PTP Qualification

BonneMaman

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Hi All - I am going to visit the next Ascot Bloodstock Sales and wanted a bit of advice - well actually, any advice would be good!

But, specifically - the qualifications for PTP ing.

I believe the qualification is that the horse must have hunted but how much? I mean, can you just roll up at the meet with said horse, trot down the road with hunt and then load back up on one day? Or must you have spent much more time/days?

Can I very wrongly assume that a horse that has PTP ed and therefore hunted has been school to a reasonable level like a "normal" hunter ie you can get on it normally (not legged up at walk), that it will bascule over a fence, have an understanding of aids - stop would be good?

God, now I sound like a complete numpty - I do actually have 30 years worth of horse owning (pony, TB, TB, WB, IDx) experience! But I have NEVER done this before!!

Thank you for any help!

Fi
 

A1fie

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Hi - ok,don't take this as gospel but this is how I understand it. At our hunt, you would pay a p2p subscription, which is much cheaper than a full one. You would need to hunt your horse 4 times and then the secretary would sign you off. I think there is a bit of flexibility if you have a horse that's a total nut!

I don't know that you could assume that if you buy a horse that has p2p'ed that he will be used to hunting and will make a nice shape over a jump - it depends on their owners. Some people do hunt their pointers, but some literally just turn up, bouce around for an hour, pick their way over the ground and go home as quick as possible!

It might be an idea to check with your local hunt secretary. Good luck at the sales.
 

Lolo

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Our horse PTP'd, and so had to hunt. He did the bare minimum (and has the scars from backing into several hedges on his bum to prove it!).

On the second point, no you can't expect them to be well schooled. Reg jumped jumps like he did when he pointed- fast and flat. It's taken nearly 18 months to get him used to jumping from a nice canter, he makes a nice shape now but is still a pole-basher. He is a supreme XC horse though!
 

giveachance

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Most hunts will give you a qualification certificate for a fee, without the horse having ever seen a pack of hounds. In fact most pointers I know of have never and would never go hunting as they are quite skittish and the couple that have hunted have done the bare minimum to avoid risk of injury (so never jumped).

That having been said the pointer I rode last season had hunted a lot and jumped a lot out hunting, and on the point to point yard that I ride out on all the horse do grid work and pole work.

My advice would be to have a look at the catalogue to see which horses you might be interested in and then track down the hunts with which they qualified with (most owners/trainers will be happy to tell you) and then you can ring the hunt secretary and find out how much hunting they did and what they were really like.
 

charterline

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Most hunts will give you a qualification certificate for a fee, without the horse having ever seen a pack of hounds. In fact most pointers I know of have never and would never go hunting as they are quite skittish and the couple that have hunted have done the bare minimum to avoid risk of injury (so never jumped).

Surely the whole point of p2p is that HAVE to have been hunting to qualify?
 

Miss L Toe

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Surely the whole point of p2p is that HAVE to have been hunting to qualify?
I don't know about specific hunts, but some require that you appear 12 times a season, at least the horses have "seen hounds".
A lot depends on the rider/trainer: for young horses it is a great way of seeing life, starting with cubbing, where jumps are of solid and small variety, and young horses can usually get a lead over them. for older horses and hour or two out hunting is great fun and a relief from the day to day routine.
I think the whole idea of owning a pointer is to have your very own racehorse, to train it yourself [or at least send it to a training yard which you can visit] and have and a jolly good time at the meetings.
Often the p to p circuit in the UK is used by young amateurs who want to become NH jockeys and by stable lads who want to progress to conditional or amateur jockeys. Experience is difficult to gain, so parents may buy a pointer for their offspring to learn on ..... just like AP McCoy!!!
 
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JenniferB

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For our local hunt horses are supposed to turn out a minimum of 4 times, but sometimes this isn't possible - for instance our good ground horses won't be back in work in time. We usually get at least 4 or 5 meetings in (as many pre-opening meet as possible - quieter and less dangerous!), taking 3 or 4 horses out each time. I know some hunts take your money and would prefer you not to turn out though... We usually stick around for a couple of hours depending on the weather/ground.

Every pointer we have in has a basic grounding - they're expected to walk, trot and canter in a decent outline, and we'll pop over little fences hunting if it's safe enough to do so. As the unlucky b**ger on the little lad last season I had to do gates a couple of times - was never a problem getting on from the ground, no leg up in walk required! A lot of people have the impression that racehorses are mental, but to be honest the NH & P2P horses I've worked with are some of the straightest animals I've ever come across. Flat horses are often a different kettle of fish however...

Good luck at the sales, as mentioned above go through the catalogue and work out what you want to see. Go look in the stables first if you can - it's easy to miss a touch of a leg in the heat of the moment in the sale ring. It might be worth your while posting in CR too, there are a few racing people who lurk about there!
 

Baggybreeches

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For our local hunt horses are supposed to turn out a minimum of 4 times, but sometimes this isn't possible - for instance our good ground horses won't be back in work in time. We usually get at least 4 or 5 meetings in (as many pre-opening meet as possible - quieter and less dangerous!), taking 3 or 4 horses out each time. I know some hunts take your money and would prefer you not to turn out though... We usually stick around for a couple of hours depending on the weather/ground.

Every pointer we have in has a basic grounding - they're expected to walk, trot and canter in a decent outline, and we'll pop over little fences hunting if it's safe enough to do so. As the unlucky b**ger on the little lad last season I had to do gates a couple of times - was never a problem getting on from the ground, no leg up in walk required! A lot of people have the impression that racehorses are mental, but to be honest the NH & P2P horses I've worked with are some of the straightest animals I've ever come across. Flat horses are often a different kettle of fish however...

Good luck at the sales, as mentioned above go through the catalogue and work out what you want to see. Go look in the stables first if you can - it's easy to miss a touch of a leg in the heat of the moment in the sale ring. It might be worth your while posting in CR too, there are a few racing people who lurk about there!

Yep this is pretty much what I do to get my qualifications, also you need a riders certificate and a medical if you intend ride yourself.
The better yards will have horse that have worked properly and jump well (I am also very pleased when people comment on how nicely my horses jump) one of the horses I rode out last season is currently doing pretty well in the dressage arena.
And they tens to be very quick learners so any habits can be ironed out if needs be.
 

amage

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Be aware though that if you buy one from Ireland they don't have to hunt over here to get their cert. That being said alot of the proper yards have them working in an outline, popping fences etc
 

Miss L Toe

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Am I right in thinking every point to point owner has to undergo a sort of "blooding", ie by carrying a ferret in their breeches for an hour while jumping a ditch and hedge, and a five bar gate before the Master?
I suggest you go to the local puppy show to meet a few locals, wear your body protector and carry a skull cap and they might let you have a pop on one of the Masters horses.
 
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Dobiegirl

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I have to say one of my pet hates are p2ps who come to the meet, hack on the road and then go home.

When I rode p2ps hunting to qualify I stayed out most of the day and they won p2ps but that was a good few years ago. Horses were never lame because they were looked after and they went out with the foxhounds as well as the staghounds.

Even in this day and age racehorse trainers are seeing the wisdom of hunting to sweeten up their charges and they do stay out most of the day.
 
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