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Post by Guestless on Nov 7, 2006 21:59:11 GMT
As someone who has done some local/riding club level judging, I prefer to see lead rein ponies being ridden with whoever is leading there "just in case". I don't like seeing the children who sit doing nothing while the leader does all the steering and I must admit I would be inclined to place the more independent rider higher.
So how do others feel? Is it all about the pony for you? Are you bothered about how much the leader is leading or do you like to see a sweet lead rein pony doing as its little jockey asks?
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Molly
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Money Talks
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Post by Molly on Nov 7, 2006 22:46:44 GMT
Have taken notice of this through out the season.
The majoroity of "Top Ponies," need to be worked by their leader's for hours on end before the tot gets on board.
I like to see that the pony is doing what the tot is telling it to do, but you dont see that happen alot, You see the tot sitting there looking pretty and the leader doing all the work.
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Post by Guestless on Nov 7, 2006 23:15:53 GMT
You see the tot sitting there looking pretty and the leader doing all the work. Yup, that's what I see too. What I don't understand is why the "leaders" don't just stick to inhand classes or wait until the jockey can actually do the riding.
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Post by tots on Nov 7, 2006 23:55:29 GMT
Most tots are passengers, most hold the front of the saddle. I like to see good ponies that do their job for a 4 year old child, you tend to see the moe able riders in the M&M lead rein these days
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Post by doesntmatter on Nov 8, 2006 0:00:04 GMT
This is difficult as a lot of LR jockeys are only 3yrs and we should be encouraging children into the sport! I like to see a well behaved LR pony who is responsive to the attendant or the child. I personally do not like to see a 9 year old do LR and then first ridden! most lr ponies are set up without the child on board but if the pony is safe and genuine and looks after the jockey fair enough, the pony is doing what it says on the tin!
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Post by skint on Nov 8, 2006 8:48:33 GMT
Overbent, I entirely agree with you, I think that everyone seems to miss the point in that lead rein ponies are that "ponies" not some ornament that gets brought out shampooed titivated and then put back on the shelf.
Ponies should be fun for the kids and a quiet good natured one is worth their weight in gold. My daughter used to go for miles on her pony when she was tiny, my totally unhorsey dad used to lead her with the dogs, they would have a couple of stops where she would play and the pony would graze and then off on their way they would go - I am sure that is what has made her into the good little rider that she is now spending time on the pony and enjoying it.
Mind you on one occasion Dad was plodding down a track with her and the pony coughed after a few mins he looked up and my daughter wasnt on the pony but a few hundred yards up the track after the pony had coughed her off and she never made a murmour just sat on the track waiting for grandad to come back and fetch her.
Its about time that people bought their kids a proper childs pony with manners and have some fun with them as well as the showing.
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Post by lolly on Nov 8, 2006 9:14:35 GMT
Lead rein ponies- I think most people have lost the plot when it comes to them. I mean who in their right mind would sit their child on some of these ponies you see being lunged around for hours before anybody dares contemplating seating a child on them. When we looked for my daughters first pony I really didnt care if it had two heads and five legs, as long as it was healthy and SAFE. The pony we found was 19, she then left us at 22 to go to someone else as a lead rein and was ridden until she was 27.
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darme
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Post by darme on Nov 8, 2006 9:21:43 GMT
We have a leadrein sec a , and not the most stunning i must admitt , but does the job ... W e got pulled in 3rd under Penny Hollins , then moved to 2nd because my hat blew off , hit the pony in the face , landed under her feet and the pony still finished her show calm and collected , the judge remarked on this with a tiny jockey onboard and moved us to 2nd place ,.I left the ring with a crummbled hat and a smile
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Post by 4fun on Nov 8, 2006 10:25:44 GMT
I totally agree with guestless I like to see a child ride. My daughter is in her last year of lead rein, but has enjoyed competing in first ridden classes this year, including being placed in HOYs qualifiers. I worry about those children who have been allowed to just sit there until they reach nine, how are they ever going to catch up with the likes of my daughter? Also what about their ponies? I know of two families near us who have sold their lead rein ponies to buy first ridden ones.
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Post by Guestless on Nov 8, 2006 10:33:56 GMT
Overbent - that is the type of pony I would like to see winning LR classes - not these hot blooded ponies that albeit lovely require hours of working in before you would dare let precious cargo sit on them! Same for your tale darme - that is IMO a true LR pony and well done to Penny Hollings for rewarding such good behaviour. Edited to add - I would have some sympathy with a 3 or 4 year old not actually riding, but I still think they should have some form of input and not just sit there. Obviously safety should be paramount, but if the pony is safe then even the youngest jockey should be able to ride to a certain extent.
