A question about something someone said to me

[SmokeKandeeBar]

Hello,
I know this is really long, please bare with me though! :)My two and nine month old Paint is at training with a really good trainer at a really nice facility learning to ride and jump. She is incredible she is moving along so well and so fast. She's so smart i'm just sooo proud of her. She has a really good pedigree too, I don't know how many people on here are familar with Paints, but her Sire is Mr Jessie Norfleet,out of Mr Norfleet, and her dam is Miss Dee Smoke, out of Sunny Dee Bar and Roll N Smoke. She is so gorgeous and sucha sweetheart. She is Overo, Sorrel and White. She is the sweetest little baby. Shes not so little though :) She is 16.1 at two years old. So know that you know a little bit about Kandee(thats her name) I'll ask my question. My twin sister, My Mom and I were watching Kandee's lesson with her trainer as we always do, and this girl that works at the barn came in, we've had previous incidents with her not being very friendly so we dread when she comes around. She asked my sister and I what we planned on doing with Kandee. We told her we wanted to ride her Hunter. She replied, "Ohhh well do you want to ride her English Hunter or Western Hunter?" We didn't get what she meant and we said well english hunter, now that I look back I think she was just being sarcastic, saying are we going to ride a western horse english. She then proceded to say, "Well I just want to tell you that Hunter/Jumper is so political. You won't win any ribbons because of the color of your horse." I said well why? And she then said,"Well because alot of people think that Paints and Quarter horses are western, and they should stick to that." And blah blah blah she just reallllly made us mad. She really discouraged me. I then said well she is registered as a Pinto also, so I would be up against all horses of color. She said, "Yeahhh but still, they're still gonna look at her as a quarter horse type." I looked up Paints that were for sale on a search engine and wouldn't you know, the World Champion Pinto horse Hunter Under Saddle is a Paint? I just want to print it out and rub it in her face! I know that she is wrong that alot of Paint's and Quarter horses are amazing at Hunter/Jumper. I just wondered what people on here thought about what she had to say? Another thing she did was she whipped out a stick to measure her because she was refusing to believe that Kandee is 16.1. She didn't measure her at the highest point of her wither, I should have corrected her but at that time I didn't know it had to be at the highest point. So she said she was 16. Which she really is 16.1 because she missed a whole inch which leads us to believe she did it on purpose. Our trainer said Kandee would probably bulk up another two inches, well this girl just wouldnt have it. She said, "I doubt it." I'm not familiar with young horses as we've never had one, could she grow another two inches? Wow I hope this isn't too to read! Okay thanks!

[KarinUS]

I don't think she has to grow another two inches. If she does, fine, If she doesn't, 16.1h is plenty.

You won't know how well she does in shows, until you try. :)

[SmokeKandeeBar]

I know, I don't care how big she gets I love her the way she is.

[KarinUS]

Don't pay attention to that girl. You have a beautiful horse and she doesn't. It would be sad if her remarks could diminish your joy you get out of having Kandee.

I wouldn't even waste my time trying to prove her wrong. It's just not worth it!

[SharlieJumper]

Just ignore her. Hunters can be a bit political, but it doesn't mean you can't do well with a paint. Hunter Under Saddle does tend to be more of a western thing, though. It is somewhat of a mix between western and english. Many of the horses move more like western pleasure horses even though they are in an english saddle.

[kedwards]

Honestly, the girl sounds like a real downer. Some people are just poisonous, whether they intend to be or not. Only negative comes out of their mouth, so it's never worth having conversations with them about things you like or care about. I won't hazard a guess about her motivations, because I honestly think that many people like this really have no idea what a nasty effect what they say has on other people. Best to ask them about themselves or redirect them to something neutral, if you want to engage them in conversations at all.

That said, it sounds like she's heard something about hunter showing and is relaying to you her vague and partial knowledge.

In hunters, there are different showing circuits, among them are shows including hunter classes that are run through breed organizations, such as AQHA or APHA. There are also H/J show circuits that are run through USAE (as well as shows run through state or regional organizations) that are open to all breeds.

As your know, there is no such thing as "Western hunter" classes, but I'm guessing she heard something about breed shows versus open shows and misunderstood what she was hearing. In her attempts to show off her knowledge, she made herself sound silly. From the sound of it, you plan to show at breed shows, where paints and colored horses are considered very desireable, and most certainly won't be "penalized" for their breed characteristics.

In the big USAE-rated open shows, warmbloods and thoroughbreds do tend to dominate in hunter ring. Some people complain that the shows are political and that a particular horse didn't win because it didn't have a certain color, wasn't a certain breed, or didn't have a name-brand trainer rooting for it on the sidelines. Perhaps it does happen sometimes and perhaps sometimes people are just expressing sour grapes because they didn't win. This girl might have heard something like that and felt that if she relayed it to you, she'd sound like she was "in the know." Naturally, it backfired, in that she only demonstrated her ignorance.

The bottom line, however, is that you have a wonderful horse and you know it. She's wonderful whether she is 16 hands exactly or 16.1. Who really cares? Do you? And she's wonderful not despite the fact that she's colored, but because she's colored (among many other wonderful characteristics). I'll bet you love her color, so who cares if some negative know-it-all makes vague claims about how other people have biases against horses of color.

