Rocky Mountain Horse

[Nicole]

Ok, I have a 3y.o Rocky Mountain Horse that when I first started here in BITS, intended to make a R.M.H empire with him. hehe.
Anyways, I was wondering (mostly for Jen and Gwen, but all comments are appreciated!) if Treasured Fantasies could possibly be a hunter? He's very slim, considering most Rockies are rather stout.. but he's growing into himself, and is basically a dud Rockie, with almost none of the gaits Rockies are 'sposed to have, and if he does have it, it's basically terrible.

Sooo... I was wondering if maybe I could show him at Gwen and Jen's stock horse shows.. although I'm not entirely sure if he could even classify as a stock horse, even as a hunter, so I would like all your stock horsey opinions as whether or not Treasured Fantasies could possibly show at some stock horse shows, like the BSBA with one of my youths

[evanthe]

Treasured Fantasies wouldn't be able to show in a stock horse registry because he is Rocky Mountain Horse, and is registered as such. However, I'm sure you could show him in the 4-H shows with a youth rider. Dud or not he is still what he is and in RL I'm pretty sure the answer would be the same. It's like a carrot being entered in a Fruit show because it's shaped like a banana. ^_^ However, I would leave this up to Gwen and Jen, as they know more about this sort of thing than I do.

[Maya]

He couldn't show as a stock horse in the stock breed shows because he's not of a stock breed... but he could show as a hunter anywhere else 4H with a youth, or on the hunter/jumper circuit with whoever... There's no reason why he couldn't show as a hunter as long as he can jump nicely lol. Could probably be a showjumper, too. ...or eventer.
Just start out small and don't push him past what he's 'capable of' (ie a Rocky Mountain horse is probably not going to make it to Grand Prix lol).
Haaaave fun!

[Gwen]

But RMH are gaited.

Gaited horses show in gaited classes. They don't show in hunters. They would show in saddleseat classes. LOL.

And I am sure that otherwise if they weren't gaited horses, the 4-H would be a great venue for them, but they are gaited.

[Nicole]

Even though Rockies are gaited, they are very versatile, and can usually jump fairly well, I never thought of the 4-H or hunter/jumper! Thanks guys, I'll do that! They jump, do a little dressage (not much) and are kinda like (hypothetically speaking) Tennessee Walking Horses in the way that they're some that aren't gaited, and some that are Thanks you guys

EDITED.

[Maya]

Actually, gwen... a 'gaited' horse isn't necessarily a 'saddleseat' horse, just like not all 'saddleseat' horses are 'gaited' horses.
RMHs, Tennesee Walkers, Foxtrotters, whatever, are all perfectly capable of competing in english sporthorse disciplines. A Standardbred who paces is also 'gaited', but you see tons of them retrained to be sporthorses, too.
Saddleseat is a style of riding, where the horses are generally very animated in their gaits, etc. But Arabs, for example, are NOT gaited (even though tons of them are in saddleseat classes), as they only possess the 4 basic paces every horse has - walk, trot, canter, gallop. Just like some saddlebreds are gaited (those who rack and slow gait) and some are not (the ones who only walk, trot, and canter). TONS of saddlebreds compete in english disciplines as well, some at the very highest levels.
People use the words 'gaited' and 'saddleseat' interchangeably. There is a BIG difference.

lol. Bottom line, a RMH who can walk/trot/canter can do whatever the heck you want him to do, though maybe not at the highest levels

[Gwen]

I know that because that is how saddlebreds are, but I think you are confused there because many saddlebreds aren't even considered "gaited" it is a different terminology when it comes to them. It is all really confusing.

I guess he could. I just wouldn't expect him to do well higher up, but yeah, 4-H would be fine. RMH are nice horses, but I don't think I have ever seen them show in hunters. The only time I have seen them shown was in saddleseat classes or English pleasure classes. As long as it has a normal trot, walk, and canter, I guess he can do anything.

[Maya]

Any horse who has a gait different that the normal walk, trot, canter, and gallop is considered 'gaited'. Which means any saddlebred who slowgaits or racks is 'gaited'. Just because saddlebred people use the word wrong or differently doesn't make it right, or make it apply to other breeds lol.
I've seen RMHs in hunter, jumper, dressage, and eventing around here -- they do just fine. There's a breeder just north of here who markets their horses solely to sporthorse people... They may not be winning against the big warmbloods and TBs in the big classes, but they are competitive at the 3'-3'6" level, and the majority are good enough movers to get to 1st/2nd level dressage.

[Gwen]

Oh yeah, well I can see that However, many saddlebreds aren't gaited. Many are used in western or other disciplines. They have to be trained to gait, unlike many breeds where it is natural. I wasn't trying to upset you or tell you that you are wrong, just in the terminology of saddlebreds, I learned that some saddlebreds are trained to "gait" whereas some just have a normal walk, jog, lope if they do western or whatever. Evanthe, for example, showed a non-gaited horse. But yeah, pretty much you are right on the dot. The terminology is just so confusing for me. Probably why I don't compete in saddleseat. I prefer stock breed shows because I find everything pretty simple. To each is own..

But yeah, I could see how he would do well in hunters/jumpers/lower level dressage, Nicole Good luck with him.

[Nicole]

And I didn't mean to start a "fight" between you guys, sorry bout that

[Maya]

LOL we were totally saying the same thing, now that I read your last post >.< My whole point was that just because a horse is of a breed normally used for gaited stuff or whatever, it doesn't have to be trained that way and can do other stuff... I just totally suck at explaing what I have in my head, as you probably know after however many years of knowing me lol
I'm sorry if I sounded bitchy, I wrote that right after I got home from work which was pretty crappy. I was in a really bad mood *shake hands* lol

[Gwen]

No offense taken. No worries LOL. I was confused because that is what I was trying to say and we both were saying different things but meaning the same. LOL

No worries Nicole. You didn't start anything. When you have known someone for as long as I have known Maya, you have a bit of give and take left. LOL