.

Your Region Yahoo Group

I'll link to each of these tomorrow when I cover the topic of Regions in more depth.

These are the resources I use. If I missed your favorite, please link it in the comments!

Shows Fill Up: Sign up Early!

2009-12-29T12:28:00.000-08:00

I am the queen of procrastination. But when it comes to shows, I try to break my bad habit. I've missed out on great shows before because I didn't send in my entry in soon enough.

Big shows, small shows, medium shows: they all can sell out quickly. Most of the time, you'll be fine if you send in an entry with a couple weeks of the show. However, I recommend sending in an entry at least a month before: the sooner, the better.

Breyerfest is, by far, the most popular show in the US. The show is held in July, but it sells out around mid-March, within a couple weeks of when Breyer starts excepting entries. If you are interested in showing at Breyerfest, you need to be aware of the date entries open. On that date, send in your entry by some sort of express mail. I Fed-Ex mine. For my first Breyerfest, I sent my entry by snail mail. It made it there, but I was shower 99 out of 100.

NAN is a different ballgame. First, if your are nearing the end of the NAN qualifying year (which runs from May through April) shows will fill faster. Many showers will be trying to get last minute qualifications for their models. The closer you are geographically to the upcoming NAN, the more popular the March and April shows will be.

On the other hand, NAN takes (virtually) unlimited entries. Entries are done online during a two week period in May. Entry for NAN is a time intensive process where you must enter info for each of your individual models. I do most of the work on the last possible day and it has been a near disaster every year. Don't do that.

Breyerfest 2009

Dealing with Other Showers...

2009-12-28T16:50:00.000-08:00

Sadly, sour grapes and bad sportsmanship are common at live shows. Inevitably, a shower will have what is sometimes referred to “having a plastic pony moment.” This phrase means the shower has forgotten that they are just plastic ponies and shouldn’t be taken too seriously. If it stops being fun, stop showing.

However, not every shower gets upset for baseless reasons. As I’ve mentioned ad nauseum, we don’t have a national judging standard. Every judge can decide what he or she wants to judge on. They can pick whichever horse is the shiniest or reminds them of their favorite childhood pony. Because most shows don’t write a standard into their rules, the judge is well within their rights to judge based on anything. This can be frustrating for showers, who expect a judge to follow the most common standards (discussed here, here, and here.)

Some showers also depend on model horses to make a living. It’s a difficult line of work to begin with. It gets worse when you have to rely on success in the show ring to improve sales.

Having said that, most complaints you will here are just sour grapes. Showing is a competitive sports and it comes with the territory. And inevitably, every shower just has a bad day.

The best way to deal with frustrated showers is to avoid them or tune their complaints out. Give them space; don't confront them. If they are seated close to you, take the time to walk around the room and ogle all the pretty ponies. Remember, you're surrounded by crazies that share your hobby! I met many of my closest friends at model shows.

When the complaints are focused on the judge, try to remember that all judges mean well and are trying to do the best possible job, often without reimbursement for their time. Frustrated showers will often fixate on obscure (imaginary) patterns. “This judge is only picking bay horses” or “This judge is only picking their friends horses,” etc. Realistically, these theories are never true.

Take the time to talk to the judge. Explain that you are new to showing and eager to learn about judging. Ask the judges what they are looking for, and you will discover how baseless the theories you've been hearing really are.

Show Side, Off Side

2009-12-24T06:00:00.000-08:00

Short post today in anticipation of the upcoming holiday.

Most model has a show side and an off side. When placing your horse on the table, always place him with his show side facing face the edge of the table.

If you place a model with his off side facing the judge, this will call their attention to the model but not always in a good way. If I see a model placed with his off side out, I wonder if the shower is trying to hide a mark on his show side. I will take an extra moment to investigate.

If you are confused about which side is his show side, view your model from the top. If his head leans to one side, that's his show side. If his head is straight, next check which way his mane and tail lean. Still confused? His farthest forward front leg should be on his show side. If not, check his back leg. Past that, you're fine sticking him on the table either way. He's an exception to the rule.

What Molds Show Well: Stock

2009-12-23T13:21:00.000-08:00

See what I did there? I'm going in order according to my typical classlist.

From this point on, I will cover mini molds separately, in their own post. It's just easier on my brain.

This division is a little different than the other because with one or two exceptions, all stock horses adhere to the same standard. A Paint or Appaloosa is just a Quarter Horse with a flashier wardrobe.

If you missed it, I recommend reading my previous post on types within the Quarter Horse breed first. The same type of splits exist in the Paint and Appaloosa breeds, such as hunter, western pleasure, gaming, roping, reining, and racing types.

The only minor difference in between the foundation types. For Paints, they basically don't exist. No one breeds "Foundation Paints" because Paints were originally registered as Quarter Horses. They weren't split into their own registry for a few decades after the founding of the AQHA and there aren't (to my knowledge) any specialty breeders for them.

Foundation Appaloosas are based on remnants of the spotted horse of the Nez Perce. I'm going to dodge completely around the long and violent history involved here and say that the early Appaloosa breeders didn't have much original stock to work with. Arabian, Thoroughbred, and Quarter were all added in to beef up the gene pool over the years to create the modern Appaloosa. Foundation breeders are seeking to preserve the oldest bloodlines and minimize in the influence of DNA introduced by these other breeds.

Usually, today's Foundation Appaloosa has a large barrel, long shoulder, thick neck, and large head. Their hips are less heavily muscled then a modern stock horse, more like the hip of a gaited horse (such as a Tennessee Walking Horse) than a stock horse:

Model-wise, this body most resembles the Breyer Indian Pony. In general, I don't recommend this mold for halter classes, but with the right assignment I've seen them be pretty successful.

Foundation Quarter Horses are based on a different body type, but the principle is the same: minimize the influence of outside bloodlines. Foundation breeders oppose the influx of Thoroughbred DNA into the AQHA gene pool after 1940--without a hint of irony. Somewhere along the way, the foundation breeders seem to have lost track of the fact that the majority of their foundation stallions were Thoroughbreds. Remember Peter McCue? Registered Thoroughbred. And Wimpy? The known parts of his portions of his pedigree--and even most of the unknowns--are all Thoroughbred.

I feel better having gotten that out of my system.

Getting back to body type, a foundation quarter horses is just a Quarter Horse. They tend be on the rougher, bulkier side, but not outside the spectrum already represented in the AQHA.

Unlike the Appaloosa, I don't see an advantage to showing any of the current Breyer or Stone molds as a foundation. Except for the old Quarter Horse Gelding, none of the molds are unrefined enough to justify this assignment.

In this division, my favorite molds are the Lady Phase, Ideal Stock Horse, and Smarty Jones.

The Lady Phase has some minor quirks in the mold. One of her eyes is bigger than the other and her hooves aren't quite even. However, in the grand scheme of Breyer, these faults are extremely minor. I prefer the new long tailed version to the original, as I find the slightly higher tail set more flattering. A high tail set on a stock horse gives the hindquarters a feeling of "squareness" (as on the real life example above.) A very low tail set can give the false of impression of a goose rump.

A real goose-rump

A slight goose rump can be advantageous for some disciplines, but is a handicap in others.

The Ideal Stock Horse and the RRQH it's based on is an extremely popular mold. The musculature is very realistic, his proportions are great and his flaws are few. I have a few nitpicky problems with this mold, but they are mostly production related. He's a little downhill, but some of the different mane styles of this mold cover this better than others. When buying an ISH as a show horse, always set him on a table and look at him from the front. Some ISHs are "base narrow" meaning their hooves are too close together. This isn't the original mold, but the result of minor warping in the plastic. His off side nostril isn't always prepped correctly and should always be carved out on a custom.

I like the Smarty...probably a little too much. I have a large conga line of them in my own collection and show them frequently. Because of this extreme position, every muscle in the sculpture is tense. This gives him the impression of being bulkier than he really is. If he were standing still I think he would look more like this:

Smarty Jones (the real deal)

However, I like seeing him in stock classes because he makes a great racing bred or high percentage TB stock horse. My only fussy issues are his small ears and slight discrepancies in the lengths of his legs bones (they're off--just a little.)

These three molds are interchangeable between all stock classes except mustang. While I know people show them this way, an ISH or Lady Phase is not a mustang. These molds are so easily recognizable as QHs/Paints/Appaloosas that I don't buy them as mustangs or another breed type. Mustangs have some characteristics in common with the stock breeds and their type varies widely. However, I've never seen a mustang with that much muscle. If you encounter a mustang that looks like the bay in this post, please forward me pics. I wanna see.

Silver is the most popular mold in the mustang class. He reminds me of a ferret.

If I left out your favorite mold, please let me know in the comments and I will gladly tell you why. ;)

What Molds Show Well: Foals

2009-12-22T06:00:00.000-08:00

I'm starting a new series based on the question I get asked the most often: Which molds show well and what should I buy?

During this series I will present the molds I've seen be successful in the show ring. However, I can't repeat this mantra often enough: Collect what you love, show what you collect. If you don't like the Proud Arabian Mare, no number of ribbons will ever make you love that mold anymore. Having said that, it is helpful (especially to those of you with large and varied collections) to know which of your models to bring with and which to leave home.

These mold suggestions will apply both to original finish models and simple customs. Moderate and drastic customs are often altered to the degree that their flaws have often been eliminated.

I've split this series into breed groups with the intention to go class by class, following the typical classlist I outlined previously. I'm breaking it down this way because successful molds are predicated on the class they show in. There are some molds that are fine by themselves, but they may not win often at a show because there are better molds that they must compete against. On the flip side, there are molds that only show well because the competition in their class is so scarce.

Stock Foals

In a stock foal class, the Peter Stone Weanling reigns supreme. She was cast from the original resin Parrs Dream Doll by Carol Williams, also a very popular mold. There is very little to nitpick on this mold and she is a wonderful accomplishment by the sculptor.

If Breyers and Stones are shown together in OF or custom, the weanling is your best bet. However, they are split out or you are showing at a Breyer only show, you may consider the classic Mustang Foal, who is making a resurgence in popularity. The G2 foals (including the Running, Scrambling, and Scratching Foals) dominate this class in the mini division and can also hold their own when shown against traditional.

Paint weanling

Stock foals are show their distinctive large butts at an early age

Light/Gaited Foals

As with the stock division, I highly recommend Stone's option, the Arabian Y earling, over anything Breyer produces. For Breyer only, you can consider the Saddlebre d Wean ling, who has both his fans and detractors. The classic Arabian Foal, like his mustang counterpart, has come back in fashion with the increased popularity of Maureen Love's work. The Trotting Foal is also popular in both mini and combined divisions.

Arabian foals are light boned with high action

The twin foals, Amber and Ashley, show best in this division when shown as Morgans or a similar medium body breed. I've seen them have some success as stock foals, but--in my mind--they don't show any of the type I want to see in a stock foal at this age. Honestly, I don't really care for either of them as show models (I own a few and don't show them), but I that's not a hobby wide opinion.

Morgan foal

Morgan foals tend to look a bit generic

Sport Foals

At the moment, this class is a crap shoot. I've seeing showers win with any of the breed I listed above for Light and Stock with odd breed assignments. Some are creative and make sense, but others are hard to believe.

I've seen a lot PS Weanlings shown as sport horses (often sport crosses, warmbloods, and even Thoroughbreds). I hate this assignment, but it's common and may win this class because of limited competition.

What is ideal in a Sport foal is often a fault in a Stock horse (and vice versa)

My favorites for this class are, again, the Running, Scrambling, and Scratching Foals. I think of them as the Rorschach test of model horses: whatever breed you see them as probably says more about you than the foals. They weren't sculpted to depict particular breeds (to my knowledge), plus their drastic movements and scale obscure any hints of type.

Outside of the minis, the new classic Warmblood foal is my favorite. His type his very obvious to me, although his conformation isn't completely perfect. But I'm mostly biding my time until Breyer releases Galen in plastic.

A very typical warmblood foal

Sport foals are easiest to identify by their action

Draft Foals

The Clydesdale foal.

...you wanted more? No one remembers the last time this class was won by anything else. It's not as much as testament to the mold's quality (his legs are way too short) but to the lack of competition.

Pony Foals

The most popular molds in this division are any of the above shown as one of the "near horse" breeds. By "near horse", I mean breeds that are short versions of standard horses such as the Quarter Pony, the POA, the Paint Pony. You can also through breeds like the Connemara, which has a high percentage of thoroughbred mixed in, to this category.

