What is required in Handy Pony classes?

[MileAMinute]

Hoping to enter my young gelding in a handy pony class at a local show. He's very green in terms of ridden work as hasn't been in work long (will W&T in school and will canter out hacking) but is unflappable. I plan to enter him in a few inhand classes and then handy pony as a ridden treat!

I don't want to win a ton of rosettes (although it would be rather nice!) but I don't want to look a fool. What can I practice with him in terms of handy pony?

A friend has suggested gates, picking flags off jump wings, and tarpaulin (all done with ease except haven't found a gate I can lift on horseback so far, although we have practised going through narrow 'gates' made from jump wings!)

Help, please! Wine and snack-a-jacks on offer

 

[ivandenisovich10]

Years ago, handy ponies I did we had to walk under a washing line with flappy clothes! Don't know I'd Health and saftey would allow that now tho!

 

[Littlelegs]

Daughter does them at a few local shows, content varies but I've seen:
Walking under a washing line with balloons &/or clothes.
- over a tarpaulin
- over a 'body' usually made of straw filled clothes with a football in a hat for a head.
- staying in a set line circling someone spinning a brolly
- past person shaking binbags or flags
- riding with a brolly/flag/ balloons.
- in & out of poles with bags/ flags on.
Last year someone rode a quad round too. Normally involves opening/closing a gate & often mounting & dismounting unassisted too.

 

[JFTDWS]

Depends very much where you are and the motivations of the organiser

rescuing stuffed sheep from fencing and delivering to the safety of a fold (bucket ), trec style obstacles, jumps, low branches, really depends on the facilities too It'll be fun - enjoy!

 

[Honey08]

Generally the ones my stepson has done around here have involved walking over plastic, opening and shutting a gate, walking over a small wooden "bridge", walking past an umbrella or flapping plastic, bending - often with balloons on the top of the poles, honking a horn (bycycle/clown type) picking up a bag of rattling things and carrying them to another point, pegging washing, reversing - often into a "roadworks" area of cones etc. Sometimes there is a tiny crosspole involved too. Occasionally they are timed.

Don't worry - you won't make a fool of yourself. I judge it at a friend's show every year, and I mark each obstacle out of ten, so even if you mess one bit up/out you can still do well. Lots of people go in with quite spooky horses. Some people get run off with at every obstacle! The judge should encourage. Its a fun class at the end of the day..

 

[Charlie Bucket]

One handy pony I did with my pony included doing a line of trotting poles whilst carrying a jug full of water - idea was not to spill any.

Needless to say jug was empty and my jods were soaked by the end of it!

Good luck - wish I could still do them!

 

[Racergirl]

I LOVE handy pony classes !!!!!


Cant really add much to the others - though sometimes you will have to dismount and lead your horse through a trailer - and get on from a block on the right hand side (so the "wrong" side) but as the others have said, its all discretion of the judge really - prepare for sillyness and fun !!!

the walking over tarpaulin thing is very popular these days too...

good luck !!

 

[JFTDWS]

One handy pony I did with my pony included doing a line of trotting poles whilst carrying a jug full of water - idea was not to spill any.

Needless to say jug was empty and my jods were soaked by the end of it!

Ahh I love this It fits will with my mis-spent youth, turning horses out in trot bareback while drinking from a can of coke

 

[YorksG]

We had a water tray, filled with water and rubber ducks, that the horses had to walk through, not jump over We have also had a road works track and a ride in forward and reverse out box, next to three penned sheep Pretty much anything the organiser can come up with and has the stuff to hand. We also tend to have post boxes and letters to post. Have fun and don't worry about looking silly, it is a silly class

 

[Charlie Bucket]

Ahh I love this It fits will with my mis-spent youth, turning horses out in trot bareback while drinking from a can of coke

Haha - mis spent horsey youths, you can't beat them!
I think the best I ever did was cantering up the track and doing the YMCA at the same time! So much fun was had!

 

[JFTDWS]

Haha - mis spent horsey youths, you can't beat them!
I think the best I ever did was cantering up the track and doing the YMCA at the same time! So much fun was had!

Awesome I used to do the YMCA down grids, and do things like take my jacket off, put sun glasses on etc These days, riding down the grid without disaster is considered an achievement

 

[Charlie Bucket]

We've all turned into a bunch of health and safety nuts, to be honest I'm surprised they even still do handy pony! So much fun Good luck OP and report back!

And the putting sunglasses thing on has reminded me of the 'Dressing Up Race' in mounted games...putting on random articles of clothing whilst galloping flat out around cones... That's it I'm buying a 12.2 and resorting to my youth!

 

[MileAMinute]

Oh these are all great, thankyou very much!!! Will get my inventive hat on and drum some of these up. Will try and get pics too

The only one I won't be able to do is pop a crosspole, I've done no jumping with him and don't intend to until late next year, but I don't mind, it's all good fun!

 

[JFTDWS]

And the putting sunglasses thing on has reminded me of the 'Dressing Up Race' in mounted games...putting on random articles of clothing whilst galloping flat out around cones... That's it I'm buying a 12.2 and resorting to my youth!

I'd say that's your best idea yet

The only one I won't be able to do is pop a crosspole, I've done no jumping with him and don't intend to until late next year, but I don't mind, it's all good fun!

good luck, would love to see pics! I read this as "pop a casserole in", which is not something I've ever seen in a handy pony class