Looking to show at a higher level, what class would he suite ?

crazyhorses12345 said:
Thanks everybody,mix of opinions, but hes my one in a million horse who i wouldnt change for the world, the reason he is hogged is because he will not let you pull or trim his mane, he is 12 and his ways wont change plus he suites hogged way more. He has been doing amazingly local, and at county level, in the coloured, hunter ridden classes and working hunter.
I came on here to get some advise and to be fair its just put me down, I just thought it would be a nice goal to set for a few years, as all i have ever had is people put me down, telling me i cant do things, and i have gone out to acheive these goals. As you wouldnt believe he was an overweight, dead to the leg riding school horse who could barely jump a fence, to now being able to work on an outline, and can just a meter cource. Looking at what he has become, and he will become better with time. Maybe one day we will get somewhere.
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Please don't let it put you down, you did ask for honesty and that is what people gave. People aren't saying he's a horrible horse, he looks absolutely lovely, but just that he may struggle against the HOYS horses. Also, as he is hogged your only option is to turn him out as a show cob, which like said previously, he isn't really a true to type cob.

That's not to say you can't show or shouldn't show.

Its brilliant he has lost a lot of weight, and now you have something to build muscle onto.

Out of curiosity, how did you manage to show in ridden hunter classes with a hogged horse?
 
I'm sorry that you feel the comments have put you down. I don't think for one moment having read them that's how they were intended.
And it's not so much about him being "good enough"
At HOYS level showing the competition is so stiff, your up against people who do this for a living, being up against "the faces" your horse has to be spot on true to type and he just doesn't fit a type strongly enough. That doesn't mean there's anything wrong with him just that he doesn't fit into that particular box and in showing they have to fit into the box. That's sort of the point, to find the best example of a type of horse.
As you say he has come on leaps and bounds since you got him have you thought about dressage?
My filly was bought to show, every brother and sister has been to HOYS in open and coloured classes she is a perfect example of a riding horse I live to show I'm heavily involved with coloured horses/CHAPS etc.... but she cut her leg badly and game over.
I had a choice to sell her or do something else due to the blemish (it's huge never covering up that baby with make up) we're now looking at doing dressage in the future and she has a new nickname "three legs"
I would love to show her and my dream for her was to get to HOYS isn't going to happen and I know a lot of CHAPS judges/producers/names!! won't make a blind bit of difference she is now not good enough.
You did ask people to be honest and they have been in a very productive way.
Showing isn't the be all and end all (coming from a showing queen of 35 years) you can spend your money how you like (obviously) but your question was what type of class should you show him in and truthfully he doesn't really fit enough into any at that level.
Good luck with whatever career you choose for him.
You do get the added bonus of sparkle and bling in dressage that you don't get in showing that's what swayed me 😄
 
I actually think people are just advising you so that you aren't disappointed/spend a lot of money unnecessarily. He is a lovely type but he doesn't really fit into any of the showing 'boxes' and certainly won't be the only one not to.

What classes has he done at county?

I think it would make more sense to do some county if he has already done some (many have hoys qualifiers anyway) and try some of the other showing series, equifest etc rather than hoys.
 
He is your horse in a million - we all like him and can see how much he has come along with you.

People say to me that I'll never make it to Badminton - yep, they may be right - but at least they had my interests at heart!
Be grateful that everyone on this thread has had something nice and constructive to add.

Don't be down - take all the hints and put them into winning all the reds on the county circuits.

ENJOY your horse, you never know whats around the corner.
 
crazyhorses12345 said:
As you wouldnt believe he was an overweight, dead to the leg riding school horse who could barely jump a fence, to now being able to work on an outline, and can just a meter cource. Looking at what he has become, and he will become better with time. Maybe one day we will get somewhere.
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If getting a HOYS ticket was as easy as getting a pat on the back for turning a horse around then fabulous! Tickets for everyone! But it's not. You need to start of with a stunning, great moving, well put together equine with pure raw talent and that's before you school them to absolute perfection.

Work on his jumping - you may well be lucky enough to qualify in a class for that and show jumping is probably an easier route to HOYS than showing is by a long long shot!
 
crazyhorses12345 said:
Thanks everybody,mix of opinions, but hes my one in a million horse who i wouldnt change for the world, the reason he is hogged is because he will not let you pull or trim his mane, he is 12 and his ways wont change plus he suites hogged way more. He has been doing amazingly local, and at county level, in the coloured, hunter ridden classes and working hunter.
I came on here to get some advise and to be fair its just put me down, I just thought it would be a nice goal to set for a few years, as all i have ever had is people put me down, telling me i cant do things, and i have gone out to acheive these goals. As you wouldnt believe he was an overweight, dead to the leg riding school horse who could barely jump a fence, to now being able to work on an outline, and can just a meter cource. Looking at what he has become, and he will become better with time. Maybe one day we will get somewhere.[/

It sounds like you have done a brilliant job with him and I think he looks a lovely sort of horse, I would concentrate on the jumping and go as high as you can with the working hunter, they have hoys talent spotting shows in Essex I am sure they hold them all over the country google it and have a go, you will get lots of feedback and help from the top judges I wish you all the best please keep us updated on how you get on I really admire your ambition and I hope you do really well.
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Hi OP, just wanted to let you know I think your horse is lovely. I think you've had some fantastic advise given with genuine intention to help you go forward. I have been in your situation with my horse of a lifetime being a Clydie X that didn't fit into any showing boxes but that didn't stop us having a fantastic time :-)
I used to do ridden and working hunters, equitation, dressage and low key 1 day events. He was so mannerly and obedient he was always placed in hunter classes but everyone else had to have a bad day for me to win! In the workers he would nearly always go clear so had many wins as long as the more true to type had faults. They have changed the scoring criteria in recent years which means I probably wouldn't do as well these days but we would've had fun trying :-) for these classes you do need to be plaited so a mane will have to be grown and I always regret pulling my lads tail but people used to comment that his plaited tail looked 'girlie' on such a big lad! He did look more the part after though :-)
Dressage and jumping I enjoyed most though as you weren't being compared on type, just performance.
I'm not sure of the ins and outs of CHAPS but surely they do workers too?
Another observation of mine is that coloured don't tend to fair so well in hunter classes? I seen stunning true to type hunters, well behaved, being pulled in last at qualifiers.
Please don't lose heart, enjoy finding your boys niche!
 
remember that the number of horses getting to HOYS is a teeny tiny percentage of equines, even less than that once you cut out the professionals. Dont take it personally, your horse is absolutely lovely
 
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