On January 7th, 10 people braved the elements and packed into my tiny farm house. It was an unofficial Toronto Plastic Pony Club event that drew everyone in, specifically to learn about judging model horses at a show. Myself and Neena hosted the event and were hoping to gather some fresh warm bodies for the big shows coming up in our region. It was held at my place (in the middle of nowhere) due to foal watch... not that anything happened regarding that.
We are a very small pool of people here in Ontario, and we lack the huge numbers like in the U.S. so it is very important that we bring in as many people as possible. I can probably count on one hand how many qualified show judges we have at the moment (and thats partially because a few have moved internationally). Our show scene is flourishing and more shows are being added to accommodate the huge demand... but judges are scarce and its the same people every time. With our next show in mid March and another in April following suit, it was crucial that we teach others the way of the judge.
People who don't show sort of assume that real horses and model horses walk hoof in hoof when it comes to judging. "Obviously if the horse is correct and looks like what it says on the tag, they will be the winner." This is not entirely true though.
The biggest difference between the two worlds is that model horses aren't alive.
Just because they are a popular mold doesn't mean that they are anatomically correct. Just because a GG Valentine Breyer comes in a spotted blanket blue roan (like Hera) doesn't automatically make her an Appaloosa. So what is it about model horses that you do differently?
The key is to not only look at models from an equestrians perspective but also an artists. Models who aren't alive are probably wonky in some way, shape, or form and it is up to the judge to notice this and to make the decision if it can be accepted. Let me explain.
Model horse judging is divided into the ABC's. Anatomy, Biomechanics, and Conformation.
Model horses are sculpted by human hands. Unless you are Leonardo De Vinci, it is extremely difficult to sculpt a true to life model. The sculpter has to understand the horse inside and out... bones, muscles, ligaments, tendons... the list goes on. The anatomy of a horse is complex and if you have a keen eye (or really just a shallow understanding of what a horse looks like) you can probably spot some very odd model horse anatomy. To add to this point, factory made horses usually end up with molding flaws just because of materials, moulding technique, and a variety of other factors.
This anatomy, if this horse was alive, would still have to move around. When you see a model in an action pose, could a real horse do that? Is that what their structure looks like under all the fur, muscle, and fat? Not that model horses are going to be moving but, is it accurate?
Conformation is personally my favourite part. I lead a presentation on this and we discussed the difference between good and bad conformation, what certain breeds allow, and how you can maximize your models potential in the show ring. Though here in North America, we don't weigh conformation as heavily as Anatomy and Biomechanics, it play's a heavy part in the U.K. show scene. Type rules all and if it looks like a Welsh section D and it acts like a Welsh section D, it probably is a Welsh section D... it doesn't matter as much that the anatomy and biomechanics are not very accurate.
All in all the clinic was a success and we stuffed ourselves with pizza. Apart from our endless Powerpoints, we also held a mock show to discuss peoples opinions on why they thought that certain models should win above others. Just because its an older model, doesn't mean that it cant be competitive, and just because its hot off the press and popular doesn't mean that that is what a horse is supposed to look like.
It was a really fun day and we hope that we inspired some new judges to make their debut this spring!
Here is the Facebook link to the TPPC where you can find our powerpoints:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1418535405110784/?hc_ref=ARRNXPNSIaBsFkjDBSd_V8YTes_djhELRnBVUjpAIo1MorjuOiaD74RYRpBYnoG6efY
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