Bsja help!

[jumpthefence]

Ok so i only have two years left on ponies and am currently not jumping BS tracks and am not affiliated. my current pony is amazing bless her but i think i need a step up to start competing whilst i am still on ponies. do you think it is worth going for it and possibly buying a new JC pony while i am still on ponies?
i do not want to sounds 'cocky' but i am a capable rider and i have been told i definitely can jump higher, affiliate, etc with a showjump pony.
i have seen a pony advertised what do you think: 14.1hh and jumps ,currently, 1m tracks but has done fox hunter before. if i know i can jump a course of 1.10plus so should i maybe go for one that jumps discovery and newcomers currently?
sorry it all got very lopng but any help would be very appreciated! thanks xx

 

[spacefaer]

What does your instructor say?

It's very hard to advise on such limited information.

 

[Shay]

It is a very big step up from where you are now to affiliated and many young people who start this relatively late - in BS Ponies terms - find it quite a shock. I've known several loose confidence with affiliated competition ponies - they are not the same!

So - a few thoughts for you. If it helps I'm a mum, my daughter is in her first year off ponies, although we had competed Children on horses too, and has now switched disciplines to event.

What is it you want to do with your BS Pony that you cannot already do with your current one? If you're current pony has no points you can still start at the bottom and work up a bit - you might not get to discovery etc but you can have a lot of fun - and qualify for some very big shows -still at the 70/80cm mark. You could take your current pony to an affilliated show on a day ticket if you want to see what might be possible. But even without affilliating you can qualify for national unaffilliated series through the pony club, riding club, sunshine tour or cricklands if that is what you want. Unaffilliated national series go up to about 1.20 so height isn't an issue.

How much money do you have available to you? It is actually quite difficult to do much in ponies with only one animal. The big shows are very expensive and you will only manage one, perhaps two classes with each animal. If you roll a pole in the first round you have traveled a long way and spent a lot of money for nothing. If you are serious about making something in BS Ponies you need a small string I'm afraid.

On the same point - how much can you spend? If you have a JC with reasonable points and scope to go further those hold their value. I would worry that the pony you describe has broken down. If its done fox, is still a JC and now only jumps 1m then something has happened. Ideally you need that holy grail of something with enough points to have proved itself but still low enough that you can cut your teeth in the restricted classes not the open. Those are rare - and very expensive.

If you go for something which jumps discovery / newcomers now it will have too many points for you to compete in a restricted class. Ring craft and technicality is really important in BS. It isn't just the ability to sit to a higher jump; it is also about how to ride a ring, how to balance and set up the horse etc. In open classes you'll be riding against others who have been doing this for years. You'll have a very disappointing year or so whilst you learn all the technicalities which you would have been introduced to more slowly progressing through restricted classes.

My honest advice - if you have enough money for a small string and access to an experienced BS Ponies instructor then go for it. You have come to this late - most start on the 128s and your age means you must start on the 148s. So you've got a steep learning curve and will need experienced help. I would highly recommend a horse as well as your pony string if you can because the transition from ponies to horses can be a bit jarring. Starting with the children on horses classes helps with that.

If you are limited to just one animal and really determined to try affiliated you might be better off with a horse and competing against adults. The adult circuit is less cut throat and competitive. You will have the time you need to learn the ring craft etc. I hate this current trend (around us anyway) to put young folk up on horses too soon - but the adult circuit is calmer and less competitive.

If you don't already compete with Pony Club perhaps try that first? No age limits - you can compete on a pony at any age. Good instruction. The new grass roots series is great to get you started on your path to national finals. Whether with your current pony or a new one the unaffiliated series also have a lot to offer without the pressure and expense of affiliation. Just because you only have a couple of years left on BS ponies should not be a limit or a pressure. There is more to this than just that!