"Future" equitation horse, what should he do next year?

[weixiao]

I’ll keep this vague so it isn’t advertising, I won’t try and lease him for a while anyway.

I have just moved back to the US from Europe and my horse will follow me later this year. I’d like to show him some myself next year but long term I am thinking about leasing him out because I don’t want to sell him but ultimately want to get back into the big jumper classes and he isn’t more than a 1.30 horse. I think he would be a super eq horse. He is the equitation horse I wish I’d had as a junior.

My question is, what kind of show record next year would make him most marketable to lease? He has pretty extensive show mileage in Europe in the Irish working hunters as well as the jumpers in a couple of other countries. I really just want to have fun next year but I’m a working amateur now and will have somewhat limited horse show time, so I need to be strategic. I never had a dedicated eq horse. My jr hunter did a bit of double duty and I used the USET (which probably isn’t called that anymore) to get young jumpers in the ring on occasion. So I’m not sure if a hunter or jumper approach will be more helpful. He isn’t a very fancy mover but should do respectively in the hunter ring and probably can’t keep up with the high adult/ low AO speed demons but will be fine in the jumper ring. There are also some adult equitation classes I could play in. Probably will do some of all three as the US hunters will be a change for him so he will need the miles, although with how he goes already I don’t anticipate much of any issue. Another alternative is to find a kid who needs an eq horse on occasion at a show and get him miles that way.

I’ll have a chat with my old coach as I’ll likely plan to meet up with him at shows on occasion (I’m in a different part of the country now but we will have some overlap) but I thought I’d pose the question here.

If you were leasing an eq horse would you prefer to see it with more hunter miles, more jumper miles, or dedicated equitation miles? Or is a blend of all three the ideal?

He is an awesome horse I can’t bring myself to sell right now so I’d love to set him up to be as special to another kid as he is to me.

[limptoad]

My non-answer is it’s probably good to do a little of all of it and see what comes up. Having a demonstrated three-ring horse is a good thing, but if you’re winning in the eq and not in the hunters, obviously it makes more sense to do that. If you find a good kid who needs an eq horse, great, but if it’s a kid who can make any horse stop, obviously it’s better to have you riding it.

I’d also be ready to market the lease the horse as soon as you step on the show grounds. When the same horses get passed around all the time, a new horse will generate some buzz. Use it. Because ultimately, the kid you’d want showing your horse for miles is also the kid you want leasing your horse. As long as they are in a program you respect, let them decide which ring to show him in.

[findeight]

Dabble in all of them with a dose of Dressage. Would emphasize the Jumpers (preferably High Ch/Ad- Low Jr/AO) and advanced flatwork. Hunter work is priceless for developing rideability and patience and the flatwork phase and often tests can require very solid and correct Dressage basics.

The biggest money lease wise is the the Big Eq and the horse must be able do it all, the WIHS Medal has both Hunter and Jumper rounds on the same horse. It helps if the horse has the right build to showcase the rider, uphill, not too bulky or clunky and tending towards slab sided rather then really round thru the barrel.

Even with a 3’ Medal or age group Eq horse, the more of this the horse has or can be trained up to, the more desirable it will be. Obviously, attitude is huge.

Of course, it helps if you know trainers who develop Eq riders for Eq and Medal classes so you can make them aware of your horse. Network. Sounds like a wonderful opportunity for a good Junior to lease and polish an already good horse.

[retiredhorse]

I’d look into Adult eq / medals, hunter derbies, open eq challenges if the show offers them. I wouldn’t necessarily want a horse that could win in the jumpers for eq horse, but knowing they’ll jump around those courses is good too.

If i were leasing an eq horse for substantial money, I’d want it to be somewhat proven/practicing in the medals already. If I were leasing a horse that could do (potential for) the eq/good in all 3 rings, then seeing it in hunters and jumpers would be fine too. Many eq horses practice in the hunters and jumpers, but may not be up there in the results. I’d think a good trainer could see what the horse is capable of, even if he’s not cantering around an eq course.

I think you could try showing him yourself in hunters and jumpers and eq. And if that doesn’t drum up enough interest, then get a kid to show him in jr eq and medals.

