Ready made show-ponies...

[Shantara]

Was browsing a horsey facebook group and someone mentioned that they were placed below a "ready-made" pony and that they had worked really hard so felt a bit miffed.

Surely shows are judged on presentation and quality rather than how hard you've personally worked on the horse?

As most of you know, I've worked very very hard with Neddy to get him behaving at shows, but I didn't resent my placing in the showing classes. There were better looking horses than Ned, ready-made or not!

What are your thoughts?

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

So what if someone goes out and buys a ready made pony for their kid! Their money to spend. The judge doesn't know, nor care who has bought ready made ponies and who has done them from scratch.

I have been accused of buying ready made ponies in the past and I deem it as a compliment to the fact that the animal I am sitting on is all my own hard work.

At the end of the day the judge is (in theory) judging what is in front of them on the day - not the work done at home.

 

[Shantara]

So what if someone goes out and buys a ready made pony for their kid! Their money to spend. The judge doesn't know, nor care who has bought ready made ponies and who has done them from scratch.

I have been accused of buying ready made ponies in the past and I deem it as a compliment to the fact that the animal I am sitting on is all my own hard work.

At the end of the day the judge is (in theory) judging what is in front of them on the day - not the work done at home.

My thoughts exactly. Apart from those on my yard (since the shows are held at my yard) no one really knows the work I've done with Ned. For all they and the judges know I could have bought him ready-made (kind of..) the day before!
Which is another reason no one from my yard judges the showing classes. We all know each other and get on very well, so it would be tempting to put those you like above the others.

 

[Dizzleton]

I think it is the same in all disciplines from showing to showjumping.

Please note, I am in no way saying this goes for all people; but generally if people have a lot of money to spend on a top of the class horse, they tend to go for a ready made, ready schooled, preened and fancy one, e.g totally push button instead of doing the hard work themselves.

Whilst the idea is nice that you sit on it and it goes beautifully, I personally would prefer to train and overcome problems myself. But each to their own, ey?!

 

[Nightmare before Christmas]

I think it is the same in all disciplines from showing to showjumping.

Please note, I am in no way saying this goes for all people; but generally if people have a lot of money to spend on a top of the class horse, they tend to go for a ready made, ready schooled, preened and fancy one, e.g totally push button instead of doing the hard work themselves.

Whilst the idea is nice that you sit on it and it goes beautifully, I personally would prefer to train and overcome problems myself. But each to their own, ey?!

The thing with fine tuned comp horses....you still have to be able to ride them! Only ridden them for other people though. Always produced my own horses

 

[Shantara]

I think it is the same in all disciplines from showing to showjumping.

Please note, I am in no way saying this goes for all people; but generally if people have a lot of money to spend on a top of the class horse, they tend to go for a ready made, ready schooled, preened and fancy one, e.g totally push button instead of doing the hard work themselves.

Whilst the idea is nice that you sit on it and it goes beautifully, I personally would prefer to train and overcome problems myself. But each to their own, ey?!

Also agree with all this! Working with Neddy has been the most fun I've ever had and taught me so much! But as you said, if you have the money, why not?

 

[WelshD]

ponies arent born ready made - someone had to make them so it really annoys me when I hear competitors sour grapes

As for those who can afford to buy them 'ready made' good luck to them - if they have the skills or contacts to keep everything together then they deserve success

So many times a pony will slide in to oblivion after being bought, its not as easy as it looks to keep them at the top

 

[Nightmare before Christmas]

ponies arent born ready made - someone had to make them so it really annoys me when I hear competitors sour grapes

As for those who can afford to buy them 'ready made' good luck to them - if they have the skills or contacts to keep everything together then they deserve success

So many times a pony will slide in to oblivion after being bought, its not as easy as it looks to keep them at the top

sort of what I was getting at!

 

[Shantara]

ponies arent born ready made - someone had to make them so it really annoys me when I hear competitors sour grapes

As for those who can afford to buy them 'ready made' good luck to them - if they have the skills or contacts to keep everything together then they deserve success

So many times a pony will slide in to oblivion after being bought, its not as easy as it looks to keep them at the top

Agree with you too, haha!
I think people forget that SOMEONE has put the hard work behind the horse, even if it wasn't the owners. As you say, getting to the top is one thing, but staying there is entirely different!