Honest Opinions please - is she nice enough for Hunter classes

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showpony

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So plan on doing a fair bit of Showing with my Mare this summer...
Now initially I was thinking about doing the Coloured Classes but a friend told me last night why not try the hunter classes...so got me thinking .
Honest opinions please & if anyone thinks she is of the right type which weight hunter class.









 
What level were you hoping to compete at?

Do you have any photos of her stood up without rugs on?
 
Impossible to tell unless you can post a proper side-on conformation shot, and a movement shot (she does look good enough to show, with some judicious trimming).
 
If I'm really honest I'd say she'd be fine for a variety of classes at local level, coloured (obviously), riding club type, hunter type, wh, family horse maybe? But at county I would say that as a 'hunter' in hunter weight classes you may not succeed although you may in the coloured ranks, not the best set of photos to judge her from. Whilst she is a lovely looker she needs more 'quality' and until old fashioned opinions change, coloured hunters are still very few and far between. Just my honest opinion of course, as asked for. :)
 
She is approx 15.2/15.3... need to get her measured again.

Best pics I have of her to look at confirmation bear in mind these ones were taken last year.







And her moving



She has a HUGE canter
 
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She MUST be 15.2 or under to be a small hunter, which is where I'd like to put her TBH. She's sort of middleweight-y, but would be at a massive disadvantage heightwise if she is only 15.3.
 
Thank you, I agree! You rarely see a coloured doing that well in a " Hunter Class" ... Ive been told by a good few that she is good enough for County level coloured classes but good friend suggest I try her in Hunter aswell.

Bobbly said:
If I'm really honest I'd say she'd be fine for a variety of classes at local level, coloured (obviously), riding club type, hunter type, wh, family horse maybe? But at county I would say that as a 'hunter' in hunter weight classes you may not succeed although you may in the coloured ranks, not the best set of photos to judge her from. Whilst she is a lovely looker she needs more 'quality' and until old fashioned opinions change, coloured hunters are still very few and far between. Just my honest opinion of course, as asked for. :)
Click to expand...
 
She is a nice sort but going on the photos I would think local level only even with a makeover. She doesnt have the quality for County level although coloured classes are a possibility.

The main thing is to enjoy it and there is a lot of pressure at county level these days. too many professionals and too much money.

Sorry but you wanted honest
 
The weight hunter classes all tend to be 16.2hh and then some and with her colour she would be at a distinct disadvantage county show wise. I too have a coloured hunter who has won at county level coloured classes I wouldn't ever dream of entering a coloured in a hunter class at county level. Have a look at the pics from the spring festival will give you an idea of the CHAPS standerds. http://www.everybodysmile.biz/emeraldfotos/evt09/index.html
 
Personally I dont think she is up to county standard. I would say do local smalls if you can get her measured in at under 15.2 on a stick. As Cortez has said I wouldn't be putting her in middles, she is too small.

In my experience some judges struggle to judge the conformation of a coloured horse due to its markings, it is very easy for colour to distort how they are seen. I have done workers on my old coloured before and haven't done as well as a horse of similar merit with a solid colouring. Swings and roundabouts and it depends who is judging on the day.
 
I am an amateur and managed to take a middleweight all the way to Hoys and took on the pro's with success, but the horse was exceptional and it bankrupted me !

I have yet to see a coloured horse do well in a hunter class of any weight at County level.

There is plenty of fun to be had at lower levels, The Trail Blazer series is very popular and although the entry fees are costly, you do not need to register the horse with SHGB. Their championship show is held at Stoneleigh and the standards are good. The OP's horse could do a multitude of classes in the series, working hunter, ridden hunter and the dressage.
 
Maybe not tatts as your first show, but local and agri/county shows would be doable :) probably not dublin standard (although a few coloureds there last year wouldnt have been near the top in a local class!!) but if your showing for fun then why not :)

Does she jump? What about some local worker classes? And how old is she - Could she do the young horse workers?

And ive taken my boy into a county novice LW class and was 2nd as he had a splint when he was a 4/5 year old- just because a horse is coloured dosent detract from the horse underneath :) in fact the horse pulled in 3rd was a piebald and they won!
 
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Only_me, yes she jumps ! Tatts one day hopefully, ultimate goal is to event! We have loose schooled her over 1m 35 and she could have gone higher. However we are only starting consistent jump schooling and am not in a hurry, want to get things right. I loved showing many moons ago and really want to give it a shot this year.
 
In light of her school level (going by the dressage pics) her 'quality' is rather irrelevant until she goes better. She's a nice enough looking horse and once she works consistently in a correct outline she should do well certainly at local level and potentially hold her own higher up. If she's shown in the current way of going (shown in the dressage pics) she will always be placed below far lower quality but well schooled horses.
 
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