''Whats with the carthorse..???''

[abbijay]

HHH you are not alone. I have a Clydesdale and find people can be very patronising about him. The summer before last I turned up at a local ODE and one of the stewards got asked, "is that a clydesdale going to do a dressage test?" bless her she replied, "actually he's going to do the whole ODE." Then when I was going into the SJ I overheard two prissy pony types saying, "oh my god, look! That horse is going to have a go at jumping. We have to go and watch, this will be hilarious!!" That was all the motivation I needed. BP jumped an immense double clear

Needless to say as we left the ring and the same girls were commenting, "well it's hardly fair letting a horse that big in the beginners section." It was the first ever ODE for me and BP so we were definitely in the right place.
I love that my horse stands out from the crowd. Generally the people who comment on him are so positive and the kind of people I want to talk to. He is a bit of a marmite horse but I think a lot of the negativity is jealously that their expensive blood horses can't do half of what he does!
Be proud of your horse, after all wouldn't you rather have a multi-talented cart horse that is your best friend than an overpriced nutter that you are too scared to do anything with?

 

[Fransurrey]

Abbijay, that horse is beeyootiful!! I only get sizist comments, generally. If it's a man who says, "That horse is a bit small", I simply reply that, "Size doesn't matter and I'm sure your wife tells you that all the time." One bloke was so shocked, then guffawed and chuckled, "Fair response!"

 

[cblover]

I've owned my big cob mare for over 8 years and if I had a pound for every time someone said 'what you doing on that cart horse' I'd be a millionaire! lol

She's not a clyde but a big draft type that clearly some uneducated people believe she should have a cart behind her and not me on board! One man many years ago was very rude about her and just went on and on at me....whilst fixing some fencing on the yard I was at.

I very quietly and calmly filled my wheel barrow up with droppings and emptied them in his car......and told him that next time the content of my barrow would be in his mouth!!! LOL Never heard another word from him......surprise surprise! x

 

[AdorableAlice]

I am growing myself a carthorse, he is 17 months old and is heading for the dressage arena in due course and he won't be disgracing himself.

and here is the current carthorse, 6 year old, and this morning we found the button for medium trot. She has leg yield, shoulder fore, renver, traver, rein back and a square halt everytime. Never been schooled in it's life, been with us 3 months and was totally nappy in the school. Now she is a pocket rocket and will make her first appearance in the dressage arena at Christmas. Manners on the ground still a bit suspect and work in progress.

Many a good tune can be played on a carthorse ! plus they don't break too often, are cheap to feed and don't need a dozen rugs.

 

[Lolo]

"Mummy, are Shire horses allowed to do pony club?" asked by a tiny girl at a rally with Henry. He was 14hh at a push, but had knee high huge white feathers and a big white face so was a bit atypical for most PC things! He did trounce everyone SJ over 1m+ courses, and merrily go round 1.10m ODEs thogh, so people tended to start being a bit worried by his presence- but we all laughed at him because he did look totally bonkers in a line up! All these smart little TB types, and then Henry at the top looking like a mini Shire! And when he did turns, you'd never think such a wide pony could turn so quickly.

Best one was when he went into a jump off at a rival PCs show, and the teenagers in 1st and 2nd on their smart horses went "Oh we don't have to worry about this!"... 5 seconds faster than them No one else was like that though- most carthorse comments were affectionate, as everyone knew he was insanely good.

The mini-carthorse pinging a BE Novice fence!