[blondewithchrome]

I’d definitely want to see equitation miles. I agree with the other posters, but honestly even jumper or hunter miles aren’t the same as results (and even better - wins) as an eq mount, if that’s what you’re selling him as. I agree having a big eq kid do him in the WIHS and the USET if he can do it is awesome, because the WIHS having the two phases shows versatility and the USET (or whatever it’s called now) is a good option because not all eq horses can do the 1.20+ required for the zUSET these days (see: recent thread here on the low numbers and lack of “horse” to do the bigger jumps and open water). It’s hard as an adult with limitations in the eq (tops at 3’ basically everywhere) so dabble in all three, but I’d definitely get a kid on him in the Big Eqs to start getting a record built.

Above all else, the flatwork in my opinion is the best non-results based supplement to sell an eq horse. Is he flexible, responsive, well trained? Can he do higher level flatwork (shoulder/haunch in/out, counter canter) and not protest? Worth the extra $$$ IMO. Even better if he’s an absolute saint and comfortable!

[retiredhorse]

Oh, also, for another perspective, if YOU like riding and showing this horse and are in no hurry to lease him out (eg, money isn’t a pressing issue), then IMO do what you enjoy. Enter the classes you want to show in, or want to try out. Horse sounds like a solid citizen that will jump around in any ring, so do what makes you happy or feel challenged.

You can still put the word out there that this horse is/will be for lease, but he doesn’t really need to specialize in equitation/medals unless you absolutely have to get him leased out/sold asap or for the most $$ you can get. In the meantime, if you have fun on him and horse looks like a blast to ride, that can also get people’s attention.

If (lack of) time is more of a concern, I don’t think the horse will care if he doesn’t show as much as he could or up to his full potential. Finding the right kid to give him more show mileage can be worthwhile, and easier if there’s less pressure to find someone right away.

TBH, it always seemed like I had better success selling/leasing out the ones I wanted to keep, because they were so awesome to ride, than the ones I was trying to sell. :lol:

[weixiao]

Thanks for the input, everyone.

He does have a good flatwork base. He did a bit of pure dressage before he came to me and I have a bit of a dressage background so he has been made to keep it up. Trying to be vague about levels etc so it doesn’t toe the line of advertising, but assume he is quite broke and very rideable. He also jumps 1.20 just fine.

I’m not in a rush to lease him. I want to play with him first and get some show time with him. It is just in the long run I’d like to lease him to offset (not cover) the costs of a younger horse that might eventually end up in the High A/O and GP rings again, which is where I’d like to be, and also to give a kid the chance to ride the horse I wish I had as a junior. He’s not young, but he isn’t old and should have plenty of years left in him. This next year is mine, but I’d like to share him after that.

Best plan of attack seems to be to dabble in the different rings and maybe later in the year I’ll scout for a kid who might want to show him a bit since the adults don’t get to jump 3’6 for the equitation. Then we’ll just see how it goes.

Thanks again!

[Midge]

Lots of eq kids do the schooling jumpers as a warm up. From a lease standpoint, get a video of you riding a 1.20 class as an equitation class. Tack him up in eq. appropriate garb. If you already have trainer contacts in the eq. ring, send it to them.

[touchstone]

Honestly, if you want to market him for equitation, the equitation ring is where I’d focus him. If it was me, I’d set my eye on qualifying for the Ariat Medal finals or some other big local adult eq final. That’s just one class a horse show, so it would leave you with options to show in other things that you find enjoyable. But equitation miles are the thing that’s going to make him the most marketable to the equitation crowd. Finding a good junior to catch ride him in some bigeq classes would be another obvious strategy, though that means giving away your opportunity to ride and show him.

[IPEsq]

I’d look at some adult medals, depending on what area you’re in and what’s offered. Or any open equitation challenges. Then play some in the bigger hunter classes where you can show off in the handy rounds. And do a little in the jumper ring, but maybe not the adult/AOs so much. A decent height schooling type class would be fine. Be tidy but don’t worry about being a speed demon.

Whichever of those is the most fun for you, then do a little more of that. If he’s already able to do the eq, there are plenty of kids who would love a show ride and could cover some expenses to do some medals at a show. The ones who also have the hunter or jumper doing double duty. Preferably with your trainer or an approved (by your trainer) big eq trainer. That gets some miles doing the actual job but you aren’t giving up that much, just you may not want to do as many classes that week yourself.