Debate: Performance horse class - What would that mean to YOU?

[Sal_E]

I would also have expected the horse to be more of an eventer type than yours - although it doesn't sound as if the winner necssarily fitted that description either! I would expect the horse to look likely to be able to do a decent level of everything, so good rhythmn, good forward jumping style, work in correct outline etc, plus maybe look a bit trimmer than yours? That said, at local show level it's possible the judge just didn't like greys!!

I would certainly expect you both to be immaculately turned out, including plaits.

 

[Puppy]

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She looks like a nice working hunter or riding club horse type to me.Agree she's not true performance.

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thanks for the reply

I must say, I am surprised to see someone suggest that I should take a warmblood in working hunter!!

She has done well at Riding Club horse classes, yes, thanks

I would have done it at this show but it was first thing (which would have made a stupidly early start

) and I'd worked late the day before and none of the other classes I wanted to do were till after lunch!

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Did you ask to see your marks? In performance you should be marked for the style and standard of jumping (ie- jumping clear, refusals,etc), confirmation when stripped and how she performs iin ride both individually in your show and when with others in ring.

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Nope. No break down of marks or explanation. Just all the ponies placed to start with and then the ISH & WB at the end...... Probably because the ring was totally unrideable for anything over 14hh!

 

[Puppy]

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It may well be that she was being placed as a performance horse at county level due to to the professionalism of her production, and the expertise of the jockey.

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Nope, not a pro, unless you call a lawyer a pro!!

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Essentially the definition of a performance horse is an equine athlete, such as a racehorse or a show jumper.

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But, I have to be honest here, and this is what I don't understand, IMO Believe IS a showjumper...

 

[moodymare1987]

To me she doesnt look like a performance horse.

She is lovely but looks more like a riding club horse type or even working hunter.
I do love your mare she is gorgeous, I think its hit and miss with this type of class depending on the type of show and horses in it,

Sounds like you deserved to be higher up but I supose even sometimes I have had it happen no matter how better your horse is, if you are in the wrong class they wont put you somewhere you shouldnt be.

I once missed a mountain and moorland class and decided to enter said horse into riding horse, only for ring experience as was first show out and would have been a waste not to do a class, mind you though the judge did say it wasnt the right class, which I knew anyway. He did a cracking show shame was wrong class, judge said if I was in the mountain and moorland would have won it

But then again the judge could have been a numpty

 

[Puppy]

I guess not.

I can't plait - as I have arthritis and a tremor in my hands

(last time I did it last year I cried it hurt so much

much to my farrier's amusement when I told him

)

But then two weeks beforehand, at another show, with similar people involved in organising it, or even in this one, with another judge, then it made no difference with either of my girls. I can accept that for some judges it would get us marked down though

I really am not the showing type am I?!

 

[arwenplusone]

the mare second in my siggy & my avatar won 2 performance horse classes last year. She is full WB so I disagree that the class looks for eventer types. Your mare is lovely & I would have taken her in the class if she had been mine.

Judging is only one person's opinion on one day - different judge may have given you a different placing!

 

[moodymare1987]

I was just saying on the classes I have seen, as you say though different judges like different things, and not saying she cant do it, showing is hit and miss anyway, dont think the judges ever know what they are looking for.

 

[Puppy]

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I wonder if the judge was looking for more of an eventer type - so something finer.

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See this occurred to me after I'd gone out earlier. If I were to pick a "performance horse" than something "eventing" like, like your lovely ISH Badger would spring to my mind

However, the judge put the *very very* nice ISH (that before we went in the ring I took one look at and said "well we've got no chance then!

) second from last......

He deserved to be faaaar higher!!

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Be is very much the chunky WB type isn't she, but then she is bred to SJ - so does that not count as performance?

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She is indeed these days

Not just her because of her breeding, IMO she *is* a showjumper, and her record rather suggest so too

- seeing as it seems to be so subjective as to what "performance horse" means, I really think they should specify to save people like myself wasting time and money, because to me the line up seemed more like "family horse"

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I'm thinking from your OP that maybe you didn't plait up?? I reckon this might be why you came lower down the line TBH. Showing peeps like thatsort of thing don't they!!

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Am sure it didn't do us any favours!

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I wouldn't bother about it too much TBH pups, I think those classes are a bit of a load of rubbish anyway - if you've got a performance horse then it should be out performing!!

I don't mean you - I know you're just having a bit of fun and getting things together - but in general I mean!

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Oh I'm not bothered,

I'm bemused

I do wish I hadn't got up so early and invested to much energy and money for such an unrideable ring for this and the showjumping though

I only did the class as a warm up for the jumping really - but that too was unrideable and they were having to change the course there and then as a result...

