Futurity Turnout

_jetset_

_jetset_

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Since April, Troy has been a field pony and living out with two colts. He has been fed on nothing but grass and has not had a brush or a bath since the winter
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I am not starting to panic a little about how soon the Futurity will be upon me...

We have three weeks before we have to be there, but the problem is that I cannot get him home until possibly the week before... So I am now wondering whether I should contemplate withdrawing and giving someone else a chance?

He was last bitted in December, but he has not been trotted up from the bit since summer last year.

Would it be possible to get him ready in just over a week if I can get him back the week before?

He is in good condition despite only being on grass, so I am not worried about his weight in the slightest. His coat will not be looking as good as it did last year (he was on a good quality balancer and oils last year) but I can get his feet done the week he comes back.
 
I wouldn't panic Jetset, I think most people are in a similar situation to you! I think a week should be just fine - that's plenty of time to give him a couple of baths too...
Which venue are you going to?
 
I am going to Myerscough...

At the one last year I would say most of the horses were in show condition though
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Troy looked quite emaciated in comparison to some.
 
Hello, I don't know how old your youngster is but I disagree that you could just have a week for prep and think that you need more than a weeks prep for a futurity if you want to show him off to his best and thus receive a decent premium. If you get a poor result due to lack of prep- and I have seen this happen- then you cannot go back and change this. You would be bettter off waiting until you have the time to prepare properly for the event. You need to show him off to his best which means that he must be happy and relaxed when being handled and shown on a triangle in an indoor arena and also moving by himself on demand and unless you are confident that he will do this I would personally wait. Some youngsters will do this naturally without hardly any preparation and some may become introverted by the event and thus not show their true potential so I would not take the gamble. Sorry to be negative but I just want you to get a good result.
 
No, don't apologise.

He is two and actually went last year too and did very well ending up on a 1st Premium and the highest place yearling at the venue
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He has been handled a lot up until he went out in April. I have done minimal handling with him since then (he is out with two colts so handling is quite difficult), but he still respects my space when I go up there, leads quietly off the head collar and has all feet picked up without any fuss at all.

It is more the bit being put back in that is worrying me, as he has not had one in that much, and also how he will 'look' in himself.
 
I think it's one of those situations where only you can decide because you know him best.

When you originally bitted him did he accept it easily or did it take a while? If he wasn't that bothered I can't see it being much of a problem to be honest.

Just out of interest, when you took him as a yearling did you have a bit in (I'm taking my yearling and I've never been before so just wondering whether to bit or not)?
 
I am being a bit dim here and haven't taken anything to the futurities. I can see the benefit of getting them evaluated, but is there any point in taking a 2 yr old when it has been evaluated as a yearling as not much will have changed. I can see the benefit of taking a 3 yr old to get the jumping evaluated though.
 
He was not bothered in the slightest about being bitted last year
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He did have one in for the Futurity because he was quite a big boy at that point so I thought it would be more sensible and he was a star with it
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I am taking him this year because he has actually changed a hell of a lot since he was a yearling, incredibly so! I like to track his progress through the Futurity and would like to support the British Breeding through these evaluations.
 
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