horses vrs ponies

when riding I........

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ldlp111

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hi i just wondered how everyone felt about the fact the ponies compete against horses in jumping competitions like sj. as you all have probly experienced a good pony will always beat a horse in the jump-off so is it fair that we should compete against them. i applaud badgworth arena for recognizing this and splitting the jump-off between h and p, i think more places should do this, what do you think??
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Aren't all SJ competitions split horses/ponies????? Most I know are except for RCs which are junior/senior (so minority of seniors will ride a pony or visa versa) and BSJA but if you ride a horse you have to ride as a senior anyway
 
I'm not too proud to be beaten by a small child on a pony when I jump in a 1ft 9in competition
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I'm proud of me and horsey for having a go
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I put yes but I also think the BSJA should consider doing pony classes for people over 16. I have a pony who can jump height wise (jumped with rider 1.40 at home) but has difficulty making the distances BSJA. I don't want to sell him but its very irritating knowing that I really can't do much with him and it seems like a waste of a good pony. However I do agree that a good pony will just about always beat a good horse in a jump off so its better if the class is split.
 
I must admit i said no. i went show jumping the other week and it really annoyed me that the class wasn't split. i was on two horses and didn't stand a chance in the jump off. It would be nice to know i might be in with a chance of getting a rosette if i got to the jump off, whereas on horses i stood no chance aginst the ponies!

But then having said that i don't think that adults on pony's shouldn't be able to compete in adult classes. But it is different to have an adult on a pony to a little kid who zips around at a millions miles without a thought about their style etc.
 
sorry just to make it bit clearer im not talking about bsja jumping just ordinary unaffiliated sj comps where you get kids on ponies that are super little jumpers that will jump anything even when only given a stride for take off as they have turned so tight. whereas if you did that on a horse it would stop , maybe that just my horse. also im talking bout kids that always win, i mean give someone else a chance.
 
also im not talking bout small classes these ponies go in for 2ft3 upto 3ft, ill admit it im bit of a wimp i struggle with 2ft9 sometimes but it would be more encouraging for adults who have just started jumping or who like to go steadier in jump-offs than the kids who do it on a regular basis, also kids see no fear in galloping to a jump turning in tight etc.
 
I didn't add to my last post, by now you have mentioned it, i HATE with a passion when someone goes in does the 1ft9 class and then does all the others in between up to the 3ft class. seriously, why would you do that?! if the pony/horse can jump 3ft it should not be doing the 1ft9 class. there are quite a few people who do this at the shows local to us - they are always in the results as getting placed in every class on the same pony/horse! (Obviously the shows ought to restrict entry to some of the classes, ie. not if you have won sj comp etc.) but still, really annoys me!

I totally agree with both of your last posts - i ride two horses, one has done it all and is awesome, but not an easy ride, and one who is a right little madam. Just going clear and getting some confidence is what i want, but then i also would like the thought if i go clear and get into the jump off that i might possibly get a rosette (my competitiveness always wins through). I do think a nice round is much more important than a super wizzy badly ridden one!

Phew, *slowly gets down from pedestal and breaths!*
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Unfortunately there will always be someone at every show be it a kid or adult on a been there done that horse/pony that wins everything, jumps anything off any stride etc etc and generally pot hunts.
I agree that kids on amazing old ex BSJA ponies flying round unaffil 2'6 classes and winning everything is frustrating but whats doubly frustrating is adults on ponies who cant enter any BSJA as the striding is too long for their pony and they are over 16 so cant do juniors.
There isnt really a solution! for example my pony is 14.2 i am 21...she would easily BSJA but the striding is just too long in seniors. We do not fly round like the little kids but try to jump a stylish round..therefore would be mightly pissed off to get to the jump off only to be seperated and put in with the flying ponies where we have no chance...i dont know what the answer is!
 
We held a small show at our farm lat year and it annoyed me too how some entered all jumping classes from tiy to 3'. The second show we had, rather than restrict entry by saying not to have won etc. which always seems to just lead to people lying/endless bivkering we had a rule saying no pony/horse to enter more than 2 consecutive jumping classes.
 
