Critique

[HorseMom]

This is my guy Jay in the Dark. He did well in Halter at locals shows. He won a Supreme Halter Reserve Champion at one of the show series that I went to. My question to you is, how well do you think he would do in halter at a rated show? Please be honest, I can take it.

 

[kaykay]

How tall and how old is he? And are you showing AMHA or AMHR?

 

[HorseMom]

He is 8 years old and I measured him 33" but everyone thinks that he is under that. I have to remeasure him. NY has mostly AMHR shows so I has going to try for that. He's more of a performance horse, but I wanted to know what everyone else thought of him as a halter horse.

 

[Annabellarose]

If you have the money, the time, and the interest, I say go for it. I think that he is nicer than quite a few stallions that I have seen in halter classes at the A shows. He has a very thick neck, which tells me that he is "all man", but I like him a lot. I miss the days when stallions looked like stallions (and I mean in all breeds, not just the Miniature Horse) and maybe you can help swing a trend with him.

 

[Jill]

He is an attractive boy. I love his little ears and his legs look straight. Conformationally, he is better than many stallions and no serious conformational flaws jump out at me. However, at a rated show, I am not sure his type will serve him well in halter. I think that his neck will hold him back (thick and a low tie in). He also will be competing against horses with a lot more leg to body proportion and that can hurt his placing. You may do very well with him in performance and color. I'd try halter if you want to and enjoy it, but I'm not sure he will do as well for you at registry shows as he has at open ones.

 

[Riverdance]

He looks like he might make a nice hunter/jumper, but unfortunatly, not a halter horse for the AMHA shows. His neck is too thick as is his throatlatch. It also comes out of his chest rather than his shoulder (which gives him a loaded shoulder). His top line is not level, dipping a bit in his back and dropping off at his rear. His legs are a bit short, giving him a longer body appearance.

The good news is, the dropped rear will help him get more butt under him for jumping and driving.

 

[HorseMom]

Thanks everyone. I might enter a halter class or two just for fun, I saw the same faults in him that you did. He's neck is the biggest fault. His neck has improved a bit since I bought him. Working some of that fat off, but I like it a bit thick. I've always liked the thicker necked horses. He is an awesome hunter/jumper and we've started to train him to drive, which he's doing very well at. Not a Pleasure Horse, maybe a Western Country Pleasure Horse for rated shows . We're mainly training him to drive at CDEs, so far he seems to really enjoy it. He's a fun horse with way too much attitude, but I love it. We've bred him this year to my double Blue Boy granddaughter who throws leggy foals. Very interested to see what I get.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

I was just about to say that horse should be in harness!!

I like him a lot but unfortunately think he is a bit "mature" for halter...not as it should be, maybe, but just one of those things.

 

[mydaddysjag]

A few top trainers recommend feeding quiessence or remission to keep the thick necks down on their show horses, along with sweating. That would probably help him out a lot, but I dont think he will ever be a top notch AMHR halter horse.

I think he would make a very nice performance gelding for you, and he could still clean up in the local open shows in halter.

 

[Relic]

My daughter loves your type of stallion with more substance to them she likes her mares that way to...yours looks a lot like her Rowdy grandson who she showed all last year after her mare retired and he did really well for his first time showing in driving obstacles jumper hunter barrels/cones ...we didn't have him entered in halter at the Calgary Stampede but decided to at the last minute because we thought maybe one of the judges will like him why not he's a lot more shiny looking then the other boys so nothing ventured nothing gained right...well he was first in his class then got a reserve and went on to get the Reserve Canadian National senior stallion award....he's a pasture horse no neck sweats throat latch or being stalled he goes like he comes out of the pasture except he's been clipped..thick neck fat butt and a ton of attitude...but then we're odd we show what we like because it's more important to us not what someone else thinks we should because thats whats winning if the underdog can slip in...and yes this guy was called that by one of our club members at the show when they saw him... then thats a plus for us and we laugh all the way home...

have fun he looks like he'll find his place..

 

[HorseMom]

A few top trainers recommend feeding quiessence or remission to keep the thick necks down on their show horses, along with sweating. That would probably help him out a lot, but I dont think he will ever be a top notch AMHR halter horse. I think he would make a very nice performance gelding for you, and he could still clean up in the local open shows in halter.

I do feed Remission, his neck used to be much worse. I also use a throat sweat, but I haven't used the full neck sweat too much. Despite how thick his neck is, I like it. I'm not worried about being a "Top Notch" halter competitor, I was just curious about how he would do in a halter class against halter horses at a rated show. Both Jay and I like performance better. Neither one of us are good about standing around waiting. Thanks for the advice

 

[fallin4minis]

I've always loved the dark bays and he is just gorgeous! I don't know much about showing halter but I do know that he'd look fantastic in my back yard

 

[horsehug]

Wow! I love him!!!

But then I often go against the tide

I love little horses of substance more than ultra refinement. And I love his head. He looks like a stallion should look to me!

I'd give it a shot in halter as well as performance if I were you!

I like your daughter's boy too, Relic.

