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Set your horse or pony up for in-hand showing success by mastering these 8 key skills

In-hand classes are the ideal preparation for future competition horses to gain experience in the ring, as well as a chance to show off home-bred young stock for breeders. We ask top in-hand producers for their expert advice on preparing your prospect for the ring, in this exclusive series for Horse & Hound subscribers on training different types of show horse
Alex Robinson Alex Robinson

    • Showing a horse or pony in-hand can have a multitude of benefits. Training for in-hand showing classes sets them up for the experience of competing in the ring. This prepares younger animals for the atmosphere of a show before they foray into ridden ranks, but it also provides a shop window for breeders to promote their home-bred stock to the public. A few in-hand outings can give a horse valuable life experience, and if they are successful, a strong in-hand CV can increase their price and marketability significantly.

    There are in-hand showing opportunities for nearly all breeds and types of horses and ponies. In-hand classes are usually divided into categories depending on breed, age, type and class.

    In-hand pony champion

    In-hand classes are divided according to breed, age, type and class. Here, a Welsh Section B takes the M&M title. Credit: Grossick Photography

    The most prestigious in-hand showing championship in the UK is the in-hand supreme final at the Horse of the Year Show (HOYS). Currently, the final is sponsored by The Price Family, so it’s fondly known on the circuit as “The Price”. To qualify for The Price, animals must win their class and section championship at a specific show. The section champions then go head-to-head in a qualifier, with the champion going through to the final at HOYS.

    In an in-hand class, the judge assesses the animal’s conformation, type and movement. Manners are important, though how much a judge takes this aspect into account is personal. A top animal should not lose out to one of lesser quality, though ensuring you have put the training in at home will prevent your animal from losing out to an inferior one that has been better prepared.

    Setting firm foundations will get your in-hand prospect looking, feeling and moving as well as they possibly can will ensure you present the best package in the ring during the summer show season.

    An in-hand champion

    Quality is paramount when it comes to in-hand classes, but manners and meticulous preparation play their part. Credit: Steve Dawe

    Training for in-hand showing classes

    H&H speaks to two of the showing world’s most established in-hand producers to find out how you can prepare your in-hand exhibit for the up-coming season.

    Simon Charlesworth is one of the country’s most in-demand in-hand producers who has enjoyed success with various types and breeds of show animals. He has won the HOYS in-hand supreme final three times during his career so far, his most recent victory coming in 2023 leading Angela Smith’s Tremarl Timber. He is also a HOYS and Royal International Horse Show (RIHS) ridden champion, standing supreme horse in Birmingham in 2012 aboard Sarah Carey’s Pearly King.

    John Cutts is a showing professional who has produced multiple HOYS finalists and he’s known for his success in in-hand ranks. John has appeared in the HOYS in-hand supreme final on multiple occasions. He is known for his consistency showing coloured horses and ponies and he’s won the in-hand supreme at the CHAPS championships several times. In 2024, he finished third in the HOYS in-hand supreme final handling Caroline Hamilton’s coloured stallion Lostock Candyman.

    Lostock Up the Funk, with John Cutts, an expert trainer for in-hand showing classes

    John Cutts is renowned for his success with coloured horses, and has won the CHAPS in-hand championship several times. Credit: Steve Dawe

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    Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2025 with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

    Alex Robinson
    Alex Robinson

    Freelance equestrian journalist
    Born and raised in the Lake District, Alex has grown up on the showing scene. She has qualified and competed ponies at the Royal International, Horse of the Year Show and Olympia and has first-hand knowledge of the current issues in the showing world as well as the horses, ponies and riders who compete in the sport. Alex joined H&H in January 2018 as showing editor, cementing its place as the leading equestrian publication for both showing reports and current showing news in the UK. She moved on in October 2024 to pursue other opportunities, but continues to write for us on a freelance basis.
    Alex Robinson

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