8 minute read
Horse Breed: The Riding Pony
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the rest if its life,” said Caroline.
Caroline is paid a set re-trainer fee for each horse and has a minimum of six and maximum of ten weeks to prepare them for the next phase of their life.
Somewhat surprisingly, given the environment they come from, she says Hong Kong horses are very trainable. “I think it’s because they see so much over there. They have been exposed to so much and they hardly ever spook. During the first two weeks they are not so quiet but then they click into this pony club mode.”
However some horses suffer soundness issues that can usually be overcome with time and patience. “A lot of them have issues. Mostly they are degenerative issues in the joints like arthritis as they have had a lot of wear and tear,” she explains.
Once the horse is in good physical order Caroline then trains them in the basics. “I make sure they can lunge. I teach them both ways and make them stand still to get on because most racehorses are walking when the jockeys are bunked up. They are green and raw but you have to put initial straightness into them. Teach them what a right leg is or half-halt. A lot of people don't know how to instil those things in them.”
Caroline says the next important step is analysing exactly what their future suitability might be. “I then assess what they are going to be good for. It’s no use sending a horse that cannot jump to a jumping rider. I find out what they are suited to and train them in that direction.”
The horses that Caroline has re-trained have been successfully placed into good homes. They are not sold but given away through the program and she says she’s been heartened by the positive feedback she’s received from people involved. “One girl put a post on social media that she could not believe that this particular horse is now in her life. She's had him a couple of months and is just so appreciative,” she says.
For more information on how you can secure a horse through International Thoroughbred Retirement go to www. internationalthoroughbredretirement. com TOP: Caroline’s 13-year-old daughter Olivia schooling her eventer (Image courtesy Caroline Price).
BOTTOM: Before rehoming, training in the basics is vital. (Image courtesy Caroline Price).
HORSE BREED
Big presence in a pony package
If you love cute and sassy over might and power, a smaller version of the elegant show hack may very well win you over, writes FRANCINE PULLMAN.
If you love the look of those magnificent show hacks as they bound around the ring adorned with blue ribbons, makeup and perfect plaits, but you are too small (or a bit too nervous) to ride something so big and energetic, a Riding Pony might be just the equine partner for you!
Over the years I’ve met quite a few beautiful Riding Ponies – all were elegantly free moving, with plenty of scope and show-stopping good looks. Interestingly, each of these ponies was owned by a rider who was once serious about hack showing and dressage. But that’s before they fell in love with a Riding Pony. Clearly, in the show ring, as in life, good things really do come in small packages!
Refined, athletic and usually even tempered, the Riding Pony is a smaller version of a full-sized show horse, and they are blessed with an eye-catching confirmation. Once Riding Ponies are on your radar, you’ll begin to notice (when competitions restart in earnest), many striking examples excelling in the show ring, either ridden or in hand, and in the dressage arena. While they are often partnered by children, make no mistake: while one of the Riding Pony’s most appealing features is their suitability for child riders and handlers, they are also strong enough to take a small adult into the winner’s circle. Add to that all the charm of pony personality and a willingness to please, and it’s hard not to be won over.
And in case you weren’t aware, Riding Pony dressage is not limited to children wanting to compete at the lower levels. Equestrian Australia dressage competitions for Riding Ponies include all levels from preliminary to advanced, with FEI levels continuing from Prix St Georges through to Grand Prix.
Out and about at an event, a well-trained Riding Pony will rise to the occasion, showing off its good looks and stepping out with a lively and free flowing stride that covers plenty of ground, yet is also pleasant to ride. Overall they are very willing performers and generally stand well for the judge, easily rivalling their larger counterparts in the hack ring.
Although a great option as a child’s mount for Pony Club and trail riding, it’s in the show ring that the Riding Pony shines. Versatile and with plenty of character, this pony thrives on companionship and consistent training.
Riding Pony origins
Rather than a genetically identifiable breed, the Riding Pony is the result of a breeding program designed to achieve a particular outcome. In other words, it’s a type of pony in which recognised breeds and selected bloodlines were combined with the object of producing the ‘ultimate’ show pony. However, this is an ongoing program of refinement, one which allows for improvements to be made as new influences come along.
While there are a number of standardised Riding Pony ‘types’ including the Czechoslovakian,
MAIN: Whitmere Ethereal was Champion Medium Pony at the EA National Saddle Horse Championships, Champion at the Horse of the Year Show, and Reserve Champion Pony at the Melbourne and Adelaide Royals (Photo Credit Lisa Gordon).
FACING PAGE: Deveron Gamechanger, a stunning three month old colt by Golden Rock Imp out of Dornero IIU (Image by Winter Hills).
American, French, and Belgian, we’ll take a closer look at three:
The British Riding Pony: It’s fair to say that the Riding Pony had its origins in the UK. Back in the day, British children rode native pony breeds for both general riding and hunting. However, by the early 1920s breeders had begun crossing hardy Welsh and Dartmoor ponies with small Arabian and Thoroughbred horses. Over the following three decades, yet more Arabian blood was introduced to further refine the ponies and to improve their stamina. The resulting Riding Pony is now shown in one of three classes: the Show Pony, which resembles a small show horse; the Show Hunter, which has more substance than the Show Pony, in that it should be capable of carrying a child across country; and the Working Hunter, the largest and most full-bodied of the three.
The German Riding Pony: Often described as miniature warmbloods, the breed is again very similar in body type to a full-sized horse, yet with a pony-like head. Ideally between 13.2 and 14.2hh, they too were developed by crossing a variety of English pony breeds with Arabians, Anglo-Arabians and Thoroughbreds, with the aim of producing competition quality children’s ponies. The breed is suited to both dressage and jumping, with gaits that are smooth and horse-like, while retaining the character of a pony and their willingness to perform.
The Australian Riding Pony:
Resembling elegant show hacks, the Australian Riding Pony ranges from 12.2 to 14.2hh, and owes its heritage to the British Riding Pony. In the early 1970s, Australian breeders travelled to the UK in search of Welsh ponies to import – but what they discovered instead were British Riding Ponies. In 1973 the first British Riding Pony stallion, Aristocrat of Flawforth (by Bwlch Zephyr out of the Thoroughbred cross Welsh mare Chirk Catmint) arrived in NSW. Aristocrat soon made his presence known at the Royal Melbourne Agricultural Show where he won champion led and ridden Galloway stallion, which, at the time, was the only section in which he could be shown.
Another two stallions, both sired by Bwlch Valentino, soon followed, and with the many quality imported Welsh ponies, Thoroughbreds and Arabian derivatives which were by then in Australia, it wasn’t long before pony breeders followed Britain’s lead and began a program designed to create an outstanding Australian Riding Pony.
These breeding programs were so successful that Australian Riding Ponies regularly feature in shows and dressage events at local, state and national level, and are much sought
Whitmere Stud stallion Whitmere Secret Agent, Supreme Champion Riding Pony at the Sydney Royal. Secret Agent is the grandson of Ardenhall Royal Secret, Olympic Gold dressage rider Charlotte Dujardin’s show pony (Image by Greg Gerry).