As in the Stock Foals class, the Weanling and Rorschach foals are very popular.

A Typical Breed Classlist

2009-12-21T06:00:00.000-08:00

I could have sworn I covered this topic before. I remember writing a post, but I can't find it in the archives. So if this is a repeat, I apologize.

There used to be such a thing as the minimum guaranteed/core classlist. The be able give out NAN cards, a show must be approved by NAMHSA. Once upon a time (all of two years ago) a show had to offer a minimum list of a classes to be qualified. The show could expand the list and offer more classes, but it could never offer less. This rule was removed, but many shows are still based on the basic list.

The typical classlist you will see today will have more classes than were on the core classlist. For instance, the list only required one Draft class and one Pony class. Speaking as someone who has shows several draft and many more ponies, this sucked. In recent years, these classes have expanded to their own divisions with multiple classes each. There is also a very recent trend toward more Spanish classes with the success of new Spanish mold from Breyer.

The following is an example of a typical classlist:

Stock Foals
Light/Gaited Foals
Sport Foals
Draft/Pony Foals
Other Pure/Part Foals
Foal Breeds Championship
Quarter Horse
Paint
Appaloosa
Mustang
Other Pure/Part Stock
Stock Breeds Championship
Welsh Ponies
Other British Ponies
European Ponies
American Ponies
Other Pure/Part Ponies
Pony Breeds Championship
British Draft
European Draft
American Draft
Other Pure/Part Draft
Draft Breeds Championship
Thoroughbred/Standardbred
European Warmblood
American Warmblood
Carriage
Other Pure/Part Sport
Sport Breeds Championship
Arabian Stallion
Arabian Mare & Gelding
Part Arabian/National Show Horse
Morgan
American Saddlebred
American Gaited
Other Light/Gaited Pure/Part
Light/Gaited Breeds Championship
Andalusian/Lusitano
Spanish Gaited
Other Spanish Pure/Part
Spanish Breeds Championship
Mules
Donkeys
Exotics
Other Pure Breeds
Other Part Breeds
Other Breeds Championship

Classes can be split out from the current list. Usually the bigger the show or more popular division, the more split out the classes will be.

Basic Dressage: Pt. 2

2009-12-18T09:46:00.000-08:00

Bonus Friday post to make up for my disappearing act! You can read part one of this article here.

Objectives of the FEI levels of competition

These tests are used worldwide.

PRIX ST. GEORGES: Test of medium standard. This test represents the medium stage of training. It comprises exercises to show the horse’s submission to all the demands of the execution of classical equitation and a standard of physical and mental balance and development, which will enable him to carry them out with harmony, lightness and ease.
(Depeche-resin, Caprice-resin)

INTERMEDIATE I: Test of relatively advanced standard. The object of this test is to lead horses on, progressively and without harm to their organism, from the correct execution of Prix St. Georges to the more demanding exercises of Intermediate II.
(Balling WB mare-resin)

INTERMEDIATE II: Test of advanced standard. The object of this test is to prepare the horses for the Grand Prix.
(Keltic Salinero, Stone half passing WB)

GRAND PRIX: Test of the highest standard. The Grand Prix is a competition of the highest level, which brings out the horse’s perfect lightness, characterized by the total absence of resistance and the complete development of impulsion. The test includes all the school paces and all the fundamental airs of the Classical High School, of which the artificial paces, based on an extreme extension of the forelegs, are no part. For this reason, the school leaps, no longer practiced in a great many countries, do not figure in the test.
(Deputed Duke, Lohengren, Kinetic Potential, Keltic Salinero)

There is also a Dressage test with jumps called Prix Caprilli, I would be happy to provide this test for anyone interested in another place to show your jumper.

Within these levels are a series of tests, the dressage tests can be found here and here.

When entering a model in a Dressage class it is important to list the level and the test that it is being shown, tests are also good ways to know what letter your horse should be moving past on the rail.

Please remember that Dressage, like model showing is a subjective sport with a set of judging guidelines, so any opinions are strictly that, I do have experience with my own real horses and I have trained from training level through Prix St George and am currently showing my new horse second level, with plans to move to third next year.

Laura back in: If you have any questions about this topic you would like to ask, please post them in the comments and I’ll ask Cassie to come answers them.

The Hobby Police

2009-12-17T11:04:00.000-08:00

This is a topic near and dear to my heart. As far as the hobby goes, I have two primary goals for myself: try improve my work and encourage/teach newbie hobbyists & artists. The self-appointed Hobby Police don't acknowledge the former and work in direct opposition to the latter.

Let's start from the beginning, shall we?

This is--no joke--my first custom. The blanket is white out and sharpie over enamel model paint. Sadly, this probably marked a high point in my first few years of my customizing career. Quality took a steep drop off as I discovered hairing, airbrushing, oils, and attempted to tackled any color that wasn't black. You should have seen how I created "roan" at the age of 13--and yes, I even tried to hawk it on eBay.

I have very little formal training past "coloring in the lines," so my current skill set is the result of years of trial and error. And in this hobby, you go through a lot of error. However, no amount of public humiliation was necessary to get me from this first attempt to my latest:

Honestly, I was a sensitive and emotionally unstable teen. Harsh criticism would have driven me to quit--without question. I was lucky that I started customizing in an era where the internet was new and access to the hobby came primarily through the Model Horse Gallery and MH$P. If I was getting a public dressing down on the Haynet, I never saw it. I never discovered a thread like this aimed at my work. Or this. Or this, or this...you get the idea. (Apologies to those of you that cannot see the above links as these threads are in a paid-only section. In fact, I've been unable to dig up a single fully public example of the Hobby Police in action.)

I don't intend to single out Blab or blabbers here, it just happens to be the community I know best. This behavior is hobby wide. There are lists devoted entirely to this purpose, although most are private. You'll see these kind of comments in blogs, other boards, and in person.

The Hobby Police follow a distinct pattern:

1. Find a target. This is most often an auction on a site like eBay or an ad on MH$P. In person, it will be an unattended model on a table.

2. Post a link with commentary. Sometimes the comments are constructive (the head is out of scale, the pattern in unrealistic, etc.) but most are mockery ("a rather unfortunate paint job," "Excuse me while I choke on my tea," or "Nice neck [sarcasm.]")

3. Defend their comments as "helping" the artist, who otherwise would not improve on their own. Example from one of the linked threads:

"You need to know when the time is right to put your work out for the public eye to scrutinize. This seller obviously doesn't know when that time is. I hope they keep painting and progressing and sooner or later they're going to look back and these pieces and say 'what the heck was I thinking when I put THAT on evilbay?'."

The justification is that if they don't point out and "critique" young artists, those artists will never improve. Some critics will attack Big Name Artists (BNA's) as well, comfortable in the thought that they are contributing to the hobby by taking the artist's ego down a peg. The flaw in the logic here is that every artist I've met in the hobby, every--last--one, constantly struggles to improve. Most are easy going and down to earth people. Many (even BNAs) are very sensitive to criticism. These artists would leave a gaping hole in the hobby if they left.

Some already have.

There is no litmus test for artists. Newbies and BNAs alike, the quality of their work has no correlation to their personality.

Most of the discussion in the linked threads aren't pointed constructive criticism. It's a game. The authors don't write gently worded emails to the artist suggesting how they could improve their work or sales practices. They don't write because they know the response they receive will likely be curt and unwelcome. And that's not nearly as fun as mockery.

Artists, take heart! This kind of unwanted attack isn't about you. Never was. The point of the game is earn the respect of their peers by pointing out the supposed failings of others. They write this stuff because they want to feel like they are above the artist they attack. They are looking for positive feedback from their fellow hobbyists that their opinions of a particular model are valid, feedback they fear they won't get in direct communication with the artist.

The same goes when they attack the owners of custom work they don't like. Really, it's high school all over again. They want to be seen as the head cheerleader with the best taste in clothes.

The same behavior you see online will manifest itself in a different form at live shows. Personally, I believe a live show can be the greatest teaching tool for a hobbyist, but snark isn't helpful.

Next week, I will touch back on this topic as it applies to live showing. This portion of the hobby can be a shock for new showers (I know it was for me) but it doesn't have to sully your experience. There are techniques for dealing with them without ruining the fun of showing.

Posting Recommences

2009-12-17T10:54:00.000-08:00

I didn't fall off the face of the earth. I didn't forget the URL of this blog. I didn't lose interest and abandon the project.

After recovering from the flu, I was just busy. Unfortunately, blogging the thing that had to fall off the edge of my schedule. However, my New Year's resolution is to get a better handle on my time and not fall off the face of the earth (blog-wise) again.

The long await part 2 of my previous will follow tomorrow (it's sitting at home on my Macbook--and I'm not.) I'm going to spend today getting to know the "schedule posts" feature of Blogger and get to a few topics I've been saving.

Get Your Flu Shot

2009-10-13T21:17:00.001-07:00

I put it off for a few days, then got on a plane, and now I'm seriously regretting it. I'll be out of commission for a few days.

Basic Dressage: Pt. 1

2009-10-12T19:17:00.000-07:00

Today's guest blogger is Cassie Black, a hobbyist who has shown dressage extensively and trained her own horse through Prix St George:

Basic Dressage for the Model Shower

Dressage is the training of the horse. It is not breed specific and is open to all horses and mules. This training is judged based on a series of movements within a test. Horses are shown at different levels based on their training, Intro level through 4th level are govererned by the USEF and the International levels, Prix St George, Intermediate I, Intermediate II and Grand Prix are governed by the FEI.

Arena

The Dressage arena is a 60 X 20 meter rectangle with a low fence. The Letters around the rail are A-K-V-E-S-H-C-M-R-B-P-F, G-I-X-L-D are not letters on the rail, they are considered invisible letters, and if they are seen they are small under the main rail letters.

Tack

Horses may be shown in any English saddle. The saddle must have stirrups and can be shown with or without a saddle pad (square pads are generally seen.) A Dressage saddle (long flaps) is required for FEI levels.

Bridles for training, first, and second levels must be a plain snaffle with a noseband. A simple double bridle is required for the FEI levels, and is optional for third and fourth level.
Numbers are generally small ovals worn on the side of the browband, just be sure that they are not pinching an ear or covering eyes.

Levels
(revised from USEF rulebook 2009)

These levels are the most important part of showing your model horse in Dressage. The horse should fit into one of these descriptions to do well. Dressage horses should be on the bit, quiet, forward and round over their topline. The models listed after each level are just examples, they can be interchangeable up or down a level and are by no means an exhaustive list.

INTRO LEVEL: A Walk-Trot test for the beginning horse or rider
(Breyer Marigold “Morgan”)

TRAINING LEVEL: To confirm that the horse’s muscles are supple and loose, and that it
moves freely forward in clear and steady rhythm, accepting contact with the bit.
(Peter Stone Pebbles WB, Breyer John Henry)

FIRST LEVEL: To confirm that the horse, in addition to the requirements of Training Level, has
developed thrust (pushing power) and achieved a degree of balance and throughness.
(Top Hat and Tails-Resin)

SECOND LEVEL: Through additional training, the horse accepts more weight on the hindquarters (collection), shows the thrust required at medium paces and is reliably on the bit.
(Utopia-resin, SM Cantering WB)

THIRD LEVEL: The Horse now demonstrates in each movement: rhythm, suppleness, acceptance of the bit, throughness, impulsion, straightness, and collection. There must be a clear distinction between the paces.
(Smittyn-resin, Meridian-resin)

FOURTH LEVEL: The horse has acquired a high degree of suppleness, impulsion, throughness, balance and lightness while always remaining reliably on the bit, and that its movements are straight, energetic and cadenced with the transitions precise and smooth.
(Dinky Duke-resin, Ricardo-resin)

A Dinky Duke

Collecting China Horses

2009-10-08T22:24:00.000-07:00

I'm wrapping up China Week with Melissa Gaulding's article on collecting china. If I can get internet access tomorrow, there will be a bonus post on Friday (on performance!) to make up for my lack of post on Monday.

What is ceramic?

Ceramic is the overall term for things made from clay that are fired in a kiln. In the model horse hobby community, we call them chinas, or clinkies, and we refer to ourselves as chinaheads!

How are ceramic horses made?

