bits for working hunter pony

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footballerswife

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hi everyone - we bought a really nice pony last year - i call him my ebay pony because we just bought him over the phone and internet, he was miles away!! - anyway he is a really nice pony, just won the combined dressage and sj at pc and everyone says "you must do the nursery stakes with him". we are really novicey but i think he could do well at it, he is a little dapple grey cobby connemara x, 12.3 hands, who always works in an outline, a real showman and he jumps like a ja. and everyone seems to like him. the only thing is he came to us in a tom thumb with grackle for jumping and a snaffle and cavesson for flat work. and these bits work fine. can you change bits in whp? last year we entered a family pony class at a show while we were waiting to jump in another class - we were bored - and the judge said he would have won but got marked down for the bit. i would be very grateful for any help. btw my daughter is 10 what should she wear!xx
 
Daughter should wear:

canary jods, yellow shirt, tie, green tweed jacket and black/brown jod boots (with jod clips makes it neater). Blue velvet hat and brown gloves and cane.

No you cant change the bit between the jumping and flatwork class....

Does he not jump well in just a snaffle? OR you can jump in the tom thumb and do the flatwork in it and you don't get marked down for it, depending on how he goes in it.......

Or what about maybe using a pelham with D rings and a single rein (so its easier for her) and looks less dramatic than a tom thumb and is a proper show bit (unless she can ride with two reins?!)

You can wear boots in jumping and remove them for flat........ but I dont think you can wear a martingale........

hope this helps! he sounds a little star!!
 
aw thank you for the advice - he is a little star - we love him to bits, he is quite an eye catching little person and people are always asking about him, i always say he is connemara x labrador!! as soon as he came i tried him in gentler bits for jumping and he turned into a tank! but in the snaffle for dressage outstanding! we're not like hoys people but tash would like to take him to a local county show for nursery stakes and we dont want to look like fools!!!
 
in which case id say try him in a pelham and D rings at home (as I say it is a more show "correct" bit, although in theory it doesnt matter in WH classes in theory.....)

Should be fine if you tick all other boxes! :)
and take lots of pictures for us all to oo and ahh over! :)
 
ok that sounds good *repeats to self, D ring pelham* - i have about a million pix of him, the photogs always say you cant take a bad picture of him. i will try to load one but i might need the older teenage brother for these dark arts!!!
 
Indeed, any bit shall be fine, but try a pelham and if he takes to it, use that as it is more for 'show' for WHP! It shouldnt matter which noseband. If your daughter has good hands and can ride in double reins then they look good, but if in doubt use roundoings. When I was doing WHP I used to ride in double reins and so I'm probably biased but I think it looks very smart! Remember a saddle coloured numnah and to round the corners off of your number etc. Oh, another tip is to (instead of using the cheap string they give you at shows) take a piece of elastic and fasten it so it has two little loops on the end and then pop those around the buttons on the jacket as this looks v.posh too!!

Sounds like you've got a cracking little pony... oh what I would give to turn back the 11 years and be a 10 yr old pony clubber/ WHP rider again.... fun times!
 
thanks so much for your ideas, i will give it all a try. tash has the best hands of anyone ive ever seen but charlie gets a bit worried when new things happen!! as i said he is a bit of an unknown quantity. but like you i would have killed for a pony like him when i was a child! my parents were a combination of poor and not interested so all i got to ride were the ponies being sold for meat!
 
Any bit is fine, but judges do like to see nursery stales ponies in simple bits cos they're meant to look very safe & gentle etc. But he would be fine in a 13hh whp class in a tom thumb!
 
thanks for all that - and i did guess you meant roundings! idoshowing, that is so interesting as someone else said tom thumbs were fine but i see what you mean about the height of the class. how lucky he is 12.3 -i always thought what an odd height but whp seems to be in different heights for the classes from bsja. as i said we are novice fools!
 
hey i managed to put some pix of him in my "album" - goodness knows how you access these - anyway this is when they won the combined dressage sj at pc this easter. oh i forgot to say he looks exactly like a moomin - remember them!
 
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