I think if you're doing unaffiliated its just something you need to accept. There are always going to be kids flying round on ponies as thats just how ponies do it. If you want to win things on your horse, then you'd need to go to a different show which is for horses only.
 
thank you if they can jump they high and always get placed wont dont they just do bigger classes give people on inexperienced horses or nervous riders a chance.

ill admit i usually 2ft3 then 2ft6 and if im feeling brave 2ft9, usually takes my mare a round to get warmed up as we usually hav a stupid stop or knock down in first class, also shes had me off few times when she stops thinks thats mostly my fault i think that looks big and i guess she thinks well if you're backing off why should i jump it.

how do i put pictures on here?
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have you tried bsja on your pony? i went to one show and my mare who is 15.1hh ish kept trying to put xtra stride in a treble, first round we knocked it down next time i nearly fell off i think this knocked both our confidence as next time i tried 3ft she ditched at a double jump.
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If you go to picture gallery there are a couple of threads in there shwoing how to do a signature and put pictures on - i think they are by JessPickle but i could be wrong!
 
Minesadouble that is a really good idea! I will admit to having gone to a show planning to do the 2ft3 and 2ft6 but because i was feeling brave i did the 2ft9 too!

I think it is really hard because there will always be adults riding ponies (the two i ride are 14.2 and 15.0 so only just horses) and my ponio was only 13.2 and i rode her until i was 18. i think that classes ought to more generally have restricted entry ie. cannot do more than two, or only for those not to have won 3 x 1st's or £25 showjumping etc, just to ensure that you do not get people turning up and doing all of them. I must admit i do not think adults on ponies doing senior classes is a problem - i think adults ride very differently to kiddies - but then the striding will be wrong!

Lol, it just goes round in circles!!!!
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hi people worked out how to get a pic of my baby well one of them on here. this is when i first had her back i think its our first ode event dont do them anymore much coz she doesnt like the xc or dressage hmmm. anyway this is her shes gorgeous, well if this works you should be able to see her
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well ive had her since she was 6months old couldnt even catch her at first but shes really friendly now, loves her belly being rubbed. she will be 8 this year. i was first person to sit on her but she was being awkward to get any forward momentum so sent her to be schooled on by professionals. anyway he said she is really special as most people do, but that i wasnt good enough rider for her, hmm thanks for that anyway did try to sell her after i fell off twice up schooling yard trying to jump her, she didnt sell so had her back. done a few odes with her but she didnt seem to like the xc or dressage phases, so done mostly jumping over last year. been hard last year for me but kept trying and we've been placed a few times best ive got so far is forth.

at the moment she looks like a hairy monster because she wont let me clip her.
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TBH I dont really care. I used to compete ponies as a senior so I cant really complain now that Im on horses! I do BSJA as well as unaff. though so I can escape the buzzy ponies...!

My main issue is the striding when they try to run horses and ponies together, am fed up with tiny striding in doubles and Im not even on particularily long-striding horses... dont know how bigger horses cope. They should make them proper horse distances - when I did senior classes with ponies, the ponies easily put in 2 strides between them when done like this...
 
Having helped run a course that one of our local BSJA builders does on course building said mixed classes should be horse striding, let the ponies sort themselves out, you are far less likely to have any accidents that way.

I also have that issue BSJA on a good day we can get the distances. If I have the right spot for the first part of a double we are ok, if not can't make it quiet (short coupled 14.2 welsh) or he goes up a bit high so jumps in too short. But have accepted it and just do the same heights unaff now though often the courses aren't so good and we never have any sort of spread!

He can turn pretty well though not always that quick across the ground generally always placed. IMO if you want to take it seriously most horses are perfectly capable of jumping low level BSJA and then there aren't any ponies to deal with and very few people actually hell for leather jump off as many are trying to get double clears without earning too much money on their card. If I could transport myself I would have more of a go at BSJA and see if we could get the distances better with more practice.

As for people doing 1'9 and 3'. I know what you mean but sometimes people have their reasons. I did a 2'3 the other day, hadn't done one for years but had a scare going too fast in a 2'9 jump off so dropped it down a level for the day and yes I did jump him off fast as I wanted him to jump and turn quick to make sure he was ok with it still but without such big jumps in the way. There are lots of people our way who have jumped 2'6 on the same horses/ponies for years and this height is way below what they could do they just choose not to so they can jump off well and fast

For info for RC official comps involving jumping adults must be on minimum 14hh.
 
I don't mind as long as it complies with the rules.

I have competed against the same pony in a 13 - 14 HH WHP class and horses SJ class (no rule regarding senior/junior) and now the horse is for sale as a 14HH 2!!!!
 
I have both a 14h and a 16.3 that I compete BSJA with. My pony has never been a wizzy pony. At BSJA level I see no difference between horses and ponies, if a pony is better then a horse it is better. But at lower levels then a crazy kid on a crazy pony might have the upper hand as far as speed is concerned!
 
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