I really should have listened to the people who warned me!

Star did nicely though - just goes to show how subjective it is for the judge - this time Star was placed above the pony, that was placed above her in a ridden vet class two weeks ago - *despite* the fact she didn't go anywhere as nicely as the first judge told me to take off her sheepskin and she was clearly uncomfortable in her back as a result

I suppose it is especially ironic given this RC's showjumping rep (v nice lady

bless her) watched us jump two weeks ago & was trying to get me to join the club for SJ clinics & their team!

 

[Puppy]

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That said, at local show level it's possible the judge just didn't like greys!!

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LOL! It's true! Us greys were all at the back!!

Nothing placed in the first load were even vaguely eventer types; family horse/RC types for sure - they were ALL ponies as the ring was totally unrideable for a horse!

 

[Puppy]

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To me she doesnt look like a performance horse.

She is lovely but looks more like a riding club horse type or even working hunter.

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See this is funny because you are the second person to say working hunter; which I think my other mare is perfect for it - she is 1/2 ISH

but I would not take my warmblood, showjumping horse in a working hunter... Nor shall I take her hunting! (want/need a new horse for that, darn it!

)

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I do love your mare she is gorgeous, I think its hit and miss with this type of class depending on the type of show and horses in it,

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Thank you

Totally agree about luck of the judge!!

Good job it wasn't a class where the judge rides the horse, as in this case, the judge couldn't have ridden anything in the ring!!

 

[Puppy]

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To me she doesnt look like a performance horse.

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So please tell me

what is your idea of a performance horse?

This is why I started the thread, I think, and this thread proves, that it is too subjective to just title a class as that, and not state more specifically what is required to be successful....

 

[Puppy]

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the mare second in my siggy & my avatar won 2 performance horse classes last year. She is full WB so I disagree that the class looks for eventer types. Your mare is lovely & I would have taken her in the class if she had been mine.

Judging is only one person's opinion on one day - different judge may have given you a different placing!

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Ahh, that's v kind of you

Thank you

I know I've said it before, but I am a huge fan of your beautiful mare so I'm not surprised to hear about her placings!

I think the different placing in the ridden vet classes, with many of the same horses, (as I mentioned earlier), illustrates just that; it's so subjective....!

This is my point - judging seems *so* subjective, even in the name of/for the sake of experience, I v sadly really can't warm to showing....

My dentist (used to be a prof jockey), physio (has evented to high level) master saddler (v experienced!), my vet (runs the biggest practice in the area!) and farrier (works for the MET) all think she is a super star

and with their knowledge, and knowing them, I v much value their opinions, and know that their praise of her speaks volumes...... but hey

screw that

Because that aside, to me,

My little grey pony, is priceless

H x

 

[AmyMay]

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Quote:
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It may well be that she was being placed as a performance horse at county level due to to the professionalism of her production, and the expertise of the jockey.


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Nope, not a pro, unless you call a lawyer a pro!!

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I didn't say the jockey was a professional - just implied that they may have produced her professionaly - i.e to a very high standard......

 

[moodymare1987]

Mind you me saying she doesnt look a perfomance horse, the only ones I have seen are a little lighter in their build, flashy movers and a nice pop on them. Its all subjective anyway to be fair.

My friend won a performance class on his wb shes a lot lighter than yours and has hardly any knee action its just flicky toes.
But then went to another and told wasnt the right sort for the class?

Not to say yours isnt a flashy mover or got a nice pop on her as she has.
Maybe it didnt help you didnt plait up? No idea sounds like you should have done well though but its like someone else said, they judge probably didnt like unplaited greys

Maybe just stick to showjumping, showing is a bit of a farce sometimes.

 

[KatB]

Hey Pups, by the sounds of things the judging was farsical anyway, BUT at the moment I would have to agree and prob say that B, as gorgeous as she is doenst fit into the "performance horse" bracket. I would expect a performance horse to look 100% fit and ready to go out and do whatever field it was meant to "perform" in, so obviously a dr. horse would be very different to say a eventer. However, at the moment I think B doesnt look in 100% fit condition as she has a little bit too much weight on her to be a "performance horse"

When she is in fitter "harder" condition she would do well in true performance horse classes I am sure

 

[Puppy]

Thank you KatB

I can understand why people are commenting on her weight, as the jumping/cantering photos do make her look chubby, (I call her chubby bum

) and it is an ongoing fight with her - however she is fitter than she looks in those pics

She is on the same restricted grazing paddock she has been on since Christmas, she has nothing but lo cal balancer and good dooer chaff (Chubby chaff

). Is shod every three weeks (or more often

) as we wear out extra thick shoes so fast

(my farrier says I'm paying his mortgage

) She is worked for a minimum of 80 mins, and more often 2 or 3 hours most days of the week

The thing is with Be is her weight can vary SO much in just days.

