Foundation Bred Ponies

[JWC sr.]

After getting a little time to wind down after the hectic show season, Congress and Nationals. I started trying to figure out what is coming this next year and to start planning our breeding and show string for 2015.

Personally I think the area of biggest expansion in Shetlands for the coming year will be in the foundation division. We have coveted our foundation certified mares for several years around here as we really like the pretty heads and slightly more substantial bodies they have. Just a little more pleasing to our eyes anyway.

This last year we saw a lot more participation in the Foundation Division at the shows and then at Congress also.

I think we are going to really concentrate on this division in our breeding program along with Classic's and AMHR horses also.

What are you folks thoughts on the foundations?

 

[minih]

We love our foundation horses and have been showing them for several years. Continuing to buy, breed and sale more of them.

 

[Minimor]

While I have a number of ponies that are Foundation sealed, most of them are too tall and/or off type for the Foundation division. I have gotten HOF on my one Foundation mare. I have another that fits into the division but really is not halter quality, and I probably won't be showing her, at least mot in halter.

I have just aquired a new Foundation gelding, as of yesterday. If he doesn't grow too much and go over 42, and if my older Foundation gelding hasn't grown since last time I showed him....I will be showing 2 Foundation geldings next summer.

 

[JWC sr.]

Cool I think the Foundation and shown horses are the hot new thing in the coming year. Look forward to seeing your results in the new season!

 

[minih]

I was thinking on this subject after posting and we got our start into ponies with a foundation mare who we have since HOF in both AMHR and ASPC as a foundation. We fell in love then and haven't stop with the ponies since. Here is Estrellita~ our first pony love.

 

[Minimor]

Not a good photo--just snapped it with my phone last night & it was getting a little too dark so the photo is not sharp. This is my new Foundation gelding, Bomber (Plattes Uniquely Bombastic). He's a sweet boy.

 

[JWC sr.]

Well I would say hope to see you in the ring this coming year, but we are on opposite ends of the world. LOL Keep informed on how he does for you!!

 

[Minimor]

LOL yes, unless I win the lottery and can afford to hire a bunch of help--I won't get very far afield to show any time soon. My older Foundation gelding did come from Texas--he is better travelled than I am!

 

[JWC sr.]

Your comment about being off type was an interesting one. A couple of years ago I took the Judges seminar at Convention and ask the question about foundations specifically. As you know I am sure we have seen at just about every show a horse that does not fit the Stated type in the rule book. So I ask what are you supposed to do with a true "Classic" in a foundation class when it is of good conformation, but does not fit the stated type. The response was place it at the end of the class. LOL Have you ever seen this done?

 

[Minimor]

Interesting question. Have I seen it done? No. It is, in fact, the reason I needed another Foundation gelding. I will explain...

No one else has a Foundation gelding--or at least no one else that has shown here so far. Without any competition, I cannot finish Zoom's HOF, because he still needs some Grands.

A couple years ago I tried showing my other Foundation gelding....he is Foundation sealed, and the only one I have that is small enough to show in Foundation. He really is not a Foundation pony--much too refined--though he is not an extreme Classic like some of my others. He is a very nice boy, The judges loved him, and he won 3 out of 3 Grand Championships. Didn't help Zoom's HOF at all. Not one of the judges said anything about him being off type for the division.

Several years ago I was chatting with a judge--this wasn't at a show, just a judge I was able to talk with over a cup of coffee one winter, and we were talking about the off-type problem. I commented on the fact that if there is an off type pony in a class--be it Foundation or Classic--it is supposed to be placed down, no matter how good its conformation and no matter what the conformation of the correct type ponines in the class. This particular judge shook his head and said how can anyone possibly ignore conformation and reward a pony with lesser conformation? Regardless of what he was taught at the judging seminar, quite obviously he wasn't going to follow it if he encountered off type at a show.

Anyway--I decided that if I am ever to be able to finish Zoom's HOF I need competition that is true Foundation type. And so I got Bomber--I think he & Zoom will be good, fair competition for each other.

 

[JWC sr.]

LOL That is one way to do it, a number of years ago we were running into the same problem with getting some of the grandkids qualified for AMHA World's at some of our local shows. So we started taking enough of them in each class to make up for the competition rule.

It is a shame when a judge decides to not follow the rules, but as I was told in the seminar. The only way that will ever change is to report the problem officially and in writing. Most folks though as you well know decide not to go that far because of making an enemy out of one of the judges they may have to show under at a later date which I can understand.