China horses are made from different clays; the clays are fired at different temperatures to harden and stabilize them. There are two types of clay you will see most often: earthenware and bone china.

Earthenware is more common, easier to make in a home studio, but more fragile. Earthenware does not radically change during the firing process; it remains porous and grainy. It is the clay used by Hagen Renaker and Pour Horse Pottery.

Bone china is a bit more resistant to breaks, harder, and more expensive to produce. Like its “cousins,” porcelain and stoneware, bone china will vitrify, or fuse to a glass-like consistency, when fired¬¬—this makes these materials hardier than earthenware, which does not vitrify. Bone china has calcium carbonate—often from actual bones—in it. Horsing Around and Animal Artistry mostly use bone china.

China horses come out of their molds in moist clay form, called greenware. Greenware must be completely dry before it can be fired in a kiln. The resulting piece, from this initial firing, is called bisque. Bisqueware is the color of the original clay. Bisques can be finished in many ways—they can even be cold-painted.

(If a horse in its greenware state is resculpted or changed from its molded form, it is called a claybodied custom, and is automatically a glazed custom for show purposes, regardless of coloring.)

China horses are usually under-painted (also called "under-glazed") with fragile liquid clays (called slip) that have chemicals in them that change color when fired in a kiln—underglazed pieces then have a clear glaze applied over them and are refired (this is what Joan Berkwitz of Pour Horse does). Glaze is the powdered glass suspended in liquid that melts in the kiln to form a clear or matte protective coating that seals the color onto the china horse. Chinas can also be glazed first and then china painted, or over-painted with colors that are fired on and sink into the glaze (Karen Gerhardt does this beautifully). Whether underglazed or china painted, most horses require several firings to “bake” the colors and achieve the desired outcome.

Not all chinas are glossy. There are satin and matte glazes in use now, so the horse does not have to be shiny. Vintage Hagen Renakers have a matte glaze that cannot be used anymore for safety reasons, due to lead content; Britain does not have the same mandates as the US and may be able to use chemicals we can't, so matte glazes are commonly seen on British-produced horses. Many contemporary artists are having luck with "safe" matte glazes, but these can be tricky to work with—if applied too thickly, the matte glaze can frost and ruin the horse.

Bone china takes finishes differently than earthenware, and many bone china pieces are not finished with underglazes, but rather china painted, which will produce a different look to the finished piece. Bone china is not porous, so coloring it is different than earthenware—also, bone china is a cooler white, whereas earthenware is a warmer white—these differences effect the end results of underglazing the piece (for example, the same gray on a bone china will look more blue than on earthenware). Bone china generally involves more steps to completion than earthenware, although this also depends on the complexity of the finish.

What is the difference between OF chinas and glazed custom chinas?

The short version is that it is just like plastics: there are OFs produced in a factory (Hagen Renakers and Breyer porcelains) and there are artist chinas produced by artists, often in their own studios (like Lynn Fraley and Kristina Lucas-Francis). Also like plastics, there are vintage pieces (although chinas can be much older than injection-molded plastic horses) and contemporary pieces.

OFs, or original finishes, are produced in large numbers; these can also be called production runs. One of a kind or glazed customs are generally produced by an individual artist, like Lesli Kathman or Adalee Velasquez.

Who makes china horses?

China horses have been made for centuries all over the world! But our community tends to collect and show the most realistic-looking ceramic horses.

There are European-produced chinas (Royal Copenhagen for example) and US produced pieces like Hagen-Renaker.

Maureen Love (also known as Maureen Love Calvert) was the main Hagen Renaker sculptress for horses, and she sculpted all the beloved vintage pieces: Amir, Zara, Zilla, Heather, Harry, Adelaide, Kelso, Terrang, etc.

Other sculptors of note for vintage European pieces: Theodore Karner and Doris Lindner and Pamela DeBoulay.

Donna Chaney in the UK produces chinas as well as her resins, as does Horsing Around—Mark and Vanessa Crawley get rights to sculptures by many of the top resin artists (Eberl, Bogucki, Rose) and make them into chinas. Both these outfits mostly make bone chinas, although Donna Chaney has recently introduced a line of earthenware horses.

Some of the artists in the US that are making chinas: Joan Berkwitz of Pour Horse (earthenware) and MarcherWare (bone china); Lesli Kathman, Paige Easley Patty, Adalee Velasquez, Lynn Fraley, Karen Gerhardt, Marge Para, Kristina Francis, Karen Grimm of Black Horse Ranch, Lynn Raftis, Karen Dietrich, Jenn Danza, D'arry Frank, Sarah Minkiewicz-Breunig---this list goes on and on.

There is a world of fascinating pieces in the Made In Japan—literally—chinas, many of them knock-offs of Hagens. And there are way more than I've described---the Model Horse Gallery talks a bit about some of the china factories, too.

Why should I buy such a fragile horse?

Actually, china horses are not as fragile as many people think! As I like to say, “If you aren’t in the habit of breaking your glassware at home, you aren’t very likely to break your ceramic horses!” We learn to handle them carefully and repair them on the rare occasion when they do break.

Making ceramic figurines is a recognized art form that is thousands of years old. Both ancient and contemporary ceramic horses are beautiful, and bring feelings of enjoyment and wonder to the collector. With care, chinas will last for centuries. And they are more eco-friendly than plastic horses! Because coloring ceramic horses involves chemistry and heat, there is a magic to making them, never quite knowing exactly what the results will be. And because there are more limitations to the entire ceramic process, creating a perfect one is a complicated venture that can test the mettle of even the most talented artist.

Finally, ceramic horses tend to retain their value, and some (like vintage Hagen-Renakers) have exponentially increased in value over time.

Why are china horses so expensive?

Generally, collecting chinas is expensive—like collecting resins.

Chinas—especially one-of-a-kind or OOAK—can be moderately expensive or gaspingly expensive; if you are used to original finish plastic prices, and paying $50 or $100 for a horse makes you wince, then chinas will make you shake your head and go "Huh?!" Mostly the expense involved in purchasing chinas reflects the amount of work going into them and their relative rarity. Bone china is much more complicated to fire, so it tends to be more expensive to purchase.

Still, some very nice pieces can be found for a few hundred dollars. Watching AuctionBarn or MH$P can still yield bargains. There are also Breyer china horses and the Lakeshore OF chinas that are reasonably priced.

How should I display my ceramic horses?

China horses are too lovely to keep packed away. Invest in a curio cabinet to display and keep your chinas safe. Unless a horse is quite tippy, it isn’t usually necessary to sticky wax them to a shelf, and this can result in snapping off a leg if not removed carefully! It can be hard to find someone to repair them, but fortunately it is relatively easy to learn to repair them yourself.

Can I show my ceramic horses?

Yes! Many live model shows and most photo shows now have a division for china horses.

One example: Breyer SM chinas are factory-produced by the hundreds, so if you were to show them, they would go in the OF china classes. Much like showing OF plastics, you want the horse to be in top condition, and since they are shiny, they also need to be very clean---no big fingerprints or wisps of dust, please! A OOAK piece would show in glazed customs, if such classes are available.

Do ceramic horses hold their value?

In our community, the piece's value is all about the collector and what she/he is willing to pay. There is no rule as to what holds its value, and has much more to do with rarity, condition, and desirability than it does with materials. For people who show, fads can also affect whether or not a piece holds its value. I don't think any ceramic is "better" than another---it is all personal preference.

Where can I learn more about ceramic horses?

There are more web sites devoted to china horses online than can be listed here, but a great place to start is Yahoo!groups Breakables, where many chinaheads hang out.

(The information written here is intended as an introduction; like most aspects of our hobby community, learning about ceramic horses is an on-going process—most chinaheads love to gab about china horses, so if you want to know more, ask them!)

Judging Chinas: Workmanship

2009-10-07T22:08:00.000-07:00

Once again, a huge thank you to guest blogger Melissa Gaulding!

Things to consider when judging glazed custom chinas in workmanship:

There are many, many wonderful achievements being made by our top finish artists in glazed custom chinas—perhaps too many to go into here, but a high degree of knowledge and control are needed for the artist to produce realism in this medium; these things should be rewarded in workmanship classes. Things listed below denote excellence in glazed custom workmanship (as with items listed above, sloppiness should be judged as it would in any medium).

• Because ceramic molds are plaster of paris, therefore completely rigid, complex poses are very difficult to achieve; some sculptures are cast in pieces and require extensive assembly by hand after casting, making each piece almost an original sculpture. The more complex the mold, the higher degree of difficulty in making a finished horse.

• Because ceramic materials (earthenware, bone china) require both great delicacy of handling plus a lot of handling to complete, thin legs, tiny ears, body/coat texture, and similar refined details are harder to make in ceramic casting.

• Because ceramic underglazes are not remotely the color when applied that they will be when fired, getting consistent results with color, shading, and coat details such as dappling isn’t easy (in glazed customs, orangey or yellow palominos may have occurred due to the chemical changes to the pigments during firing, but an accomplished artist learns to control these things; realistic tone of coat color should be rewarded).

• Realistic details like multi-colored eyes, multi-colored hooves, hair texture, pinto mapping, dappling, haloed appaloosa spots, rabicano roaning, etc. require high levels of artistic skill and control; the more details on a piece (shading, pangare, tail frosting, dappling, even the number of different colors on the horse) the more times the horse has been in the kiln. Each turn in the kiln can negatively affect the final outcome; for example. colors can “burn out” or turn weird shades. So the more colors and details, the more difficult the piece was to finish.

• The smaller the horse or the larger the horse, the more difficult it was to make; there is reason why most china horses are “classic” scale!

• With ceramic horses, it is generally much easier to achieve good biomechanics if the piece is on a base; horses with correct motion/gaits that are not anchored to a base are more difficult to engineer and cast. This is even more true if the piece is bone china rather than earthenware.

• As with production run ceramics (OF chinas), crazing and breaks are not in and of themselves flaws; however, breaks should be expertly repaired and minimally visible. Flaws common in OF chinas should never be seen on glazed customs: overspray, hoof color or eye color flowing out of the natural area, flaws in the clear glaze or frosting in a matte glaze, weird greeny or bluey tones, air brush spatters, etc.

• Claybody custom chinas—horses that are resculpted to a new position before the initial, or bisque, firing—require a level of skill and delicacy (and bravery!) that denotes a high level of artistry; these pieces are basically original sculptures as well as one-of-a-kind colors.

• Some colors are hard to predict in fired finishes—realistic nose pinking and blue eyes require skill and planning on the artist’s part, because the more often these colors are fired, the more likely they are to fade.

Judging Chinas: Breed

2009-10-06T12:19:00.000-07:00

I confess, the only thing I know about chinas is that they are fragile. I don't do well with fragile. Things break and then I cry...it's not a pretty picture.

However, guest blogger Melissa Gaulding knows a ton about chinas! The following was written from the judges perspective and should give you insight into what china judges are looking for:

Things to consider when judging glazed custom chinas in breed: everything that you would normally consider when judging any other halter division apply here too. Anatomy, biomechanics, and conformation should be as correct for glazed customs as for any other medium.

There are a few things restricted by the ceramic medium that should be allowed for in your judging.

• Molding and casting can limit the level of fine detail in hair texture and is to be expected. However, judge lumpish, inexpert manes, tails, or feathering as you would on a resin or customized plastic.

• Glossy glaze can enhance richness of coloring, but reduce visibility of detail, particularly in areas of pure black or pure white.

• Certain colors are difficult to achieve with fired underglazes and overglazes, especially red bays and red chestnuts; truly superior pieces should have similar saturation of color to any cold painted piece. Color shifts are also harder to achieve—where a cold-painted horse might show both golden brown and gray shades within the coat color, this is harder to do in ceramics.

• Hyper-realistic details (individual hairs, striations of color in irises, multi-colored growth rings in hooves, hair-by-hair roaning, etc.) are very difficult to do in ceramic finishes, but oafish application of details should be judged as you would with any other medium.

Laura back in: I'm declaring this week to be "china week," so tomorrow we'll continue with more insight from Melissa. Tomorrow's topic: china workmanship!

Breed Documentation: The What, When, Why, and How

2009-10-01T13:02:00.000-07:00

Today's guest blogger is Amy Widman, owner of this Smarty Jones along with many, many, many National and overall championships:

As has been hinted at in prior posts, assigning accurate breeds to your models can make or break your shot at a pretty blue ribbon. And providing accurate, easy to read/understand documentation about those breed assignments can only help your horses in the ring. So…..

