A junior rider came to meet the Fancy Pony. She was immediately smitten and made remarks like, “She is the perfect size for me!”
She cantered the Fancy Pony around the arena and said, “She’s going really fast!”
Except she wasn’t so much going fast as she was taking long, slow canter strides…
She would not be the first (or last) rider to comment about how big the Fancy Pony moves. So why has it taken so long for Sport Ponies to catch on?
Big movement (but easier to sit than the huge warmbloods), clos(er) to the ground, hardy and sound, and known for longevity… What’s not to love?
How I came to ride a pony:
A friend heard I was looking for a horse to start training up for the inevitable day that I would have to retire the Old Man from eventing. Nevermind that the original plan had me eventing him at least another 2 years, giving me time to train said ‘new ride’ to the same level! She asked me, “What are you looking for in your ideal eventing horse?” I listed off all sorts of things: bravery, confidence, soundness, jumping ability… She came back with, “You didn’t say anything about size or breed… I have this Arabian mare that needs a job…”
I wasn’t looking for a horse that would immediately go Advanced. I was looking for something that might confidently go Novice, maybe work up to Training. Teddy O’Connor was 14.3hh and went all the way to the top! That doesn’t mean I expect every small horse to be that athletic and talented, but I didn’t consider size to be a limiting factor for what **I** wanted to do.
My dressage potential is unlimited. Size is not a factor. My jumping height might be limited, sure. My pony probably will not go Grand Prix Jumpers. But we can still learn our sport over smaller fences. You don’t need to be jumping 5’ (or even 3’) to learn straight lines, bending lines, adjustability between jumps, galloping cross-country, correct and confident combinations…
I don’t need my Advanced level eventing horse today. I’ll take my solid BN/Novice horse and keep learning the ropes. We might even get to try Training one day! We can still practice the big concepts (like skinnies and corners) over smaller obstacles. The way you ride it doesn’t change just because the fence is bigger! When I’m ready to go advanced, THEN I can look for my Advanced horse!
Or Pony! I’m not ruling out the pony!
I'm not a pony person at all for some reason. I just feel awkward on them. I'm only 5 foot tall and like, a hundred pounds but I just feel more at home on larger horses, but I've gotta admit, I love your pony. The smallest I'll go is 15HH, lol!!
ReplyDeleteI really take it horse by horse. I rode the 12hh pony at his first horse show! I took him intro A and he scored really well despite my feet nearly dragging in the dirt! Once they learn their balance, you don't notice how small they are anymore. We ALL hit the dirt sooner than expected when we hop off of the Fancy Pony! LOL
DeleteI wish I was small enough to be a pony rider. I would have all the ponies in the world.
ReplyDeleteDenny Emerson says, "Ride 'em anyway!" and I'm certainly falling into that camp! I'm 5'6" with long legs (my femur measures 15.5") and if you look really close when my leg is long, my feet do hang below her belly a little. ;)
DeleteI find it a little more challenging because I have to be precise in my balance. If I shift too far or fall out of balance, it completely throws her off, too. I figure that just makes me a better rider (and more precise when I do, one day, compete on a warmblood or TB!). ;)
I love following your mini squeeee-parties over the ponies that come through your barn!
Just so you know. . .Haflingers can make great eventing horses/ponies! :)
ReplyDeleteHey, Allison! Your pony is getting all sorts of face time on Facebook! The "share" of my contest winner post has his (her?) face pasted across it every time! If you give me a blurb, I'll attach it to my FB share of the post so we know who we're looking at!
DeleteI was trying to figure out whose Haflinger nose that was! And, yeah, they are pretty darn great!
I am tall (5'10'') and never really got to ride a lot of ponies! But my favorite was a little jumper arabian gelding who was AWESOME. Totally changed how I saw size!
ReplyDeleteI know exactly what you mean. I didn't get to ride ponies until I was grown, but now I'm making up for lost time! I'll throw a leg over anything, even if it's little. I have a growing appreciation for the smaller beasties that many other competitiors are ready to dismiss.
DeleteLove the pony perks! (And those Arabians, too!!)
I love ponies, I think some AA's are realizing if the pony has a large enough movement (especially in H/J land) they can compete against the horses.
ReplyDeleteI support this 100% !
DeleteI think it depends on the discipline. For the hunters, ponies just don't usually pin well unless you are a kid. I'm not saying it's right, but it's how things are right now.
ReplyDeleteI'm still learning how hunters are judged and trying to figure out the "why" of it all. I can see discipline playing a big role and making a difference. It's not like your eventing pony will be docked for adding a stride in a stadium jumping course... unless that means it takes more time to finish!
DeleteHmmm... Maybe that's why the ponies seem to be making their big splash on the Jumpers side of things...
I want a pony!!! :)
ReplyDeleteSize doesn't matter much to me, and a pony can be just as good at eventing as a warmblood. ;)
ReplyDelete