I'm casually looking into getting my Section B Welsh registered with the NA Sport Pony registry and am just gathering some information.
From what I've read on the website it looks like young stock has to perform a pattern in hand and then at liberty .. which includes a section for free jumping.
Does anyone know what happens in the liberty section? Do you just let them go and let them tear around or is it more guided (like free lunging) where you ask them to walk, trot and canter and, hopefully, return to you when you call them. :)
My second question is for anyone who has been through the process before. On the NA Sport Pony website it says that testing begins in the year when the pony turns two. The only testing in Western Canada is done in September when my colt would only be two and a half years old. I see that you can opt out of the riding portion at this stage if you like but you still have to free jump. Then you have to go back and do the performance section when the pony is five years old. Does anyone know if you can just opt to do the whole thing when the pony is three or four rather than testing them when they are babies. I actually don't feel that comfortable free-jumping him at two and a half... probably irrationally overprotective but there it is.
Does Canadian Sport Pony have their own approval process yet or are most people still using the NA Sport Pony registry?
This is all completely new to me so I appreciate any advice/feedback.