Show pony to dressage diva ?

[smiggy]

Am pondering getting another pony for dressage and have seen a nice ex show pony advertised, only five but had splints and hence out of top level showing.
Am looking to get to Ele and want to do bd etc.
has anyone converted a show pony to dressage and was it harder or easier than you expected?
he has nice paces, only seen video, not a daisy cutter.
looks very tight in the neck and can see that will be the issue.
any experience , good or bad appreciated !

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

My friend had a 12.2 show pony for her daughter and he became quite naughty in a show ring so they decided to do dressage with him, he had really good paces so did really well and was a different pony behaviour wise, I think the showing environment just wound him up as he was quite hot, they did affiliated up to novice then sold him as a dressage pony and I think his still competing, I can't see why most show horses can't do dressage I know a lot of show Arabs go on to do dressage after they have won everything else in a show ring, and I know a few of those have got to a high level and done really well.

 

[BritishLion]

I have just started dressage with my 7 year old C stallion. We have had him since a foal and until August, he had only ever shown. He has taken to dressage so well and won the Prelim last weekend with 76%+. We do sometimes get the odd comment saying tense but in showing this would be presence I think but the two have crossed over well for me.

 

[Carrottom]

I know someone who tried dressage with a fairly successful show hunter. Free walk was definitely a problem at first.

 

[conniegirl]

My Top quality showing welsh C also does dressage, he seems to find it rather dull (he loves a BIG atmosphere) but always scores 70%+

 

[NinjaPony]

I bought a 10 year old working hunter connemara because I wanted to show, and then ended up converting to dressage. Best thing I've ever done, would 100% do again.

He was totally unphased by competition atmosphere, warm up ring, flowers etc. He came with an excellent balanced canter, nicely off the aids and very polite. He went up to elementary BD with decent +67% scores and schooled medium at home.

The main issue was that he had been taught to school in a 'pretty' but fundamentally 'incorrect' way. It took a while to teach him to stretch, and to really work over his back. His go-to was always to get tense and shorten the neck. His free walk was always rubbish, better once the stretching happened but not great. Had to teach him a medium trot which was always hit and miss, but his medium and collected canters were excellent. He had never done any lateral work before, so that took a little while but once it clicked it was pretty decent.

If all the basics are in place, and the pony has a good temperament, the transition is often very rewarding!

 

[Goldenstar]

Sky was a show hunter before he came to me .
It’s taken a year to develop him as I would like , his walk was terrible and I probably stripped over seventy kilos off him he’s now a completely different shape .
He goes to his first BD next week we have had out unaffiliated a few times for training recently and he scores well at novice so we shall see .I will report back .

 

[smiggy]

Hmm tense neck, not working through back and rubbish free walk was pretty much what I was expecting , but he is only young so..
will go and see if he is a nice person .

 

[McFluff]

Mine did m&m showing before I got him.
As others have said, the positives are that he’s happy in a show environment and great to work in, never affected by other horses behaviour etc.
He’s welsh so random spooking is mandatory though!
He has fab paces, but has been taught to go tense and with presence, so his outline wasn’t correct. Neither was his big trot, that has taken a bit of work to retrain.
He’s good to teach and is learning to soften and work from his hind legs through his back. His go to is tension though, so it’s a work in progress.
Doing well at prelim and working well at novice level. Trainer thinks he’ll go much higher as has lots of scope. I just need to up my game and keep up with him!

 

[little_critter]

I have a failed show horse, he was a Riding Horse but not enough quality.
He so easy to take out and about, and well mannered.
His way of going was long and flat so I'm trying to gather him up into a more 'dressage' frame.
We are only at Prelim / Novice level at the moment but I remain hopeful.