Competition Horses on Holiday (well show horses, anyway!)

[FMM]

Grey horse (nearly grey!) is The Philanderer - HOYS Supreme Horse of the Year and Champion Riding Horse.

The chestnut bottom on the right with the sticky up tail is Promises Kept - 2nd in the small riding horse at HOYS this year.

Then below (also on his hols)
THe Humdinger - Champion Coloured at HOYS and RIHS this year

Shock horror - they have all been living out 24/7 (rugless) since the end of October - will be coming in mid January to start work again.

 

[LEC]

Do you think the Philanderer would like to be an eventer when he has got bored of being a show pony?

I think the one of your HW cob was the most interesting which you posted a while ago as he looked like the most common thing in the world with his hairy chin and heels!

 

[BuzzLightyear]

I do love Dinger!

they look like they are enjoying their hols!

 

[Baydale]

Oh my god, that is so cruel; I mean look at them, miserable as sin

and fading away from living out with no rugs on.

Who's the ickle one hiding behind TP?

I swear if I hogged my 4yo, Jupiter aka the Fuzzy Felt Pony, he'd not only make Humdinger look anorexic but do a half-decent impression of a cob.

 

[FMM]

[ QUOTE ]
Do you think the Philanderer would like to be an eventer when he has got bored of being a show pony?


[/ QUOTE ]

Oooh - I think you would find Phil's, erm, jumping quite interesting cross country. You would be far better off with Dinger who is immensely talented over a fence and would probalby enjoy it more as well!!!

 

[ajf]

Wow, its surprising whats hiding in some fields!

 

[FMM]

[ QUOTE ]
Oh my god, that is so cruel; I mean look at them, miserable as sin

and fading away from living out with no rugs on.

Who's the ickle one hiding behind TP?

I swear if I hogged my 4yo, Jupiter aka the Fuzzy Felt Pony, he'd not only make Humdinger look anorexic but do a half-decent impression of a cob.

[/ QUOTE ]

Hog away!!!! The world can never have too many cobs ...

The little one hiding behind is Champagne Charlie - large riding horse who came out as a 4 year old novice last year. I think he won most of his novice classes - will be coming out in open classes this season.

 

[TheMule]

Great pictures- nice to see real horses in real things being as horses should be!

 

[dieseldog]

I love the pics of your horses in the field

Could you post on here a pic of them in showing condition? I want to show it to my OH

 

[SpottedCat]

That's such a fab set of pics, I do like it when you show them roughed off like this.

 

[FMM]

Of course! Pretty pictures below!

 

[Gamebird]

Absolutely love it. They're the polar opposite of our hunters - shaggy and mustachioed in summer, clipped and trimmed and pulled to within an inch of their lives in winter.

Though how you dare turn them out without heavyweight full neck rugs....

 

[meardsall_millie]

Absolutely fantastic FMM.

Just showed my OH and he refuses to believe they are the same horses... I think the word 'dobbin' may have been uttered when he saw the first pic of The Philanderer in the field

Soon ate his words when he saw the HOYS pic!!

 

[dieseldog]

My OH said Bloody Hell

 

[only_me]

LOVE it!!

aww they look so happy

Will you please send the piccys into HH? I think it would be a fantastic article!

 

[RatzFatz]

Hi

Such fab pics, l so love your horses and these pics have made me love them more. Roll on 2010 so we can see them in their splendor.

Please ask H & H to do article on this as we all molicodle our neds too much!!!!!

 

[Chumsmum]

Amazing, great photos

 

[clairencappelli]

Good on you all i say!

Isnt it fantastic to see horses looking so well living like this esp in these tempretures.

I am just in awe of how fantasic they look doing their job in the ring. I got into local showing in the last year or two and am hoping to show my new horse this year so your an inspiration to me.

Really good to see, makes me feel less guilty about just having one heavyweight run on my youngster last night in such cold tempretures hehe.

 

[FrodoBeutlin]

Fantastic photos, well done!

 

[superpony]

OMG! Brilliant photos.

 

[Foxford]

Nice holiday snaps!! I bet they are enjoying their well-earned time off.

 

[FMM]

They are definitely enjoying the break. Mind you, Dinger is one of those horses which enjoys everything - oh look, the sky, how lovely, a bath - marvellous, hacking out - how splendid ... everything to him is just the best thing that has ever happened to him!!!

 

[moogrrr]

Those pics are amazing!!!

 

[Mickyjoe]

Fantastic pics. They look like they are loving their well deserved rest. What lucky boys.
Anyone who thinks show horses are mollycoddled and permanently fused over and should look at those pics of happy chilled out horses.

Mind you, I can't help thinking it a bit unfair that it looks like I will still have lot more depilating than you guys to do before the show season, despite nearly all of my lot now wearing double rugs.

 

[volatis]

our show ponies are just ending their winter holidays now, and coming in, but they have been rugged for the last month.

I think Dinger sounds heavenley, he should come and live with me!

 

[FigJam]

Aw, what a great photo of Phil, you would never pick him out as the same horse in the other photo! Lovely to see someone who is happy for their show horses to be horses on their holidays, almost all the folk I know who show barely turn them out and have them rugged up to the eyeballs, all year round.

 

[FMM]

To be honest, all our horses get lots of turn out in the summer as well - and they are all hacked out regularly - Windsor Park if they need a pipe opener or just on the roads. There is no way horses can behave and enjoy showing if they don't get to enjoy themselves doing other activities as well. All of ours jump and several of them also go hunting.

 

[FigJam]

Big thumbs up! Is there a showing specific magazine you can put an article in to prove to others that this can be done?! Shows that you can still let your horses live like horses AND be consistently successful at the top level, really good to see.

 

[LittleSoph]

I love this post!!! Where are all those people that posted a short while ago stating that all show horses were abused and kept in 24/7/365????

I do love Dinger and I love your description of him loving everything, lol,

And I do believe I took that HOYS head shot!

I'm very proud of that little claim to fame!

Lol.

 

[FMM]

You certainly did take that head shot LS - and it is my favourite picture of him! Fantastic photo!