Veteran Showing???

[DunRoamin]

As much as my little Buzz Loves his jumping i realise that at some point i'll have to ease off him at bit, and was wondering what age they have to be to be entered in a veteran class and what it entails??? he's always been a competition pony and i dont think he'll handle Retirement or semi retirement very well and will need to be kept going out..

 

[Mickeymoo]

How old is he? We are joining the VHS next year and will be doing the classes at county shows and hopefully qualify for the regionals. If you look on VHS website it explains everything.

Ours isn't ready to retire. He is 22 and last year did a bloodhound meet and a hunter trial. We only jump him over 65cm courses now, but he does showing and dressage. We keep him fit by a couple of short hacks in the week, and an 8 or 9 mile hack at the weekend. We dont take him over 12 miles now.

There is plenty of life left in these old boys. We found keeping him ticking over keeps him young.

Last week I was playing in the manage on him and he was attempting half pass and leg yeild in canter.. Not bad for 22.

 

[emmac70]

It's usually for horses or ponies that are 15yrs or older. the Veteran Horse Society's classes are split into 3 age groups - 15 to 19, 20 to 24 and 25+ but most riding clubs and other local shows usually put all ages together, there are usually seperate classes for ridden and in hand. Judges usually look at the horse's condition and way of going in relation to its age and its outlook/ attitude (does it look lke its happy to be there and doing work), lumps and bumps don't tend to be an issue.

 

[DunRoamin]

Awesome he's 17 and still acts like a 5 year old, but i would like to plan for his future and keep him fit and well for as long as poss, jumped him for the first time in ages yesterday and he was brilliant and loved it

 

[teresagarsden]

15 yrs and over is classed as veteran, i have a welsh section c who went whp jumping practice last friday and behaved like a nutter and jumped everything at breakneck speed i have owned her for 25yrs and she has done everything and she is now 27yrs young and refuses to be retired.
I figure she will let me know when she wants to slow down or retire but in the mean time she runs us all ragged.
Good luck with the veteren classes and enjoy every moment.
Teresa x

 

[LauraWheeler]

I did the veteran horse qualifiers. I got to the regonals but the standered of horse there is increadable and alot of the ones in my class had been to hoys. Lucy is 19years young and still works hard hunting once a week all winter and doing a bit of everything inclu endurance rides of up to and inclu 80km in the summer. But the judges don't take this into acount and they even sent us out the ring of the ridden class as they said lucy was lame and i shouldn't be riding her. No one else agreed and the show organiser even gave me my money back. I still believe it was because lucy and i looked so out of place with all the show horses. The regonals cost around £40 - £45 a class to enter and only the champion from 6 classes gets to go to olympia. Good luck if you deside to go for it. The V.H.S also do performance awards which i am hoping lucy will do better in we got 4th last year in our section.