Working hunter breed advice

L&B

L&B

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I am hoping to get into working hunter classes and have been attending some local shows with my trad cob mare.
Whilst she is a good sport, honest and put together well, but I am told she isn't forward enough for what the judges are looking for. She is more suited to the flat classes.

I am looking into getting a youngster (I have brought on all of my horses myself from youngstock) and have the opportunity of two very different ponies both of whom I am told would tick the boxes... But wanted further options from you guys if possible...

The opportunity of a well bred dales pony.
Or an appaloosa - not everyone's cup of tea, but bred also, to do the job.

I am hoping to compete at local and county level as I have enjoyed it so much locally (inspite of few placings). Does anyone have any advice? Is there a breed preference? Please be kind! Whilst I am more accustomed to flat classes I am a novice at the WH...
 
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If you are looking at pony classes and are over the age of 18 then it will have to be the dales.
At county shows there are age limits on the plaited pony classes.
Appies very rarely do well at county shows except in their specific breed classes and there do not tend to be any working hunter classes specific to Appies.

For the Dales pony at county shows you will have to enter the M&M working hunter classes, not the normal working hunter classes.

If you are over the age of 18 and want a plaited then you would be best off going for a nice ISH type.

At county level the workers class you will find the same quality and standard as in the flat hunter classes


That said, a horse can always be schooled to be more forwards! but in the horse classes the judge will ride your horse (not the ponies) rather than you doing a show.
 
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Are you talking horses or ponies?

If you want to compete at County level in WH on a horse, then none of them!

At local level, you can get away with most types, but at County, the horse should be 16hh ++, a quality sports horse type - ISH or WB.
 
Also a bit confused - assume you mean M&M Working Hunter classes for the Dales. If you're planning to do standard Working Hunters on a trad cob or an Appaloosa, you've placed yourself at the bottom of the lineup before you even enter the class!
 
conniegirl said:
If you are looking at pony classes and are over the age of 18 then it will have to be the dales.
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Thankyou for this reply! It's informative and has really helped!
I am indeed an adult & I guess having the dales would mean I could do more classes on the flat at County anyhow (say if workers didn't work out), whereas as you say, the appy would limit me.
Thanks again :)
 
spacefaer said:
Are you talking horses or ponies?

If you want to compete at County level in WH on a horse, then none of them!

At local level, you can get away with most types, but at County, the horse should be 16hh ++, a quality sports horse type - ISH or WB.
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Sorry! Perhaps I should have been clearer. The dales is a pony (obviously) the appy would be to make 16hh - so a different school of fish to that I'm acuustomed. I think given my own preference & replies above it'll be the dales.
 
Auslander said:
Also a bit confused - assume you mean M&M Working Hunter classes for the Dales. If you're planning to do standard Working Hunters on a trad cob or an Appaloosa, you've placed yourself at the bottom of the lineup before you even enter the class!
Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply. As above... I think I should stick with the ponies I am used to - I have an unreg'd dales mare who would do the job however, no good for county due to that fact, sadly.
Can you explain the standard working hunter comment? I am new to all of this as I say?
 
L&B said:
Thanks for the reply. As above... I think I should stick with the ponies I am used to - I have an unreg'd dales mare who would do the job however, no good for county due to that fact, sadly.
Can you explain the standard working hunter comment? I am new to all of this as I say?
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As Spacefaer mentioned above, a county level Working Hunter is a sports horse type - often Irish-bred. Cobs, natives and funny coloured ones won't get a look in.

They generally look like this...
Jo-Callwood-and-Thor-WH-Champion-at-RIHS.jpg
 
I have and breed a few dales ponies, whilst I think they are the most fantastic ponies ever, they are not always the best for workers, I think you would be limited to M&M classes , fell dales and highland, as in the mixed M&M classes, you'd bein the large height section which would be big for most dales

It's a while since I've competed tho so it might all have changed! ��
 
I've done M&M working hunter on a Fell and really enjoyed it. Despite his build he was a great jumper. Depending on his size the Dales would be in one of these sections in the NPS shows.
Class 3 – Ponies exceeding 133cms but not exceeding 143cms
Class 4 – Ponies exceeding 143cms but not exceeding 148 (with the exception of Welsh Section D and Dales for which there is no height restriction). with jump heights of
Class 3 min 75 cms max 90 cms spread 75 cms
Class 4 min 85 cms max 100 cms spread 85 cms
That is a fair size for a Dales pony to jump and you will be against a fair few Connemaras who are normally much more natural jumpers. If he has the talent though, go for it, but don't expect every Dales pony to be able to cope with the size of course.
 
