Pictures/Info on your Highlands...

naza

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Hi all, just wondered if any one on here has a highland pony and if so what do they do with it (hack, jump etc) and if they've got any pictures, thanks Nay X
ps. posted this in Picture gallery too as not sure how many go on there compared to here.
 

fidleyspromise

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Hi, I have a 9yr old Highland.
She hacks (up to 5 hours at a time), schools, does a bit of dressage, ridden M&M, Working Hunter, Show Jumping (up to 2'6 currently), in-hand showing. We haven't been to many shows but hoping to go highwe this year and also take her Cross Country.

Pics of her first working hunter and ridden m&m
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Kallibear

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This is Fergus. Doesn't do much at the moment but eat, sleep and play, and get very very muddy.He'll be going to to a couple of shows this summer.

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MrsMozart

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I don't have any pictures, but a zillion years ago I took a Highland to Pony Club camp :D

A week of riding twice a day, doing everything from games to dressage to jumping :D. He was a star and we had an absolute hoot :D:D:D
 

MrsMozart

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ow there so stunning!
So are they pretty good alrounders? Do they have a good pop in them generally?


Bear in mind I'm going on thirty year plus memories... :D The one I rode had an excellent pop :D. A full week of PC activities, including a fair bit of jumping. I don't remember any of it being an issue :D. I do remember doing jumping lanes (no reins and taking jackets off as we went lol), plus full courses, but cannot remember how big the jumps were.
 

Charliepony

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My first pony was a mouse dun highland!!! He was the cutest thing, didn't jump though, not when he could walk straight through it! He was a stubborn little thing, we just hacked really, and he was definitely the one who decided on the route and speed... Also me being tiny, he was too strong for me to steer, bless him!! He was a star though, very safe and very intelligent! Wish I had thought of putting a bigger bit in him though, might have been able to do more with him... :rolleyes: He was lovely though, their strength is the only thing that stopped me getting another one (I'm feeble) but that may have just been him...

Beautiful looking too! He was a charcoaly colour..
 

sarcasm_queen

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My boy's 13, doesn't really do flatwork, but jumps anything you put in front of him, xc up to 3ftish, sj up to 3ft3, poss bigger when I'm feeling confident. Hacks for hours. Strong as an ox on steroids :D

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ClobellsandBaubles

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never owned a highland but we had four a local trekking centre i used to work at one was an angel would jump and do flat work with kids and hack for hours, her mother loved to jump but was a little stropping so unless you knew her quirks she turned into a rodeo horse, one was built like a tank would buck and rear and generally b very bolshy used to canter onto the yard and none of the customers used to volunteer to ride him although hacking out he was the perfect safe weight carrier and the last one used to try very hard to jump but was not very talented and quite terrifying xc and generally not very clever. so they were a very mixed bunch personally i think they are gorgeous and love watching them at the highland shows
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jodie3

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Many years ago I was lucky enough to have a Highland on loan and he was lovely! He really would turn his hoof to anything you wanted. I did everything on him - dressage, show jumping, xc, long distance and even side-saddle. My oh at the time wanted to ride just to have a hooley round the field and the Highland was happy to oblige but looked after him too as he was a very novice rider. I also used to take him to playgroup to do pony rides and he was quite happy round hoards of toddlers with ballons and jumping on bouncy castles and I could lead my son's sec A off him so we could ride out together (son used to fall asleep out hacking, prob get reported to social services nowadays!)

Sadly he was pre-computer days so all my pics of him are in albums so don't think I can show them here.
 

threeponies

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Mine will be 17 this year I've had her from weaning. She too does a bit of everything, is often requested for hacks with nervous horses/riders cos nothing bothers her and my tiny daughter (3 stone in wet clothes and boots) has her lessons on her. She jumps when she can be bothered.
 

Kallibear

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A good highland that's not too heavy (so are just too heavy for my liking) should be athletic and forwards and more then capable of jumping a nice 2'6 course. However, they're not bred for jumpings or going really fast, or high level dressage, so if that's what you want to do, there's plenty of other breeds out there that excell at them.

They make excellent steady, sensible and safe allrounders that are dead easy and cheap to keep, and aren't too big, but if you're looking to do more higher level competeing then they aren't really the right breed for it.
 

JFTDWS

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My young man's another Fergus (one thing about Highlands is the lack of diversity in the names ;) ). Turns his hoof to anything, very enthusiastic, nice mover in dressage, shows, jumps (still learning as he's a young lad), got trec this sunday...

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and likes to show his patriotic pride every now and then...

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appylass

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This is what i'm concerned about. Are they generally known for not 'doing' jumping or is it like every breed where some can be good, others not?

Mine loves jumping! He hasn't done much as he's still young and has growing to do but he has been taught and took to it like the proverbial duck to water :) Many highs do well at workers, they also make good hunting ponies.
 

sarcasm_queen

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Mine loves jumping! .

Same. Whoever said about them not wanting to jump, lol the only thing mine wants to do is jump :p

Can't remember who asked, but my boy's 13.2 :)

EDIT: Also, someone said about them being safe allrounders? tbh, I wouldn't exactly class them as safe. Every Highland I've known like to throw their weight around, and they are strong as anything, so if they decide to go you don't really have much choice.
If you want something safe and sensible then I wouldn't pick a highland tbh :p
 
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Vixen Van Debz

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This is my mate's red dun Highland, Paddy. (No, we don't know why his previous owner gave him an Irish name either). I won't post any action shots as its his owners aboard and not me, but he's a forward going tank who jumps enthusiastically, enjoys a hack on the beach and will be doing some in-hand showing this year. He's an eager to please pony, and an absolute snogging machine!
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Tiggy1

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I have had my mare for 5 years.
Quite a tricky beast. Bought her as downgrading from 16.2hh ISH. She is my second HiPo. First being my first pony was a saint. Second has horns. Will produce same amount of explosion as 16.2hh ISH but in 14.1hh form. Love her to bits and would never sell her but don't be lulled into fall sense of security - they are not docile ;)
 

missyme10

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I had a highland gelding for a few years. He was a great pony in some way, definitely not for a novice in others.

He could jump like a stag, and loved it.

He was also a bad tempered, grumpy git at times, could be very pushy and bargy and certainly knew his strength.
I haven't to this day met a horse as strong as him, they are shockingly strong and if they become bloody minded, its not even worth the fight because you are going to lose.

I had a very bad accident on mine when he decided he wasn't going through woods he'd been through dozens of times before, and that was the last time I rode him.

He was stunningly beautiful, had a fine face, that of an angel, highly intelligent, but to much for me at that time. I'd handle him now no bother - plenty of practice with a welsh cob lol.

I'd steer clear if you're a novice though, or timid in anyway. If confident, and can stand your ground and dont take no attitude, highlands are so much fun x
 

StarFell

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I want a pony that i can fun with, do a bit of dragging in the winter then SJ/shows in the summer (only upto 2ft6 probs!

Can't go wrong with a fell ;) My lad can jump over a metre, the highest he's gone with me is 3ft3, I'm too scared to try anything higher :p
 
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