What: For the purposes of Live Showing, “Documentation” generally means reference pictures, breed standards, or other valuable information about the breed you have assigned your model. It is displayed in front of or near your model on the Live Show table to be used as additional information in judging.

When: The most obvious time to use documentation is when your model is representing an obscure or relatively unknown breed. If you’ve been diligent in scouring through breed books and online Google searches to find a really great, new, rare, or odd breed, then it is best to share that new-found information with your judge. Show them that you did your homework and know your breed anatomy and standards. Some judges may have heard of your special breed, but others may not.

Have you heard of the Karabair? (Me neither)

Another good time to supply documentation is if you have a common breed, but with a twist. Maybe you found a unique color that is not well-known within the breed, or an example of a real life horse that shows a different body type than what is automatically thought of in breed standards. Some examples would be Pinto Thoroughbreds or extremely stocky Australian Stock Horses (which are usually thought of as reflecting more sport-type conformation).

Or, maybe you have a pretty common breed or cross in mind for your model, but you’ve found a photo of a real horse that matches your model’s body type and color *perfectly*. This would be a good time to set that picture right in front of your model to show the judge that “yes, my model is a realistic representation of this breed/color/type and here is the proof in the photo of this real horse.” A warning though: do not overuse this form of documentation. Every horse, in every class, doesn’t need a picture matching the model.

Click for big

Why: No matter how wonderful and knowledgeable a judge is, NO JUDGE KNOWS EVERY COLOR, STANDARD, AND TYPE OF EVERY BREED THROUGHOUT HISTORY. So, help them out and provide documentation. If a judge comes across a breed they’ve never heard of, or are questioning if a certain breed comes in the color your model is representing, they may choose to err on the safe side and not place your horse over a model that they know more about.

How: There are tons of ways to produce and provide documentation. Look through breed books. Do Google searches. Read breed standards and visit their websites. In terms of formatting your documentation to place on the show table, if you find a nice breed description in one of your reference books, make a $.49 color copy to bring to the show. DO NOT put the entire book on the table with it opened or bookmarked to the appropriate page. Not only does the large book take up precious room on the show table, but it can be dangerous to the surrounding horses. If that book doesn’t stay open and slaps shut, or gets bumped, the whole table of horses could be in trouble. If you find pictures and breed info online, copy and paste them into a Word doc.

In terms of the amount of information to include on your documentation, less is more! The judge does not have time to read through pages of information about a breed. If it’s a little known breed, include some info about basic characteristics, color, and their uses, with one or two pictures. For those more common breeds, stating the breed or cross breeds with some simple pictures will suffice. Using clear pictures and easy-to-read font is always a plus!

More About Callbacks

2009-09-30T12:03:00.000-07:00

Always, always, always bring your second place models and reserve champions up for a callback. People will tell you that judges only look at first place and championship horses when picking champs and overall. I couldn’t disagree more! As a judge, I want to pick the two best horses at the show for my overall champ and reserve. So what if they were in the same class or section?

However, a judge won’t skip over a first place or champ horse to do this. If they decided one horse was better than another within a class or section, they shouldn't change their mind during a callback. A judge can only pick a second place or reserve horse for reserve or overall reserve and then only if the first place or champ horse that beat it wins champ or overall champ.

Clear as mud, right? As an example, let’s say I’m judging the Stock horse section callback. I’m torn between four horses: the first and second place paints and the first and second place mustangs. I like them all and would love to give them all rosettes (the big fluffy ribbons.) If I want, I can choose the first and second paints as champ and reserve respectively. I could do the same for the first and second place mustangs. However, if I chose the first place paint for champ, I cannot choose the second place mustang (or vice versa.)

Fluffy!

Performance champs are usually a little different. Many judges choose overall and reserve based on points. Because performance horses show in several classes, they could have won several of each type of ribbon. Each place (1st, 2nd, 3rd on down) is assigned a point value with more points won for higher placings. The judge counts each horse’s points then awards champ and reserve to the first and second highest point totals.

Yesterday I mentioned that workmanship and collectibility are sometimes sections within a division. In this case, a judge may also choose their overall champ and reserve based on points. If a few horses stood out--winning both their green and yellow card sections--the judge will pick between them. Showers like this system because it is perceived to be more "fair" and shows that the judges has been consistent in her decisions throughout the day.

Show Structure and Callbacks

2009-09-29T18:55:00.000-07:00

All shows follow the same basic structure. First, there are divisions. A large two-day show could have more than 10, while a small specialty show** may only have one or two. Divisions are separated by make (what is the body made out of? Plastic, resin, or china?), finish (was the model painted at a factory or by an artist?), company (Breyer or Stone), card-color, or scale. And sometimes, all of the above. Mini custom Breyer halter is a real division featured at this year’s Breyerfest.

Divisions are often them broken down into sections. In breed classes, the sections are usually Foals, Light, Stock, Sport, Draft, Pony, and Other breeds. Sections then break down into classes. For example, the Stock section usually looks like this:

CM1. Quarter Horse
CM2. Appaloosa
CM3. Paint
CM4. Mustang
CM5. Other Part/Pure Stock

The last class, “Other Part/Pure Stock” is a common catchall class. Not all stock horses fit into the first four classes. Rare breeds and crosses go into this class.

Performance sections are usually split by discipline, i.e. all western classes are a section, all English are another section, etc. Workmanship and collectibility vary wildly and are sometimes included as sections with an OF, custom, or resin division.

After each section, there is a callback. All first and second place horses are brought back to the table so the judge can chose a section champion and reserve champion. When you see ads mentioning a horse has won a championship, they usually mean a section champion.

A Stock section callback

After all the sections have been judged, there is a championship callback. All the models that have won a champ or reserve in the same division are called to the table so an overall (aka grand) champ and reserve can be chosen.

**A specialty show is held to feature one corner of the hobby. Common themes are performance only, OF halter only, custom finish halter only, Breyer only, Stone only, stock horse only, draft horse only, etc. Many of these shows are small with only a handful of showers and can be held in a living room or garage. However, not all specialty shows are small. Fantastic Plastic Classic and Evergreen Custom Classic are large annual specialty shows.

Workmanship Classlists

2009-09-28T10:36:00.000-07:00

I've seen workmanship classlists organized three basic ways: by color, by breed, and by degree of alteration.

By degree of alteration, I mean the style of customizing (etching vs. repainting) and the amount of changes to the original body (simple custom vs. drastic custom). This type of classlist is only seen for custom models. Resculpting is uncommon on custom glazes or artist resins. This classlist, from Red River Live, is typical:

Custom Workmanship
G1 - Repaint Only Trad Scale
G2 - Repaint Only Classic Scale
G3 - Repaint Only SM Scale
G4 - Etched Models Trad Scale
G5 - Etched Models Classic Scale
G6 - Etched Models SM Scale
G7 - Simple Custom Trad Scale
G8 - Simple Custom Other Scale
G9 - Major Custom Trad Scale
G10 - Major Custom Other Scale
G11 - Unrealistic Custom

These classes are also further broken out by scale. Red River Live is an established show held by an experienced show holder, who anticipated that the Etched and Repaint only classes would be the most popular. As a result, she split Etched and Repaint into three scales while Simple and Major custom are split into only two scales.

This kind of classlist is popular in Region 5. It works really well when most showers are familiar with the definitions of each class and know where most of their models go without asking a judge. We experimented with this kind of classlist in Region 1 once...it didn't end well. Because so few showers were unfamiliar with this system, we didn't have enough mentors to teach which models went where and why.

Traditionally, Region 1 uses the same system as NAN. We split by color. Because this is the system NAN has chosen in recent years, this is the most common kind of classlist you will see. This example is from Rose City Live, where I judged a couple weekends ago:

Simple Custom Workmanship

S28 Bay
S29 Black/Brown
S30 Chestnut/Sorrel
S31 All Grey
S32 Palomino/Buckskin
S33 Roan
S34 Dun/Grulla
S35 Other Color
S36 Pinto - Tobiano Pattern
S37 Pinto - Other Pattern
S38 Appaloosa Pattern

Seems much simpler than the previous list, right? Yes and no. Would you put a tobiano roan in tobiano or roan? Does varnish roan go in Appaloosa or roan? What about a minimally expressed pintos that don't have body white?

Rags to Riches first foal. Like her mom, a minimally expressed sabino.

As a general rule, pinto trumps solid colors (including roan) and oddball colors (zebra stripes, brindle) trumps everything else. "Pinto" only includes horse with body white, so the baby above would show in chestnut. All Appaloosa colors (varnish, snowflake, blanket, leopard) show together. Roan only includes dark head roans and rabicanos. If you're still confused about where your horse should show, always ask the judge.

The final split, by breed, is my personal favorite. Horse are called up for their breed classes and are "double-judged," meaning two people judge the class at the same time. One looks at workmanship, while the other evaluates realism and conformation.

Double-judging is quicker because every horse only has to go on the table once. Also, it's an instant second opinion. If one judge doesn't care for your models, the other may have a more positive opinion. The downside is judges are often in too short supply to arrange this kind of classlist.

What is Live Show Quality?

2009-09-24T12:59:00.000-07:00

Pronounced L-S-Q (you will rarely hear someone say live-show-quality) this term has been used so frequently and stretched so far from it original meaning, that it’s surprising it’s still used at all.

On the low end, it’s a meaningless marketing term thrown into every ad on MH$Ps. On the high end, it means 100% certified quality: stick it on the table and watch the ribbons roll in.

A few years ago, the incomparable Sarah Minkiewicz-Breunig wrote a very thorough definition of what the term means to her. She is describing the pinnacle of realism and the ideal artists strive for:

Live Show Quality Guidelines

It's a great article and well worth the read. I don’t agree with all of her opinions on conformation, but this is a good example of the varied and contrasting opinions you will encounter in the world of live showing.

This is your reading assignment for the weekend. There won’t be a pop quiz on Monday, but I’d like talk more about workmanship next week and this article is a good starting point.

Placing Your Models in the Ring

2009-09-23T11:56:00.000-07:00

More helpful tips from guest blogger Tiffany Birkinbine:

If a show hall has varied lighting then evaluate a table’s lighting before the show begins. If you have a horse with a ghost scratch or small flaw, place your model in a darker area. This will help keep the judge from seeing it as well compared to an overhead light emphasizing the flaw. However, if you have a model that has beautiful detail and the table has an area that is highlighted more by lighting then place your model in that area so that your model’s detail can be highlighted better.

I always try to find a spot on a table that isn’t real close to a Trad so that the bigger model doesn’t overwhelm them. Sometimes that is not possible in a big class but if there are other stablemates in the class I try to set my models next to them. It’s all about making sure the judge can get a good view of my model and not get lost in the crowd.

Laura in: As a judge, I love to see a class organized like this. If the class is big and the minis are already grouped, it encourages me to split the class into big guys and minis.

To help stablemates stand out and not get lost among the Trads in a class; place them on a base. You can buy beveled wooden bases at a hobby store for about a dollar. For some added touches, paint or stain your base, glue on model train grass or dirt, add flowers, tall grass or rocks. All of this can be bought at hobby stores or model train shops. Just make sure it’s not so heavily decorated that it detracts from the model and also check your show’s rules as some shows do not allow bases.

Laura in: You may also want to check with the judge. Some judges like them, some judges hate them, and some are indifferent.

Crossbreeds and Grade Assignments

2009-09-22T10:46:00.001-07:00

Programming notes: Friday posts are getting to be one too many things in my already packed schedule. Regular posts will be Monday through Thursday. This post was also meant to go up yesterday, but was delayed because of Internet problems. Is anyone else having issues with the new Firefox, or is it just me?

Showing models as crossbreeds has its advantages and pitfalls. At many shows, they get a class to themselves, which is can be smaller than the purebred classes. Do you have a long conga of the same mold? Crossbreeds can allow you to spread them out through multiple classes.

Many molds, especially OFs, aren’t an exact replica of any breed. Companies like Breyer and Stone often stick implausible colors on molds, then leave it up to us to justify the combination of body type and color. In many cases, no purebred assignment can account for both body and color.

Over the years, I've collected a series of guidelines for showing crossbreeds. They aren't all universally accepted, but I think they increase the chances of success.

