Dainty/showy horses as competition horses

[EllieandGeorge]

Im going to view a horse at some point this week, its a 148 show pony type but is very fine and showy, although has been showjumping and done well. Having had welsh cobs since i came of my first 12hand pony, Im very hesitant! Im only wanting to do unaff sj/hunter trials and possibly a bit of hunting but worrying about the possibility of injuries and the high maintenance of showing types. Am I just being silly?

 

[Jezzerbell]

I had a 148 show hunter pony (Arab/TB/welsh) who did a it of everything including hunting regular throughout the season often hacking to and from the meet. Was very accident prone in the sense that he had a very tuned flight response but was very rarely sick or sorry and was an absolute gem to hunt at the front all day

 

[humblepie]

I had a 14.2 who was part TB, part Arab, part Welsh and very fine. If I had known what I know now I think he would have been a superb intermediate show riding type or small hack. He hunted with his owners before me then did everything with me. He was actually destined for the polo field before I bought him but was too fine for the weight of his owner.

 

[minesadouble]

I'd be less worried about the pony's physical capabilities and more about it's mental ones!! RPs are tremendous athletes but do tend to be a bit sharp. Some RP stallions are known to pass on this trait more than others.

When I was a kid I had a 14.2 RP mare by Twylands Troubadour who was stunning and would gallop and jump all day but was the buzziest thing I've ever ridden in my life - including breakers and ex-racers!! I'm not saying they're all like that because they're not but Troubadour was one of the stallions who was known to produce very highly strung stock.

I would go and try - you don't know till you see it how suitable it may be.

 

[Gracie21]

I'm riding a 148 at the mo, from showing into mounted games, sj & dr. She won her first DR last week, her first SJ two weeks ago and placed 3rd at first games comp.

She is truly multi-talented, and very very easy

 

[wench]

I had a 16.3 Tb. Not exactly stick pony, but was a stick horse compared to a lot of others out hunting. Would go through any type of ground from heavy plough to grass land, was also extremely good about choosing his own ground.

 

[marmalade76]

I used to have a 15.1 show bred LW. I bloodhounded and foxhunted him hard, team chased and SJed on grass in the summer, he coped with all types of going. Hard as nails, the only time he went lame was when he got something stuck in his foot. He was very, very sharp, though.

A friend of mine bred a 15h LW out of a little show pony mare who collected 174 BE points.

I actually think that LW animals are less likely to go lame as less weight = less stress on joints, tendons, etc, less concussion, tend to skim over heavy going rather than get bogged down in it.

 

[Prince33Sp4rkle]

agree with marmalade.........one of my clients has a 15.2hh TB with THE stickiest legs, honestly like glass, and he is nails, so tough, so sound.

Fig is very delicate and has raced on concrete like ground in Oz and hasnt even got a splint!!!!!