Wanting to get into showing

[ShashwatAcres]

Hi everyone I know I dont post that often but I have been going to the fun local open shows and have shown my little mini in the open classes and shes been winning lol.

She has beat all the other minis in our area which is a great thing for me lol

I know it doesnt mean much to most but heck for this girl it means a whole lot. I think Gracie is a perfect little mini for learning the ropes and for my daughters therapy horse which is helping her a great deal. But I would really like to get into the showing and I dont think Gracie would place if we went to the rated shows. She has a thick neck,has more of a QH head than then Arabian, she is pretty well balanced other wise but again this is just my opinion of her. But as I said shes a great learning mini but I would like to get into showing. I have been looking at some of the minis that are for sale on different farms and on sale pages but how do I know what might do good in the show ring. I am looking at good confirmation on the horses, straight legs, good bites and good personalities. I have looked at everything from Amha and Amhr and as well as world class? which I know isnt a good thing per say if I want to show.I really need to get an A or R registered Right ? I have talked at great lengths to the mini people out here and well most of there horses are world class registered? A few are either A or R but not alot of them. Some are just not registered at all. Which I know happens but since I can not find one local I am searching for one within a few hours or so so that I could perhaps start looking at more. I know what I like in a mini and what I dont,Am I doing this right by looking at all and not just settling on just some pretty horse. I really dont know what to look for anymore any and all help will be greatly appreciated

Becky

 

[Field-of-Dreams]

There are a TON of AMHA and AMHR shows here in Texas. You won't go wrong if you buy an AMHR or AMHA registered horse. (Get one that's both and double your shows!) I have not seen any World Class shows down here, but I'll be honest, I never paid much attention to them. To MOST Mini people World Class is not much of a registry. Some love it, but IMHO AMHA or AMHR papers hold more "status" than WCR.

Plus, you live in the state with the most Miniature horse breeders! (I'm not sure where Odessa is.... I live by Fort Worth) but I know there are a ton of breeders down by Houston, up by me and everywhere in between! And if you are really far I bet many would meet you halfway to deliver. (We do, for gas money. ) And don't discount the breeders in Oklahoma, there are plenty of gorgeous horses there, too. Make sure you check out the Breeders Connect below. Last time I looked Texas had six or seven pages of breeders listed!

http://www.lilbeginnings.com/breeders/

Lucy

 

[ShashwatAcres]

Lucy,

Thanks for replying yeah there are alot of breeders in Texas thats for sure but none that close for me to make a day trip out of it to go look and see. Your about 5-6 hours from me, I live in the middle of no where land thats what it seems like anyways lol. Im about 8-10 hours away from Houston lol, I just cant win for loosing thats for sure. I took me 3 years to find the mini I have now and she came from New Mexico LOL

. Right I would want a mini that is perferably double registered but if thats not possible atleast one or the other so at a later date I would be able to hardship them into the other if at all possible. Gracie is A&R registered shes just a great learning mini thats for sure.Thanks for your time.

Becky

 

[minimule]

My suggestion........keep practicing with Grace. She was shown as a yearling and did well in AMHA shows here. She hasn't been shown since and does need conditioning. She is a good girl and will do whatever you ask. Learn everything you can from the local shows and people there and get as good as you can. Learn how to groom properly, how to make one stand up correctly, how to condition.

 

[ShashwatAcres]

Thanks shawna, oh I will keep practicing with Gracie shes just a great learning mini. I kinda have to put all the training and such on the back burner for a while since im in walking boot thanks to my big gelding its not his fault he has dinner plates for feet LOL. It could be alot worse and I would have to have surgery on the foot but no im in a walking boot lol

 

[kaykay]

My advice is to go to some rated shows and watch what is winning. That will give you an idea of the type you want. It will also help you learn the ropes when you go to show at a rated show. You can also see horses for sale at shows. For us a 3-6 hour drive to see a horse is a short trip LOL.

 

[Make A Wish Miniatures]

If you don't think that gracie is going to be Halter quality at the AMHA and AMHR shows have you thought about teaching her obstacle or hunter . Would she be a good driving prospect? You might want to start in the performance classes and it doesn't matter what your horse looks like. There are a lot of double registered horses in Texas but I would stay away from World Class. You say she has a fat neck. Have you been sweating it?