Limit your fractions

Since a horse only has two parents, you can only use half fractions--and halves of halves--and halves of halves of halves…and so on. That means 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, and 1/16. You can go smaller, but it’s not necessary. If a horse is only 1/16 one breed, that’s enough DNA to contributed a color gene but little to body type.

Include both halves

This is another difference between real world and model horse showing. Real horses (especially breed shows) often allow horses to be shown in halter as half-something without listing the other half. But real world judges don’t have to analyze realism or consider if a cross could possibly come in that color.

If you don’t list the other half, you leave it up to the judge to make-up, and that will rarely be to your advantage. An Arabian/Welsh Pony cross would look drastically different than an Arabian/Clydesdale or Arabian/QH cross. The right assignment can get a judge to look at a mold in a new light and forgive what they have previously thought of as a flaw in the mold.

Stick to believable crosses

Some crosses are more likely than other. Two members of different rare breeds may never meet in real life, let alone create a foal. Some crosses are unlikely because they’re impractical (Miniature to large draft horse) or the result is undesirable. Common, function crosses generally fair better than random-bred horses. They often have their own registries that have created a standard from which a model horse judge can work.

Always, always, always document

This is two fold: 1) Research allows you to discover if a theoretical cross really looks they way you assume it would, and 2) including the right photo can convince the judge that your model is an authentic representation of a real horse.

Finding the right photo can be tough if the cross doesn’t have its own supporting registry. Google image search can be hit or miss, so I often turn to online classified sites like Dreamhorse and EquineNow. These sites allow you to search by color and breed (and include secondary breeds.)

Remember, every cross has its devoted fans

And some of those fans are judges. (I have seen hundreds of QH/Morgan crosses. I know what they look like and how they move--you have been warned.)

No model horse is grade

“Grade” means a horse who’s parentage is unknown or mixed beyond recognition. Since we’re just talking about plastic ponies, their parentage is all unknown and it’s our job to make it up. I strongly dislike using “grade” as an assignment, even when the horse in question is a portrait model. This assignment doesn’t help your model at all, which is the job of a good breed assignment. As a judge, I tend to translate “grade” to mean “I gave up.”

Going back to last week’s Flash post, imagine one was shown as a “Grade Pony.” Maybe Flash is the perfect representation of a specific pony of hopelessly mixed heritage. But why would I pick a model with essentially no breed assignment over a model with an accurate breed assignment?

Breed Assignments: Flash

2009-09-17T19:21:00.000-07:00

This is my first experiment with a new feature. I’ve chosen to photograph four of my own horses for a virtual class. My goal is to highlight what I look for as a judge and the challenges I face as a shower.

Since today’s post is just about breed assignment, I’ve removed realism and basic conformation from the picture by using four horses of the same mold: Flash. This mold is nice example of a few things: A) he’s another example of a mold that doesn’t show well as the breed it’s meant to depict and B) he’s pretty generic and can shown as a number of different breeds.

Not all breed assignments are created equal. Some assignments are easier because the breed is common (or at least popular in the hobby) and no documentation is required. Some more obscure breeds can be researched with some ease via popular breed books. Other breeds are almost unheard of and may require you to speak a foreign language to track down enough information about them. For this post, I’ll be including levels of difficulty for each assignment.

Horse #1:

Breed: Morgan
Difficulty: Moderate to High

The difficulty here is justifying the pinto, pattern, and the body type for this assignment. Difficulty gets exponentially higher when you’re looking for all these characteristics in one real life example.

Horse #2:

Breed: Connemara cross
Diffculty: Easy

This is the breed assignment of the original mold, the breed is considered common, and the color is well known in Connemaras.

Horse #3:

Breed: New Forest Pony
Diffuculty: Moderate

The trick with this assignment is his color. In the US, this color is called buckskin but in Europe (and by the Connemara registry) it’s called dun. Genetically, the terms dun and buckskin refer to completely different colors that look vaguely similar. This issue gets substantially cloudier because most Americans (including the Buckskin Regisrty…which you’d think would know better) also call dun “buckskin.”

*headdesk* *headdesk* *headdesk*

Horse #4:

Breed: Quarter Pony
Difficulty: Easy

A common breed in its most common color. No documentation needed, right? (Wrong…I’ll get to this in a minute.)

Feel free to take a minute and decide for yourself how you’d place this class (and feel free to post your placings in the comments. Don’t be afraid to disagree with mine just because it’s my blog.)

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All done? Okay, my turn:

Forth place - Connemara cross

This is the most common mistake I see new showers make. If you are going to show a horse as a cross, please tell me what is was crossed with. I know in the real world that sometimes you don’t know a crossbreed’s exact mix, but these aren’t real horses. We’re making things up, so you might as well make up the other half, too. Saying a horse is just half one breed, but not another is kinda like doing half of your homework. (I’ll come back to crosses in more detail tomorrow.)

Third place - Morgan

Let’s say this horse was shown with photos of this horse and this horse for documentation. The documentation demonstrates that, although rare, pure-bred Morgans can both be overo and have dark legs on a palomino. A for effort, but his color isn’t my problem with this assignment. The Flash mold lacks several essential characteristics that make the Morgan unique. To make a better Morgan, his neck should be longer, arched, and cresty with a cleaner (thinner) throatlatch. His head should be longer with a petit muzzle and larger, hooked ears. To his credit, Flash has a compact, athletic body with those lovely massive Morgan feet I adore on my own mare.

The Ideal Morgan Stallion

Second Place - Quarter Pony

The Quarter Pony is a developing breed and their registry is open to horses of unknown parentage. As a result, you’ll see a lot of registered Quarter Ponies that look like Flash, athletic and generic. However, the registry specifically requires that “ponies must be easily recognizable as having characteristics of quarter-type or quarter bred ponies.” Again, the neck and head are an issue. His neck and headset should be much lower. Muzzle should be smaller and the head finer overall. I’d like to see larger hindquarters, as a Quarter Pony is ideally just a short Quarter Horse.

Having said that, judges are susceptible to persuasion. You can find numerous examples of athletic ponies of mixed heritage that are registered as Quarter Ponies and resemble Flash. A great photo showing a real life example makes a strong argument to a judge.

First Place - New Forest Pony

For once, a breed assignment that fits Flash’s head and neck! While you can find exceptions, short pony-eque necks and course boxy heads are common within the breed. Athletic bodies with horse like proportions are increasingly becoming the norm outside of the New Forest, as these native breeds have increasingly been bred for dressage, hunt, and jumping.

The trick with New Forest Ponies is that this is one of those breeds people think they know because they show up in a lot of breed books. Body types vary with Shetland pony-like proportions (long bodies, short legs) on one end and mini warmbloods (below) on the other extreme. As a shower, you have no control over which type a judge has in mind at the start of the day, but you can influence them to reassess their assumptions through good documentation.

Model Halter vs. Real Halter: Pt. 3

2009-09-16T10:14:00.000-07:00

Color is a constant issue in model horse showing. Unlike horse breeders, Stone, Breyer, and independent artists aren’t restricted in any way as to color. We don’t have to worry about those silly genetics. We can just pick something pretty and run with it! As a result, it falls to the shower to research a breed that matches the body type of the model and comes in the same color.

Breed books are an okay start, but they have an unfortunate tendency to be unspecific unclear, and inaccurate. Luckily, hobbyist Leslie Kathman has created a handy-dandy guide just for this purpose. Beyond that, there’s good ol’ Google Image Search, which is where you’ll eventually end up anyway trying to find photos for documentation.

As I mentioned on Monday, colors are often eliminated from a breed’s gene pool over time. Sometimes the color gradually withers away as a side effect of selecting for unrelated characteristics. Other times, the color is bred out intentionally because the color is considered undesirable. Registries will often take this one step further by not allowing horses that are the “wrong” color to be registered or approved. This is the case with the Friesian registry, which does not approve non-black animals for breeding.

The AQHA used to have a similar rule denying papers to foals with “excessive white markings.” Colonels Smokin Gun (Gunner) was one such foal:

If he’d been born on the wrong farm a few decades earlier, Gunner would have been just another overly white foal to quietly “disappear.” Instead, he was registered with the APHA, despite coming from two QH parents.

That was until a few year ago, when the AQHA passed the following:

A horse having white markings with underlying light skin beyond any one of the following described lines shall be eligible for registration by AQHA only if it is parentage verified through DNA typing the offspring, its sire and its dam. Breeders should be aware that the American Quarter Horse, while long recognized, identified and promoted as a solid-colored horse, can and does occasionally produce offspring with overo paint characteristics. Such markings are uncharacteristic of the breed and are considered to be undesirable traits.

In other words, they are happy to take your money in exchange for papers as long as you keep your pintos out of their halter classes.

And in the model world, chaos ensued.

On the one hand, we’ve always allowed unusual colors like chestnut Friesians, as long as they had appropriate documentation. Now, we have a rule that says they’re allowed but at the same time says they’re undesirable. What’s a model horse judge to do?

There isn’t a tidy answer for this problem and different judges have interpreted this rule in their own way. At this time, pinto QHs appear on a regular basis in at live shows. Disqualification is always a risk, but never a certainty.

Just speaking for myself, I disqualify them. I know its sounds hypocritical given my post from Monday and my allowance of other “undesirable” colors such as cremello QHs and chestnuts Friesians. However, we already have a separate class for pinto stock horses: the Paint class. In my opinion, a pinto shown in the Quarter Horse class is in the wrong class.

The primary reason you see pintos shown in the QH class has nothing to do with registry rules: the shower is trying to move their horse into a sometimes less competitive class. With few exceptions, the pintos seen in QH classes are minimally marked. The Paint class, for better or worse, frequently rewards loudly marked horses, putting these models at a disadvantage (which is also why you probably won’t see someone trying to show a solid-colored horse as a breeding stock paint.) This is especially true for custom-finish divisions, where workmanship and finish play a larger part in breed classes. Just as the louder patterns dominate in the paint class, these minimal marked models get a leg up against solid-colored models.

Is it fair either way? Not really. I’ve repainted minimally marked customs and resins to make them more competitive. Same body, same base color, but the pattern made all the difference. One of my current best show horses couldn’t win a NAN card until I extended his pattern. My advice is to keep this bias in mind when you decide whom to bring to a show.

This is my final installment of this series for the near future. Tune in tomorrow when I will delve deeper into breed assignments.

Model Halter vs. Real Halter: Pt. 2

2009-09-15T10:26:00.000-07:00

I’m not going to talk about live Quarter Horses anymore (is that a sigh of relief I hear?) but I am going to start with this year’s NAN Champ OF Quarter Horse.

I’ve judged this specific horse at previous shows, I’ve lost to him at other shows, and I’d steal him off the table if I had a chance (I’m kidding--sort of.)

Even though Breyer markets this model as a Thoroughbred, his owner shows her copy as a racing-bred quarter horse. This is a great choice because the mold is not as bulky as a stock horse mold like Smart Chic Olena, but not as lean and leggy as a Lonesome Glory or classic-scale Man o’ War, which many model horse judges prefer in a Thoroughbred class.

He’s not shown as a halter-type QH (as I discussed yesterday), and he’s not in a halter pose. A horse isn't supposed to gallop in a real halter class. But in the model world, there is no rule against it and I have never seen a judge knock a horse for an “inappropriate” pose.

Even "bad horse" poses are allowed:

And "natural" poses:

In this case, artistry wins out over adherence to our real world counterpart. Speaking as an artist: thank god. Sculpting and customizing would be dreadfully boring if our only options for LSQ (live show quality) models were performance and halter appropriate poses. As is, I find myself constantly biting against the bridle of live showing’s restrictions and limitations.** If I could only sculpt/sell models in polite/boring poses, I’d go batty.

**My constant attempts to bend or circumnavigate live showing rules are probably the reason I’m so familiar with them.

Model Halter vs. Real Halter: Pt. 1

2009-09-14T08:59:00.001-07:00

This was supposed to be Friday's post, but real life decided to intervene before I could complete it. These days, my schedule is not completely my own.

When talking to non-hobbyists, I find it’s usually easiest to describe live showing as a shrunken down version of the real thing. However, this comparison only works to a point. Not all breed associations offer “halter” classes at their shows and those that do each play by their unique set of rules.

