I'm Claire also. This might be rather lang and rambling, but yall have all the time in the world right??? JK JK (not about the length though).
Well for all of yall pre college/university kids- It can be done! I don't own my own horses though and I certainly don't get out as often as I did in highschool. My two borrowed ponies:
Baron- reg. American Quarter horse,gelding, sorrel, 19yrs, can be hyper
Flame- Arabian(horsanality to go with it!), chestnut gelding, 3 yrs, ridden only a handful of times so far
I do Parelli with them and have come so far! Flame was a spazmotic freakazoid when he came, now I am riding him around and he is calm as can be (nose on the ground lol)
I can't have my own horses because long
I started out trail riding but then decided I wanted to be more serious plus I wanted to jump. I started out doing hunter/eq then switched to dressage for a little while. I taught at camp and worked at that barn for a while (plus worked off lessons which was awesome!). I was always switched on to the greenies and problematic ones so I never really got to jump high. I loved getting to ride in the fields and go swimming and just hang out. I had to leave there because of ...barn politics. I did get to start parelli while there.
Then I moved to a lovely smaller hunter/eq barn. I really learned a lot about showing and got to work off my lessons and show bill, but the intructer/manager had a baby a year there so I had to move on. During that time though I had started volunteering at a therapy center, where I adopted my baby Stella (got to help care for, etc) a sweet foundation QH sorrel mare who I adored and really got into Parelli with. But from the smaller barn I did find Angel (big racing type reg. QH mare, sorrel) who I moved to the therapy center's barn and shared a lease on. I had been taping my level 1 assessment for parelli on her when she went lame (it endend up being navic.). Luckily the barn had tons and tons of Saddlebreds (only half was the center's) that I could play with and start so I had plenty to do. We threw out all the nasty ouchie saddlebred junk though and just made happy healthy horses. I did get to do a brief spurt with Angel in US Pony Club before she went lame.
Every summer I went up to Quebec, Canada and go to Sans Souci Riding Centre horse camp, where I learned so much. I got to do eventing and cc up there which was a first and I also got to do bigger jumping and show jumping. Plus the last summer I got to restart a problem horse using Parelli!
Then I had to go away to college and I left horses except for when I went home, but then I realized that I wouldn't last without them so I got the hook up with the Southern Savy Riders (my parelli club) and found Baron (and just reciently Flame) .
Yup now that I have bored you with my horse rambling (never ask me about anything horsey cuz Ill never shut up) I will tackle the question on the American show system. If I give anything incorrectly or if your region is different or you just want to add, feel free to jump on in.
The A Circuit (or AA circuit) is the big circuit. Its where you can win the most money (costs more to enter) and therefore where the classiest horses compete. Most regions and or states also have there own shows that give points and prizes and sometimes throw their own shows. Then there are the training shows that individuals put on that are cheap and a good place for beginners to start or greenies to start.
My mind just blanked on how something qualifies for AA vs A vs B etc. Someone feel free to jump in there.
The different catagories(classes) are:
Hunters, Jumpers, and Equitation(sp?)
Hunters is between 6 to 8 jumps. Jumps are "natural" things like "brick"walls, "stone" walls, flowers, "bridges", hay, pumkins, logs, chicken coop, etc. Courses are simple (outside line, inside line, outside line, inside jump) The horse is judged on its movement, manners, and style. In the lower levels (for kids its Short Stirrup) judges are looking for a safe, well behaved mount who carries their rider well (ie does not go carreening around the course all helter skelter). Its a purely subjective class, not timed and knockdowns taken into consideration but its not a certain point deduction. It is only judged on the horse. They want to see a horse who uses hisself well and finds a perfect pace and placement before each jump, not over jumping or brushing, but snapping knees and basculing softly. In the flat classes they are looking for the same but more emphasis is placed on movement. They want a long sweeping "daisy cutter" movement. There are many different hunter classes in each show depending on horse and rider and fence height. Shows around here start at around 18" (mini) then go on up (longstirrup/shortstirrup, limit, etc). Championships are the cumulation of flat and jumping placements.
Jumpers
9 to 13 jumps. Jumps are flashy and painted. Courses are technical (rollbacks, triples, speads, etc). Timed and faulted. Completely objective. Different formats depending on the class. Think Grand Prix and Show Jumping but in minature. Courses start at 2'6" (mini jumper) around here then go on up.
Equitation
Really when I think about it there are two different types of eq. at the lower levels (training shows). The class can be held in the jumper ring which lends itsself to more complicated courses and naturally more flashy jumps. But normally eq. classes are held in the hunter ring but with the jumps rearranged for a bit more course variation and technicallity (roll backs, broken lines, etc). This is kind of a in between class between hunters and jumpers for the riders that are persuing a jumper career. In this class, the rider is judged and the horse is [supposed] to be judged only on how he/she is affected by the rider. Riders are judged on position, and how they get around the course (technical decisions). Riders can be asked to trot and walk jumps. In larger classes there is a "call back" for the top cut of riders where the judge can ask for pattern (selected from a book). Courses generally parallel the hunter classes with many youngsters entering both. On the flat position is judged and many transitions are asked for. The classes can be separate (jump class, jump class, jump class, flat class, cumulative championship ribbon also given) or as a single class with both course, pattern+jump/call backs, and flat all taken into consideration. Metal classes are eq classes. Start at 18" around here.
Thats all I can spew forth at the moment
. Gambler's fav event is CC (Cross-country) so is mine. I have been riding english for about 2 years but I've been riding for 7 years. I was taught Western but only had about 1 year of lessons. The rest I rode my fav horse (Gambler) bareback in the field (It REALLY helps your seat). I jump about 2'. well thats all about me... I think
