Cedarhill Farm - Horse Shows

Horse Showing 101

Congratulations! You’re going to a horse show! The challenge of testing the horsemanship skills you have learned against the skills of other competitors can be very rewarding. Here are a few suggestions to help you get started:

The First Step- Watch the bulletin board in the upper barn for a listing of upcoming horse shows. Talk to your parents and to your instructor about your desire to participate. Choose a show to fit your family’s schedule and budget (see below). Attending a show (even one held here at Cedarhill Farm) is a big commitment. Add your name to the list of the show you wish to attend. Download a helpful list to your right which we provide to help you remember all these details!

The Second Step- Talk to your instructor about which horses would be a good fit for your showing needs. You may select your favorite three mounts on the schooling horse sign- up sheet. We will do our best to assign you one of your choices. Students who half-lease are guaranteed to ride their own horses. Your horse assignment will be posted one week before the horse show. We will have you lesson on your show horse the week prior to the competition.

The Third Step- Talk to your instructor about the proper attire to wear to the competition. You will be responsible for looking your very best as you enter the show arena. You also will be responsible for the care and grooming of your horse.

The Fourth Step- The day before the show, you will “school” your horse with your coach. Your coach may or may not be your regular instructor. This is a chance to practice your learned skills and get comfortable with what the competition will be like.

The Fifth Step - The day of the show, you will have your horse bathed and clipped, your tack cleaned and conditioned, and yourself dressed and ready at the designated time. Remember to be patient. Horse shows often require you to wait many hours before it is your turn to compete. Your coach may be busy helping many other students, so sit back and enjoy watching the competition before and after you compete. You will learn a lot!

The Big Step- Understanding the costs involved in showing is a large part of your commitment. The use of a Cedarhill school horse at an away show is $75 per day for Outside school horses, $150./day for Inside school horses (This is free at our home show). Gail Earle provides our clipping and trimming service for approximately $30 (If you share a Cedarhill schooling horse at one of our shows, you can share the clipping fee with the other rider). The “schooling” fee the day prior to the show is $60 and the coaching fee the day of the show is $65 each. If we trailer your horse to an away show, the cost is $1.50 per mile or a $25. minimum. Entry fees typically run around $15 per class. Some shows have extra charges add-ons such as stalls for overnight stays and other minimal charges for services provided.

The Next Step - Invite your entire family to share this experience with you! Competing is a wonderful confidence builder and it’s fun to have people who love you cheer you on! Mark your calendar. We will see you at the horse show!

Show Rates

Coaching at shows: $65/ day.
Day care at shows: $75/day full-care; $40/day for partial care.

Set up fee at shows: $30 per show if you ship in yourself. Included in full-day care fees if you ship with the barn.

Partial care at the show includes:

• Packing all equipment required at the show: trunks, hay, grain, tack room set-up, etc., as well as your horse.

• Helping riders with their responsibilities: feeding, watering, cleaning the stall, medicating, washing, unbraiding, wrapping, packing their feet, grazing, hand-walking, lunging, hacking, poulticing, etc.

Full day care at the show includes:

• Everything listed under partial care.

• Tranfers the responsibility from rider to Cedarhill and their staff.

(This service is offered only to those who are not present to be involved themselves. It is our belief that we are creating educated, responsible and experienced horsemen when they are involved in both the riding and care of their animals.)

Daily Lease Rates

This is charged to our riders wishing to lease one of our horses or ponies to show or ride off the premesis. There is no charge to our riders to ride our horses at Cedarhill Farm.

For Inside Horses and Ponies (kept in a stall at Cedarhill): $150/ day
For Outside Horses and Ponies (kept outside at Cedarhill): $75/ day

Please note that it is far more economical for our Cedarhill riders to make the commitment to own, full, or half lease their mount if they are showing on a regular basis, not to mention that it is better for the rider to be practicing on the same mount as well. Look into the leasing option on the lease/sale page of this website to get started...