He jumped some nice jumps in that video. If you just get him broke on the end of the rings I think he will make a lovely hunter. His trot isn’t bad and once he stretches his topline, he will swing his shoulder more. If he gets 4 blue ribbons over fences, the hack doesn’t matter anyway. Or do the derbies! more fun and the fleshed out jumps make them all jump better. Especially the brave ones.
[QUOTE=Justice;8927848]
To me, this looks like a 3’6 hunter prospect that will double as a big eq horse. He is green but has a good canter. Does not need a fancy trot. I would do this one in the jumpers until he’s ready to step into a bigger Hunter ring. No point in giving him s medicre Hunter record. Do you have good local shows you can take him for cheap miles? Doing him in the jumpers will make him brave and rideable.[/QUOTE]
Don’t forget low level eventing for making brave and rideable. The mpm pace is the same as jumpers and the complexity of the courses less so
[QUOTE=Justice;8927848]
To me, this looks like a 3’6 hunter prospect that will double as a big eq horse. He is green but has a good canter. Does not need a fancy trot. I would do this one in the jumpers until he’s ready to step into a bigger Hunter ring. No point in giving him s medicre Hunter record. Do you have good local shows you can take him for cheap miles? Doing him in the jumpers will make him brave and rideable.[/QUOTE]
I was going to type almost the identical post.
There is a good market for the horse who can go in all 3 rings for the rider who can only afford 1 horse- whether it is a junior or an ammy. I see this as a good goal for this guy.
He’s cute enough for the hunters for sure. Maybe not for WEF, but good enough. I agree he probably needs a bigger jump to do well. My first post-junior project was an eq prospect. We did some low blue ribbon jumper classes, riding them like eq courses. We showed some in the A/O hunters. We moved up to the Regular Working and did that at some shows. I also could still do the USET, so I did that (even though water was an issue), any equitation challenge class I could qualify myself for by pinning top 3 in the USET, and maybe, if offered, a 3’6" amateur medal (rare). My horse had a much less pretty canter than yours, but we pinned well in the hunters. Won against some tough competition in the handy classes and did very well overall (over fences, not u/s). I didn’t bother with classics. Derbies weren’t an option at the time. Now you have that option once you get up to the National level height, or some local circuits have their own little derbies now.
Until he’s ready for shows at 3’6"+, does it really matter your results? Not like you are going to turn and burn in the baby jumpers. Do those, do some low hunters. When he’s going around at 3’, you may want to suffer through some 3’ adult equitation. 
Once you get to 3’6", you can shine in a variety of rings.
Maybe it’s just my riding style, but I think this type is the most fun to bring along.
Just don’t trot into the ring. Problem solved. I agree he’s young yet and don’t be too hard on his awkwardness. You could probably easily find a free lease with a kid at a good barn that needs a ride. But you might also really enjoy bringing him along yourself and doing a few eq classes. They are jumping classes. You will enjoy them.
Well…first time doing the hunters at his second show ever and he got a ribbon in a tough tough BG division against a large field of nice horses that are ready to move up.
He does seem to dress up nicer than he looks not braided. I think I’ll dabble with him in the hunters for a bit and see where it takes me. And gasp maybe even some adult eq. His brain needs to get some miles either way, and those are certainly miles I am more comfortable putting on a horse.
He’s a lovely horse.
IME, nobody cares if a still growing 5-6 yo, big WB, set the world on fire in the BG or even PG arenas. The ones that do that are in the high powered barns that push hard to get them sold ASAP. Really a small population in the broader Green horse community.
Don’t get too wrapped up in comparing him to past young horses. They’re all different. Ones like him I have been around in the better barns went to those BG and PG rings and did a few low and slow Jumper schooling classes, maybe some Eq classes. NO pounding or campaigning for points.
Spotty early results certainly didn’t hurt any of these horses later in either price or reputation when they grew up enough to get serious in either ring and enjoy the results of the extra maturing time and easy “cross training” mileage until they were physically and mentally ready to specialize.
[QUOTE=Nickelodian;8928886]
Well…first time doing the hunters at his second show ever and he got a ribbon in a tough tough BG division against a large field of nice horses that are ready to move up.
He does seem to dress up nicer than he looks not braided. I think I’ll dabble with him in the hunters for a bit and see where it takes me. And gasp maybe even some adult eq. His brain needs to get some miles either way, and those are certainly miles I am more comfortable putting on a horse.[/QUOTE]
I sure wouldn’t throw him out of my barn.
I love him. I have a 5 year old Wolkentanz, too and they have a lot in common. Mine is a tad more refined and has a more swinging stride and is doing well in pure dressage. But I do not think that is an end answer for you.
I also own a “Jack of all trades, Master of none”, from Popeye K’s first crop. Great jump, lovely attitude, not a great mover, but a lovely horse. He has done dressage (to 2nd level) Eventing (to Prelim), Jumpers (to 1.25m) and Hunters (3’3"). And everyone has always said he would make an incredible Eq horse.
