veteran classes

debsflo

debsflo

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Due to a combination of injuries,first suspensories then lack of time and concentrating on daughter and ponies,and a tendon injury last year my 19yr old has mainly been a happy hack.

She is a beautiful belgian warmblood and will be 20 next year. i think she looks in lovley condition and i hope has years left yet. i am hacking out and she is now sound and am thinking of entering some veteran classes next year and then aiming for some low level dressage.

please give me some idea for an in hand veteran class and a ridden one. What do i need,a proper in hand bridle or just her normal one. i think she would love it but i have never done any showing before..
 
In a veteran class you turn out true to type, so normal riding bridle, i always find a nice flat hunter bridle suits the majority of horses.
Inhand classes all go in together, walk round, will be stopped by the steward and competitors trot round to the end of the line. then walk round again, judge may then pull in in order. Competitors will be asked forward in turn, stand in front of the judge, walk away, turn and trot back straight towards the judge and then round back to you're place in line. Usually after all have been walk round again and then get pulled, hopefully at the top of the line out.
Some veteran classes will ask you to use a bridle number to show your horses age.
 
I would just stick to a ridden bridle, i personally hate inhand bridles on anything other than stallions.

In the ridden class you cant wear earings, spurs or gallop, and also I would go for a bridle disk showing her age as some judges will really appreciate the fact you have swotted up
 
Agree with above posts.

I did veteran classes with my old boy and even managed to get to the Regional finals of the VHS a couple of years ago ( I was amazed).

I turned him out plaited / pulled with a double hunter bridle. Me in hacking jacket, shirt / tie, beige jods and long boots, hat, gloves and showing cane.

I bought an age disk from the VHS to put on his bridle (right hand side facing the judges).

On a more personal note, due to his age (34 at the time) he was getting rather stiff behind and was marked down for this which I always felt was slightly unfair as what do they expect! and he was normally the oldest in his class by at least 10 years! But hey ho, that's showing. Even the judges at one regional final said that it was a shame there wasn't a 29 year + class for the real oldies.
 
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