After the show, you go back to your place in the lineup and wait for the others to finish.

Sometimes, you have an inhand section as well as the ridden. The bigger the show, the more likely you are to have to run out inhand as well as do a ridden show. After you've done your show, the steward will tell you to 'strip' or take the saddle off and get ready to run up inhand. Often in a big class, only the ones the judge likes will strip, and the others will be sent out after doing their show or having the judge ride.

This section is just the same as an inhand class individual show - find out more detail about it on the inhand page.

After every horse has done an individual show and the inhand if it's being done, all riders remount and you go out again and walk round on the right rein. The judge will have a last think and then pull you in again in the final order.

Sometimes all the class is pulled in, sometimes just the top 6, 8 or 10 competitors. If the judge is not pulling in the whole class, the steward will say that everyone else can go, in which case you file out. When the rosettes have been given out, the top 6 do a lap of honour in canter.

The exception to this format is Best Turned Out. Normally, you will only walk round and sometimes trot (not often) and instead of an individual show, you get pulled out one by one from the lineup to be inspected by the judge.

Also, in Family Pony or Handy Pony, you may have to do an obstacle course instead of or as well as an individual show. I've had to walk the horse over a blue tarpaulin, jump a small jump, post a letter, take a carrier bag full of tin cans from a lady under an umbrella, and many more things too, over the years.

Riding Club Horse also normally incorporates a small jump.

Working Hunter classes

In a Working Hunter class, you will have to do a course of rustic fences first. Normally, only the clear rounds will go back in for a ridden section, but this depends on the number of clears and the amount of people in the class altogether. It's also becoming more common to split the ring and do your individual show and inhand runup immediately after your jumping round, with a separate judge in a second section of the ring.

Aim to jump the course at a steady, fluent pace - faster than you'd want to do a showjumping round, but not flat out. Some classes have marks for jumping style as well as just leaving the fences up.

Ringcraft

Entering the ring

When you go into the ring, try to position yourself well. Don't go in behind the horse who's won every class it's entered all season, as you'll highlight any weaknesses yours has in comparison. Also try to go in behind one of a different colour, so you stand out a bit.

Going round with the others

In trot, make sure you're on the right diagonal so your horse doesn't look stiff through corners, and don't cut anyone up. If you're getting crowded, circle away to another part of the ring. Keep an eye on when the judge is looking in your direction, and make sure you're smiling, shoulders back and head up - it does make a difference.

Keep an eye out for the steward's instructions - it doesn't look very good if they are signalling to you to canter and you're in a world of your own! Don't think you need to trot or canter immediately - you can wait for a corner to canter and that's fine.

Being pulled in

When you're being asked to come in for the first time, make sure you keep an eye on the steward. You don't want to miss your placing, and other competitors may pretend they thought they were being pulled in when you were. If you think you've been nodded at and the person behind you zooms in, don't be afraid to ask the steward to clarify. It's bad manners to do this, and if it's noticed it won't be in the interloper's favour.

The individual show

When you do your show, do keep thinking and be prepared to change it. If your horse strikes off early into canter, adapt it, stay in canter and do a longer trot at the end to compensate. Remember the judge doesn't know what you had in mind, so keep your cool if it goes a bit wrong.

In the lineup, keep paying attention. Don't let your horse rest a hindleg, try to keep him stood up well and not falling asleep. Wake him up while the previous competitor is doing their show, so you don't have to drag him out of the lineup while the judge is looking. Practice this at home, as it's common for a horse to be reluctant to come out of the line.

The inhand section

When the steward asks you to run the pony up inhand, have your groom come in to help. the groom should take the saddle off and put it behind the lineup (somewhere where it won't get trodden on), then groom the pony. Get any sweat marks off, comb the mane and tail, clean and mud or dust off the legs, get foam off the bit, all the finishing touches that help to improve the overall picture.

When you've done the inhand, have the groom get the saddle ready to go straight back on and get you on as soon as possible. This is most important if you're near the bottom of the line, so you aren't holding the class up as you get back on.

The final walkround

When you all go out again and walk round, don't give up and just sit there. really ride, get the best walk you possibly can - even if you are at the bottom of the lineup. Judges do sometimes have a real swap round - the top placed horses may have misbehaved in their shows, the judge may have seen things he or she didn't like in the inhand section, or your horse may have given them a super ride. Don't give up until you're out of the ring!

Just as in the first pulling-in, keep a close eye on the steward and come in smartly and quickly when you are called. Nod to acknowledge you've been pulled in, then get into your place in the lineup.