I do think with the Dales it might depend how big, I included this in my first reply then decided I was waffling. The winner at windsor of the 133-143 was a dales but for most the larger class would be a fairly big ask (and lots of connies jumping it well). For most you would get novice heights too though of course.
 
I would say neither, you'd be in with the Connies and new forests and to be blunt they are much more athletic than your average Dales, the jumps are big





I'm afraid the Appy will almost certainly stand down the line and is a non starter

Whoever is steering you with recommending these horses I would question their showing knowledge
 
Auslander said:
As Spacefaer mentioned above, a county level Working Hunter is a sports horse type - often Irish-bred. Cobs, natives and funny coloured ones won't get a look in.

They generally look like this...
Jo-Callwood-and-Thor-WH-Champion-at-RIHS.jpg
Click to expand...

Not always. My 15.2hh Welsh D x TB winning at Suffolk County this year in the RIHS qualifier....
suffolk%20show%204_zpsurm9pu2o.jpg


suffolk%20show%203_zpsox39kxvv.jpg
 
Never, ever, ever go for a spotted if you want to get anywhere in the show ring. Their conformation doesn't hold up for a start.

Whilst Dales can jump you would want a 13.2hh or under to go in the smaller height section so your not against the majority of Connie's, Newfies and Welsh D's. But then you take on the Welsh B's, C's and smaller newfies.
 
Not all Appaloosa's are pig ugly with awful conformation and it is possible to do well at showing with one as long as you have a thick skin and can accept that some judges will put you down just because of the colour. However it needs to be well put together, give a perfect ride and be immaculately presented and also the correct type.
 
SmallHunter said:
Not all Appaloosa's are pig ugly with awful conformation and it is possible to do well at showing with one as long as you have a thick skin and can accept that some judges will put you down just because of the colour. However it needs to be well put together, give a perfect ride and be immaculately presented and also the correct type.
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For a working hunter stamp thougn, they tend to lack bone for their size.
 
But given the OP is already feeling the effects of a horse it quite fitting into class why not make life a bit easier for yourself if you are buying something to do a specific job rather than you have and love it already anyway.

To throw it out there too, why restrict yourself to these two?
 
I have to say OP, it's a bit of an odd question. You'd struggle to find two breeds more different.
What sort of working hunter would you like to get into?
Three main types:
Working hunter (horses, generally of the type shown up thread)
Working hunter pony (certain age restrictions as above)
M&M working hunter (for the native mountain and moorland breeds)

For standard Working Hunter there is not necessarily a good breed, they just have to be right type. So generally, good movement, a good amount of bone, good sports horse conformation and a stylish athletic jump.

If you want to go for M&M, then generally Welsh D or Connie would be a better bet
 
SmallHunter said:
Not all Appaloosa's are pig ugly with awful conformation and it is possible to do well at showing with one as long as you have a thick skin and can accept that some judges will put you down just because of the colour. However it needs to be well put together, give a perfect ride and be immaculately presented and also the correct type.
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I have yet to meet a spotted with even half way decent conformation. They simply aren't built for showing. They are built to be pleasure horses, not show horses.
 
Very often a good TB x native can do well in WH but may not be big enough to get to the really top flight. TBx welsh and TBxconnie can be worth looking at. We have Appaloosas, which are off show quality but they are not hunters.
 
As some one who has competed an Appaloosa in a hunter class, I can confirm the above :p judge said he was lovey, but not right for the class. He then won the coloured class.

I also took an Irish draught into a hunter class, who although was the worst behaved, he won over the tb types competing as the judge said he was more true to type.

I now have a Friesian and buggered for most classes except foreign ones :p
 
alainax said:
As some one who has competed an Appaloosa in a hunter class, I can confirm the above :p judge said he was lovey, but not right for the class. He then won the coloured class.

p
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Spotties are not allowed in affiliated coloured classes, the vast majority of county shows will be affiliated
 
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