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Post by shelley on Nov 10, 2006 18:16:20 GMT
Lead rein? what about first riddens? Ponies lunged and worked by adults for hours prior to a class, child gets on, goes in ring, comes out of ring, gets off & goes away... One small boy overheard at BSPS Winter champs said to his dad "I'm not getting on it if it hasn't been worked in properly"! Shows at Malvern are a real peach, low flying aircraft, lead rein and first ridden ponies flying everywhere, children falling off, parents wailing etc. Answer - get a grip on these classes - first ridden should mean a pony a child can get on and ride safely, not an over tarted up neurotic. OK I may be a bit smug on this one as our section A took a 5 year old in first riddens this year, behaved, as usually, perfectly and never put a foot wrong (including throughout the parade in the main ring at the Royal Welsh) - but surely ponies should be bought with safety in mind?
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Post by SAMMIE on Nov 11, 2006 9:55:59 GMT
l have to disagree with most of the coments.I compete in leidrein and have done so with my son for 2 years.I think the whole point of a leid rein is to teach your child to ride safely.My son who is 6 will not be doing leid rein next year as i feel he is riding well enough to go on to first riddens.I do find it ridiculous when you see children riding in both classes!
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Post by Guestless on Nov 11, 2006 16:58:10 GMT
l have to disagree with most of the coments.I compete in leidrein and have done so with my son for 2 years.I think the whole point of a leid rein is to teach your child to ride safely. So what exactly do you disagree with? I totally agree with your 3rd sentence. I think the child should be riding and the pony should be safe - I don't mind the handler intervening a little bit, but I don't like to see the jockey there as purely a passenger. Do you like the opposite? (Not getting at you, but it would be good to hear reasons for the opposing view.)
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samr
Junior Member
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Post by samr on Nov 12, 2006 8:48:06 GMT
Sorry guestless you have confused me do i like the opposite?Please tell me how does a child get ring experience and learn to ride ?I dont think you will ever see a three year old child doing all the controlling if any!A true leid rein pony knows its job and performs with little or no intervention from the handler or jockey!!!I thought a leid rein class was for the purpose of introducing a child safely to riding and teaching them ready for first ridden.If they can ride well enough why do they still compete in leid rein classes?I think it looks ridiculous to see these big children being led around........I am also speaking from a judges point of view!
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Post by Sammie on Nov 12, 2006 11:22:15 GMT
All i am trying to say is if your child can ride well enough and under control why do they generally do leid rein as well as first ridden.Everybody else on this subject seems to think a child must ride a leid rein properly and i am sure when your daughter started at two she could not ride properly!As i said before a good leid rein knows there job and does not need assistance from the handler or jockey.
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Post by Sammie on Nov 12, 2006 12:08:38 GMT
I am presuming when you started competing although your daughter was balanced enough to stay on she still would not of been confident to go off the lead!I have a son who is now six and just things like holding the reins are difficult for children!All i am trying to say is if your child can ride ok then do first ridden a lead rein class in my eyes is to teach your child so he/she gains confidence and ability to progress.If i was judging a class and saw a child quite capable i would assume they were in the wrong class!!!
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all the gear no idea
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Post by all the gear no idea on Nov 12, 2006 13:22:37 GMT
I am presuming when you started competing although your daughter was balanced enough to stay on she still would not of been confident to go off the lead!I have a son who is now six and just things like holding the reins are difficult for children!All i am trying to say is if your child can ride ok then do first ridden a lead rein class in my eyes is to teach your child so he/she gains confidence and ability to progress.If i was judging a class and saw a child quite capable i would assume they were in the wrong class!!![/quote what a load of clap trap!! lead rein classes are for lead reins.....so you would put down a child because they could ride better than another child?? yes these classes are for getting children started but its not the better riders fault that they ride better than your six yr old....and your a judge!!!!......sounds all sour grapes to me a balanced extremely well behaved lead rein pony looking after its nicely ridden jockey.....and you would put them down,,,,or think they were in the wrong class.......what ever next....
