IT'S FREE!! Horses for Sale, Horses for loan, tack for sale and miscellaneous equestrian items. If you have a horse for sale or loan you can add it yourself.
	Company Profile: FLOWTECH

Judging - A readers view

Riding pony:- fine type horse with long slender frame produces good flat work and paces and not expected to jump. Obedient, with that extra bit of flare.

Hunter pony:- usually chunky with a muscular physique. More short and compact than a riding pony. Good general all round ability to jump and produce nice paces on the flat. An all round type of horse should be responsive but at the same time easy to control.

Well these were my ideas of a riding pony and a hunter pony, completely different. As different as to say that your horse is either a riding pony or a hunter pony meaning that at shows you cannot enter both riding pony and hunter classes. But it seems that the judges in the southern region do not agree with me and that one horse can win a riding pony and hunter pony class.

In the south last year there was one horse which kept winning at all the local and county shows so one day I went along to "check out" this wonderful horse. On this occasion it was only a local show but the horse in question did not only win the hunter class but also won the riding pony class.. how is this? There is no doubt that the pony was of a very good quality and should have won the hunter pony class but then how could it have won the riding pony class.

I put it to you that it is because:

1- judges have no idea what they are supposed to be judging i.e. definition of a riding pony and definition of a hunter.

2- the pony has won all over the country and the judges don't want to be seen putting it down as this will make them seem bad judges.

3- the owners are very well known and have a lot of contacts so the judges don't want to make enemies?

I myself have no idea but this means that the whole idea of showing is ruined as if you want to breed a riding pony you'd more than likely go to a county show, look at the winner of the riding ponies and pick them to be the sire but if the winner of the riding ponies is a hunter and you still breed from him this is going to start changing the shape of the traditional riding pony. Has any one else come across this and what have they done to combat it.

From purplebagpuss@aol.com