Veteran Showing Opinions....

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horsefeed

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My old lad is 40, Tbx, always show jumped and been basically retired for about 2 years, he does have a potter round the lanes bareback during the summer months though and he absolutely loves pony parties (AKA shows) he is absolutely buzzing you can just see it in him when your out. He gets miserable if just left in field. I generally do ridden as he is a handful on the ground, drags me about. Pic is him last July. We did a very basic, walk, trot and tiny canter individual show at which point he got very excited, bucked and tanked off over the cross pole that was set up in the ring!! He won the class and was very pleased.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10209195568983805&l=3edb584303

We are however a year further down the road he is looking thinner and generally older, winter woollies not helping and I am sure spring grass will sort him out, He is still basically sound but very uneven. Vet said to take him out because it will do his moral good but I am worried of others judging him/me because of how he looks, I am think about a class mid April but not sure, what are your thoughts on showing the older than old ones that are starting to look rough?

It will have to be ridden as just can't hold him when he gets full of it on the ground!! He nearly dragged my OH over on sunday just going for a walk down the lane!
 
Does it have to be showing? You are worried about being judged on looks but that's basically what showing is all about! I would have suggested intro/prelim dressage as that's more performance based until you said he was a bit unlevel so you may be setting yourself up for elimination. What about some horse agility or trek (ridden) or just trailering up to the beach or to some "new to him" places, or hire an xc course just for a ride around and a play in the water!
 
It doesn't have to be showing, he's not sound enough for dressage. Even though old he is a good looking horse but he looks very old now :( Tried hiring a XC course to have a wander round and he spent whole time jogging and trying to rip my arms out theirs sockets!! I'm only planning on doing local stuff so might just take him and ride him round a bit and see how he goes. Its more other people complaining about him that I am worried about, a good judge will understand that hes 40 and old horses look old.
 
horsefeed said:
It doesn't have to be showing, he's not sound enough for dressage. Even though old he is a good looking horse but he looks very old now :( Tried hiring a XC course to have a wander round and he spent whole time jogging and trying to rip my arms out theirs sockets!! I'm only planning on doing local stuff so might just take him and ride him round a bit and see how he goes. Its more other people complaining about him that I am worried about, a good judge will understand that hes 40 and old horses look old.
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If he isnt sound enough for dressage then he deffinitly isnt sound enough for showing.
Whilst in veteran showing classes stiffness is forgiven, unlevel will not be and you could well find yourself being asked to dismount and leave the ring.
 
conniegirl said:
If he isnt sound enough for dressage then he deffinitly isnt sound enough for showing.
Whilst in veteran showing classes stiffness is forgiven, unlevel will not be and you could well find yourself being asked to dismount and leave the ring.
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Thank you, he is fine on the straight but get tottery on circles, age is catching up with him unfortunately. I will just take him and wander round I think
 
I could be wrong, but as far as I remember, you can show under SSADL and VHS rules on Bute if it helps. Put an age badge on his bridle and then people will marvel at how well he looks for his age. If you're worried about asking too much of him, ask to sit out the canter part of the round show, and keep your own show as short and as straight as you can. Canter up one long side, change the rein in walk if need be and then canter up the other long side. Make it up to suit your horse. Veteran showing horses come from all walks of life and judges are supposed to reward according to age and background, so for example they wouldn't expect the same perfect execution of a ridden show by a 40 year-old ex SJ horse that they would of a 15 year-old that had been showing all its life. You would probably do better in SSADL affiliated classes where the judges actually know how to assess according to age, and where a non showing background counts for something. There is a list of shows on the SSADL website, most of them are local shows for the first rounds, but judges do have to be panel judges.
 
Dynamo said:
I could be wrong, but as far as I remember, you can show under SSADL and VHS rules on Bute if it helps. Put an age badge on his bridle and then people will marvel at how well he looks for his age. If you're worried about asking too much of him, ask to sit out the canter part of the round show, and keep your own show as short and as straight as you can. Canter up one long side, change the rein in walk if need be and then canter up the other long side. Make it up to suit your horse. Veteran showing horses come from all walks of life and judges are supposed to reward according to age and background, so for example they wouldn't expect the same perfect execution of a ridden show by a 40 year-old ex SJ horse that they would of a 15 year-old that had been showing all its life. You would probably do better in SSADL affiliated classes where the judges actually know how to assess according to age, and where a non showing background counts for something. There is a list of shows on the SSADL website, most of them are local shows for the first rounds, but judges do have to be panel judges.
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Thank you for this info :) He is not any painkiller at the moment apart from turmeric and oil, couple of days of danilon and he would look sound enough to go hunting!! lol I will definitely look into SSADL and see what I can find locally.
 
TBF to him he does look old because he is old! What a fab chap :) I do think if you are doing ridden though people would want him to look at least as he is does in the picture you have posted, obviously only you know how he looks at the moment but I would see how he is doing once he has had his moult and a bit of spring grass :), if he looks ok stick your age badge on and off you go :).
 
ester said:
TBF to him he does look old because he is old! What a fab chap :) I do think if you are doing ridden though people would want him to look at least as he is does in the picture you have posted, obviously only you know how he looks at the moment but I would see how he is doing once he has had his moult and a bit of spring grass :), if he looks ok stick your age badge on and off you go :).
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Thank you, he isn't far off picture not so sleek as winter woollies and dropped a bit of weight, I am going to move him on to the summer paddock beginning of March as he goes on hunger strike this time of year and refuses to eat hay or hard feed!! Its his way of saying fed up with winter!! He is getting mixture of grass nuts, beet and haylage at the moment and picking up again
 
Firstly he looks fab for his age in your summer pic :)

I've done local small club show veteran in-hand and ridden and it's not strenuous and the judging more forgiving. Proper VHS classes though ime have huge entries and it's quite tough on an oldie especially one of 40yrs. One I did was delayed because of the previous class running over and we ended up waiting for hours in the hot sun. My horse was in the pre-veteran category at 18 at the time but I wouldn't have wanted to put a 40yr old through that.

Would love to see some pics of him up and going this year when you have some :) mines 22 this year and I hope to keep him going as long as possible.
 
Sussexbythesea said:
Firstly he looks fab for his age in your summer pic :)

I've done local small club show veteran in-hand and ridden and it's not strenuous and the judging more forgiving. Proper VHS classes though ime have huge entries and it's quite tough on an oldie especially one of 40yrs. One I did was delayed because of the previous class running over and we ended up waiting for hours in the hot sun. My horse was in the pre-veteran category at 18 at the time but I wouldn't have wanted to put a 40yr old through that.

Would love to see some pics of him up and going this year when you have some :) mines 22 this year and I hope to keep him going as long as possible.
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Only going to do local stuff again I think, Just to get him out not worried about a showing career just some fun. I will take some pics and put on here when we do get out
 
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