Rob Pennington’s
Winning Ways
R
ob Pennington has been involved with horses for nearly 20-years. He started out grooming Standardbreds on the track in Ohio, followed the circuit to Florida and back before settling down in New Jersey. The first Standardbred he showed in hand went National In-Hand Champion, hooking Rob on halter horses. Valiant Lega C is his go to horse, winning many championships at open and breed specific shows. In addition to winning halter classes, Pennington was named 2013 Groom of the Year in the annual competition sponsored by Hanover Shoe Farms and Harness Tracks of America. Getting ready for the show ring starts months ahead of time. First and foremost, I consider my horses daily diet is the most important asset to getting that show ring shine and conditioning. I have tried the cheaper feeds in the past and have found that they just cost me time and more money in the long run. Good feed will have your horse’s coat shinning and dappled without much work. Over the winter months I will let my horses down a bit from their conditioning and work, thus letting them put on a few extra pounds, I like doing this so in the spring I have some weight to work off while getting them fit for the ring.
In my early years, when I just showed halter and showmanship, I kept my horse more on the heavy side, bulky I would say. A horse that is slightly overweight hides some of its imperfections, like a lack of muscling in the neck or hind quarters. You may think it’s the easy way out, but some breeds will not muscle up naturally like others. So, with a Standardbred, I prefer for halter classes (if it is their only discipline) to be slightly more overweight than a performance horse.
Dotting the I’s and crossing the T’s for Showmanship Showmanship is judged on the handler and most judges consider 50% of that work done before you ever get to the ring - grooming, fitting, training and respect of horse and exhibitor. Grooming is a big key for me. I strive 110% to not have a hair out of place when I walk into that ring. At first glance I want to be the one that catches the eye. Preparation in the week before the show. Hoofs - Make sure that your horse’s feet are neatly trimmed. If shod, make sure that the shoes are on tight. Clipping - Generally clip a four finger bridle path, ears inside and out (ears can be left unclipped inside if the horse is an outdoor horse), muzzle, eye lashes, fetlocks and coronet bands. Clipping a week out gives any mistakes some time to grow back in. Mane and Tail - For Western-type halter, I like the mane length around 5 inches. The tail should be squared off as close to the ground as possible. If you have a tail extension showmanship is one of the classes where it is appropriate to use it. A full tail finishes a pretty picture. I choose to use extensions and have them almost touch the ground. To eliminate a mistake on show day, practice backing to insure your horse can back without stepping on it. Tack - My tack is cleaned and stored the week prior to the show. The leather is nice and oiled, all the silver is cleaned and polished.