[SmokeKandeeBar]

You are exactly right. We are going to avoid her from now on. I love Kandee's color and whatever size she turns out to be. When I show her I am not going to be concerned about placing I just want to have fun since I have never done it. I just want to take her somewhere and make her look pretty :) If I place then I can rub it in her face but if not who cares! Even if Kandee turns out to be a not so great hunter I would still keep her because its not the only thing she means to me! Thanks for your reply!

[Cool Rider]

Have you got any pics of Kandee?

COOL RIDER

XxX

[Alle]

Your horse sounds gorgeous. I don't know what the girl's problem is, but she has one. Don't let her get you down. Paints and QH's are used in many different disciplines. Just pay attention to what your trainer tells you, and tune the other one out. Good luck with your lovely paint!

[Katie_85]

I would think, BTW, that being that she's a Paint and not yet three, she still has some growing to do. Height wise and probably width wise as well. :)

[kedwards]

If I place then I can rub it in her face but if not who cares!

Don't even bother, it won't be worth your time. In any case, it will only open up the conversation to allow her to find some other reason why you ought to be miserable.

Happiness is it's own reward.

[Shizzity]

My little 15.2 hh QH has beat plenty of Throughbreds in the o/f classes. He tucks his knees very cutely and really uses himself. He is also very good in the flat classes, except fot the fact that he doesnt know how to canter on the right lead...

Its entirely possible for a paint to be and awesome hunter horse!!!!

[SmokeKandeeBar]

I do have pictures of my horse Kandee, They are on my webshots site click the link below!:) Let me know what you think of her!

[SmokeKandeeBar]

http://community.webshots.com/user/kandee28

sorry forgot to put the link here it is

[kedwards]

That girl was right. She'll never make a hunter. You should just give her away. To me, of course. :D

Edited to add (in case it wasn't obvious).... Seriously, she's stunning!

[SmokeKandeeBar]

lol thanks shes my baby

[FreedomStar]

in my opinion she is jealous of what a beautiful horse you've got. I disagree with her, it doesn't matter the breed of the horse, they can do anything. Yes, arabs are not always the best suited to jumping but that is only because of their conformation. They're not built quite the right way. And my friend owns a cute little Quarter Horse and he's 5 years old but she's working with him on the hunter style. He'll also jump whatever you ask him to. And I know QH that are fantastic hunters.

[Lovecat]

I know nothing about showing in the USA nor paint horses, but I just had to say that your Kandee is absolutely beautiful! What a gorgeous girl!

Ignore this girl, she sounds like a miserable, jealous so & so!

[MI Horsey]

she is beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!ignore her:D :D :D :D

[NuttyMare]

Oh mannnn, I adore your horse! I agree, some people are just...blah.

[SmokeKandeeBar]

Thanks, yeah I just ignore that girl I was talking about, she is just a sad person. Freedomstar your pictures you made are soo awesome! I'm glad you guys like Kandee, she is sucha good baby.

[missbobbie]

Wow! Kandee is gorgeous! Have you ever read any of the "Heartland" series of books? If so that girl reminds me of the girl named Ashley who can't keep her nasty comments to herself!

I am jealous...paints are my favorites! :p

[SmokeKandeeBar]

No I haven't read any of them, but that sounds like kristen! thanks i'm glad you like her! Paints are my favorite too! :)

[pengapenga]

Kandee is beautiful. Ignore this sharp toungued girl, some people can be so insensitive and thoughtless. NR members remind me that not all horsey people are such snobs (safest word I could think of:) )

[maria9657]

Yes ignore her, there is a paint at my yard who consistantly places and almost always wins first in all the shows she is entered in, beating out tb's and warmbloods all the time.

Good Luck!

[Jessey]

Ignore her, I have an crazy arab x TB that I compete in reining, cutting and pleasure classes - they all said I couldn't do it, to the point that at a show only last year I stood on the show ground and burst into tears and very nearly sold my boy cause people said similar things - basically he would never be a western show horse, he wasn't built for the job etc. Well I proved them all wrong a month later, I entred the senior pleasure class for some reason??? we wiped the floor with them and even beat the guy on his prize QH stalion who was the one who made me cry - give him his due he did come over after and congratulate me.
I was so proud and so pleased I didn't give up on my horse when most who know him would have done.
I also have a paint x QH who is lovely but I would give anything for markings like Kandee's - really draw the judges eye to some thing special!!!!

[SmokeKandeeBar]

Aww that so awesome that you proved them all wrong like that! Good for you! I hope me and Kandee can do that! I love her to pieces and i'm happy with her, right now I don't care what anyone like this girl says about her! I love her and thats all that matters! I'm glad you like kandee's markings! Thanks so much for responding! It's great to hear from someone who went through something similar!

[Jessey]

Thanks. I am sure they are just gelous (?sp). Thinking about height when I brought Qaboos he was 2 1/2 years old and 14hh he has now matured at 15.1hh but arabs are said to mature later, he also filled out loads, the woman who bred him came to see him at a competition as a 4 year old and stood right next to us and didn't even recognise him!

J

[MeMe]

I know nothing of showing in the US, but she is gorge:D