Working hunter with traditional coloured?

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madeperfectly007

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My 14.2hh traditional coloured cob does very well in the show ring but I was looking to do a wee bit more. A friend suggested working hunter as he has a nice clear jump but can I enter these classes with him being fully traditional (with out plaiting) ?
 
Yes you can enter and are allowed to show him true to his type so unplaited. I'm not sure how successful you will be as a lot of judges wouldn't consider a traditional cob true to type for a hunter, but some larger shows do hold cob workers.
 
I'm assuming you mean local unaffiliated classes? You might be better to try him in a working cob or working show horse class as he's not going to be true to type for a hunter. A lot will depend on the judge but type should be taken in account even at the lower levels, & in a working hunter / working hunter pony class yours isn't going to tick that box. Don't be put off having a go though - the worst that can happen is that you may not be placed as highly as you thought, & the jumping / way of going are more influential (60%) than the manners / conformation (40%). There isn't actually a mark for turnout although some judges will perhaps take that into account, or use it as a decider if there are two horses tied on marks.
 
To my he's more a native type coloured rather than a traditional - if he's got a good jump on him then I'd probably do some workers with him at a local level, like you say it's a lot of hard work getting them clean so you may as well make the most of it! plus it will be interesting for him and he won't care where he's placed.

If the shows have classes like riding club I'd enter that, usually a fence or two to jump over.

Also I'd swap that noseband on that inhand bridle for a flatter/wider one, I think that would be more suitable for his head. As he's an adult, you can show in his normal bridle with the reins over the head if you prefer
 
I think he would look very smart plaited. To me he isn't hairy enough for a hairy traditional and is quite light generally so would be a smashing sports coloured!

Definitely consider plaiting and trimming, would be a very smart contender and then you can do coloured and workers :)
 
He is lovely. Not a trad though, wheres the fat legs and the feathers! I would pull his mane and show him as a plaited. I like him very much.
 
Yes, I agree with others, if he was mine I would trim and plait him. He seems pretty light on feather and is quite fine in build compared to a lot of traditional cobs. How old is he op?
 
only_me said:
I think he would look very smart plaited. To me he isn't hairy enough for a hairy traditional and is quite light generally so would be a smashing sports coloured!

Definitely consider plaiting and trimming, would be a very smart contender and then you can do coloured and workers :)
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I agree, if that is a recent photo and he is over 4yrs in it then he is not heavy enough for a traditional and I would be trimming and plaiting
 
I agree with the others that he would lovely plaited and trimmed.

Give it a go and see what happens.

I am going to try it his year with both my ponies. I am in a similar boat to you as last year I took my Haflinger and not many of the classes were suitable for his type. This year I have a New Forest pony too so class choices will be much easier and the show have added an additional class specifically that my Haffy can enter :D
 
He's 12 this picture was taken about 3 years ago he's a little fatter know but hoping to reduce this before showing. Would I just trim his feather back if I was showing him as plaited? I really hope he can go far as he is such a special pony! I've not registered him with chaps is this a good idea? Here's another couple of pictures.

https://fbcdn-photos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/t1/40793_10150238371590545_3501785_n.jpg?dl=1

https://fbcdn-photos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/t1/40793_10150238371590545_3501785_n.jpg?dl=1
 
He looks very similar to my mare, although he has a lot more black on him. She's Welsh x KWPN, lightly built with not much feather. We entered our first WHP class last summer and absolutely loved the jumping phase so we're going to do more, but I'm not expecting great results simply because she is coloured (and I refuse to buy the requisite brown tack for the small amount of showing we do!).It will just be for the fun of it and if we get placed that will be a bonus. I'll try to post a picture of us showjumping.

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Wow he can really jump, as for the showing if he is trimmed up as everyone has suggested there is no reason you cannot move up to the next level, he is just turned in the wrong way at the moment he lacks the bone to be a traditional so you will get placed lower than if presented correctly. Have fun with the jumping as well, he looks a great allrounder.
 
He's sweet - and has a cracking jump, but i can't help feeling that if you're keen to take it to the next level, that you are rather setting yourself up to fail thinking of doing working hunter on a coloured cobby type. He's not cob by enough to be a show cob, but he's too cobby in his frame to be a hunter. Why not utilise his strengths and try something where you are not dictated to by traditional views on what "type" is suitable for the class. He just doesn't strike me a showing type, except at local, fun level - whereas with a jump like that, you could be out having fun, AND being competitive at PC/RC level show jumping/eventing.
 
Personaly I'd pull, plait and trim him. See how he does under saddle plaited. Yes it is worth joining CHAPS as Chaps champs has classes for most coloureds.
At unaffiliated you will get all types in the WH class including natives so have a go and see how you get on!

Cowpony, you will find in the WH classes that colour is a lot less important than type. My splodgey pony is also welsh x KWPN How is yours bred?. He does very very well in coloured classes and SHP classes, he is only just starting to jump but he is a lovely WH type so I'd expect him to do well there as well. He was actualy one of the lighter hunter ponies at CHAPS alot of the rest were much heavier than him

This is my lad:
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I agree I owuld also trim and plait but then I do have an itchy scissor finger!

There are a few really top quality working hunter ponies that are coloured so its not all doom and gloom
 
I really like him . . . he reminds me of a horse we were at livery with when I first bought Kal . . . he's very pretty. I am afraid I'm another who would advocate playing to his strengths, i.e., that cracking jump, rather than going down the showing route. He can jump . . . so jump him! Plus, he's eye-catching, so perhaps do some stressage with him as he's sure to catch the judge's eye (and, yes, I know that that's not all there is to it). But I wouldn't show . . . he is neither fish nor fowl in terms of Working Hunters . . . cob classes too.

I know I've said it before, but I really like him.

P
 
He was doing well at local level always 1st 2nd got reserve champion in a chaps class. I was just unsure about what other classes I could try and interested to see what level we could make it to in coloured, hunter etc classes. Like I said I'm a novice at all this but everyone's feedback has really helped! Wasn't sure wither it was worth the money registering with chaps if we weren't going to get too far 😃
 
madeperfectly007 said:
He was doing well at local level always 1st 2nd got reserve champion in a chaps class. I was just unsure about what other classes I could try and interested to see what level we could make it to in coloured, hunter etc classes. Like I said I'm a novice at all this but everyone's feedback has really helped! Wasn't sure wither it was worth the money registering with chaps if we weren't going to get too far ��
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I think it would be far better to register with CHAPS and take advantage of the range of classes they offer, than to try and show him out of type in general classes.
 
Ok so we think only do wh, sc, sp classes at local level. But register with chaps and do higher coloured classes but plait him do in hand and ridden classes and maybe do more serious show jumping. Is this the plan guys??
 
I would suggest that at local level you stick to coloured classes and WH classes, maybe the odd riding club pony or sports pony class.
If you want to do a higher level in showing then pull, plait and trim. CHAPS Champs has classes for everything including hairy workers. The vast majority of classes you dont need to qualify for!
 
To turn him out properly he would need to be pulled, mane and tail, plaited and trimmed, whiskers can be left but the jaw line needs doing, the photos on page 2 show a really well turned out pony, yours could look like that with a tidy up.
 
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