# Showing Other Animals?



## GoldenSail (Dec 30, 2008)

Does anyone on this forum show other animals besides dogs? With out local fair coming up, it is really interesting to see the different kinds of animals that show and how they do it. Cats, rabbits, horses, goats, cattle, poultry, sheep, pigs....

I though it might be interesting to compare/contrast the showing. For example, I noticed with the horses you are not allowed to touch their feet to stack them (if they even call it stacking), but I am told you can with cattle. With livestock you have to be careful how you walk around them, but with dogs you don't.


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## acquila (Dec 24, 2008)

I don't show anything at all, but in a few years I will be getting and showing nigerian dwarf milking goats, I almost got two this year, had my name on a list and the deposit paid, but my living situation changed, and I no longer had the room but within a few year I will be.


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## GoldenSail (Dec 30, 2008)

Goats? That is awesome! Now, what do you show them for? Breeding? Milking ability? Lol, I'm clueless but interested. I know with sheep/swine/cattle you show 'em for slaughter or breeding.


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## SunGold (Feb 27, 2007)

I used to show sheep in Middle/High School with a good friend of mine, she had quite a few. That's how I got into dogs, my parents weren't to fond of farm animals, so I got a Golden instead!


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## MillysMom (Nov 5, 2008)

I've shown horses my whole life. In my discipline of horse showing you are right, you may not touch their legs/feet while "modeling" (also called standing the horse up). In elementary and middle school I really wanted a lamb and wanted to do the 4-H and fair shows, but wasn't able to get one until high school. I spent years researching and learning all about showing sheep. Sadly my lamb (well, she was a 8 months) was killed by some stray dogs (she thought she was a dog so I'm sure she just ran up to them to play).

My horse showing got me interested in dog showing, and I'm hoping to get my first show pup in the near future.


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## GoldenSail (Dec 30, 2008)

That's awesome! I just love learning the differences between how they show and what is and isn't desirable! BTW, acquila, I have often thought that if I showed something else that it would have to be a goat because they are so funny! (ok, ok, I lied, horse before goat, but ya know...)

MillysMom--what kind of horse shows did you do? Did you do riding events? I got to watch a 4H horse show last week and it was awesome! My favorite are the events that involve cattle: team sorting, breakaway roping, etc. Barrels wasn't as fun for me, but I think maybe that is because these were kids and they weren't very good at it yet (and many of their horses were ranch/cow horses they use at home).

Anyway, watching the horses I couldn't help but notice other similarites beyond the conformation part. I can't help but wonder if some of the dog stuff we do was influenced by it. I mean pole bending/weave poles, stake race/figure 8. And with other disciples, I 'hear' that cat and rabbit agility now exist. Just so interesting to me


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## MillysMom (Nov 5, 2008)

GoldenSail said:


> MillysMom--what kind of horse shows did you do? Did you do riding events? I got to watch a 4H horse show last week and it was awesome! My favorite are the events that involve cattle: team sorting, breakaway roping, etc. Barrels wasn't as fun for me, but I think maybe that is because these were kids and they weren't very good at it yet (and many of their horses were ranch/cow horses they use at home).
> 
> Anyway, watching the horses I couldn't help but notice other similarites beyond the conformation part. I can't help but wonder if some of the dog stuff we do was influenced by it. I mean pole bending/weave poles, stake race/figure 8.


I did the hunters (judged on the horse) where I would jump courses of at least 8 jumps and try to make it look beautiful and graceful, while it is judged on the horse if the rider makes any mistakes (asks the horse to take off for a jump at the wrong spot, etc) you will be penalized. The hunters also entailed a class of no jumping (walk, trot, canter) where the movement and way of going of the horse was judged and a class where you led the horse (no saddle - only bridle) and conformation was judged... like in dogs they would ask you to jog your horse so the judge could see movement and soundness. I also did the equitation which was just like the hunters but judged on the rider's ability/beauty/grace - again, you had to ride well enough to execute a beautiful round, but here the horse's jumping ability and movement were not judged. I occasionally did the jumpers where you jump a course of fences and your round is timed - if you knock down jumps or have refusals you get faults - that was a great break from the stress and subjectivity of the hunters! 

Before I became very involved in showing I did 4-H where I really got to experiment with other disciplines and tried barrel racing, pole bending, dressage, and trail classes - that was a blast, but I did it on my hunter pony so we weren't very good. Watching the top western horses do things like calf roping, pole bending, barrel racing, team roping, etc. is amazing! 

I also did fox hunting. When I got to a certain level I had to become focused on one thing and focused on the hunters/equitation/jumpers. I loved every minute of it, but so much time, blood, sweat and tears went into it.


