Showing is where many pony families have their happiest days out — a chance to turn your pony out beautifully, learn from watching others, and, now and then, come home with a rosette. It can also look intimidating from the outside, all plaits and unwritten rules. It needn't be. Here is a friendly guide to starting out in showing without the nerves.
Start local, start small
Your first show should be a small, friendly, local one — a riding-club show, a Pony Club rally show or a local agricultural show. These are welcoming, inexpensive and forgiving, and everyone there remembers being a beginner. Go and watch a show or two first if you can, so the format feels familiar. Treat that first outing as a fun day out to learn the ropes, not a competition to win.
Understanding the classes
Shows are divided into classes, and the trick is entering the right one for your pony and rider:
- Lead-rein — the youngest riders on a small pony, led throughout. A classic first class for a tiny lead-rein pony.
- First-ridden — the next step, off the lead rein, for young children on a sensible pony.
- In-hand / breed classes — the pony is shown from the ground, judged on type and conformation; a lovely way to show a native breed.
- Ridden showing and family/working hunter pony classes — for ponies going nicely under saddle, sometimes over small fences.
- Fun and novelty classes — best turned out, handiest pony, fancy dress — perfect low-pressure fun for beginners.
Read the schedule carefully, enter early if you can, and do not be afraid to ask the secretary which class suits you — they are used to helping newcomers.
What the judge is looking for
It varies by class, but broadly a judge rewards a pony that is the right type for its class, well-schooled and well-mannered, going forward calmly and obediently, and beautifully turned out — with a tidy, effective rider who is clearly enjoying it. In children's ridden classes especially, manners and a genuine, safe way of going count for a great deal — a well-behaved pony that gives a child a lovely ride will often beat a flashier one that misbehaves.
Turnout: looking the part
Turnout matters, but it does not need to be expensive. Aim for:
- A clean, well-groomed pony, often plaited for ridden and some in-hand classes (a skill worth practising at home first).
- Clean, correctly fitting tack — see our tack and kit guide.
- For the child: a correctly fitted riding hat to current standard, tidy jodhpurs, boots, and a show jacket or the turnout appropriate to the class.
Neat, safe and clean beats new and expensive every time at grassroots level. Do not feel you must spend a fortune to take part.
On the day: enjoying it
Arrive in good time, walk the pony round to settle it, and watch a class before yours to see how the ring works. In the ring, give yourself space, keep your pony going nicely, and smile. If it goes well, wonderful; if it doesn't, you have still had a valuable, fun day out and learned something for next time. The families who enjoy showing longest are the ones who keep it light.
Choosing a pony with showing in mind
Native breeds are shown widely, in-hand and ridden, and many make ideal first show ponies — a Welsh Section A or a Dartmoor is a classic lead-rein and first-ridden type, while a Welsh Section B suits ridden show classes as a child progresses. But remember: a sensible temperament that keeps your child safe and confident matters far more than show-ring flash. Browse ponies suited to showing on Pony Search.
Next steps
- Get the turnout right: tack and kit for a first pony.
- Find the right type: our best breeds for a first pony guide and the breed profiles.
- Browse show ponies for sale and lead-rein ponies.
Start local, enter the right class, turn out tidily and keep it fun — and showing will give your family some of its best days in the pony world. If your child rides with the Pony Club, showing fits neatly alongside the tests and levels and the fun of camp.