For years in the equestrian sports, riding dressage has a certain elegance to it. Horse and rider moving effortlessly through their paces.
Europe came up with slightly different demonstrations of dressage executed in pairs; and the Spanish Riding School in Vienna had their horses doing quadrilles.
The following video shows a demonstration of dressage in pairs of a slightly different type.
I previously posted on "Theodore O'Connor", a pony who is representing the U.S. at the Beijing Olympics, and ponies who are used in combined driving.
Some breeders of sport horses also like to breed warmblood horse lines into their smaller counterparts to produce a mount for children who are not at the age to be able to manage a much larger horse. Some adults could fit into this category, including myself, especially when it pertains to riding warmblood horses.
European warmblood horses come in a variety of sizes, although the majority are large and larger: at 16.2 hh or 17.2 hh or even 18 hh, with the weight to go with it. For those not acquainted with measuring horses, a hand width of 4 inches makes up 1 hh; therefore 16.2 would be 16 x 4 plus 2 inches = 66 inches to the top of the horse's shoulders (withers). These are totally unsuitable for children to even consider riding, so the German breeders developed a sport pony which they hold in high regard.
A common breed of pony used to cross with warmbloods are the versatile Welsh, which come in four different sizes, set in sections: A, B, C and D. The Section D ponies are usually cobs being more of a sturdy, well built small horse size up to 15.2 hh.
From You Tube video three representatives of well presented sport ponies: a buckskin from Germany, Der Kleine Prints,
The equestrian sport of combined driving is similar to 3-day eventing (which I discussed in an earlier post). There are regional and international competitions with a single horse in harness, a pair, two pairs and three pairs (the latter being quite the handful with the reins).
A good friend of mine has wanted me to go in with her for such a competition. She's even gone so far as to consider what kind of horses would excel at such an event. Actually, all breeds of horses are capable; but she was thinking of specific ones.
The horses in the You Tube presentation of combined driving held at the 2005 Laurels are Norweigan Fjord Ponies. These ponies are a draft type that have evolved over the centuries in Norway.
But, my friend was looking for something different; something unique. She feels a kindred spirit towards the draft breeds. I told her that Shires, Clydesdales, Percherons, Belgians all need extra large stalls, extra large horse shoes, extra large harnesses, considerable more hay and feed than other horses, notwithstanding the wagon one needs to purchase to have a pair or two to pull, or the horse trailer to haul them to shows in. Too bad draft horses didn't come in pony size.
Well they do. There are a variety of draft pony types of draft horse breeds crossed with ponies. The unique draft ponies come in a colour variety of pintos, paints, appaloosa spots; apart from the regular colours.
Now I wait to see if my friend goes out to purchase a pair, and wait...
Almost anyone who rides horses or is interested in horse sports knows about the Rolex 3-Day Event held in Kentucky. Eventing is a tough sport; it separates the man/woman from the regular riding crowd. The cross-country fences are solid and usually wide. Three-Day Eventing originated as training for military horses in Europe, which began declining when motorized weaponry became utilized. Most horses that compete in the sport of eventing are 15.2hh to 17hh, a hand being four inches; and are a variety of breeds or breed crosses.
Recently I came across a video of a pony named “Theodore O’Connor” finishing third at the Rolex in the spring of 2007,
For those unable to view embedded videos see here. This course is difficult for the big horses and this little guy makes it look easy.
and going on to win the individual gold medal in eventing at the Pan American Games in the summer of 2007. Teddy, as he’s also known, is going to the Beijing Olympics after earning a place with the U.S. Olympic Eventing Team. Teddy is only 14.1hh tall, and is exceptionally capable of jumping courses larger horses have difficulty with. This little guy does clear rounds.
The only other pony to have done well at international show jumping was Stroller from England. Stroller was slightly taller than Teddy, standing at just under 14.2hh (which is the cutoff measurement between ponies and horses). I remember hearing about Stroller when I was a child, and thinking it was a wonderful thing a pony could hold its own with the big horses.