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## Ljilly28 (Jan 22, 2008)

I grew up showing morgan horses. You teach them as youngsters to "set up" at the cue of a touch to the shoulder. That is what you do in the conformation ring, and then you ask them to stretch forward to show off necks and toplines. . .


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## MillysMom (Nov 5, 2008)

Ljilly28 said:


> I grew up showing morgan horses. You teach them as youngsters to "set up" at the cue of a touch to the shoulder. That is what you do in the conformation ring, and then you ask them to stretch forward to show off necks and toplines. . .


I wish I could have taught my guys to stand up with just a touch of the shoulder! I'm green with envy!!! I could get them to stand up beautifully, but I really had to ask for it by using the reins, clucking, etc. It was quite a bit of active work! Stretching their necks to show off neck/topline was always a challenge for my guy... stretch too far and he would look like he was standing over his knees, not enough and he looked like he had a short neck, and all while not letting him move those front feet. 

I've ridden two Morgan horses - one was being trained to be a hunter or eventer, but the other was a bomb proof show horse that did carriage classes and some riding classes (I don't know anything about showing them under saddle). That horse was amazing! Because of his carriage work he was totally voice command trained, and once I figured out what buttons to push he was a blast. Apparently he had won a lot and was from great bloodlines. I was lucky enough to get to ride him to keep him in shape for his owner who did carriage shows with him.


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## Ash (Sep 11, 2007)

I used to show Arab and Tennessee Walking horses. Like Jill's Morgans TWH had to "park" pull their fronts out and my boy will do it when you say the word. I never showed the Arabs in halter but did in Western Pleasure. It was a lot of work probably more work then the dogs are but they were fun.


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## esSJay (Apr 13, 2009)

My best friend in middle school lived on a farm and showed cattle (which they sold for slaughtering I think). I thought it was the weirdest thing back then... actually I still do. But it's definitely interesting!


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## GoldenSail (Dec 30, 2008)

esSJay said:


> My best friend in middle school lived on a farm and showed cattle (which they sold for slaughtering I think). I thought it was the weirdest thing back then... actually I still do. But it's definitely interesting!


Yeah, one of the more interesting ones I watched at the fair was the pig show. Now how, you might wonder, do you show a pig? You certainly don't put a lead on them, run them around a ring and stack. The have a big pen that all of the pigs are brought into. The handlers each had a stick and spray bottle. The bottle was used to keep the pick hydrated, while the stick was used to control them. Literally, they hit them (not hard) on the shoulders to move them around the ring. The handlers kept their free arm held against their back and try not to get between the judge and pig. There were boys in the ring with pig boards that are used when necessary to move pigs or break up fights--and there were a lot of fights! The pigs had lots of red cuts on them from the sticks and fights they got into...

...and on another interesting note I discovered that goat people use dog collars! As in, choke collars, pinch collars, flat collars, leashes! From what I saw, they are not shown on a lead but with a dog choke collar and leash! I was a bit surprised to see that many goats had choke chains and pinch collars left on them when alone in their pens. I would think that dangerous. Also interesting, apparently dairy goats are supposed to look like they are half-starved because it makes the milk richer...


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## aggirl99 (Sep 28, 2009)

i showed cattle, sheep and pigs and goats since 4th grade and with cattle you use a show stick and your foot i also showed goats and they were like dogs and they were easier to showand with sheep u show by just holding their heads and pigs u show them with cane or a stick they are allhard work now since i am out of high school i now show goldens


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## Ash (Sep 11, 2007)

I always thought it was kind of strange showing cattle. Ecspecially, in 4-H. The kids will feed the cows special ration (not just grain and take off grass, its a mix they sell here), take them to shows, take them to practice with other members in the club, parades, and at the end of the year show them at the 4-H finals. Shave them down so they look nice...... and after all that sell for butchering. I will say though 4-H beef is some of the best around. Just seemed like A LOT of effort to put in then kill it and sell for meat.


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## GoldenSail (Dec 30, 2008)

Ash said:


> I always thought it was kind of strange showing cattle. Ecspecially, in 4-H. The kids will feed the cows special ration (not just grain and take off grass, its a mix they sell here), take them to shows, take them to practice with other members in the club, parades, and at the end of the year show them at the 4-H finals. Shave them down so they look nice...... and after all that sell for butchering. I will say though 4-H beef is some of the best around. Just seemed like A LOT of effort to put in then kill it and sell for meat.


I know with our 4H program that your pigs/sheep/cattle were all hard work for the kids and if the animals were sold at market value it was a loss of work and money. However, it can be really competitive and the animals were bid to local buyers. Wanting to support the youth the businesses would compete with each over and really jack-up the prices of the animals. On good years the kids would get HUGE paybacks that they could use as scholarship money.


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