hunter pony then jumper pony back to hunters?

[skyy]

My DD (age 11) has a nicely bred large pony (Halcyon Sir Lancelot). She is green and my trainer has been riding her twice a week and my daughter rides/lessons the other days. The pony is half TB and is naturally forward but she has auto swaps. Jumps cute. Trainer has been showing her in the baby greens and doing well. DD has been showing her in the SS Eq and Hunters and when there are real fences and real courses (not twice around the outside over teeny crossrails) has been doing fairly well also. In lessons she jumps at least 2'6" (pony is capable of much more but I don't know if she's got the jump to do the Pony Jumpers)

DD really prefers the jumpers because of the coursework and she is a good little rider(previous pony was a handful and taught daughter how to dig in and ride when needed) who thinks on course. I am leaning towards letting her start to do the jumpers but I know that when we have to sell this pony (I am guessing in about 4 years) that she will be a much easier sell as a hunter pony especially if she holds true to her breeding. Trainer agrees and says that it seems a shame to "waste" that breeding and movement in the jumpers but wants DD to be happy.

My question is not what to do (obviously I want to do what is best for my daughter), but has anyone ever tried to convert a jumper pony back to a hunter pony and what was the success rate? I'm also open to any other thoughts you may have on the general plan.

[dags]

We currently have a listing that has Year End Awards in the Pony Jumpers for 2007 (I believe) and came back to be Champion Pony Hunter at Spruce Meadows the following year. In fact, I believe this pony can possibly go in both rings at the same show (with the right program/prep) and I think it has more to do with this pony's personality than anything. He's just going to go the way he's told to go.

If yours is already a little quick this may not be a wise decision; easy to kick them up a notch, harder to come back later and tell them 'nope, that's wrong now'

Possibility of having two ponies? A jumper, and a hunter? Every little girls dream and a fantastic foundation for a youngster. Last thing I want to do is discourage anyone from the pony jumpers as I would really like to see that division get more attention/interest.

[MyGiantPony]

Not ponies, but I've ridden horses in hunters and jumpers - at the same show even!

I'd say it depends on the pony's/horse's mind.

[gasrgoose]

It seems like last year at pony finals there was a pony that placed in the hunters and the pony jumper. Maybe someone will remember the name of the pony.

[superpony123]

My pony was started out as kind of an all-around pony, then did the PJ's, won classes at HITS in the PJ's. Then, with quite a bit of work (then again, this pony has a stubborn personality--its very personality dependent) i've turned him into a hunter pony :) It can be done. We've won hunter classes. We get good ribbons in good company at A show. My pony tried to race around his first few hunter courses, but he eventually got the hang of it, and now I actually have to wear spurs with him. He's ALMOST completely forgotten he can be a jumper .. almost .. he still has some moments where he might here the buzzer from another ring and try to go WOOSH :lol: but it can be done.

here's him being a hunter now:

http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs019.snc1/4235_123752505224_589955224_3128578_5730192_n.jpg

[supershorty628]

It seems like last year at pony finals there was a pony that placed in the hunters and the pony jumper. Maybe someone will remember the name of the pony.

I don't know about last year, but Double Delight won the team championship and one of the phases of the individual championship in 2008 with Edie Ringger.. he did the pony hunters a few years before and did very well there too.

[skyy]

Unfortunately, paying for 2 ponies is not in the cards. I wish it was. We have a pony in our barn who just did the Pony Jumpers at Devon over the weekend who is now up for lease/sale (the girl is going to college in the fall). It would be the perfect situation for my daughter, but like everyone else, we are feeling the fiscal crunch.

[Lives2Jump]

Magic BB I think is the name of the pony that was a successful pony jumper and is now doing quite well with one of the Farrish kids in the large pony hunters

[fourmares]

Just because a pony (or a horse) does jumpers does not mean that they have to be a fruit loop. Lots of people did both hunters and jumpers on the same horse, often at the same show, twenty years ago.

[skyy]

I am always surprised how many people believe that jumpers are crazy. My jumper would be a hunter except for that pesky knee action! He is quiet but is a competitive jumper. There is a different mentality, I believe, between a jumper and a hunter. I would think that a good made pony hunter knows that he is supposed to get up the lines straight and go to the end of the ring before turning. A pony jumper lands and looks for the next fence. A pony hunter is super at keeping a regular rhythm. A pony jumper has to be super adjustable. My question is that if you never instill that "straight, go to the end" now, can you put it on a pony later? Or is that asking too much?

[eventchic33]

Both Hunter and Jumper courses consist of lines and turns and correct striding. A forward balanced ride will do well for either course. Ponies are smart as heck, perhaps put a different piece of equipment or change a bit for the jumpers and they will learn to distinguish between the type of jumping they are supposed to do. Good luck and have fun no matter what.

[findeight]

No Pony did Jumpers and placed in Hunters at Pony Finals. Quite a few have done both in their lives, just not at the same AA level show with top level competition. Few horses have done so either, done both but at different shows...and not ridden by a 12 year old.

You got three problems here.

1)The Pony is Hunter quality and will sell better as a Hunter down the road. There are more opportunities to show and gain points as a Hunter.

2) The Pony is still green and tends to do what they politely call "building down the lines". Means it gets too quick. You can never assume that will school out or the Pony will know when to turn it on and when to chug around like a Hunter. Some of them are always looking for the timers down the last line and the next kid that buys him may not be able to help him get that Hunter thing down.

3) Pony Jumpers are not offered at many shows and rarely fill or go with mimimum numbers. Most of the successful Pony Jumpers compete at the level 3 Child Adult level to get a place to show. Basically, she could have no place to show this Pony as a Jumper except against horses-that is going to depend on where you are located and the shows available to you.

