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Post by guest mum on Jul 24, 2008 15:32:24 GMT
i wonder if anyone can tell me what is the ideal lead reain pony ?? the class is usually lead rein pony , rider 10 years and under, my son is 8 and we have a 12 hand welsh, some weeks we do ok but just lately a lot of shetlands seem to be winning with huge riders on, the riders are 10 but they look huge on the ponies  would appreciate your views , |
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Post by jamese on Jul 27, 2008 23:39:40 GMT
Humm im nt a shettie fan, but if people like them, they really like them & a good 1 is nice to see. I would judge LR on conf & way of going. The pony should go in a outline, personally i like to think of them as FR with a leather strap attached because once the jockey is abe enough they should do all the work, I make a point of leading them from the shoulder on a very loos reain & about 2ft away, so its up to the jockey to do the steering stopping & starting!  jockey pictured is 7 xxx |
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Post by cuckoo on Jul 28, 2008 0:04:03 GMT
jamese, your comments are very interesting as some judges would totally agree but then others would say that a lead rein pony should be just that a safe, reliable pony on the lead rein so that the child does not need to think about really riding it but learning the balance and feel and way of going of the pony before needing to 'steer' in FR. I produce lead rein ponies and all my ponies have to be completely safe for the tiniest of jockeys to feel confident in the show ring, depending on my jockey depends on how far away the pony is from me. The outline point is also an interesting one as i have had top judges ask us to drop the reins so that the ponies go free! When a pony has poked its nose and I have thought that's it - lost that one we have won it? When a pony has gone beautifully in a super outline we have been put down?? I still can't quite fathom it out but just a case of getting to know what your judges like I think?? Most importantly the children have fun!!  |
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Post by ems mum on Jul 28, 2008 6:53:34 GMT
Humm im nt a shettie fan, but if people like them, they really like them & a good 1 is nice to see. I would judge LR on conf & way of going. The pony should go in a outline, personally i like to think of them as FR with a leather strap attached because once the jockey is abe enough they should do all the work, I make a point of leading them from the shoulder on a very loos reain & about 2ft away, so its up to the jockey to do the steering stopping & starting! jockey pictured is 7 xxx I disagree with your comments...the child does all the work...a true lr should sit in its bridle and the jockey is just there to enhance the picture...the old way of lead in your left hand and right hand free to steady child or pony is how you should be leading...as your jockey gets more confident you can work on having your pony at the end of the lead.....there are also some good shetlands that are lr ponies..  |
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Post by cuckoo on Jul 29, 2008 14:23:39 GMT
not all quiet ponies start out that way, someone has got to ride the sharp ones so that they can be trained and sold as quiet ponies and that does mean L/R too. I haven't got a L/R pony in the yard that is older than 5yrs and my kids don't know any different they have always had to 'make' their ponies and then they are sold to some very lucky child. So I HAVE to put my kids on sharp ponies or we wouldn't have any and plenty of people tutt tutt at me but they are just as quick to bit*h when we turn up at the local shows and do well, what they forget is that often the child is 4 and the pony is 4 but we have put a lot of work in in a short space of time to win the class.
Hold onto your hats over the next few weeks I have got some REAL babies coming out but as I said above they have to start somewhere. Producing unbrken ponies is very rewarding.
