I have been looking into the GRP to ride in Dressage.
I like to hear how they are to handle. What are they like U/S. Is there better lines to look for in a Dressage type. What have been your successes(what levels) in the dressage show ring with them. What have been some of the judges comments. Are they easy keepers. Any you know doing GP.
I was in Europe and saw a few and they were fantastic.
Ride One, Want One
I have a friend who breeds and imports them - Polly Limond at Pepper Knoll Farms (www.pepperknollfarm.com) - check out her stallion Lateran. She’s let me ride a few. They’re like driving a little two-seater sports car compared to the large sedan/limo that is a big WB. All of their parts are just THERE. No pulling a big long package together.
One of the ones I rode was 4th/PSG and her changes were a dream - you just needed to think and she changed. And so much easier for a smaller amateur to ride.
Plus, they are so much more portable! No more XXXTall trailer needed!
Someday…
LOVE LOVE LOVE GRPs!!!
I LOVE the German Riding Pony!! As a 5’ petite female rider, I was tired of riding huge horses that I looked like a peanut on (hence my nickname! :winkgrin:), and I wanted something I could actually RIDE! I actually stumbled upon the GRP breed when I was perusing the internet, looking for what was out there (thank you Google!), and it was like a lightbulb went off over my head: Eureka! 
A PONY that looks and rides like a HORSE!! Flash forward: somewhat coincidentally, not long after, I got a job working for an (in)famous family in Germany that has many world-class riding ponies that the children ride and compete (and win!) on, which gave me quite a keen eye for quality ponies. That said, I was extremely picky when I went shopping for a pony of my own. Bloodlines (of which I didn’t know many) were not as important to me as conformation and movement - I was essentially looking for a pony-sized horse. I looked at 20+ small horses and ponies, and while I saw a few I liked, they looked too much like ponies - ie. short legs, short neck, squat, built downhill, sewing-machine gaits. The mare I chose was actually the second horse I looked at - elegant, long legs, deep barrel, built uphill with a long and lovely neck set. As a bonus, she is very flashy with lots of chrome and a cute dished face (a tribute to her Welsh/New Forest roots!). She is a 2001 German Riding Pony mare and I imported her from Germany in 2006. We haven’t shown much yet, but we are training Second/Third Level. The comments that I have received from judges/trainers/clinicians has been nothing but positive. I actually had a judge say she was dissapointed that she would only get to see us for the one test! 
She is fabulous to handle, very sensible and level-headed, and intelligent. She can be a bit stubborn at times, but she is a MARE after all! :winkgrin: I swear, these ponies are 17hh warmbloods in 14hh+ bodies! They combine the benefits of the pony - hardy, good feet, easy keeper, “kid-sense”, unflappable - with the benefits of the sport horse - correct conformation, excellent movement, and that competitive edge in the show ring. I am a complete pony convert! I ultimately want to get into breeding these fabulous little competitors - I’m actually breeding my mare this year to another GRP, Halifax, in the hopes of producing a future dressage pony superstar!! PM me if you have any other questions - I can’t say enough about this breed.
Meaghan
P.S. If you are at all interested in shopping for a pony in Germany, I can connect you to the agent I worked with - she was fantastic. Send me a PM!
Some of the GRPs can be pistols on the ground, while many others are just perfect little citizens. It basically depends on the individual pony’s bloodlines, temperament, and training.
There is a GRP breeder, Hluing, that posts on the breeding forum from time to time. You might want to send her a PM. She is very knowledgable about GRP bloodlines.
Good luck, the GRPs are amazing animals. As others have said, they are WBs in a pony sized body.
Hello Wolf and Thanks DownYonder,
In 2003 I sold my WB mares and completely dedicated myself to breeding GRP’s…more specificly Weser-Ems or Oldenburg ponies. I currently have eight GRP’s and four in utero…so I have quite a bit of expereince with the breed. I have also seen and ridden quite a few ponies in Germany…and I am happy to answer any specific questions on bloodlines, etc.
