Showing - Bitting for Hunter & Small Riding Horse

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Vickyxx

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First post on here!

I'm new to showing this season; I have a few questions.

I'm hoping to try my hand at both hunter classes and riding horse classes with my horse and see which she is best suited to as many people asked are unsure as she does seem to overlap!

My main question is - bitting.
I know local level would be lenient but at county +, is a double bridle an essential for both hunters and riding horses?
At the moment she is only ridden in a snaffle as had no need for anything more and Im not sure if she's ready for a Pelham let alone a double!
Is a snaffle acceptable? (I'm not interested in the novice classes)
If I get her going in a Pelham with two reins would that be acceptable?


Just curious, what is the difference between:
-ridden hunter
-show hunter
-working hunter


Thank you in advance!
 
Ridden Hunter/ Show Hunter are the same thing. Working Hunter you jump a course of rustic fences then go on to do your show.

If starting off at local level then your snaffle will be fine to start with but do school your horse into a double bridle - more so for Hunters, you can get away with a show pelham for Riding Horse classes.
 
Yes at county level in show hunter or riding horse classes a Pelham or a double is nessecary! Even the novice hunters are shown in doubles.
Also at county level the judge will ride your horse, so make sure her schooling and manners are up to scratch and that she is comfortable with the atmosphere at shows before you even think of putting a judge onboard.
Can I ask why you are not interested in novice classes?
 
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OP I think you'll be surprised at the level of novice affiliated classes, it's not like unaff where the novices only canter in individual shows ;)
 
choose a pelham with the same mouthpiece as your snaffle, of you ride correctly in a pelham you should be fine
 
At "county level" - by which I guess you mean affiliated, you cannot register or show as a riding horse and a hunter in the same season. A horse has to be one or the other.
 
I would suggest you pop up a picture as they are strictly very different types.

Riding horses are always double reins, where as Novice Hunters (I wouldn't be anti these at your first time out) Snaffle is acceptable.
Sports horse is another class where Snaffle is actually the preferred bitting so you could also look at these.
 
Thank you, I thought this. At the moment I'm still unsure of which class she would be best suited to - I was asking about both purely to gather the information so that I know when we decide on the best class for her.
 
3bh said:
At "county level" - by which I guess you mean affiliated, you cannot register or show as a riding horse and a hunter in the same season. A horse has to be one or the other.
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Thank you, I thought this. At the moment I'm still unsure of which class she would be best suited to - I was asking about both purely to gather the information so that I know when we decide on the best class for her.
 
dianchi said:
I would suggest you pop up a picture as they are strictly very different types.
Click to expand...

Thank you, I haven't gotten used to how to use this forum yet - I've posted some pictures of her in an album 'Leam Tess Is: Victoria's Secret' on my profile.
She is a 15.1hh/15.2hh pure Connemara - over height but also has a sportier conformation, not very traditional at all, quite spidley long legs but good muscle (and fat!!spring grass) coverage
I'm yet to trim her up for the season as she has been out of work for a while but hopefully the pictures will be able to give a rough idea?!
Sorry - I'm an eventer - pretty clueless about all this showing.
 
conniegirl said:
Can I ask why you are not interested in novice classes?
Click to expand...

I will be doing novice classes to begin with and thought a snaffle was acceptable - I worded my question wrong - I said I wasn't interested as I thought I already knew the answer! oops!
Also I aim to be moving away from novice as soon as we are ready (if what I have gathered from different forums is right that the jumps are lower in novice) as my horse does a lot better with more substantial, bigger jumps - she has been known to lack respect for smaller fences.
 
Vickyxx said:
Thank you, I haven't gotten used to how to use this forum yet - I've posted some pictures of her in an album 'Leam Tess Is: Victoria's Secret' on my profile.
She is a 15.1hh/15.2hh pure Connemara - over height but also has a sportier conformation, not very traditional at all, quite spidley long legs but good muscle (and fat!!spring grass) coverage
I'm yet to trim her up for the season as she has been out of work for a while but hopefully the pictures will be able to give a rough idea?!
Sorry - I'm an eventer - pretty clueless about all this showing.
Click to expand...

