Showing the Paint

[Lacie]

So I took my paint out to a show today and I was like "HEy! What the heck! I'll ride him in western pleasure!" His jog was EXCELLENT. There were seasoned and competitive pleasure ponies that were passing him as he jogged along, all nice and quiet. So we went into warm up walk trot. 19 riders. More than half were huntseat riders. The first way around was great. The judge had an eagle eye on him - pretty much telling me he was going to use me.

And then... we reversed... and the huntseat riders FLEW BY in their extended trotting glory, and Cowboy tapped into his natural extended trotting glory! AND IT FELL TO PEICES! He went from top standings to me, holding him back with both hands to keep him from going all huntery on me. It sucks, when you know you have a class wrapped up, and it's just stolen from you by Big Brown, Secretariat and Ruffian... and one tiiiiny little pony. Mine That Bird maybe? -headdesk- It's still eating me up...Now I know why WP people complain about us english riders XD We're awful, awful people! -smites self-

But considering I hadn't ridden him in 8 days, he did really. really. really good. I was the only one in Color Horse pleasure. But ya know... I gotta represent, yo!

 

[5StarRanch]

LOL Been there, done that. Course I have been on both ends of the spectrum. Try showing a very animated, full of himself Arab in a halter class filled with QH's. I used to take him to a couple open shows a year to get him on the right track for the circuit. We always got dirty looks, even though we never did anything wrong. Well, we beat them most of the time, but that was about it

.......and then even more evil was when I started taking my minis to open shows. Had a mare that used to clean up in Open Halter, I even got threatened one day that if my mini beat her $15k dollar QH again she was going to flip out on someone. LOL.........crazy.

 

[Lacie]

I dont mind the hot blooded breeds coming into the open halter classes. All is fair in those classes! One of the people who kept passing us on their hardcore pleasure pony was a trainer I used who said, and I quote that 'Cowboy will never be a top contending horse, and Cowboy will always be Cowboy.' I took him to a REAL paint trainer a few months later and was told that he could infact reach the world level AND be a western pleasure horse. Cowboy just doesn't really want to listen to anyone except me.

But atleast Arabians can move around, unlike alot of those hulky, massive halter quarter horses.

 

[5StarRanch]

Exactly! I love showing the hot blooded breeds in halter. Now, for riding, give me a nice solid stock horse any day

I have noticed that in QH shows around here. They look pretty standing still, but move like they are all navicular. Its sad. Plus, gorgeous, huge, well muscled bodies with LITTLE TINY feet. That is a heartache waiting to happen.

Sounds like you are doing wonderful with your boy. Would love to see some pics!

 

[Lacie]

My paint is halter bred - but the paint breed isn't nearly as awful as the quarter horse halter breds. Someone correctly guessed my horse linked back to Impressive simply from his forearms XD I love the Impressive breds I have, but I'm 100% against the breeding of N/H or worse.

Heres the most recent picture I have of him from the May 2nd show, and the only one I had the patience to scan - at an Arabian Open Show XD I figure showing him around hotbloods will keep him level headed with his own kind. He won overall grand champion halter horse at this show, and yes - even though he's halter bred, I do ride him.. He did OK at this show, placed in the top five in his classes. Nothing special here, but we weren't exactly at the height of our fitness at this time.

^ Feet match body size XDD He's a really good horse. He was a complete wreck when I bought him, but he taught me SO MUCH.

 

[5StarRanch]

He is BEAUTIFUL! See.....now why can't we find a mini built like that. LOL and colored like that too!

You have a very pretty boy there. And yes, his feet look wonderful for his body size. Don't get me wrong, I am not knocking halter bred horses in the least. My family bred World contending halter horses on the Appaloosa circuit for years before we got in to minis. That is why I love watching halter horses of all breeds. It will always be my favorite class. But some of the QH have gone to extremes. Its sad. I like a horse that you can ride as well as just look at

 

[Lacie]

We considered focusing on a program to breed a mini-butt. I call him Cowbutt affectionately - but we know it will never happen. He's near perfect in color on both sides. The only thing that is different on his both sides, is the fact that right front and left hing legs are semi-solid. Judges usually love him and old owners keep popping up to tell me how they now regret selling him.