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Post by roast beef on Nov 12, 2006 16:39:48 GMT
;D I think you've missed my point completely, but i am making sunday lunch and my family are in awe as it is going to be served during daylight horsey hours, which is a first for a long time and i havn't the time to explain what i meant, but, reading it again, what i said makes sense to me!! I said my daugther "started" to ride at 2 years old - started to ride - not compete - and "learned" to ride until it was safe enough, and she competent enough to compete! Oooo i can smell that roast beef, yummy! [glow=red,2,300][glow=red,2,300][glow=red,2,300]hope the roast beef was good - not fair telling us when most have been outside all day getting cold and mucking out!!!! or are we into the sunday lunch season for a few weeks[/glow][/glow][/glow] ;D
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Post by Got no rider on Nov 12, 2006 17:10:25 GMT
When you find a pony who will go in the ring, present themself to the judge, walk off on the bridle, trot a figure of 8, and go flash across the diagonal past the judge, stand square and still at a designated spot, while jockey salutes and then join the line-up and stand like a lamb for an age WITHOUT any assistance from the the handler or jockey i will give up showing, and you will be very rich!
I've got one of those ;D Shame I don't have a lead rein rider to go with it.
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darme
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Post by darme on Nov 12, 2006 17:51:58 GMT
Big queston ARE YOU RICH ???Ia lovely willing little girl who wants a fyfr pony if anyone knows of any for loan or going cheap as she wont part with her leadrein pony who is all of above ,but we just can't get the canter fluent with a tiny rider any suggestions ANYONE ?
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Post by Sammie on Nov 12, 2006 18:20:46 GMT
I also do have a pony that overbent describes which is why i think we have been very successful in lead rein classes e.g. qualifying for HOYS!!!But unfortunately i dont sell my ponies otherwise i am sure i would be very rich!!
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samr
Junior Member
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Post by samr on Nov 12, 2006 18:25:22 GMT
I would like to reply to all the gear no idea.If there was a better pony being ridden by a more competant child then of course it would be placed well but all i was trying to say is i prefer to see competant riders in first ridden not lead rein.Have you not ever seen an 8 or 9 year old in a lead rein class it looks ridiculous?
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dizzy
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Post by dizzy on Nov 12, 2006 18:40:18 GMT
whether they look ridiculus in your opinion or not is irrelevant these children are still eligable for lead rein classes. As a parent safety is of paramount importance for your children and if you decide to do the lead rein class prior to the 1st ridden as I regularily used to with my daughter it was with safety in mind as it enabled my daughter and pony to have a practice in the ring before hand and gave her the confidence to enter the ring in the 1st ridden and not to worry about anything.
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Post by Sammie on Nov 12, 2006 18:50:38 GMT
As you will see from a previous response of mine i did say safety is very important and the whole point of lead rein is to introduce children to the ring before doing first ridden.Also i did say it was my personal opinion that some children look ridiculous.I would also like to add the children i refer to do also do open first riddens......
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dizzy
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Post by dizzy on Nov 12, 2006 18:54:41 GMT
What do you mean by open first riddens?
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dizzy
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Post by dizzy on Nov 12, 2006 19:05:33 GMT
taking it that someone doesnt like something I said coz Ive just lost a Karma
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Post by Sammie on Nov 12, 2006 19:11:59 GMT
I mean that it is not because the pony or rider is that novicy because otherwise they would do novice classes.Also a good childs pony should not need to do a practice lead rein class before it does a first ridden it should be super safe already!!!
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Post by dl on Nov 12, 2006 19:17:36 GMT
my daughter rode on the lead rein till she was 9 as the pony would stop dead off the lr when he saw me this knocked her confidence, however she did do fr occasionally on a borrowed pony which gave her a bit of hope. so sammie to see a larger child being led around there might be a good reason for it and i couldnt find a fr pony that was suitable so we stuck to lr with our much loved pony. dizzy i will give you a karma as i agree with everything youve said
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Post by Sammie on Nov 12, 2006 19:18:42 GMT
This thread could go on and on .......So i am just going to count myself lucky that i have a true lead rein pony who carries my son safely and who i can trust 110% when in the ring!He knows his job when in the ring but also hacks out at home and i know that my son is safe!!!
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dizzy
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Post by dizzy on Nov 12, 2006 19:23:25 GMT
unfortunately sammie those ponies are few and far between and we were not lucky enough to find one for my eldest daughter however we have now got a lovely shetland who will be great for the job with my 2yr old. Youve obviously been very lucky with your ponies but mine have been ponies and not robots.
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