I have a nice horse that I was supposed to sell but my circumstances have changed and I think he’s going to stick around a little longer. I’d like to show him in the adults but will losing a green year affect his appeal to a buyer?
I think there are plenty of child/adult hunter buyers that don’t care about the eligibility – I was one of them! I wanted a nice 3’ horse, but I don’t have the budget to campaign one in the greens, so eligibility didn’t matter to me. However, that assumes the horse will be marketable to the average amateur 3’ rider. If it is one that is a fancy green one that’s going to need that pro division year to make it up into a solid citizen for the average amateur, I’d think harder about giving up that eligibility.
As an adult, I absolustely do not care. I dont have the funds to ‘campaign’ a green horse and if it needs the pro ride, it can go in one of the many 3’ open or USHJA classes at shows. I don’t care about points or qualifying or ribbons, so I wouldnt care if the horse was only eligible for a 3’3" year. Some others might, but I don’t - and I’d appreciate getting a horse with more miles and proven consistent results in the pre-greens before I bought him.
I absolutely cared about this as my plan was to buy a horse that could also compete in the green division and green incentive. I bought my horse in January, and my seller actually adjusted her show plan in December to accommodate my request as a buyer (we started talking in November but had a vet situation that delayed the final purchase date). I wanted my horse to have 2 years of eligibility at the 3’/3’3’ height and they were going to take him out at 3’6". I did buy him and now we are reinstating green and taking a segue into dressage until 2021. Sure, I forfeit my incentive payments but I’d rather let him have the experience next year. Some people will care, and some will not. I wanted the green experience so for me it mattered.
I care as I think the green years in the 3’/3’3’ help to build a good baseline for a horse. You don’t say how old the horse is or his history but the green divisions, 3’ and 3’3" do not require the 2 years to be consecutive. So if he did one year then the adults a year the horse could finish up. If you are postponing the 3’6" year then by doing 3’ it doesn’t impact that.
While I think people care, I also think that you have to do what is right for your budget and horse. I broke my horse’s 3’ last year in the middle of the year. I was ready to move up, so was she. I didn’t want to spend the rest of the year in the 2’6, so I did it. I often find myself in this position, and in the end I do whats best for my riding. Unless of course it’s October or November, then no point but to wait.
I think this year is special and that you can apply for reinstatement of green status?
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For a horse whose main job is going to be the AA Hunters as opposed to the Greens, some people are going to care and some aren’t. Hopefully the person interested in buying your horse will be in the don’t care or the it’s not a dealbreaker camp. There are always the 3’ USHJA divisions that they can do forever if the buyer wants a division that their trainer can show in as a warmup. Sometimes it seems that the USHJA divisions are in one of the less fancy, less scary, rings which may be a factor.
Dont think its so much “caring” as it is what each ammy buyers plan is. If it really is an A level quality horse they will be developing to that level to show in the big, mostly Pro ridden Green divisions that typically run midweek and depending on Pro rides? Green might help find a buyer.
If its an average quality horse for a buyer on a budget, the 3’ Adult Ammy classes are often weekends and easier to schedule around a career schedule. Plus you aren’t riding against mostly Pros.
Just depends. Dont think its as important for a 3’ prospect to remain eligible Green as those aiming higher. Or Ponies… YMMV.
There are also those who move the horse up when the horse/rider is ready and those buyers and trainers dont care.
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