We have found them to be wonderful overall…they are very smart and learn quickly. Much more manageable because of their small size. My oldest mare is four and is an absolute blast to ride. She is only around 13.2 but you would never know it. Very good gaits…feels very horse like. I will probably show her for the first time this Fall (she is currently bred and I am giving her a little vacation). I also have a three year old mare I am starting that is proving to by easy, easy, easy;)
Like dressagepeanut discussued…the GRP should look like a small horse by proportions. We are lucky to have gotten some excellent bloodlines available in the US…and now a few US breeders are producing some excelent young stock.
Don’t just look at German ponies. There are wonderful European ponies of other breeds – I have a remarkable Grand Prix French Connemara in my stable,an Arab doing high 60’s at Third Level with a child. My two wonderful Grand Prix “ponies” were Connemara/TB crosses. In Europe you are more likely to find highly trained ponies, but we are breeding wonderful ponies in the US and have super ponies available. As with horses we don’t have the numbers of people training them well to sell, so you can’t see a lot of ponies in a small area.
I was thrilled at the show I was at this past weekend to see over 15 ponies of all shapes and sizes with riders of all ages, abilities, and levels. No one could say there was any disadvantage over the horses in getting good scores. Some of the ponies took home blue ribbons with very high scores – one was Danish, one was an American Arab, one was a typical kids’ pony.
Expect to find as much variety in ponies as there are with horses. But you have a much better chance of really enjoying your pony if you are small.
I agree that you shouldn’t restrict yourself to GRPs, you will be doing yourself a mis service
if you don’t look at other pony breeds. At the very least you should study your GRP bloodlines to get an idea of what you are really getting.
We expanded our breeding business to Sportponies and GRP’s about 7 years ago. We started with the stallion Makuba and had 3 super boys by him. On one of my trips to Germany I went looking for GRP mares in Westfalia and ended up buying some fillies but also purchased the GRP stallion Popeye as a 2 yo. He currently stands as a guest stallion at Hilltop Farm. www.hilltopfarminc.com We imported 5 GRP’s last November including 2 States Premium Mares in foal and 2 fillies and a colt that’s a full brother to Popeye. We have found them to be exactly what they were bred to be - small warmbloods! Their movement is much more like a horse. The pony stallions do have to complete a 30 day performance test for licensing - it includes free jumping, dressage, jumping u/s and cross country.
You do have to know some of the bloodlines when purchasing GRP’s. The children in Europe that ride these ponies start at early ages and are extremely competitive. Their dressage pony shows are huge, as are the jumping shows. So they sometimes prefer ponies that are very showy and hon the hot side.
Friends of ours breed ponies in France and they do use Connemara and welsh and cross with some of the german GRP’s and primarily specialize in jumping ponies.
We feel they are not only an asset to the market here in the US as ponies but crossing them on horse mares to produce small horses with super movement and temperament for people that want competitive horses but don’t want a 17H Warmblood. We have had some of ours go over pony - one is 15.1+H but is schooling 2nd/3rd level and can carry an adult or junior just fine.
Another “Pony” breed to look at is the British Riding Pony. Same characteristics–horse type conformation, big strides, and pony attitude–all in a rideable package! We have a British Riding Pony, he is 7 yrs old and 15 hands and the best guy ever. I can’t even brag enough about this guy, the personality is to die for, very smart and easy to train. Gaits are great, loves to jump, and he and my 14 yr old “hunter princess” took the High Point Training level ribbon at the Atl Pony Club Fall Classic last year. Without any true dressage training.
They are now with a dressage trainer and the new trainer thinks the world of him. Here is a link to some show shots–excuse my kid–she is still leaning towards her “hunter” form (especially at the canter) but her pony still wows the judges and they reward him well.
http://www.thehoofprints.com/gallery/4914718_TQ5PN#293502813_Q54ak
I’ve also got a Connemara/TB mare, she’s not as easy to ride–very sensitive and dominant. But when she’s on–she is incredible.
if you look into the backgrounds of most of the GRP's you will find a Welsh section B or Section C on the mare line and TB or warmblood sire lines...(as a humorous point such animals here are considered here in the States mutt half breds and not suited for anything ;) )
this is a classic combo for such things and the British ponies are generally bred the same way...the mare gives the size and the stallion the scope...
the temperment must also come from the mare side as more is taught to the colt about human inteactions from her than by the sire....