Suggest DD can school a little Jumperish at home, twisty courses and a little hand gallop will suit to an EQ/Medal type and it can still maintain pace around a Hunter course. Try that approach. Just see little point given the above issues in heading to the Jumper ring.

[fourmares]

I think that a made pony hunter should be able to go straight down the lines and to the end of the ring, but should also be able to jump into a line and do a roll back to the out of another line, or do a nice bending line... if all the pony can do is go straight down the lines IMO it isn't very "made". Also a made hunter pony should be as adjustable as any jumper. A jumper should never get quick or drag its rider down the lines and certainly should not be running through the timers without being asked to do so.

Since your pony is green perhaps your daughter should try doing some equitation and pony medals. Fun courses without the speed.

[MyGiantPony]

I think that a made pony hunter should be able to go straight down the lines and to the end of the ring, but should also be able to jump into a line and do a roll back to the out of another line, or do a nice bending line... if all the pony can do is go straight down the lines IMO it isn't very "made". Also a made hunter pony should be as adjustable as any jumper. A jumper should never get quick or drag its rider down the lines and certainly should not be running through the timers without being asked to do so.

Since your pony is green perhaps your daughter should try doing some equitation and pony medals. Fun courses without the speed.

Great post and advice!

[etopolsk]

Just to clarify although it is not common, at the 2008 USEF pony finals Jakuse D'Epona competed in both the large pony hunters and pony jumpers. I thought that was very cool.

[BSFKimbees]

No Pony did Jumpers and placed in Hunters at Pony Finals. Quite a few have done both in their lives, just not at the same AA level show with top level competition. Few horses have done so either, done both but at different shows...and not ridden by a 12 year old.

You got three problems here.

1)The Pony is Hunter quality and will sell better as a Hunter down the road. There are more opportunities to show and gain points as a Hunter.

2) The Pony is still green and tends to do what they politely call "building down the lines". Means it gets too quick. You can never assume that will school out or the Pony will know when to turn it on and when to chug around like a Hunter. Some of them are always looking for the timers down the last line and the next kid that buys him may not be able to help him get that Hunter thing down.

3) Pony Jumpers are not offered at many shows and rarely fill or go with mimimum numbers. Most of the successful Pony Jumpers compete at the level 3 Child Adult level to get a place to show. Basically, she could have no place to show this Pony as a Jumper except against horses-that is going to depend on where you are located and the shows available to you.


I have to agree... We have a MADE Jumper who does both (only does Hunters for fun at the smaller rated shows) and he places well in the Hunters (usually 1st or 2nd O/F). BUT, he blows the flat class pretty much everytime, lol (lucky to get a 5th or 6th). Shame too as he has the most beautiful Hunter position over fences and at times some really great flat moments.

It's just hard to gear down once they've got the feeling for the Jumpers. Most horses that are good at the Jumpers LOVE what they do and don't understand why you want to slow it down all of a sudden. Sometimes it can take YEARS to re-train a Jumper back to the Hunters, and even then it typically takes a more experienced rider to do well. Why fix something that ain't broke? That's a horse, not a pony. The market for Horse Jumpers is much better than Pony Jumpers.

Same with one of my ponies... He started off as a Hunter, then my daughter got to him and advanced him to Beginner Novice in eventing, working on Novice... Now that we're trying to sell him, our market is pretty much shot as he won't effortlessly pack those little kids around a course anymore. Thankfully he knows what a half halt is, but again, it takes a more knowledgable child to do well with him now as a Hunter. Will I ever do it again... nope. He was a very competitive Hunter and we blew it!

[indygirl2560]

I do both with my friend's pony and eq. too! She does fine in each ring and doesn't have trouble going back to hunter mode after doing a jumper course. At my least show, I did a jumper speed class in the morning, then two hunters(one pony, one open), an eq. medal, and then jumpers again. We placed in the top five(big classes) in each class. And after 10 mintues of schooling after my jumper classes, I could get her back into her hunter mindset. I think that would be perfectly fine to do with your pony as long as you still do hunter stuff once in a while and if your pony will willingly adjust to the type of mindset/riding you want. my last pony, however, wasn't that adjustable and I had to keep her strictly in hunters because she wouldn't come out of jumper mode after a jumper course, and I was selling her as a hunter. it all depends on the type of pony you have!

[skyy]

Thanks for all of your advice. I do appreciate it. And I did read carefully all of the posts that said "Don't do it." With horses I have come to learn from experience that it is better to live in the here and now than to bank on future things. Having had more than 1 horse who "could be something special" that ended up not due to physical issues, I am not willing to compromise my or my daughter's enjoyment with our horses because of what the future might hold. I don't do investment horses - our horses are for our pleasure and when I sell one I am happy if I have recouped my purchase price.

That being said, she is moving into the jumpers. She had a lesson on Weds and our trainer explained all of her concerns to DD. DD understood and agreed on the conditions set forth (if pony starts to get really crooked, we back up the training; if pony starts to stop, we back up; if pony can't be rated, we back up etc) The lesson was awesome and our trainer was quite impressed. Of course, it may all fall apart at a show or later on but we will deal with that then. The extreme joy that DD got from that lesson is priceless. And isn't that why we ride?

[findeight]

Just to clarify although it is not common, at the 2008 USEF pony finals Jakuse D'Epona competed in both the large pony hunters and pony jumpers. I thought that was very cool.


And, just to clarify I said PLACED in Pony Hunters and Jumpers at the same Pony Finals.

Glad you came to a decesion OP, you never know which way to go with these but if DD is happy, go for it.