How to Find Horse Shows And Events In Your Area

Horse showing can be an incredible way to spend time with your horse, as you both work towards the goal of winning your chosen show. To be honest, there are a lot of different kinds of shows, and the first step is to figure out what kind of horse shows you want to compete in.

This article assumes that you already know which type of horse shows you want to be involved in, so we won’t spend much time on that. The rest of this article will help you find shows.

Just to manage expectations a bit, some areas of the country or world will have far more equestrian events going on than others.

The first step after knowing what kind of shows you want to attend, is to find like-minded people who are already entrenched in the horse world, and know the goings on in your area. How do you find these like-minded people?

Keep reading.

4-H

As far as I know, every county across the United States has a 4H in one form or another. While they may not all have dedicated horse clubs, I know for a fact that some of them do, because ours does.

The great thing about 4-H is that they have multiple different programs geared to help kids grow in several different areas of expertise. Horse club is just one of the many available. For example, my son has been going to a class about nutrition at the local 4-H.

This is a great place to start, because a lot of the local barn owners try to give back to the community and to cultivate a love for horses. If your local 4-H doesn’t have horse activities, they’re still worth talking to because they may know some people who do.

You can find your local 4-H, here.

Local Horse Clubs

A local horse club is usually one that is run by people with an elected board made up of local, horse-loving citizens. There is usually a place to ride, along with yearly dues, and certain chores or other responsibilities that have to be met.

Clubs like these are run and organized by volunteers.

Not all areas are going to have a local horse club, but many will.

We live less than an hour from Tryon, so there are naturally many different equestrian clubs local to us. This is a horse area that we live in. But a simple search on your favorite engine should hopefully return something for you.

I’d be willing to join a statewide club too, if there are any, just because it may lead you to more opportunities that you weren’t aware of.

If you’re in an area without a local horse club, why not start one yourself? I’m sure you’re not the only barn rat in the area. Who knows, maybe it’ll blossom into something great.

National Horse Breed Association

If you have a horse already, and it is a nationally recognized breed of horse, you could check out that breed’s association and see what they offer.

Some of them have showings for kids and adults. As far as I know, almost all of the major horse breeds, and many of the smaller ones as well, have national associations with local chapters and semi-regular gatherings.

For example, we live in an area where they regularly show paint and quarter horses in their respective associations. The event takes place at the local agricultural center, and we see events there a few times each year.

US Pony Club

Something that I highly recommend to any child who is serious about horses is joining pony club. The growth we’ve seen in our own young equestrian as she gains more knowledge is tremendous.

In addition to all she’s learning from renowned instructors at the local meetings, she’s met new friends who are horse-crazy, and there are both boys and girls who do Pony Club.

They do English (like show jumping and dressage) and Western disciplines, though there may not be a lot of Western stuff going on because this is a relatively new section of the USPC.

Pony Club also puts on local rallies and shows a few times each year, and it’s a good indicator of where you’re at in your ability.

There are US Pony Club chapters located across the country, and if there aren’t any, Pony Club encourages people to help start new ones.

Learn more about Pony Club, here.

Local Barn

Finally, we have local barns. There are local barns, stables, or whatever you care to call them in most areas of the country. Some barns put on their own events and shows, and if not they at least know where to find information on how you can find an event to go to.

A simple search is all you need to do to figure out where a local barn is, and then just give them a call or stop by and introduce yourself.

Conclusion

The key here is to get around like minded people. Get around other people who share the passion for riding and showing horses and find out where they go and what they do. After that, all you’ve got to do is figure out what kind of showing you want to do, based on what is available in your area, and sign up.