there are very few breders here who breed the Welsh Part Breds specific for dressage as the market has always sucked for it (part of the bigger must always be better attitude of the American market)....and getting fancy papers from far away has it's appeal as well....however they can be found...and the offspring can be pretty nice...
best
[QUOTE=Tamara in TN;3229427]
there are very few breders here who breed the Welsh Part Breds specific for dressage as the market has always sucked for it (part of the bigger must always be better attitude of the American market)…and getting fancy papers from far away has it’s appeal as well…however they can be found…and the offspring can be pretty nice…
best[/QUOTE]
To be honest with you, I was able to buy my gelding dirt cheap–he was bred to be a Lg Hunter Pony and he grew too big. We hadn’t even planned to do dressage with him. There are deals to be found, especially if you are ok with going over the 14’2 height.
Don’t forget our American small horse breeds either. I have to put a plug in for my chosen breed Colonial Spanish horses. They are built like smaller Lusitanos, average around 14:2 hands and many have outstanding uphill movement. They are tough, sound, sane, athletic and people oriented as a general rule and a whole lot less expensive right now than imports.
That’s a good point about also considering other breeds. There are plenty of Welsh and Connemara ponies out there doing dressage, as well as small TB, Arabian, and QH crosses. One thing to consider, though, is that those breeds have not traditionally been bred for dressage, so you are more likely to find WB type dressage movement in one of the German or Dutch riding pony breeds.
There are a few, but more each year, American Breeders whose ponies and small horses are being approved for breeding. My guy is RPSI Approved.
There are some here in the US who have been quietly doing this all along. SportPony has been breeding ponies specifically for Dressage for quite a while now. Her Pony Project is a decade or two ahead of the new GRP wave.
As DB said, there are some options too, who are FANCY, correct, sane and purpose bred. I think you can save a lot of money by looking at what we have right here.
Try peeking at http://www.americanridingpony.com
But, if you want the whole buying in Euros/Importing thing, that’s awesome too. I imagine that is an adventure worth doing if you are able.
I’m currently riding a New Forest Pony that my husband imported from England 5 years ago as a 2yo. Her main job now is Combined driving. I started to ride her to improve her dressage and she has been really fun to ride. In fact I will show her alittle this summer. When my husband went to England he went to a large New Forest breeding farm. He kept picking out ponies he liked but the owners kept saying they were sold. They told him the Germans were there the week before and bought alot of the young ponies! I am 5’6" and slender but the pony is well sprung so I don’t feel too big. Ponies are so much fun. I wish I was shorter!
We are currently looking for a Welsh D gelding if anyone knows of one.
I ride a 14.2 Connemara.
He moves like a horse and we held our own very nicely against the WB’s last year.
Here are a few of mine. I absolutely love them. They are little Warmbloods in a pony/cob sized package. Everything about them is Warmblood, not Thelwell pony. [URL=“http://www.tranquilityfarm.com/Ponies_Cobs.htm”]Ponies and cob sized Warmbloods
It seem that the bloodlines in America for the GRP are good.
I have friends that have students that ride GRP in the hunters and do very well with them.
They seem to be getting a little more popular in dressage in the US. I have liked most of the GRP’s I have seen here. I have met a few people that ride them in reg. shows in dressage. Like anything else , if it is a nice horse and trained well, I think they can do well.
thanks for the comments…
Where do you live? We’d be happy to show you the ones we have if you want to contact us and I’m sure others who are breeding GRP’s would be happy to arrange a farm visit as well.
I resemble this remark! 
I call my little 14 hand stallion my Ferrari. is so much fun to ride with a lot of jump to his canter, very uphill and agile to boot. Rein and legs aids only need to be whispered to him most of the time…
http://akalranch.com/Paisano/images/080515-0090web.jpg
http://akalranch.com/Paisano/images/070922-9368web.jpg
We are still Training Level, as he is only 4 and 5 in these photos and my riding/training time is limited. He probably has more talent than I can use. I definitely will add my vote for the smaller equine and also for our American bred horses and even our American breeds, like the Spanish Mustang/Colonial Spanish. They are diamonds in the rough who can polish up beautifully!
These horses (or ponies, if you are being technical) are easy keepers, healthy and sound and can have a wonderful, fun temperament.
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