Working Hunter type pony?

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BringoutheBest

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Completely new to the whole "showing" type thing but took my pony over to a local show yesterday and entered the mini working hunter (was v mini friendly type of show but nice for numpties like me :) and came away with a 4th out of about 12, and we hadn't even cantered or jumped in 2 months due to him being off work due to no saddle wide enough! He flew over the jumps - I just sat and steered and did some really nice flatwork (one of those ponies who has completely natural head carriage so as long as I sit and do nothing he will go beautifully, really powerful and balanced despite complete lack of schooling - in like - forever :P) Did manage to pick up wrong canter lead each time though in indvidual show so am thinking this will have really marked us down, so judge must have liked all his "other parts" quite a bit,

only thing is I had always thought true to type working hunter ponies were often a much finer type, so wondering if he would still fit into the whole scene if we were to go to some "posher" shows say next year? I am not really sure how much they judge it on conformation, is it more to do with the way they jump and boldness or is there a "set type" as there is in most showing classes?

I will attempt to post a photobucket link to an album of him (although my computer skills are limited so no idea if will work!) so you can all have a look and see if you think he would make ideal working hunter pony or if is just too chunky, honest opinions please, i wont be offended! and oh, the riding is shocking in the pictures I know, good job hes a good boy! He has jumped up to 1m showjumping classes before and 90cm xc.

Thank you in advance for any replies!

http://s1193.photobucket.com/albums/aa351/Hullabalooh/

and oh, almost forgot, he is 13.3 and a little bit!
 
He'd be fine in workers though you would need to grow his mane and plait it as it looks as though you have it hogged. There are also age restrictions to height classes and I can't remember what they are but he would be in the 14hh section.
 
ah, his mane doesnt really grow beyond a few wispy spikes that I should think would be completely unplaitable :/ Would a hogged mane be VERY frowned upon? And I am assuming to go with it would be pulled tail and heels trimmed?

And by 14hh is that the 14hh-15hh section which is for under 20s? I am 17 so that is fine but too old for most 13hh-14hh classes I think

Thank you very much for your help :)
 
He looks like a sweetie and I would think he could do very well at local level workers. He would be in the 13hh - 14hh class if you were showing under BSPS rules but affiliated showing tends to favour ponies of a very particular type. Please don't take this the wrong way but personally I don't think your pony is quite that type (this is just my opinion, I am not a judge). You could always go and watch the WHP classes at a County level show to see what the entries tend to be like and in the meantime definitely keep having lots of fun in WHP classes at local shows.

You both look very smart in your pictures :)
 
You are within the age limit for WHPs of that size and a lot of unaff shows don't have age limits as they often struggle to get entries these days without excluding anyone.

Although lovely, he is not really a true WH type, he is more of a mini LW cob, but if he goes well, jumps well and clear, has good manners and is well turned out he will do well at local level :)

I used to know an appy advanced dressage horse who had the same problem with his mane!
 
No worries and it is what I had thought about his "type" :P Am I right in thinking they tend be lighter boned and a lot flashier?
I really do wish he could just be about 3hh bigger and without the weird colouring! Bless him, he is a fabulous boy and I'll have a look at what types seem to do well around and about, and otherwise will just have to be sticking to the real hunting and more local shows :)
Thank you for your reply!
 
And marmalade76, appies really do seem to have atrocious manes dont they! His tail is awful too, not helped by half it getting chewed off over winter and only growing back at snails pace grrr! :P
 
As with any working hunter class you have to jump clear to be in with a chance and you would surprised at how many of these plaited ponies balk at half of the jumps of drop a pole or two. Whilst you may never win an affiliated class you would probably stand 4th-6th in most of them if you have a clean jumping round and a well excecuted show compared to the others.
 
Thank you very much, I'll take a look about and just keep going to local stuff and see how we go, I did really enjoy it as just love getting all dressed up etc! And he is such a pleasure to jump, definitely doesn't balk at jumps or drop poles! Takes me into them, finds his stride, flies over and waits to be directed to the next jump, I'm a lucky girl! And at the end of the day even if the judges don't like him we'll have had tonnes of fun :D And maybe one day we'll come across a judge who decides she likes chunky wee ponies with overly large heads and odd colours on them :)
 
Take a look at the "fred the cat" photographer web site and search for workers classes at the NPS shows - this will give you a good idea of the posh workers. Think your boy might be a bit out-classed by them as they tend to be flashy heavier boned show pony types.

He is very gorgeous though.
 
You could enter the WH 'Training classes' which are based purely on the hight of the jumps or the 'Bright Sparks' classes which are based on the height of the pony/horse. as others have said he's probably not a true-to-type' worker but if he can jump a nice fluid clear round, he'll be in with a chance at local shows (and some qualifiers).
 
Thanks everyone! Methinks I need someone to invent a mini working cob class for him! :P
And thank you for that pearlsasinger I shall take a look :) Is this the trailblazers sort of thing? That looks really nice and "accessible" for people like me :)
 
Lovely pony - just my type!

I show my 15hh l/w cob in local WH classes, and he has had numerous wins this season, often against the 'posher' more showy horses, (I tried to show him as a cob and was told that he wasn't fat enough!!). He is hogged but this doesn't seem to worry the judges he has come up against. I may brave some affiliated working cob/show horse classes next season for which you can get a day ticket for, but as he is hunting cob, can't bear the thought of putting all that extra condition on him just for a rosette.

At local level you would be fine and if you can jump a nice clear, that will count more than the fact that he is a cobby type. However come county level you may not be placed as high against the show types.

Most importantly have fun!
 
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