How Much is a Fancy Big Eq Horse?

[OnDeck]

@chicagojumper

The tough thing is that, due to the nature of high school kids competing in big eq (ours usually start to move up from the 3’0-3’3 medals between around 14 or 15 years old, so they may have 1 newbie season to the 3’6 then 2 more where they’re genuinely competitive), their time is limited so they can’t spend a couple years making up a jumper or a green younger horse to take them to equitation finals.

We import a lot of younger WBs to retrain and sell as big eq horses and they’re usually high 5s the minute they step out of quarantine. The really nice ones immediately get a season put on them and if they get their kid qualified even for state finals and/or Maclay regionals, they’re up to 6 figures. Our turnaround for the nice horses with Europe jumper miles is often one season to be able to get around a 3’6 course, but 2 or 3 to be competitive at state finals and hold their own at Maclay regionals. Having them go to Harrisburg, for example, and be competitive is longer than that. These are tough courses being ridden by teenagers in high pressure environments.

Our average big eq horse that will show locally, qualify their kid for Maclay regionals, and for the Medal, be competitive at state finals and aforementioned regionals, won’t even go to Indoors (kiddo will lease something nicer) are well into 6 figs.

I am very very familiar with the ins and outs of the whole process involved in a kid coming up the equitation ranks. Maybe it’s area dependent but these numbers are high for where I’m at. We seem to have an abundance of the “qualify for indoors but not actually go to indoors” types and they do often go for six figures, but not as a rule.

[equinekacy]

@Impractical Horsewoman

Quite a few of the very top Big Eq horses aren’t for sale (well, I suppose everything is for sale) but are leased out by the Big Eq barns. There are quite a few that reliably appear in the finals, ridden by the top students of the top barns, year after year, which is another reason (tangent) why those who don’t ride with a tiny handful of barns in the country struggle to place.

I never rode in the Big Eq, but I write horse books, and to give some advice to the OP–although I admit I’ve occasionally included price tags in my own writing–sometimes it’s more effective to include people’s reactions to the price tag, to show the person’s character and situation in life, than the actual sum. For example, you can say that the seller named a price that made one character think that it was more than her parents had paid for their house, or another character thought no more of the six figure sum than she would buying a new pair of shoes. The price is less important than what the horse and the affordability means in the context of the story.

@Jealoushe I’m not a Big Eq rider, but do have young friends who rode in equitation classes. I would say the answer is neither, really. Equitation is supposed to be judged on the rider’s performance. So a horse with a very flat, comfortable jump that requires the absolute minimum contortions on the part of the rider is best. In fact, a spectacular jump might take away from the rider’s ability to sit well or simply distract the judge. And sometimes in the flat class there is a portion where people drop their irons–again, easier to sit and look good on a comfortable horse.

That’s really helpful! Thank you so much!!

[Impractical_Horsewoman]

@equinekacy My pleasure! Good luck with the assignment, and thanks for inspiring such an interesting discussion!

[Milobloom]

@Impractical Horsewoman

@equinekacy My pleasure! Good luck with the assignment, and thanks for inspiring such an interesting discussion!

Just wanted to tell Impractical Horsewomen I recently read your Fortune’s Fool series and loved it, hoping to learn more about Ainsley

[Impractical_Horsewoman]

@Milobloom

Just wanted to tell Impractical Horsewomen I recently read your Fortune’s Fool series and loved it, hoping to learn more about Ainsley

Oh thank you so much! I’ll be sure to tell her in her fictional universe (Ainsley deserves an ego boost, after putting up with Simon)! I’m working on the seventh book now, so hopefully Simon and Company will be back by the end of the year…

[KyrieNZ]

@chicagojumper

Last year’s Maclay winner. Equitation horses are typically kept more packaged.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzwsTG2ld3w

Interesting muscle development on its neck.

I still can’t get my head around having a standing martingale on a horse that is (a) jumping and (b) judged on style :no:

[findeight]

@KyrieNZ

Interesting muscle development on its neck.

I still can’t get my head around having a standing martingale on a horse that is (a) jumping and (b) judged on style :no:

On b) We are talking about USA “ Big Eq” specifically (rider under 18, fences 3’6, National level, year long qualification period). It is judged only on the position and effectiveness of the rider. The horse is not judged on style at all. Fact horse can make a mistake and if the rider did not contribute to that mistake and handled or corrected it appropriately, it’s not a deduction. Including a rail not the result of pilot error.

Becuase the Big Eq horses job is to showcase the rider, there are some specific things most successful ones have. Bit slab sided to lengthen the riders leg and allow it to drop in close contact all the way down. Upright in front to help easily maintain posture and hand position, jumping wise a flatter jump allows rider to concentrate on position, not staying in the tack. It’s not the same horse you’d want for 1.2m+ or in the very much style judged Hunters

Properly adjusted standing martingales are popular on Hunters as part of the “look”. Some use then in regular Jumpers but only low, believe they are not allowed over a certain height.