[CJ82Sky]

height and size has a lot to do with it imo. i prefer a horse b/t 16 - 16.2, bigger than that and you have issues with maneuverability and agility. smaller can have issues with the bigger jumps. however every horse is different and there are exceptions. most of the huge horses i know though have more hang time over the fences which is less desirable for a jumper where time counts. and one of the horses that is in the hall of fame for eventing was 15.2 and amazing!

the way i see it - bigger isn't always better!

 

[CJ82Sky]

^^ teddy oconnor was like 14.2 !! =]

i like around 16 hh for a jumper

yes but he was more the exception than the rule!!!!

 

[CJ82Sky]

not really, he was bred specifically to do upper level eventing. there arent that many upper level pony eventers because there arent that many breeders who breed upper level ponies. he was also 1/2 tb, its not like he was a welsh pony or something

my point is that in common standards, you won't see a pony doing the higher levels because not as many of them exist. if you think teddy o'connor was the rule, and not the exception, that's the equivalent of saying he wasn't exceptional which my most standards, he most certainly was!

 

[CJ82Sky]

^ it's true. The breeder P.Wynn Norman, will tell anyone that he was NOT an accident. His brother, Kevlar, is now standing stud and producing babies much like Teddy.

indeed, as secretariat too stood at stud for many many years producing babies much like himself. doesn't mean that there will ever be another horse to the caliber of either secretariat OR teddy o'connor. and THAT is what makes them exceptional. EVEN with teddy's part siblings, that's still a VERY VERY small percentage of horses that are 14.2h or less that can compete at the highest levels, and that was the point of this thread.

what height horse (not breed, or bloodlines, just a generalization) do you prefer for jumpers? i find that most of the best athletic show jumpers are b/t 15.2 - 16.2 and while there are certainly exceptions on either end of the scale, the best of the best *usually* fit in that range.

oh and i know teddy's breeders -- amazing people who have donated to our rescue