Advice please showing people

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Jennypenny

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I have a rising 4 welsh x TB 14h1 pony. I want to do some ridden classes with him this year. Do you think he would be ok as a hunter pony? What is the difference between hunter pony and show Hunter pony? We did some in hand classes last season as a 3yr old and he did well. Any showing advise would be great. Thanks
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Working hunter you have to jump a course of rustic jumps. Height will depend on the show.
Show hunter is just showing, no jumping.

I think he would do well in both classes.
 
He is not jumping yet. Hope to do working hunter when he is older and is jumping. I mean ridden hunter pony? What is the difference between ridden hunter pony and ridden show hunter pony. What do you think in general he would be in any respect to showing? I am new to showing and not sure what i should be entering him in.
 
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He'd make a nice worker - my only advice is do not fatten him up any. Build his muscle tone through exercise and work on his correctness of going. If anyone says he needs more condition, report them!

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In fact he could do with being no heavier than he is now, but redistributed. No doubt some work this spring will sort that out.
 
agreed he would make a nice WHP. I dont think there is much difference but i think perhaps HP is a tad more sturdy and one that perhaps has actually seen a jump before whereas the SHP is a bit more showy- as in pristine, a bit slighter, but i dont really think there is a difference just i do SHP and ellie is a bit more girly if you know
what i mean lol.....
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There is no difference between the two. Some shows word their schedules slightly differently, that's all. He looks a good sort, and, as brighteyes says, don't let him get any fatter, but concentrate on building up muscle, esp. on his quarters and across his loins.

Try long-reining him to get his head to drop, naturally, and so reduce the muscle under his neck. Feed on the floor and don't allow him to peer over his stable door if it is a bit high for him, which is inclined to develop muscle in the wrong place, underneath.

Hunter ponies do not have to be 'pointy-toe' but do have to have good straight movement, esp. from behind. They should have more 'bone' below the knee, unlike some of these fattened riding ponies with spindly legs which appear in hunter pony classes!!!

Hopefully he will grow just a bit more as the classes are graded up to 14hh and up to 15 hh. If entering affiliated classes you will probably have to get an annual height certificate, but I'm not too sure about this. You may ride him in a snaffle as a novice 4 yr old, but once out of novices you will probably need to get him going nicely in a double or Rugby pelham.

Very best of luck!!!

Long-rein, long-rein and more long-reining!!!! It gets you fit as well!!!
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He'd make a nice worker - my only advice is do not fatten him up any. Build his muscle tone through exercise and work on his correctness of going. If anyone says he needs more condition, report them!

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In fact he could do with being no heavier than he is now, but redistributed. No doubt some work this spring will sort that out.

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1 I totally agree: no horse should ever be 'fattened for showing just toned.

2 But: how can you say he'd make a good worker when you haven't seen him jump?

He does look a lovely hunter type, and as long as he is schooled well would do very well in a show hunter class. But please don't fatten him, put the time in and really tone him up. And yes if he jumps well do the working hunter thing. But a word of warning,: my mate had a far better shower than i did. My mare freaked out in the showing cause there were jumps ther and she wanted to jump. But my friends horse refused a jump and mine didn't, I was placed above her. If yours will jump anything, show well and keep his head in a show ring when there are jumps in there, then from the looks of him he should do very well in both classes.
 
Thanks everyone for the advice, its very kind of you to help me. Just to say I have no intention of fattening my pony up. He is a good doer and I have to be careful with him. There is no way I will let him get fat. He does have a bit more growing and developing to do. And hopefully with schooling and the right groundwork and fitness etc he will tone up in the right places. I am have lessons on him regulary to insure is being brought on and schooled correctly. Advice and anymore advice very welcome and appricated
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Try to keep him in the 14 hh classes.

Obviously there is a difference between show hunter classes and working hunter classes as has been explained.

A quality show hunter pony will fair better in the working hunter classes on the conformation marks. It is at the end of the day a showing class although the pony will need to be able to jump fluently.
 
Gosh - what a range of advice! As explained, show hunter and hunter pony are the same class. If you are doing local level unaffiliated classes, then the wording could be either. The height will be split depending on the schedule and could be different for each show.

If you are doing BSPS or PUK classes, then the class will be show hunter pony and the heights will be 13hh, 14hh, 15hh and you will need a height certificate depending on the the class requirements.

You will often see slightly finer types in the workers, but the more solid types are technically more correct, although jumping clear is the most important thing.

It all boils down to what level you want to show at. A lot of good advice re weight. If you are going affiliated, you will need to pull and trim his tail, and reduce the number of plaits - also try to stop them from poking up in the air as it will make his neck look a slightly odd shape!
 
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