Is it possible to become a very good rider without ever having a made horse? Is it possible to get a spot on a college equestrian team without having a made horse? I’ve never had the money for anything but green, and all have been ponies that I have outgrown so far, but I’ve brought them along successfully, even doing some winning at rated shows. My trainer told another student that if her goal was to get a spot on a college team she had to buy a pricey, expensive horse, which she did and she’s now winning everything, but mostly just doing schooling shows still. I am finding I cannot progress up the levels in the show ring as fast as my friends on finished stuff, but it just isn’t an option for my family and I don’t get to many rated shows. Just a handful each year… I have a young mare just getting started under saddle that I will start showing soon, but that will be a long road. Is a spot on a team out of the question for me with this kind of background. I work really hard and ride six days a week. I am really proud of the work I’ve done with my greenies, but am feeling discouraged hearing trainers say the only way to go is with something made. Do all trainers think this way?
Well, you might have wanted to post this in the hunter jumper forum- we’re foxhunters, though many also show or event. But being a friendly bunch in general, I’ll just say that I never rode anything but school horses or my own cheap self-made horses, never had so much as a trainer though I did take lessons now and then and the trainer at the barn was generous with free advice.
I would say one can become a better rider for the long haul not having push button fancy horses. The college I attended had perfectly nice school horses, including one former AHSA working hunter champion, so having one’s own wasn’t necessary. I would also add that even though I had my own horse, showing the IHSA shows one draws horses randomly, everyone on the same footing so to speak- an even better test of rider skills and horsemanship, and a ton of fun to boot.
If I had trainers telling me I needed a fancy made horse, being the contrarian that I am I would simply smile, thank them for the info, and proceed to prove them wrong. But that’s just me. I beat some mighty fancy ‘made’ horses back in the day in western classes, against the children of the rich and famous, and even against some well known pros, on my $200 mare and my $700 gelding. And won a big class against national level competition and had other good placings show jumping in France…on run of the mill school horses.
Are you talking about IHSA ? you might post on the hunter/jumper forum so that kids on these teams can give you a realistic assessment of the selection criteria. and also start talking to some team coaches, I am sure it varies from school to school.
and one thing that you will learn is to take things that trainers say with a grain of salt. of course the trainer would love it if you bought a fancy horse, that is how they make a living.
one thing you can do is get some lessons on some very made horses; perhaps trade some work for lessons with your trainer, offer to groom at a show, learn to braid, etc. especially for flat work, there is a reason they are called schoolmasters 
Beverley and Ray are right, you will get more information on the Hunter/Jumper forum. You can just scan the titles of the posts, there are a lot on college riding programs (I’ve found that the search option turns up too many posts to be useful). The NCAA riding programs are few and, as I understand it, getting a spot is very competitive. But there are many other college riding programs where your work ethic and the skills you’ve developed by bringing your own horse along would be welcomed. Good luck with your search!
Well, to understand each
Sure, you are going to progress up the “levels” of showing faster with a made horse than a greenie, but you can still do it with a greenie.
I had a green horse (that I took to school) when I was on the team. I rode him in half of my lessons and schoolies in the other half.
For IHSA, you draw random horses at all shows. Some students horses get used, some dont. (Mine didnt because he was green). My school and all the ones I rode at had great horses at each show. If you have the chance to do IHSA, do it! It’ll give you some made horses to lesson AND show on!
Sounds like your trainer likes commissions; but you have probably learned more than the expensive horse owners.
I rode on top IHSA team…never having owned a made horse. I spent most of my childhood riding rank green horses–mostly a ton of OTTBs and barely broke (or I should say poorly broke) polo ponies. I rode horses that stopped, buck, reared, spooked and some that did all of that almost at once;). I also rarely showed. But I had very good instruction and it wasn’t hard for the coach to put some show polish on me. Ultimately…I found I enjoyed fox hunting and eventing the most. IHSA wasn’t very important to me at all.
I know mostly event…on horses that I’ve made or at least started myself. And do compete a lot more…
Good luck to you. Competitions are not everything…just work on being the best rider you can and learn from every horse you sit on or watch.
Maybe you should change disciplines: eventers and jumpers tend to often make their own horses still - and it is usually encouraged and admired that you are bringing a young one on.
Opps… I did mean to post this in the h/j forum, but thanks for the words of encouragement.
I know competing isn’t everything, but I really really love it and riding right now wouldn’t be the same without it. I am acutally only in the jumper ring right now as I ended up with fast little devil of horse. But he will jump anything. Hoping to find a cheap hunter prospet soon. I’d love to go NCAA one day. It gets kinda frustrating always starting at the bottom. I am too big for ponies now, so maybe now I can keep the ones I get going. Seems like with the draw for horses at the college level someone who has ridden a lot different stuff might have an edge?
Yes you do have a bit of an edge…but honestly…it still often just comes down to luck of the draw. I had some issues where because I could ride a difficult horse, I wasn’t given a re-ride…when the rider before and after me were both bucked off and given re-rides before the horse was pulled. I stuck out the bucking fit and finished the class…getting 3rd so wasn’t given a re-ride (the judge told me afterwards he had me pinned first but because of the bucking fit, he had to move me down).
Sometimes you got great horses in your draw…some times not. I had horses at some shows that didn’t know their leads yet…or mouths as hard as rocks…and others that were lovely rides. Sometimes the good effective rider won…other times the rider who could perch in a lovely position but not ride their way out of paper bag won.
This is why I didn’t really care about IHSA. I just didn’t find it particularly productive to improving my riding. I prefer to work on my own project…and compete them. To me, while I like to ride anything…I get the most out of developing a relationship with the horse and improving the horse. You do not get to do that in the IHSA type of competitions.
Good luck to you though. More important than IHSA is going to a good college for your education–so you can earn enough $$ to pay for your horse habit;)
[QUOTE=bornfreenowexpensive;5669918]
Sometimes the good effective rider won…other times the rider who could perch in a lovely position but not ride their way out of paper bag won.
This is why I didn’t really care about IHSA. I just didn’t find it particularly productive to improving my riding. I prefer to work on my own project…and compete them. To me, while I like to ride anything…I get the most out of developing a relationship with the horse and improving the horse. You do not get to do that in the IHSA type of competitions.
Good luck to you though. More important than IHSA is going to a good college for your education–so you can earn enough $$ to pay for your horse habit;)[/QUOTE]
Amen to that. I rode IHSA and hated it. I was taught to ride pretty, not effectively. I left to ride at a local farm and ended up learning much, much more and riding as many horses a day as I wanted… nice A-show hunters and learning to start babies.
IHSA has many different levels. You definitely don’t need polished hunter to make the team.
I grew up riding Saddleseat, joined the ISHAA hunter/jumper team and got put in the w/t/c division because I had never been to a recognized hunt seat show so was eligible for that division despite having ridden for 10 years at that point. I had literally ONE hunt seat lesson on a Thursday and went to the first show that Saturday. I drew a little paint pony that was hotter than heck that everyone else was praying not to draw. I thought he looked fun as opposed to the other deadhead looking horses and they all looked at me like I was crazy when I said I hoped I would draw him. I wound up winning the class on the loud, hot paint pony among all the large, quiet bays.
I only ended up doing the team for one semester, but I had a blast and cleaned up and pointed out of that division in just one semester.
I hadn’t owned ANY horse prior to joining the team. Actually my first horse was a batshit crazy Argentine TB that had been donated to the polo club that I was also in. I rode lesson horses and half crazy show horses that the trainer wanted to market as kids horses.
Hi I read that, and I think no need to give extra money, whatever he teaches just learn and after that leave the class.