And then there’s fashion. A written breed standard is rarely amended, let alone substantially altered, but the current aesthetic in all halter shown breeds appears to be in constant flux. In some breeds, halter bloodlines have become so specialized they’ve virtually become a breed within a breed. For illustrative purposes, I’m going to use the Quarter Horse as the most dramatic example of this split, but the same issues apply to a number of breeds including other stock breeds, Arabians, and Morgans. Cutting, reining, roping, pleasure, hunter, racing, and halter have all split out to varying degrees within the AQHA, but no type is excluded from a model horse halter class.

When I judge a model QH class, I know I have options on how I can approach it. The first option is to judge it as a real world halter class and choose horses that best represent this physical type:

"First under all five judges."

This is CK Kid, and as much as it pains me to say so, he was an AQHA World Champion in halter.

If he were a model horse, I’d say his legs are too small and his back is too short in proportion to his body. Top to bottom, he is completely upright with no body angles to absorb any shock from movement. This much muscle (1500 pounds on a 16H horse) on top of double-ott feet is a recipe for disaster. I’d tell you this horse wouldn’t be able to run correctly with his conformation and is susceptible to a premature death. Considering his sire, dam sire, and grand-sire died at 9, 16, and 12 respectively, it’s a safe bet this 9-year-old stud doesn’t have many years left.

Referring back the judging elements I previously outlined, this horse is typey but not well conformed. His proportions border on unrealistic, which is a concept that makes my head hurt.

As a judge, my second (and preferred) option is a holistic approach. I know QHs include a wide range of body types, each bred to serve a specific function. At live shows, we show all types, ideally with no bias. I try to judge each against their own type, i.e. reiners should look like this, pleasure horses should look like that, and so on. Type-y-ness may be a tiebreaker only in that I prefer a model that is easily recognizable as it's assigned breed, but it’s not my first concern.

In contrast to the above, let’s look at a National Champion model halter horse:

This is a model I would love to have for my own show string. Her shading and collectibility both add to the “wow” factor, but for the purposes of this post, I’m only going to cover her conformation.

Overall, her build is lighter than the behemoth above, but there is no mistaking her for anything other than a stock horse. Her legs and hooves are substantially larger and better built to withstand the physical stresses of athletics. If she were a live horse, I’d guess she's bred for roping or gaming but with the potential for more. She’s balanced and well muscled, with straight legs and good body angles.**

In addition to various modern types, as a model horse judge I frequently encounter horses shown as historical breeds and types. In these cases, make or break often depends on quality documentation (future post.) This kind of breed assignment is usually chosen because colors are often eliminated from a breed and physical types evolve. However, the basics of functional conformation stay the same, as the below horse attests:

Peter McCue, AQHA Hall of Fame inductee.

Not perfect, but the basic angles are correct and a glance at his record testifies that his conformation was more than functional. He was a successful racehorse, but an even more successful stud and founding stallion of the AQHA. He’s built like a horse that could have walked out of a QH breeder’s barn today, but he was born in 1895.

A modern Quarter Horse with similar conformation, born over a century later.

When the AQHA was formed 45 years later, his genes were what they sought to perpetuate. This is his descendant, Wimpy P-1, a grand champion stallion and the first horse registered with the AQHA:

Of the five photos I’ve included in the entry, which of these horse is not like the others? Hint: It’s not the model. (It’s CK Kid.)

Tune in for next week's post, when I continue to rattle on about Quarter Horses (just the model kind.)

**Speaking of body angles, is conformation a topic anyone would like to hear about from me? Please let me know in the comments.

Making Things Easier: Pack as You Show

2009-09-10T11:29:00.000-07:00

This one took me forever to figure out, but it's been a lifesaver ever since:

After carefully arranging your ponies on your table, you’d be surprised how quickly that organization can fall apart. Somehow, the same amount of horses will gradually take up more space on your table throughout the day, especially when classes are called quickly and ribbons start to pile up.

The solution? Pack as you go. When a horse has finished his last class and doesn’t need to return to the table for a call back, put him back in his pony pouch, box, or case. This often means you should be virtually ready to go by the end of the show.

The less time it takes you to pack at the end of the show, the better. Packing quickly takes practice. Also, a show holder must stay in the hall until after all of the showers have left. Your show holder will greatly appreciate not having to wait long on their showers.

The Carriage Class (and More About Breed Groups)

2009-09-09T13:16:00.000-07:00

As promised, Carriage gets it’s own entry (parenthesis abuse to follow.)

Winner of a Carriage class (this guy has since been repainted.)

I mentioned before that most classlists included breed-specific classes (Morgan, Paint, Thoroughbred, etc.) and breed groups (Welsh Ponies and Cobs, American Gaited, UK Draft, etc.) There isn’t enough time at a show for every breed to get its own class, so only the most popular breeds get their own class while the vast majority are sectioned off into groups.

Groups may be split a variety of ways. Geography (UK Drafts), body type (Other Pony), shared ancestry (Spanish (when it includes Pasos and/or Aztecas)), and purpose/use (Harness Racing breeds) are common groupings.

Technically, you could call Carriage a “use” class, but isn’t as obvious as a class like Harness Racing. Horses you would usually see in a Harness Racing class are Standardbreds, French and Orlov Trotters. Although these breeds can perform in other sports, their primary and most common purpose still is harness racing.

Carriage can be confusing because the breeds it includes are grouped based on what they sometimes do. This gets more confusing when you consider that the breed most seen and associated with carriages (such as the draft horses of central park) and harness classes (various drafts in heavy harness; Morgans, Saddlebreds, and Arabians in fine harness) don’t show in this class.

Any given model Carriage class will be comprised of around 50-100% Friesians. In addition to fine harness, they are often used for dressage, pleasure riding, and posing for the covers of paperback fantasy novels. The rest of the class is generally composed of rare breeds such as the Cleveland Bay, Hackney, Gelderlander, Dutch Harness Horse, Dole, and Warlander.

Depending on the show, you will often see Gypsy Horses/Cobs/Tinkers placed in Carriage. Since they are still relatively new in the world of model horses, the hobby as a whole is still deciding where they belong. When they first appeared in the hobby, they almost exclusively went into Draft classes. But the current trend is leaning heavily toward Carriage.

Pretty in Pink (Cards)

2009-09-08T12:43:00.000-07:00

A big thank you to today's guest blogger, Vicky Norris! See some of Vicky's amazing work on her website.

Take it away, Vicky:

The NAN cards that are pink are awarded in the performance division of NAN qualifying shows. Like green and yellow cards, 2 per judge are handed out in each class, 1st and 2nd places.

Performance....the best way to describe what showers do in performance is to think of a snapshot, a moment in time that the shower tries to capture in miniature.

Performance showers try to get as realistic as they can in miniature, down to poop on the butt of a cow if they are working cows....lol

Often showers have to make do with what is available or make it themselves if they can. Tack makers, prop makers and sculptors all try to be as realistic as they can when producing their artwork.

Class lists will vary from region to region but all will have the basic classes.....

Harness
Costume
Saddleseat
Hunter/Jumper
English trail
English Pleasure
Western trail
Western Pleasure
Cattlework

At larger shows OF and CM/AR models show in separate divisions, but at the smaller shows they often compete against each other.

Judging: Tack must fit the model and be neat and clean. It must be appropriate for the event. The model must be DOING what the shower says it is doing. I think this is one of the hardest for showers to understand at times.

Documentation is a must for every class but the basic pleasure classes. It is extremely important for unusual or seldom seen performance. It is always necessary for costume classes.

A judge sees the overall first then goes on to look at the details. She must know basic performance rules and be able to translate her knowledge to all of the different breeds that will be shown in performance.

Those Mysterious Yellow Cards: Pt. 3

2009-09-07T19:50:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the exciting final installment of my explanation of yellow NAN cards! You can find part one here and part two here.

Today, I’m focusing exclusively on workmanship. On Friday, I mentioned this is my favorite division, and I mean that both as a shower and a judge. I paint plastic ponies for a living, so this division most closely approximates the challenges I face as a painter.

With custom finished models (by which I mean plastic-body customs, artist resins, and custom glaze models), all breed classes factor in workmanship to some degree. Resculpting effects the conformation of a mold. Having multiple examples of the same mold in a class is also extremely common. In this case, a judge only has workmanship left to differentiate between them.

As a shower, I prefer workmanship classes to breed because it removes the factor I don’t have control over: the original body. I can’t control if a judge thinks fill-in-the-blank resin is a bad example of a thoroughbred, but this isn’t judged in workmanship classes (or at least it's not supposed to be.) As a judge, it breaks my heart to not reward beautifully made models because of a small anatomical flaw. But if I know workmanship classes are coming later in the day, I keep that model in mind.

So if the original model isn’t judged in workmanship, what is? I break workmanship down to four elements: mastery of media, prepping, accuracy, and correction.

Mastery of media: All media (oil, pastel, airbrush, etching, etc.) have their quirks and drawbacks. To me, an artist’s foremost challenge is to overcome them. Pastel can be grainy, oil shows brushstrokes, airbrush is speckled, and etching depends heavily on a factory’s paint job. When you can easily recognize what medium a model was finished with, this is generally a bad sign because its those flaws we're recognizing. As an artist, I want the viewer to see a 100% realistic representation of a real horse’s color, not the paint I used to create it. Theoretically, a perfectly executed representation of a color should look the same no matter what medium it's painted in. Theoretically.

Prepping: A well-prepped model is a smooth canvas for a painter to work on. It has no visible seams or unintentional bumps and divots.

Accuracy: Is a model’s color realistic? Is the shade an accurate representation that could exist on a real horse? Do white markings follow real-life patterns?

Correction: No mold is perfect, which leaves a lot of room for sculptors to make additions and corrections. If a customizer chose to address a model’s flaws, did they correct them or aggravate them? Do additions blend to the rest of the model? Do they match stylistically? Was detail added equally over the whole horse of unevenly in a few portions?

When I judge workmanship, my mantra is “the greater the risk, the greater the reward.” I know a perfectly executed appaloosa or resculpted head is harder to create than a plain black horse with no sculptural additions. In this case, I would choose the more elaborate of two models, assuming the execution is equal. However, I am not more forgiving of flaws just because the artist chose to tackle a difficult color.

See, aren’t y'all glad I didn’t combine all three parts into one looooong entry on yellow cards? Tune in tomorrow for our guest blogger’s description of pink NAN cards.

Those Mysterious Yellow Cards: Pt. 2

2009-09-04T11:51:00.000-07:00

Today, I’m focusing on one of the two “yellow card” divisions currently at NAN (and a regular feature at local shows.)

Collectibility is a relatively new division in live showing. Traditionally, a model’s rarity was considered in regular breed classes. But with Breyer’s introduction of newer, more detailed, and often more accurate molds, rare vintage models were gradually being squeezed out of traditional breed classes.

Enter collectibility, a division designed to reflect the actual activity of collection in a NAMHSA-friendly form. Just like a Breyer collector looking to expand their collection, a judge will consider factors such as rarity, age, desirability, and aesthetics:

Rarity: Simply, how many were made?

Age: Age matters both by itself and how much it impacts rarity and condition. Models “disappear” over the years. They end up in attics and landfills, sometimes never to be seen again. Thus, less are available to collectors seeking them out than the original produced amounts. Age implies various threats to a model’s condition. A model must survive transportation, pets, small children, and environmental factors to remain mint many years after production.

Desirability: Do people actually want to buy it? If 50 were made, but you can’t find 50 collectors who want to own one, is it really collectible? How popular is this model or mold? PAM, Silver, and the Semi-Rearing Mustang all have strong cult like followings. But Galiceno, Black Beauty, and the Racehorse? Not so much. This factor comes strongly into play when judging Conn collectibility.

"Green Eggs and Sham" - not a particularly desirable model

Aesthetics: Are there rubs? Is the model yellowed? Are there factor flaws? On the flip side, the model’s color attractive? Is the paint job particularly well rendered? All are factors that come into play in the show ring. Remember those color classes I mentioned yesterday? This is what they are judged on.

From judge to judge, you will more variation in how these elements are weighed than the elements of your average breed class. I’ve run into just as many judges that consider condition over rarity, rarity over age and vice versa.

If you’re interested in reading more on the topic collectibility, I highly recommend checking out the Breyer History Diva. Her perspective is more on the collecting side than the showing side and full of tons of valuable insight.