 

[ShashwatAcres]

No I havent been sweating her neck since I dont know how or even where to start or what to use LOL. We have thought about teaching Gracie to drive and have started her on that, she gets to pull stuff all over the yard and it doesnt faze her at all. I have thought about getting Gracie into different things but we shall see what happens but 1st and for most shes my daughter therapy horse and my daughter pride and joy. My Daughter rides gracie its so cute, my daughter is 3 and weighs 20lbs shes just a little bitty thing lol.

Oh I agree that 3 hrs is a short trip lol But its just finding someone within that distance that would be willing to let me come and look. I might see if anyone is near Balmoreha( sp) this coming weekend we were thinking of going up to the lake so I could make it a double duty visit right LOL

The local mini people they dont sweat or do much for conditioning there minis they just pull them out of the pastures and go. I have been working Gracie everyday on getting her in shape and getting her looking good. I have to say I finally found a diet and exercise program that works great for her and the other horses here.

TIA,

Becky

 

[wildoak]

You have a golden opportunity coming up this fall to see some of the best - AMHA World is in Ft Worth, first week of October. There will be lots of quality horses & breeders there, horses for sale, tack vendors......and Ft Worth isn't that far from Odessa.

If you are up for a little more of a trip, AMHR Nationals will be in Tulsa in September.

I know it's harder to learn and accomplish things without an active group of enthusiasts in your area, but for us at times it has just meant we travel a little farther for shows, clinics, etc. There are some good instructional tapes/cds out there for driving and most other events, next best thing to having the trainer there lol. Maybe you can recruit someone in your area to learn with you, and help each other. If you are learning to drive, that's also going to be safer than doing it alone.

If you are horse shopping, you can find out a lot from looking at websites and asking questions. Find farms you like, narrow your search a bit and ask lots of questions.....then think about going to see them. (Southwest for a day trip for one isn't a lot more than driving if you watch their specials).

Good luck!

Jan

 

[Field-of-Dreams]

Plus, even if you see one that looks "too far away" don't be shy about inquiring about it. The horse in my avatar caught my eye six years ago, and I emailed the lady to tell her how gorgeous he was and I wished she were closer (he was 1300 miles away in Manitoba and I was in PA) Well, she had a very inexpensive way to get him to Toronto, and I was only 6 hours away in Pittsburgh! Needless to say, arrangements were made and we drove up to Toronto (in February, yet! The Falls are very cool when they are frozen...) and we brought him back through customs and everything with no problems. I NEVER regretted that, he is everything I hoped for and more!

And with Nationals and Worlds coming up many breeders bring horses to sell or offer inexpensive "rides" to horses headed that way. We normally have an empty hole we can fill for "gas money".

Don't give up hope yet!

Lucy

 

[mydaddysjag]

Dont be afraid to look for horses a little further away. The market sucks, and there are a lot of good deals on horses, some just arent as close as we would like. When I was first contacted about Domingo being available, my hubby said theres no way were going over 10 hours to see a horse. Well, two weeks later my husband, sister, and I took a road trip in her tiny mini cooper out to see Domingo. Spent the next day checking out Chicago, and it was a fun little vacation. It would have been easier if I had a working truck at the time because we just would have taken the trailer out then and brought Domingo home, but our truck is broke down, so we had hauled right bring him home. I really cant complain. Yes, it would have been a lot easier to get a horse locally, but I wanted a quiet A sized gelding who could do a little bit of everything. The icing on the cake was that domingo was very successfully shown at nationals for many years, and that he was my favorite color. I could't find a horse like him, with his show record in my area for a reasonable price.

 

[ShashwatAcres]

Oh I have started looking farther away lol, I always have a way to get one my cousin lives in cali and drives to texas every 3 weeks hauling a huge horse trailer LOL. THe trailer is always empty lol but he uses it for sleeping when he is heading here and down its a nive trailer lol. I am just so surprised that all the horses down here that I have been to look at are world class registered.WHen I ask they always tell me because its cheaper than A or R

. I looked for over 3 years before we got our first mini and a mini that is just perfect for what we were needing and wanting. My daughter is doing so much better now that we have Gracie in our lives. But I have been bitten by the mini bug and I WANT ANOTHER