At her height she will be either a small hunter or small RH, novice classes as a hunter at county level will be fairly pointless as she will be totally overshadowed by big horses, to me she looks too ponyish to be a small hunter at anything other than local level, if you are under 25?? possibly try the intermediate classes, in the photos she does look very much like what she is, an overgrown connie and you may find she lacks the quality to show in RH classes at county level where most are tbs or pbas with really flashy paces and elegance, something most connies will just lack, she is a lovely type but possibly best suited to eventing/ being a super allrounder.
 
Vickyxx said:
I will be doing novice classes to begin with and thought a snaffle was acceptable - I worded my question wrong - I said I wasn't interested as I thought I already knew the answer! oops!
Also I aim to be moving away from novice as soon as we are ready (if what I have gathered from different forums is right that the jumps are lower in novice) as my horse does a lot better with more substantial, bigger jumps - she has been known to lack respect for smaller fences.
Click to expand...

Now you are talking about open workers, something totally different, any bit/ bridle is acceptable although I prefer to see them in a double as was traditional, the courses at open level are serious, again you will be a little one in among huge horses most nearer 17 hands than 15, if you are young enough look at what you can do in working pony classes, they go up to 15.2 as intermediates.
 
be positive said:
At her height she will be either a small hunter or small RH, novice classes as a hunter at county level will be fairly pointless as she will be totally overshadowed by big horses, to me she looks too ponyish to be a small hunter at anything other than local level, if you are under 25?? possibly try the intermediate classes, in the photos she does look very much like what she is, an overgrown connie and you may find she lacks the quality to show in RH classes at county level where most are tbs or pbas with really flashy paces and elegance, something most connies will just lack, she is a lovely type but possibly best suited to eventing/ being a super allrounder.
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I'm 15. She actually only carries the looks of a connie, her paces (ive been told) are flashy ad that she moves like a warmbloodxtb, silly pony, likes to make life difficult as M&M is out of the question.
Thank you, she is actually an eventer at the moment but I've been looking into showing as a bit of a change for her.
 
be positive said:
Now you are talking about open workers, something totally different, any bit/ bridle is acceptable although I prefer to see them in a double as was traditional, the courses at open level are serious, again you will be a little one in among huge horses most nearer 17 hands than 15, if you are young enough look at what you can do in working pony classes, they go up to 15.2 as intermediates.
Click to expand...

Oh gosh, now I am really confused! Maybe I should just stick with eventing!
Thanks, I will look into the WHP as she's about 15.1hh and I'm only 15.
 
Take a look at these links, there will be plenty to occupy you, probably even a few classes for overheight M&Ms, at your age you can do so much without going into open classes when there is no need, you can do workers/ flat classes at county level and be on a more level playing field than in RH or open hunter type classes, make the most of it while you are young, it may take you a while to go through all the rules/ classes.
Horsegossip would be the best forum for help as it is very showing orientated.
http://www.poniesuk.org/

http://www.bsps.com/
 
be positive said:
Take a look at these links, there will be plenty to occupy you, probably even a few classes for overheight M&Ms, at your age you can do so much without going into open classes when there is no need, you can do workers/ flat classes at county level and be on a more level playing field than in RH or open hunter type classes, make the most of it while you are young, it may take you a while to go through all the rules/ classes.
Horsegossip would be the best forum for help as it is very showing orientated.
http://www.poniesuk.org/

http://www.bsps.com/
Click to expand...

Thank you SO much for the links... so am I right in saying we are eligible for...
Intermediate show riding type
Intermediate Show Hunter
Intermediate Working Hunter
 
Yes, there are plenty to choose from, most will have novices as well as home produced and a myriad of other options once you get into it.
 
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