Here’s the point my official post stops and move on to the editorial portion of our program:

Notice in the above few paragraphs how I kept referring to Breyers? While the same principles apply to manufactures such as Hartland and Hagen-Renaker, things go off the tracks when we start talking about Peter Stones.

When I’ve been asked about Stone collectibility before, I tend to answer with variation of my “spaghetti theory”: throw it against the wall and see what sticks. Don’t get me wrong, Peter Stones are certainly collectible (in the traditional sense--like the way shot glasses and modern art are collectible.) But how does a judge distinguish one from another? Stone produces more special runs than regular runs and more test runs and one-of-a-kinds than anything else. When everything is rare, is anything rare?

So much for rarity, but what about age? Stones have only been in production for 13 years, and most Stone models currently making it show are less than five years old. Even desirability plays a lesser part as the Stone company is very good about sweeping unpopular molds under the rug (see Jumping Horse, Morgan, Western Pleasure Horse, Rearing Horse…)

That just leaves aesthetics. With the company’s spotty history with quality control, factory flaws are always an issue. They apply a wide variety of colors and techniques to their models with varied amounts of success. Most of these techniques are brought in or borrowed from custom finish artists so that some Stones closer resemble customs than factory painted models.

Personally, I would like to see an increase in color or OF workmanship classes for Stones. While I vehemently oppose "pretty pony" judging for Breyers, Hagen-Renakers, and Hartlands, the unique nature of Stone’s production practices render the traditional measuring sticks of collectibility useless. A judging system with a stronger or exclusive emphasis on aesthetics would more accurately approximate what collectors are seeking out already.

Tune in on Monday for the exciting conclusion of "Those Mysterious Yellow Cards" when I talk about my favorite division, workmanship!

Those Mysterious Yellow Cards: Pt. 1

2009-09-03T12:45:00.001-07:00

Yellow NAN cards (officially "non-breed" cards) cover several showing arenas, so I've decided to split this post into three parts. As I did yesterday, parts two and three will cover common judging standards.

As far as NAN is concerned, a yellow card allows OF models to enter collectibility classes and custom finish models (plastic customs, custom glaze, and artist resins) to enter workmanship classes.

If, for example, an OF model is entered at NAN in collectibility via a yellow NAN card, does that mean the card was also won in a collectibility class at a local show? Not necessarily.

I’ve been researching this topic for a few weeks, but so far I’ve been able to find any sort of restrictions applied specifically to yellow NAN cards except that they are not awarded in breed classes. Those classes could be workmanship or collectibility to echo NAN’s divisions, but they could also be split and judged based on gender or color (although this is rare.)

Tomorrow I will cover common judging standards for collectibility.

A collectibility winner, or a color class winner?

Green with Card Envy

2009-09-02T10:59:00.000-07:00

Green NAN cards (aka “breed cards”) are the most common type of NAN card, and likely the first you will encounter. They are given to the first and second place winners of breed classes in halter divisions. OF Breyers, Stones, resins, customs--they all win identical blank cards (on which you fill out your name, your horse's name, and the name of the class it was won in.)

Individual shows have a fair amount of flexibility to create their own classlists. But if they are giving out green cards, it means that each class is formed around a specific breed or breed group. Typical breed classes include Appaloosa, Morgan, and Arabian, while typical breed groups are Carriage, European Warmblood, and Stock Pony.**

**These groups all tend to contain the same collection of breeds from show to show (with some variation.) Stock Pony generally includes Paint Pony, Quarter Pony, Pony of the Americas, etc. European Warmblood covers a long list of breeds including but not limited to Hanoverian, Trakehner, Dutch Warmblood, German Warmblood, Selle Français, etc. Carriage…deserves its own entry.

Winner of a "European Warmblood" class (shown as a German Warmblood)

If a class is particularly large, a show holder or judge may choose to further divide the class. This is often done in the interest of fairness. As a judge, I like classes to all have roughly the same number of entries. If the Paint class is twice the size of the Quarter Horse class, the ribbons and NAN cards won in each class don't mean the same thing.

If a class is split, NAMHSA puts no restrictions on how they are split. They can be split be breed (Stock Pony divided into Paint Pony and everything else,) or virtually any other factor. Splits by gender, scale, and color are common. I once split a Clydesdale class by Wintersong (the mold) and molds that weren't Wintersong. Hey, I ended up with equal sized classes.

You will rarely, if ever, see classes combined. A published classlist is often treated as a promise by the show holder to their showers. If only one horse is entered in a class--oh well. The system isn't perfect and never could be (since no one could agree on what "perfect" means.)

As I’ve mentioned before, at this time shows do not have a nationally accepted standard and the judge must choose her own. Having said that, most of the time they judge on similar basic elements. The major elements in a breed class are Realism, Conformation, and Type (usually in that order.)

I could write a novel on these elements and what they mean, but I’ll save the nitty gritty for another day. Here’s the cliff notes version:

Realism: In a nutshell, is this horse even possible? Impossible horses usually means they have uneven measurements, impossible gaits, and cartoonish proportions. Or eye brows.

Conformation: A model horse can be a 100% realistic representation of a real horse--and still be ugly (conformationally speaking.) I will cover this topic in more detail in multiple future posts, but the most basic is this: balance, body angles, and straight legs.

Type: Think of type as measurement of how closely a horse matches the look of its assigned breed. Does a model Arabian have a dishy head and high set tail? Does a Shire have adequate feather? Does a stock horse have a large enough butt? Then they’re “typey.”

Generally, these elements are considered in this order, with major realism issues taking priority over subtleties of type.

Tune in tomorrow when I unravel the mysteries of the yellow NAN cards! (Or not.)

Making Things Easier: Pony Baskets

2009-08-30T22:00:00.000-07:00

Little early for Monday. I'm moving tomorrow and I'm about to disconnect and pack up my modem.

Today’s tip comes from hobbyist Tiffany Birkinbine:

“An easy and safe way to carry your stablemates to the table is a basket. You can buy a small basket at a hobby shop. Put a soft cloth in the basket to keep your models from being scratched. This method helps to keep you from dropping your models along with helping you pull double duty by bringing models up for the next class and taking models back to your table at the same time after the previous class has been pinned.”

Believe me that this technique is certainly preferable to the mini-between-every-finger technique.

One Horse, One Class

2009-08-28T13:52:00.000-07:00

This is one of the most basic and invariable rules at live shows: one horse may only enter one halter class per show. There are no second chances within one show.

For example, let’s say I decide to show a Flash as a Morgan. I put him in his class, but he doesn’t place. The judge then explains to me that she feels Flash is too pony-ish, and she would rather seen him shown as a pony breed such as a Connemara. However, even if the pony class hasn’t come up yet, I cannot show the same model again at the same show. If I would like to show my Flash as a Connemara, I will have to wait for another show.

This rule is in place for fairness. Otherwise, one shower may get multiple chances to show one horse, while others may not.

However, here’s where the big BUT comes in. If the show you are attending as a second “yellow card” division, you get one more chance to show your horse. Again, you may enter your horse in only one class in this division, but you do not have to choose between showing your horse in breed or showing in a yellow card class.

Oh, and here’s another big exception: none of this applies to “pink card” classes, aka performance. For more about yellow, pink, and green cards, please tune in next week when a guest blogger and myself will go into these divisions in more detail. And I mean it this time. My Mid Valley post is still forth coming as I've been caught up in the chaos of a move.

This horse was shown and won in one green card class and one yellow card class:

Better Know a Region: Region 2

2009-08-27T12:20:00.000-07:00

NAMHSA splits North America into several different regions. Each region has their own rep, many have their own championship shows, and all have their own unique way of doing things.

A giant thank you goes out to today's guest blogger, Mary Thomson! Mary has written the first of what I hope is an ongoing series "Better Know a Region":

REGION 2 (CALIFORNIA, NEVADA, HAWAII, MEXICO)

Note: Hawaii and Mexico are at the children’s table of Region 2. When one speaks of Region 2, one is speaking of California/Nevada. Though one can dream, about that Hawaii part…

Region 2 is one of the largest and most active showing-bases in the USA. With our famous good weather, and barring the occasional earthquake or fire, it is rare that a month goes by without at least one model show or event occurring - while December shows are rare, we are once more into the breach right away as early as January each year, and definitely by March. In the past we have even had a show every weekend, during the summer months.

Region 2 hosts shows of all sizes and calibers, from past NANs and West Coast Model Horse Jamboree, to the current BreyerWest and Peter Stone Jubilee and Eureka Live shows, popular repeaters such as Las Vegas Live, Fall Fiesta, specialty shows such as Fantastic Plastic Classic, Mini Mayhem and customizing/workmanship/breed specialty shows of all sizes (NAN-qualifiers and not), and the highly successful “K.I.S.S.” annual performance show series (a high-point earning, multi-show traveling competition). There is literally something for everyone in Region 2, and if there isn’t, we create one. Region 2 hosts a Championship show each year (except 2009) in a central location in the state so that everyone has a chance to attend. Shows even outside Region 2 may qualify, all they have to do is ask permission. The R2 Champ Show rivals NAN in both scope and caliber, with several thousand models qualifying each year.

The one word that best describes Region 2 is “polarized.” Northern and Southern California have definitely different showing foci and styles. But generally collectibility is the name of the game in OF (particularly SoCal), and we have a lot of high-caliber tack makers, customizers and performance showers throughout the entire state.

The one word that second-best describes Region 2 is “volatile.” Pretty much no one in Region 2 is quiet. We all have opinions and are more than happy to share them loudly with anyone who will listen. Occasionally we bicker strongly amongst ourselves even on our own boards, which has earned us an outside reputation of being the “mean girls” (some of us even had shirts made), but we do it because a) we like it and b) we are all very passionate about the hobby in R2. Yet the instant our somewhat-combative-at-times style is attacked from the outside (and it has been), we definitely circle the wagons and will shove back!

That being said, we LOVE new showers and will help anyone who needs it. We do not have many novice divisions in our shows; we pretty much encourage newbies to just ‘dive in’ and go for it. No shrinking violets in Region 2, rest assured!

Region 2 encourages youth showing and good sportsmanship - Some Northern Cali showers are 4-H leaders and utilize collecting and live shows as part of their area's "4-H Horseless Horse Project." The 4-H'ers not only assist in planning and running live shows, but also participate and show in the R2 year-end Championships.

It says a lot for Region 2 that our favorite Arizona and Texas friends come out to judge and show here whenever they can. A Region 2 show guarantees good fun, general mayhem and hilarity, juicy gossip (!), chocolate and Chris Jones crying when she wins! Come check us out! We accept you, we accept you, gooble gabble gooble gabble!

Once again, thank you Mary! If anyone would like to guest blog about their own corner of the hobby (or country--I would love to include information about showing outside of North America) please drop me a line at laskillern *at* comcast *dot* net.

Making Things Easier: A Classlist

2009-08-26T09:27:00.000-07:00

This post will be the first of an ongoing series. These are tips, not hard and fast rules, that are meant to make showing easier on you. I had wonderful intentions of making this a weekly feature (Making Things Easier Monday?) but my friends will testify that I’m just not that organized.

Even veteran showers will create their own classlist. Before the show, copy the regular classlist into a word document and then type in your horses’ names or numbers next to the class you plan to show them in.

When a class is called, glance down at the classlist instead of searching your table while trying to remember how many “OF Appaloosas” you brought with you. This is the easiest way to assure you won’t miss a class.

Did you remember all of your OF Appaloosas?

Don't Leave Home Without It

2009-08-25T11:10:00.000-07:00

The following is a basic checklist of assorted supplies you should take with you to every live show:

Pen or Pencil (preferably half a dozen): The amount of pens I have lost at model horse shows over the years is probably only rivaled by the amount of other people’s pens I’ve walked off with. I tend to forget whether that pen I picked up to write something with was mine to begin with or if it was borrowed.

Scissors (one of those little pairs): They are essential to performance showing, but I still bring a pair when I’m just showing in halter classes. Inevitably, you will need to cut something down to size.

Leg Tags: When model people say “leg tags,” they mean those little white price tags people use at garage sales. Most regions have some sort of a tagging system to identity a horse by name in results, which are published after the show. Some regions use different systems to ID horses for results, but in these regions leg tags are still used for the owner to write their name on. It is very common for multiple showers to have the same model in a class and mix-ups happen. Leg tags are the best way to assure that you get your bay Huck back and not someone else’s.

