Retraining racehorses a saga
- Thread starter eml
- Start date
Sorry @KP nut not to have reponded but I have been thinking about this. Most event horses are 16.2hh + indeed one of our friends who has 2 &3 * horses has only 17hh plus. On the other hand we find our little one incredibly nimble as demonstrated in the video above.
Polly Martin/Phillips who was my husband's goddaugher competed her 15hh in Europe for GB and completed Badminton.I think being the highest placed under21 at the time from memory?
On TV I have watched 15 hand horses go round Badminton. Rare enough for it to be remarked on by the commentators. But none the less. If your aim is to ride round Badminton you might not start by buying a 15 hand horse (average figures for winners etc.) but if you happen to own a smaller horse with the aptitude and the stamina, why not take it up through the levels right to the top? I know someone who did ride Badminton - and get round. She only had one horse.
Wasn't there an amazing little Connemara cross who was an incredibly successful event horse though he was only 15.1 or thereabouts?
Here is a link to some little eventers!
http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/features/small-event-horses-517121
I think I was thinking of Lenamore, but although he looks exactly like a Connie he is in fact 15.3hh
http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/features/small-event-horses-517121
I think I was thinking of Lenamore, but although he looks exactly like a Connie he is in fact 15.3hh
Second BE100 today for Chucka. We walked it last night by far the longest and most challenging 100 we had ever seen lots of jumps shared with the Novice course and every conceivable question from big downwards leaps followed by steep uphill approaches to substantial solid jumps ,narrow triple brush 4 strides after a blind corner approach, tight owl hole and several max height and width table jumps. Not encouraged by being told that it was the biggest 100 anyone had seen this season!!
Anyway in true Chucka style he flew it clear!!.Dressage and SJ were better as well but in a section that read like the 'who's who' of eventing we were glad to be in the middle ranks!!
Anyway in true Chucka style he flew it clear!!.Dressage and SJ were better as well but in a section that read like the 'who's who' of eventing we were glad to be in the middle ranks!!
Just back from Aintree where yet again Chucka proved we have a superstar on our hands! Did the arena eventing at 90 cms as a warm up an came 7th out of about 35 entrants then on to the championship performance class again a massive entry of 37 .The couse was mixture of show jumps and working hunter jumps everyone aking a question and at full height and spread of 110x150.
Emma was fifth from last to go by which time carnage had been the main result wih many eliminations and a few falls but only one clear round. He skipped round to an enorrmous cheer being not only a good hand smaller than enything else in the class but also the youngest by several years. The last years winner followed up with the third clear Unfortunately the other two were more to the conformation judges liking so we ended up in third place though we suspect one judge was fighting our corner as they kept asking Emma if he was only 6 as the announcer had said !! Both other horses have been out eventing at Novice level for several years and had BS and BE ponts and were in their teens!!
He is now havig a well deserved month off while we bring Fiddley back into work after his issues early in the season
Emma was fifth from last to go by which time carnage had been the main result wih many eliminations and a few falls but only one clear round. He skipped round to an enorrmous cheer being not only a good hand smaller than enything else in the class but also the youngest by several years. The last years winner followed up with the third clear Unfortunately the other two were more to the conformation judges liking so we ended up in third place though we suspect one judge was fighting our corner as they kept asking Emma if he was only 6 as the announcer had said !! Both other horses have been out eventing at Novice level for several years and had BS and BE ponts and were in their teens!!
He is now havig a well deserved month off while we bring Fiddley back into work after his issues early in the season
He was a great find, wasn't he! But a whole hand smaller? Is he little then? I thought he was 15.2 or 15.3, is that really small for such a class?
The majority of horses that do these classes are ex steeplechasers who are generally 16.2 to 17.2. Even for an ex flat racer he partcularly small at 15.1 and 1/2" !!
Will ask daughter nicely to do it!!Surely you forgot to upload the pics!
video added.. a bit a friend sent us!!
Last edited:
Yes exactly that qualifiers are held at many county shows and the final used to be at Windsor,.Theory is that retraining potential is rewarded but in practice with easy courses normally with a lot of clears it is a showing class, Fortunately for us (with scarcoid and splint) this one turned out to be mainly about the performance over a maximum course!
newrider.com