Cowboy should not be as loud as he is... His sire is probably 50/50 sorrel and white sabino and his mom is a solid. His full sister is a solid, and is a star on the illinois hunter/jumper circuit. Needless to say, Cowboy has amazing movement aswell (and loves jumping, weird huh?), considering he's 'short' for a huntseat horse at 15.3 hands. It doesn't matter how tall he is - the judges certainly see him amongst all the leggy bays!

Even though he's a show pony, he still has a personality. I've been to so many quarter horse show barns where the horses have zero personality. It's sad. The only place I've been where the horses have their personalities intact is at my current instructors place, and he's not just some little trainer.. He's won national titles in APHA and PtHA. So, we'll see where we end up ^__^

 

[Kira98]

what a lovely boy

Im kinda partial to that color ( not sure if you saw my post on my stallions first colt back in March)

but he is my avatar ! Huh they could be twinkies

Ah and yes my boy is halter bred thru and thru his dad is 3x world ch and his momma was 3rd in the world Yth aged mares with multiple points and ROMS

but he is broke to ride and has lovely movement !!!

I LOVE the look of the stock type Halter horses and I LOVE showing it too but i do agree they are goin way overboard on the massive size and yes such tiny feet ! like they are putting a 00shoe on a 1500lb horse ( i had a 00shoe on my 14hand 800lb arabian gelding !!!! )

I think that a halter horse that can ride is truley the best kinda horse to have ! you got one that looks good while you ride LOL and you dont have one that is to high in the hinny and you ride down hill - Ive seen alot of them in the wp classes when i was showing

Sounds like all ya need to do is take your boy to a few open shows that you can ride him in a snaffle bit ( at an open show it doesnt matter - they are training shows - at least here where i live they have alot of them that you can use martingales and draw reigns etc... because they are specifcly training/schooling shows) and that way you can two hand him to just get him used to horses passing at a faster pace but you can do half halts with him and get him to focus on you a bit more and teach him its okay to have a horse pass him and he doesnt have to speed up ! but sounds like hes on the right track and give him time and a few more shows and what i always love to do and found it help ful with my wp horses, I grew up showing arabians so i took advantage of that warm up ring when it was packed I would take my wp horses in when the Park and CEP horses were warming up ! NOW if your WP horse could focus with THEM HIGH STEPPIN CHAIN WEARING CRAZY HORSES warming up you had it made ! LOL

I just always stayed on the rail to stay outta their way because YEP THEM ENGLISH PEOPLE ARE SORTA RUDE ! they kinda think they own the ring LOL

but I took advantage of any kinda comotion I could to keep my WP horses were they would go slow and stay level headed and not get to excited. I also took them trail riding at he local lake and did LOTS of training there not just in the ring - keeps their minds fresh etc....

I would love to find as you said a MINI-BUTT ! LOL i want one just like my FS boy - so I hope we dont find him at the same time LOL we will be drawing straws.

Keep posting on how your boy does he sure is lovely and just keep working with him and one day it'll pay off and he will be placing top o the class every time and you will look back and say I cant believe it I remember when he did ....... and you will smile and feel like you accomlished sooo much

 

[5StarRanch]

I know what you mean about the horses having no personality. The show that I went to a couple months back was that way. It was like they were all in a daze. Except a couple of studs that were sizing each other up through the stall

One breed I was so surprised with was the Tennessee Walkers. All of this crap that they go through, standing in the stall with thier harnesses, thier ungodly weighted feet, sores around thier coronet bands, etc, etc and the show that I went to, all of them and I do mean ALL of them, came to the front of the stall and wanted love when you walked through the barns. That was right before I bought my Tennessee Walker mare (RIP). She was a godsend and there will never be another one like her.

I had always been a stock horse fan, but that big girl stole my heart and man did we have good times. She was a black/white pinto, stood about 17.2 and weighed 1400lbs. No 00 shoes for her! LOL

And yes, as far as the mini-butt, I am all with you on that one.