Your horse is fit, your lessons have been right on point and your confidence level is high as you trot into the show ring. But did you forget something? Could that be dust on your boots? Is your saddle pad less than pristine? What about the gunk on your horse’s bit?
Turnout—the way you and your horse look—may be the last thing you consider, but overlooking it is a mistake. “Turnout is what gives you the edge to be a winner. It’s about attention to detail,” says Carol “Hoffy” Hoffman, a U.S. Equestrian Federation R hunter and hunter seat equitation judge who also is a successful hunter exhibitor. “When I’m judging, I get an initial impression of the way the horse and rider are turned out, their attention to detail.…