Here is her having been off work for a couple of weeks:

Prompting my farrier to call her my connie x ID!!

And here is her three weeks later:

 

[Puppy]

Should maybe add that three week period included the falling in the ditch incident

and therefore 5 days off...

 

[Starbucks]

Pups - I'm intetested to know why you find it odd that people have suggested she'd be a good WH type?? They don't have to be Irish or a shire x to be a WH you know!!!

 

[lilym]

performance class, hmmmm, i would like to see an athletic type, maybe TB breeding, possibly not as chunky as a worker, something that covered the ground with a stylish jump, forward but stoppable, mannerly ride, would prefer snaffle mouth, or a double bridle, but as long as horse was comfy in it's head i see no problems with something slightly away from the norm..age would not be an object as long as fit for it's job, plaited would be nice...that's about it i think!!

 

[lilym]

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She looks like a nice working hunter or riding club horse type to me.Agree she's not true performance.

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thanks for the reply

I must say, I am surprised to see someone suggest that I should take a warmblood in working hunter!!

She has done well at Riding Club horse classes, yes, thanks

I would have done it at this show but it was first thing (which would have made a stupidly early start

) and I'd worked late the day before and none of the other classes I wanted to do were till after lunch!

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Did you ask to see your marks? In performance you should be marked for the style and standard of jumping (ie- jumping clear, refusals,etc), confirmation when stripped and how she performs iin ride both individually in your show and when with others in ring.

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Nope. No break down of marks or explanation. Just all the ponies placed to start with and then the ISH & WB at the end...... Probably because the ring was totally unrideable for anything over 14hh!

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OF COURSE you can do workers with her!!! no worries about her being a WB at all, they don't have to be irish!! get yourself a tweed jacket and get out and do some workers with her!! she's a lovely stamp of a horse, i should think you'd do well

 

[Puppy]

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Pups - I'm intetested to know why you find it odd that people have suggested she'd be a good WH type?? They don't have to be Irish or a shire x to be a WH you know!!!

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LOL! I know. But I would feel a fraud - I would never in a million years take Be out on a hunting field, lol!

 

[Thistle]

Is this the show that is held near Duxford?

Years ago B did this class on her 12.2

She won it and the Championship!

She jumped clear round a 2'3" course and did a proper WHP show with a gallop. Pony didn't put a foot wrong. The judge asked her what she did with him, which was all PC and mini teams.

The judging was split for horses and ponies and they brought them together for a championship.

Some of the horses were rather peed off at being beaten by a 12.2

The class was performance, he performed, was balanced and behaved impecabbly, rather more so than the leading horse which cantered on the wrong leg.

 

[Puppy]

Nope, not near Duxford, don't I think I even know the one you mean

I don't mind being placed behind ponies

the first two lined up totally deserved it (although I personally thought the other way around

)

It was the fact that the ring was unrideable for anything over 14hh

There was a corner that even the highly placed ponies were slipping/stumbling in trot - and yet us on bigger horses (WB & ISH) were expected to tightly turn on this corner in canter TWICE for the jumping

I thought about it and very nearly walked out the ring instead of jumping...

As my mother commented afterwards there were virtually NO larger horses at the show. I guess as this RC holds quite regular events then everyone with a larger horse like mine has realised the rings are too small for them and don't bother going anymore.... I certainly won't go back. Thankfully we have a nearer riding club, that comes highly recommended and I recognise many of the names involved in a good way, so shall hopefully be joining them

BTW - I have also seen a class last summer where the pony on the wrong leg got highly placed

Dr Weevil and I were like "oh this judging looks promising

" before I took Be in the next class...

 

[Emily99]

In my eyes she's a perfect WH type. At affilliated level. How big is she?
Alot of the top workers now are WB or WBx, one very successful Worker was bred by John Whitaker and is by Utah Van erpekcom (can't spell it!!) The fact you'd never take her hunting doesn't mean a thing either, she's the right stamp.

 

[Puppy]

16hh

I'll maybe take her in a WH then. But to be honest, (& I shall have a practice some day soon) I'm pretty sure that if plaiting with just arthritis last year was almost impossibly painful for me and reduced me to tears

, then now I've also got a tremor

I can't see me being able to plait her

So it would be a waste of time and money....

 

[Starbucks]

Could you not get someone else to plait her up??

 

[Puppy]

Can't think of anyone off the top of my head who will be around for the date of our next show....

Shall maybe have an attempt next week if my hands are better, they've been extra bad this week