But, 8 years ago, when I was asking similar questions I was told that a “green Big Eq” horse was an oxymoron. If he get the show miles to prove that he can do the big eq, then he will be a valuable horse. But there is no such thing as a Big Eq horse unless it has years and miles of training and it will cost $$$$ to get there.
At the big barns (Don Stewart/Heritage) they have working students who give these horses mileage, and the kids get nice horses to show. But it is harder for the likes of us to do this cost effectively.
Having BTDT, I might recommend working with a dressage trainer at the same time you are training him over fences. Right now he is such a big boy he looks heavy on his front end and hard to make rock back in front of the jump. Dressage work definitely cannot hurt him and it might be a pathway to a life as a lower/mid level event horse (he is too slow across the ground to rise high in the event world).
Do you have a good junior who would love to free lease him and show him? – I am trying to think of ways you can get show miles on him without it breaking your bank.
Until he is a tad more coordinated and lighter on his feet, you will not know if he can do the Derbys. But he may well be a Derby star, once he has done his miles in the ring.
I sympathize with owning a lovely horse who always seems to be a square peg in a round hole. 
[QUOTE=Lord Helpus;8929277]
I sympathize with owning a lovely horse who always seems to be a square peg in a round hole. :([/QUOTE]
You know, I can’t help but chuckle at this. The horse you described is more horse and more trained than 70+% of the competing population needs. And he’s a square peg.
Cute jump. Great Lead change. Good brain. Big.
I’d just get him out and about to see different rings and jumps and to let him grow into his big body. There are lots of Hunters that jump great and won’t win the hack class.
LH - As of right now he is honestly way too green for a kid to do a free lease on. I’d like to sell him as a prospect, but having the same issue as the feedback here, he’s not quite anything yet, though he will be something. I know he needs to be more broke, and more fit, and LOTS of flatwork. I think my more puzzling thing is what miles to put on him between now and next year when I think I can sell him as a decent 3’6 prospect. I’m lucky in that one of my trainers is from sweden and spent her formative years in the dressage ring.
Given I’ve seen the horse free jump 1.35 with ease, and that I know how he jumps when something impresses him, there is no doubt in my mind he could derby. But we’re a long way from that too. I was impressed in that video that he dressed up pretty decently, and looked the part in-between the jumps. No, a 2’6 jump doesn’t impress him, but that’s OK too.
If you want to sell him while he’s still in the “prospect” phase, it doesn’t really matter what your miles are in terms of results. What matters is probably the versatility. Did you go around the jumper, hunter, and maybe eq rings and all survive? When you did some 3’ adult eq, could he answer the questions? Putting some good dressage flatwork on will be important as well. Be sure he’s got a counter canter, can do a flying change wherever you ask for one. Extensions.
The equitation prospects that have long records are the ones that are moving to the eq from a different career because they have shown to have the mind suitable to the eq. doing their other job. Coming from the green end of the spectrum, go for some solid basics. Show he can jump jumper jumps and hunter jumps and be smooth.
Update update update.
I posted this thread when the horse was at a horse show doing the baby jumpers, with a lot of feedback of “is he always this slow and even across the jumps?” The next weekend (as mentioned in this thread) he went to the BG ring and held is own. Fast forward another month, and we had the opportunity to do a show last week (2016 show year) followed by one this week (2017). Got to move from the BG to the 3’ Green, and, honestly I couldn’t have asked for more from him. He won his first class, stayed in the decent ribbons, and took a piece of the hack. He’s a quick study, and a trier, which makes working with him nice.
He also seems to really like this current job I’m asking him to do. I think we will stick here for a while, before returning to the jumper ring, which I feel he thought was overwhelming him a bit.
Our trips were not perfect, and he got behind my leg more than once (resulting in some questionably long distances), but he is so easy to find the jumps on, has a good lead change, and heavens knows I’m going to get down the line (pull with all my might to fit the step in).
I’m pleased with his current progress…
He’s cute! Looks like he will make a nice eq type when he grows up.
Your trainer rides him well. Nice to see patience with a green horse. A few months with a great dressage rider might help. Sure taught our eq horses!!
[QUOTE=handwalk;8968236]
Your trainer rides him well. Nice to see patience with a green horse. A few months with a great dressage rider might help. Sure taught our eq horses!![/QUOTE]
Since that is me riding, I’ll take that as a compliment.
One of my trainers spent a lot of time in the dressage ring growing up and works with him quite a bit. We don’t snub the flatworm for sure.
*flatwork. We also don’t snub flatworms.
[QUOTE=Nickelodian;8968286]
Since that is me riding, I’ll take that as a compliment.
One of my trainers spent a lot of time in the dressage ring growing up and works with him quite a bit. We don’t snub the flatworm for sure.[/QUOTE]
I meant the original video posted :lol:
Your video shows a good rider too;)
