Pony looks super cute and you are doing a great job. Your post was confusing though. A 60 is a 4 and an 84 is a 6.
@CBoylen Oh yes!! Sorry, must have been my monday brain!! The lines were set at 96’, 72’ and 84’. Which I did 8, 6 and 7 strides with my pony.
I liked this show series so much I actually bred a large pony mare to a WB stallion in hopes to get something in the 15h range. So I might do the adds with it or I may go to the jumpers. Havent decided yet! The foal will be born late spring and I can’t wait to meet him/her.
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@Jo Thank you! Not too bad for a combined driving pony and our first year in the hunter ring. He’s such a good boy for me! Back to pair driving for him this year so I’m “hunterless” for now. Boo lol!
This is not entirely accurate. For a 6 stride line at 3ft, the measurement is often 85’6” which is only 1.5 feet more than if it’s set on 12’ stride. That measurement could go up for 3’6 and 4’
Doesn’t this have to do with how far into the line and how far away you jump those fences.
No, it’s not.
For 3’, it’s 24,36, 48, 60, 72, 84, 96. More then that, it will usually say something to the effect of “Over 100"”. If the arena is ginormaous, they may make the steps a bit more open, but only by 6"
For lower jumps, you will subtract a foot. For bigger jumps, you’ll start adding 6" to a foot, depending on the size of the arena
For pony steps, you need to be a mathematician.
Every regular hunter course will have the strides marked on the course maps. Jumper courses typically don’t mark that, which is why people walk them. So you know how to ride your particular horse.
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@kirbydog, I’m not sure you meant to reply to me? It’s unclear in your post. Anyway, the linked courses here clearly show 3’ courses set at longer than 12’ strides. As the poster above you noted, they’re not quite 12’6” as I remember, but they ARE longer than 12’. So, although my memory was a bit foggy on the specifics, I did remember correctly that the courses were often set long at bigger shows/venues. Which my little (15.1) horse could not comfortably manage without looking quick/scrambly.
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Correct. Those rings at WEF are HUGE. So they can accommodate a stridier horse, at a bigger canter.
If the arenas are smaller, the course will be set accordingly. A 15.h horse would have to have a huge stride to make it up the lines in the steps. Which is why it’s unusual to see them at the bigger shows, at a bigger jump in the hunter ring. We call them honies…too big for the pony ring, and too small for the rated hunters. OTOH, if you have one of those rare gems that is small but can jump around the 3’6 in style and make the steps easily, you can name your price as a small junior
Right. So I think we’re talking around each other rather than to each other. My initial post was a reaction to people who often claim small horses are less competitive because they can’t make the 12’ stride, when the problem is more that a lot of lines are set for longer than 12’ strides. I’m not saying that the lines should be set shorter, but, if we’re going to claim a 12’ stride as “ideal”, then shouldn’t the courses reflect that?
And I’m saying all this purely as a point of conversation. I no longer have a dog in this fight. I’ve switched over to the “dark side” (working western), where both the horse’s size and my height are pretty much irrelevant. Lol.
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It’s been my experience that when the course designers adjust the striding, it’s usually to help the horses go better.
For example, the lines headed towards home will be set longer since most horses naturally open up when heading towards home.
The same would apply in a larger ring; if the size of the ring encourages the horse and rider to open up more, then setting the lines a little bit longer minimizes the chance of half the class chipping the jump out of the line when getting down the line too easily.
If your horse is already on the verge of not making the lines, then what is helping the majority of the horses have a smooth round in the class (lengthening the lines to accommodate where the horses will naturally open up more), will work against you.
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