Susan O.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

I agree with stallions actually looking like stallions, and that is what this chap does....don't try to change him, everything he has is natural!!! I love it, and I like him a lot, right down to his colour.

Will he do well against all the airy fairy lightweights he will meet??

Probably not but remember two things...

1) Every time you leave a show you take the best horse there home with you!!

2) When the airy fairy lightweight creatures have been long forgotten your chap will still be winning in the performance ring.

 

[BannerBrat]

[SIZE=12pt]oh my!

[/SIZE]

I don't show, so my opinion is worth .01, but I think he's a very correct, handsome little fella.

Good luck at CDE's with him, I'd love to see pictures in the future!

 

[Jill]

Everyone has their own opinions and reasons for forming them... however, I have a stallion (co-owned with Erica) -- Erica's Echos of My Destiny HOF -- who did about as well as you can at Halter (National Champion, Hall of Fame and almost 50 championships in both registries) and at Driving (Reserve National Grand Champion).

A really nice halter horse is not just pretty to look at, but built to DO things. Don't write off an awesome halter horse as a contender for performance. That's short sighted and only self serving on an emotional level. There's a real relationship between form and function! The type of halter horse I prefer are the kind I have -- those who are nicely refined but with the butt and chest to actually do "work".

Also, anyone who shows should realize you are paying for the judges' opinions. If you don't value it, save yourself a lot of time, effort and money and don't go to the show or don't enter the class in question. That idea of no matter how you do, know you've got the best horse... You can "know" that from home.

 

[miniwhinny74]

Also, anyone who shows should realize you are paying for the judges' opinions. If you don't value it, save yourself a lot of time, effort and money and don't go to the show or don't enter the class in question. That idea of no matter how you do, know you've got the best horse... You can "know" that from home.

I've never shown so I probably shouldn't even add my opinion, BUT...I feel anyone who wants to put forth the time, energy and money to show, should be allowed to do so without someone else telling them to stay at home!

If they go into 10 classes and not get a single ribbon or whatever, that's their business! Sometimes people do it just as a way to enjoy their horses or spend time with their family and friends--or to make new friends!

But back to the horse at hand...I think he's an attractive boy and I think you should enter him in any class he's eligible for if you want to. You never know what might happen! If you don't do well...hey, no harm done. But at least you tried...and since when is broadening your horizons a bad thing?

 

[Jill]

I'm not telling anyone to stay home. But if you've got the attitude of "I don't care what the judges think, my horse is the best," then why bother to go to the show? The only thing you are paying for when you pay the class fee is the judge's opinion. If you don't place value in it and plan to write it off as meaningless, then you could really save yourself lots of time, effort, and money by staying home or at least leaving your horse at home.

Sorry, but I don't believe anyone who goes to a show and enters a class is sincerely as happy with the gate as they would be with 1st place. To act so beforehand basically is setting a stage to say "it didn't really matter to me" and to say it after the fact just sounds like sour grapes.

But you know what Dennis Miller says -- Of course, that's just my opinion. I could be wrong.

(PS I do not think this "who cares what the judges think" feeling is what the OP is expressing -- my remarks are directed to other people in the discussion and for the general audience.)

 

[miniwhinny74]

My horses aren't the best, they are nowhere near the best....but I couldn't love them any more if Twist were Del's Cowboy or Dancer were Boone's Little Buckeroo. That's what the person who posted before meant when she referred to the "best" horse being the one you're taking home. Because that horse is YOURS, the one you love and care for everyday...the one you groom and tend to, the one that is part of your family. (I don't know--I've only owned 2 minis and only for 2 months now--so maybe "that feeling" wears off if you have a lot of minis, or have had minis for a long time--but I'm still in the "honeymoon" stage and I still get stars in my eyes and a flutter in my heart when I look at my boys.)

If I ever went into the show ring I wouln't do it thinking that my horses were better than any other out there (gosh, no!)

, nor would I go into the ring not caring what the judge thinks--it would be a learning experience for me. Something I could do with my little guys whom I love so much. Would I want to win? Well, sure I would...but I wouldn't expect my little rescue guys could go out and beat horses from experienced shows homes handled by people with years of experience. I'd be happy as a lark just to have had the experience. But we could learn a lot, gain experience, have a little fun and meet new people.

Sometimes the journey is as important as the destination, and we all don't have to follow the same path to get there. Sometimes winning isn't everything, but what we learn along the way that matters the most.

 

[Jill]

Miniwhinny, I see your point. I'm not sure who's right, you or me, about what the one poster meant.

When I got my first mini, I loved him as a pet and for driving when he got old enough for YEARS before we ever got into showing minis. He's grade but wonderful and we still have him and still love him very much. There's not anything wrong at all with not showing, or not having show type horses. I honestly was just as happy back when I just had "Eclipse" (first mini) and a few other non-show minis as I am now with some decent show horses.

I don't really care for that "what the judges say doesn't really mean much" attitude that some have. My point is only that if you don't value a judge's opinion, don't waste your money paying to hear it.