Index Cards: Index cards are the basis of the second most common ID system. Showers fill out a card for each horse with its breed and gender on the front and the horse’s and shower’s name on the back. Even if your region does not use this system, index cards are handy to scribble out a little last minute documentation. This happens a lot.

Touch-up/Repair Supplies: These can be as simple as a couple horse-colored sharpies or as complex as a full painting kit (which I travel with to all shows.) If you are inexperienced or uncomfortable repairing models, less is more. You don’t want, in a panic, to cause more damage to your model by attempting a drastic repair. However, tiny rubs on the tips of tails and ears are common damage going to and from a live show but easy to repair in a few seconds before a class. I know a lot of non-artistic showers who still carry small sets of horse colored touch-up paints for emergencies. Years and years ago, I used to carry make-up to a show for this purpose. The benefit was that is wasn’t permanent if my last minute cover-up wasn’t convincing.

Camera: You’ll kick yourself after your first big win if you forget to bring your camera to document the achievement. Statistically, your chances of winning will go up when you’ve forgotten a camera and doubly so at a “no-frills” show where you don’t get to keep the ribbon.

An iPhone is not a viable substitute for a good digital camera.

Common Breeds vs. Rare Breeds

2009-08-24T11:40:00.000-07:00

When people talk about breed documentation, they often recommend it for rare breeds a judge may not be familiar with. In the real horse world, what’s considered common and well known depends highly on your environment. At my barn, most boarders aren’t completely sure what a Morgan is, except “short” and “buckskin.”

Below is a partial list of breeds that are common in live showing. It’s by no means comprehensive, and just because the breed is “common” doesn’t mean you should not include any documentation. In this case, I only mean that these are breeds a judge will have some familiarity with (but not necessarily know everything about the standard or rare colors that can occur.)

Akhal-Teke
American Saddlebred (ASB)
Andalusian
Appaloosa
Arabian
Belgian
Chincoteague Pony
Cleveland Bay
Clydesdale
Colorado Ranger
Connemara
Donkey (Mammoth, Standard and Miniature)
Dutch Warmblood
Fjord
Friesian
Gypsy Vanner (aka Colored Cob/Irish Tinker/Irish Cob/Drum Horse…this issue will be addressed in a future post)
Hackney
Hanoverian
Icelandic
Irish Draft
Kiger
Lipizzaner
Lusitano
Miniature Horse
Missouri Fox Trotter (MFT)
Morab
Morgan
Mule
Mustang
National Show Horse (NSH)
Nokota
Paint
Paint Pony
Paso Fino
Percheron
Peruvian Paso
Pony of the Americas (POA)
Przewalki's Horse
Quarter Horse
Quarter Pony
Rocky Mountain Horse
Shetland Pony
Shire
Spanish Mustang
Spotted Draft (aka North American Spotted Draft)
Standardbred (STB)
Suffolk Punch
Tennessee Walking Horse (TWH)
Thoroughbred (TB)
Trakehner
Welara
Welsh Ponies and Cobs (parts A-D…also another future post.)

What passes for "exotic" in Washington state.

Dealing with "Bad" Judges

2009-08-21T11:58:00.000-07:00

You will not see eye to eye with every judge. This is becomes increasingly more likely when you gain more experience with live showing.

Personally, I think almost all judges are not “bad.” They have different point of view. Since showing is subjective with no agreed upon standard, not everyone will be on the same page.

If you find yourself showing under a judge you disagree with, try to focus your energy elsewhere. Talk to the hobbyist around you. Try to make new friends. You're surrounded by people that share your unique interest, so take advantage. And most importantly, have fun!

Experienced showers will often try to bring show strings that spread across more than one division. The advantage of this is that if you find yourself showing poorly under a particular judge, you can refocus your energy elsewhere. I don't endorse this for someone who is still learning the ropes, but it is something you may want to consider once you get the hang of the basics. (Expect a future post of strategies for balance multi-divisional show strings.)

You should always thank your judge at the end of the show, but I always thank a judge I didn’t agree with. They worked hard to do their best. Their opinion is different, but that’s not a good reason to create friction between you. Remember, it’s a small hobby after all and you will continue to run into the same people at shows.

You will hear rumors of judges who cheat. Take them with a block of salt. They are almost never true. After attending over a hundred shows, I’ve heard plenty of rumors but I've never seen a judge cheat. Never.

OT: I'll be attending Mid Valley Live this weekend in Oregon. Expect plenty of pictures sometime mid-week.

Talking to Judges

2009-08-20T11:09:00.000-07:00

Talking to judges and receiving advice can be one of your best resources for learning how to improve as a shower.

Keep in mind that judging shows is a difficult and often thankless job. Showers feelings are often hurt when their horses don’t win, and they occasionally take their frustrations out on the judge. Experienced judges are often confronted by showers who only ask questions to prove the judge was wrong.

When you approach a judge, be polite. Smile and be friendly. It doesn’t hurt to introduce yourself and point out that you are new to showing and eager to learn. Let them know through your attitude that you do not intend to be confrontational. You don’t have to take all of their advice, but try to listen to their reasoning.

Judging isn't easy. Be nice.

Common Terms and Abbreviations

2009-08-19T13:04:00.000-07:00

At live shows and on this blog, you will encounter dozens hobby and show specific terms. The following list isn't exhaustive, but it covers the basics:

Halter: This is one of the two primary divisions. All Halter classes have the same thing in common: you stand your horse on the table and walk away. Traditionally, documentation and halters are allowed (a legacy of real world halter classes) but not required. All other tack and props are not allowed. In a halter class, it's just the horse that is judged.

Performance: This is the other primary division, and usually the hardest to describe to the uninitiated. Showers combine models, tack, dolls, props, and even dioramas to capture a moment in time. A strong emphasis is placed on accuracy and respecting to rules of the real world disciplines that are represented.

Collectibility: A type of halter class, models are compared and judged based on their age, condition, rarity, and desirability.

Breed: Another type of halter class, models are judges on realism and conformation.

Workmanship: A type of halter class held just for custom-finished models. The original body is generally ignored and the model is judged primarily on finish work.

Mini: Generally, "Pebble" scale (1/20-ish) and smaller. Also included Breyer's Little Bit/Paddock Pals, Stablemates, Mini Whinnies, and Stone's Chips scale.

Original Finish: A model that has not been altered from it's original, factory painted finish.

Artist Resin: Resin-cast sculptures that are finished by individual painters. Usually, they are extremely realistic.

Customs: Any original finish model that has been altered or enhanced. Resculpting and repainting are common.

Custom Glazed: Similar to an artist resin in that they are often released unpainted and later finished by an artist, except on a clay-based body.

The hobby uses abbreviations everywhere, but especially at shows. I can't remember the last time I even said "Original Finish" out loud instead of "OF" (oh-eff.) These are the abbreviations you will see in most show packets:

Appy: Appaloosa
AR: Artist Resin
ASB: American Saddlebred
CM: Custom
ISH: Ideal Stock Horse (Peter Stone's standing stock horse mold.)
MFT: Missouri Fox Trotter
NAMHSA: North American Model Horse Shows Association
NAN: North American Nationals
NSH: National Show Horse
OF: Original Finish
OOAK: One of a kind
PRE: Pura Raza Espanola aka Andalusian
QH: Quarter Horse
RMH: Rocky Mountain Horse
RR: Regular Run
SR: Special Run
STB: Standardbred
TB: Thoroughbred
TWH: Tennessee Walking Horse
WB: Warmblood

Feel free to add more common terms and abbreviations in the comments.

Collect What You Love, Show What You Collect

2009-08-18T16:11:00.000-07:00

“Love what you collect, if it's dear to your heart it won't matter if it wins or loses. It's nice to place but you still go home happy with your string. The opinion of others is important and validation of your choices in the form of cards or rosettes is great, but in the end, I don't really care if anyone else likes my models... I do and that's what counts.” - Elfing

Over the course of this blog, you'll read about conformation, fashion, and condition. Myself and others will write about what shows well and why. But should you let this dictate your collection? Absolutely not.

Before I go too far, I want to be clear: I don't see anything wrong with letting a model's potential in the show ring influence your purchases. Money and shelf space are limited, and we can't buy everything we want. Why not consider a model's showing potential among other factors?

I just don't think it should be the only factor.

I enjoy showing original finish models, but it's never driven my collection. If it was, I'd never have managed to procure over 30 Shams. Yeah--you heard me--Sham, the conformationally challenged prancing Arabian.

If I wanted to mold my collection to the dictates of the show ring, I would have sold off the lot of them years ago. As Arabians go, I could do better. PAM has been the gold standard among Breyers since before I entered the hobby and remains extremely popular in the show ring to this day. I own exactly one PAM, but mine's not even a show model. The primary reason I bought her was because I also owned the test for this run, done on a different mold. The test run is on--wait for it--a Sham:

OF judges will tell you, and rightfully so, that Sham isn't a good "breed" horse. His proportions aren't great, his legs are all different lengths, and he doesn't show the detail available in many newer molds. Generally, he isn't even very collectible, as the mold is no longer as popular as he once was. Most Sham collectors have moved on to newer Arabian molds like Huckleberry Bey and the Peter Stone Arabian.

There are exceptions. The guy above has two breed cards along with numerous collectibility cards. He's a nicely painted, but it's mostly my persistence that resulted in NAN cards. Not every judge prefers PAM or Huck and I eventually stumbled onto two of them. I've also bought a handful of very collectible Shams in the last few years that are permanent features in my show string.

But most of Shams haven't earned a rosette, a card, or even a ribbon. Several won't even see the inside of a show ring. And I wouldn't trade a single one for a winning Huck or PAM.

I've known a few showers that would buy models they didn't like if they thought they'd show well. They only rejoiced in a judge's positive opinion, not from the model itself, and they frequently went home unhappy. They bought models for high prices and quickly resold at a loss when the model didn't meet their expectations. I'm not sure if they were aware of this, but these kinds of a showers are frequently ostracized from the social element of showing.

Find a class to fit your model, not a model to fit a class.

NAN Qualifying Shows

2009-08-18T11:16:00.000-07:00

NAN stands for North American Nationals. It is a national show held every year that allow showers to compete against the toughest competition possible.

To get to NAN, each horse a shower enters must earn a NAN card. NAN cards are earned by placing first or second in a class. NAN cards are only available at NAN qualifying shows, which must be approved by NAMHSA (North American Model Horse Showers’ Association,) these shows’ governing body.

When you’re just starting out, NAN cards shouldn’t be a high priority for you. I wouldn’t recommend showing at NAN without at least two years of regular showing under your belt.

The same horse from above winning at NAN:

Choosing Your First Show

2009-08-17T17:45:00.000-07:00

Attending your first show is like going on a first date. You want to pick an environment that will be comfortable for you and give both of you a chance to show yourself in the best light.

When looking for a first show, try to choose a show that is close by. Showing can be stressful (even for veterans!) so removing the added stress of travel may be to your advantage.

Next, try to look for a smaller show. Show size can vary from as few as a handful of showers to over a hundred. Way over in a few cases. A smaller show will end sooner in the day, so this will limit your exhaustion and stress. In addition, the judge will often have more time to allow showers to ask questions.

Fun shows are often an easier start if one is held nearby. With the popularity on NAN qualified shows, they can be hard to find in some areas.

Generally, I recommend new showers avoid “play date” shows their first time out. At a playdate, everyone judges. They are fun, but when everyone is judging you won’t have an opportunity to learn why one horse may place over another.

Mandatory Introductory Post

2009-08-17T17:09:00.000-07:00

We were all new once. Twice, in my case.

I initially started showing in the mid-90s. I was still in my early teens and had barely started customizing. My collection constituted lightly played with regular run Breyers I'd received every Xmas from my folks. I cherished my few 3d place ribbons, having never won a second or first.

I took a break from the hobby for several years, all the while painting for my own enjoyment. When a few of my customs started to sell, I attended one show to get some live feedback on my work.

I was hooked. Showing seemed to have changed completely while I'd been gone and I had to learn the rules all over again. It was a long process, helped along by other showers who were generous with their time and knowledge. I hope this blog will serve the same purpose for another generation of new showers.

I usually show at least once a month, all year long. I regularly attend Breyerfest Live and NAN (North American Nationals.) However, my knowledge of the topic is hardly completely and I'm hoping to include several Guest Writer posts in the near future.