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Post by supermum on Aug 10, 2008 14:54:30 GMT
Itotally agree with Cuckoo that a lead rein should be commanded by the voice of the leader and the child not been seen to "ride the pony". The leader should be able to remain away from the pony and the pony be schooled enought to respond to voice direction, hence the title of the class. I have a shetland and 2 welsh lead reins and get sick of people going on about the shetland, its a mountain and moorland class so the shetland can go in!  As for big jockeys on them shetlands are under 10" so they will look bigger. But I must say I do get a little peeved at ponies that are held near to the rein and both jockey and handler are slowing it down ( no names mentioned  ) |
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Post by thecremellosociety on Aug 18, 2008 7:29:21 GMT
Its a shame not more judges realise that the lead rein pony is there to carry the child and the child shouldnt have to do anything in reality other than sit there and look pretty, if a rideabilty or equitation type class you can understand, My son is perfectly able at staying on, in in less than a elegant manner,the pony doesnt change its way of going on the lead for someone who can or someone who cant, my lad has a knot in his reins at the mo thats all i expect him to do is hold reins and try his best trotting ( which is not brill) alot of judges mark us straight down as he cant yet ride brill, but its the pony doing his job, i wouldnt put my child on half the sharp ponies that come off the boxes at shows and need calmer and 3 hours working in, mines naturally a donkey, be it a good looking one straught off box and in the ring no messing, my son can be unclipped safely ( with a grass rein ) or drop his reins and ride back to the car waving his rosette, would rather have something safe and a bit dopey than to sharp. My daughter was a bigger more able rider by 7 or 8 ( she looked more like 12) and pony was NOT suitable off the lead rein but good on it, and i used to let her steer herself. My son has only ever ridden his pony, including breaking him in, we well prepared pony mentally then just tacked up and off we went one day, and been fine since He doesnt want to ride anything else though and trying to pursade him to have a few lessons over the winter. Just glad he feels that safe to only want to ride his own pony ! |
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Post by smokeycott on Aug 18, 2008 18:21:00 GMT
jamese
lovely pony by the way!!!
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Post by joanne on Aug 23, 2008 19:59:00 GMT
My daughters first pony was a coloured shetland, I am not a shetland fan nor am I a show pony fan I like good safe fun ponies. We did two seasons on the shettie and she had a fantastic time as we had the cute factor as she was only just 4. She has now moved to a welsh section A, who when I went to try him disliked from the word go as he had the worst clip I have ever seen in my life Which made him look all out of proportion but when my children rode him he was fantastic with them so had to buy him as my childrens safety is my only requirement for a L/R pony . I think children who are at shows on there little Hairy safe ponies shoud be in the rossettes every time, I appreciate that these ponies weren't always this way so hat off to the people and children who put the time in training them up.
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Post by cyflawn on Aug 23, 2008 22:18:10 GMT
I personally think that a leadrein pony should be a safe pony that a child can ride, the idea of a leadrein class is that the handler has hold of the lead but isn't taking TOTAL control of the pony, the rider should be doing some of the work...but i think more experienced leadrein ponys know what to do and keep themselves in an outline for example and i think the more experienced leadrein ponys know when to stop and start and turn etc...which teaches the child to be balanced and get the experience in the showring, they can later progress to the 1st ridden and do ALL of the work themselves. The one thing i hate is when people put young children on ponies which need to be worked in by an adult for ages before and lunged, as i dont see this as being leadrein pony, being unsafe and to sharp for a young child to just get on, just for the sake of looking the part, the child mite aswell be put on a rocket !. I understand the comments on a rider looking to big on a shetland but i suppose as long as the rider is abiding by the age rules and the pony is the right height it doesnt matter how big they look on them as long as they do a nice show and both look the part, but i can see what you mean about rider looking slightley big on shetland maybe making them not look as neat as a child for example on a small section A...but there are some beautiful shetland out there who really look the part in a leadrein class Of course these are only my opinions and everybody will have different views |
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Post by devils advocate on Aug 26, 2008 21:37:35 GMT
Hmmm - I can see the point about the shetlands having 'oversize' riders on board, it does rather spoil the overall picture of elegance.
I also agree it is ridiculous that a true LR pony should need 3hrs lunging and riding by small adults before a tot can be plonked on for the class. By all means work on it at home and it should have the education then to know its job, or it will have the correct temperament for a TRUE tots pony at the start and not need this working in.
Perhaps I expect too much but I also think a child should be able to take a little interest in, and control of, the pony before it starts pottering off to compete in shows. So, on that score, I would say that the rider should be making a contribution. Otherwise the pony might as well just be being shown in-hand as the rider is not a rider just ornamentation and you often wonder if it is there for the kid's pleasure or the parent's cachet.........
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Post by cyflawn on Aug 27, 2008 19:12:53 GMT
totallt agree with devils advocate
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Post by Hayche. on Aug 28, 2008 22:02:48 GMT
A Quote From Charlie Nott A 6 Yo Who Rides Roshmarche Heather In LR ... "I Love Riding Heather, All I Have To Do Is Sit There, She Doent Pull My Hands Or Anything Shes Easy" ... In my opinion that is how a jockey should feel when riding a LR pony. The Pony Should Be 100% safe and should take the child round.
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