compare Minis from 1996 to now

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k9mini2

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I just tried posting this a few minutes ago...but I think my computer logged me off and it didn't get posted...if double posted sorry.

I just watched the 1996 AMHA National show tape for the 28-30" senior stallions. I was shocked at the physical difference between then and now.

The horses were shown I believe about 10 to 20 lbs heavier then than is considered ideal show weight today. It was hard for me to tell if some of the lack of refinement I noticed in the horses then was due to the weight or was indeed lack of refinement.

I also saw a major inprovement over those horses in todays minis head and necks. But felt we have lost something in todays minis hip and toplines. and overall flowing together...todays look more angular and less muscled. Not sure if that is part of the weight again or not.

These were very well known horse in this class and are represented in todays pedigrees very frequently. So these were not slouch horses in the 96 class.

It was a neat and thought provoking look into the past for me. I am going to the AMHR nat show on Tuesday to watch the classes there. It will be interesting to see how they compare to the horses I saw at the Central Regional just a month ago. I am sure there will be some of the same horses..but not all.
 
I wish I could see that tape!
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I have noticed many changes in the style of minis now, from back when we got into them. Makes me wonder where we will go next!

We will be up there Tues. too! Look for a fat lady wearing a button with my avatar horse on it LOL!

That will be me
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Hmm...now I've noticed something different, at least in my region:

minis being shown back then were shown almost too lean to try and pass for refinement.

I noticed a change to a fitter style within the next few years, and now it's nice to see the horses have a bit of fat over their muscles, though that doesn't mean the judges always place those types, it's just that I notice the horses are more often presented in a more properly fit condition.

Would be interesting to see those tapes. Somewhere I have my tapes of 98 Nationals.

Liz M.
 
I agree with Liz- what I saw back then was people attempting to mimic refinement by showing the horses thin. What I see now is much better horses that are naturally more refined and can therefore be shown in a better condition!
 
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Here is an old picture from the 1994 Nationals of my 27 1/2" senior stallion Bar Ls Sitting Bull with Mike McCabe. As you can see he was top ten, 4th place.
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We were so thrilled. He was not heavy boned or fat at all. Could have been more fit tho.

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Now I need to dig out that video and watch it!
 
sfmini said:
Here is an old picture from the 1994 Nationals of my 27 1/2" senior stallion Bar Ls Sitting Bull with Mike McCabe. As you can see he was top ten, 4th place.
aktion033.gif
  We were so thrilled. He was not heavy boned or fat at all. Could have been more fit tho.
bobby.jpg
Now I need to dig out that video and watch it!

465872[/snapback]


WOW, I LOVE him!
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Very nice little guy, Jody! I have some old mini mags from the late 80's/early 90's. There is definitely a difference in the way they are presented!
 
Yes....the further back you go, the bigger the difference! I have many old mags (World & Journal) going back to the late 70s, and I love going thru them. It is simply amazing how much different the Minis of today look.
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That was the first year I showed at AMHA Nationals and I think we've come a long ways since then. Gone are the days when you could just pull a horse out of the pasture, clip it and take it to a show! Horses are fit, conditioned and groomed to the hilt these days to be a really top competitor!
 
A lot of those horses that are being called "heavier boned," etc. are the ones who are producing the more refined horses we're seeing in the show ring today!

Yes, there is a difference in the look of the horses showing today compared to 10 years ago. A lot of it has to do with conditioning and grooming.

The other big difference I see is in the professionalism of the handlers. People don't just stand at the end of the leadline. They actually SHOW their horses! That's where you see a big difference, too!
 

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