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Differences between hunters and jumpers?

9K views 63 replies 15 participants last post by  finn113 
#1 ·
I understand the basic concept of each, but how do you determine whether your style of riding is more of a hunter or jumper? And how do you know if your horse is more hunter or jumper?
Put as much detail as possible thanx!!
 
#37 ·
In the U.S. I know we have puddle jumpers. In puddles you have an optimum time to get around a course of 2'6" fences. Although, depending on the show the slower riders always win, and other shows the faster riders always win. I don't know if this helps, I know these are small fences but maybe this class can help you decide what you want to become as a rider.
 
#38 ·
@tika thank you, you have just exposed a new type of riding to me. I had never heard of puddle jumping until now. Thanx!!
 
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#39 ·
anything else worth sharing? :)

p.s. I'm still waiting to hear from justdressageit ;)
 
#49 ·
I just remembered there is something called a hunter derby. It's a relatively new division in the Hunter world here in the U.S., however, in Europe, the Hunter Derby is fairly well known. In Europe, it's kind of a cross between Hunter's, Jumper's and cross country. The idea behind the Hunter Derby is to take the horse's back to a more traditional fox hunting style. The horse is judged on form (like hunter's), but are not penalized for head tossing, and such behavior. Judges actually like to see some personality. Fence heights go up to 4' and courses can be complex. Example,
 
#46 ·
We don't really have it in the uk. The closest we have is working hunter, which is essentially a hunter under saddle class with a jumping round. The fences are rustic, and the rider/turnout isn't judged, just the horse. You have to go clear to get through to the under saddle part, but there are also marks for how nicely the horse moves and makes shapes over te jumps etc. itshouldlook easy, and the horse look comfortable and talented enough for a days hunting. The horse also gets judged on confo and the standard things a hunter class is Judged on.
 
#48 ·
New question! So I'm pretty sure I want to do hunters, but my horse uses bell boots and I cant show with them, so is it a good idea just to pay for back shoes, so that when my horse oversteps he doesn't throw a shoe. Bell boots would be great but I can't use them in hunters. So just back shoes?

Also in hunters I know that you have to use a saddle pad that is cut to the saddle. My horse has a weird back, can I use a half pad with one of those cut to the saddle saddle pads?
 
#50 ·
Wow I love hunter riding but personally I'm not a fan of the rider in the video you showed me tikapup. I digress......

Thank you so much for the video. It helped a lot. The hunter derby looks rather fun. Thanx again!
 
#51 ·
Head tossing would still be penalized as a resistance. What is not penalized under the derby format is horses showing some personality and expression, and a more forward pace. In the very competitive big hunter divisions, the horses all have such big strides in looks like they're crawling down the lines semi-comatose, the derbies were supposed an antidote to that.

There's a lot of misinformation and half truths in this thread and I don't have time to address them all.

In most US hunter classes, a rail down, or a tick or a rub, will be penalized as a *form* fault - if the horse hits the fence, it is presumed to not have jumped in good form. It is not penalized by a set number of faults as in jumpers, but it is penalized - if you look at the judge's card, you will see a notation and a lowered score for that fence.

My "problem" with the hunters, and the reason I moved into other disciplines, is that it is way too difficult and expensive to be competitive in the As and for a mid level rider with an extremely limited budget, it stopped being fun. Eventing and schooling jumpers were much more rewarding for a rider with my resources, but that doesn't change the fact that my hunter background and skills were critical to my success in those new disciplines.

There's a *lot* more to hunters than dressing up and looking pretty; if you're in a hunter barn that stresses that aspect of it, you need to find a different barn.

Finn, no, you can not wear bell boots in the hunter ring. Back shoes but no fronts is an unusual shoeing arrangement, barefoot or fronts only is much more common. Most overreaching problems can be solved or improved by working with your farrier, that's the route I'd suggest you go.
 
#52 ·
Maura. Oh ok thank you. Do you know if you can use a half pad with those cut to the saddle saddle pads? (Sorry not sure what they are called. I think Numnah?) Thanx!
 
#53 · (Edited)
So how can I tell if my horse rides/jumps/walks/trots/canter/whatever....ect....more like a hunter or jumper. What are some signs to be able to tell? I mean FullFord's response was perfect but are there any really specific ways to tell? Thanx everyone for putting up with my millions of questions!!:)
 
#54 ·
This is where our UK members need to weigh in, what I *thought* was a numnah is a heavy felt pad, like this -



But I saw a lot of full sized, more modern pads called numnahs?

Anyway, to answer your question - a half pad between your fleece pad and the saddle is acceptable, but it's best if it's also white and ideally fleece covered.

What you're looking for is that 1" margin of clean white fleece all the way around your saddle - as long as the half pad doesn't interfere with that, it should be fine.

Hunter movement is flat kneed, swinging and ground covering, without the contained energy and impulsion of a dressage horse. Knee action is penalized, excess motion is penalized, a horse that is hollow or inverted is penalized, as is a horse that is tense or fussy. It should look as if the horse is capable of covering a lot of ground without a lot of effort in a relaxed, forward frame.

Here's a video of a winning trip at a hunter derby, I will try to find you some videos of hunters on the flat to give better examples.

 
#56 ·
I loved the second video. Very informative. So for warming up lots of direction changes and transitions. Thank you. Hopefully when I get my horse trained well enough I can work on this. Right now I'm doing a lot of groundwork so it will be a while till I actually start showing in hunters. But it's good to know things early before starting hunters and jumpers and not have a clue what I'm doing, so I'm glad I'm getting prepared early. Thanks again!
 
#57 ·
Great posts, Maura. I hope that I wasn't one that you were calling out as to misinformation - haha!

Continuing from my last post --

Jumpers need to be bold, agile, and quick (in the air and on the ground) - keeping in mind that a horse doesn't have to be fast, per se, but ground covering and not hang in the air. Form doesn't matter for points, and there have been some pretty unconventional yet successful unconventional jumpers - BUT generally speaking, a horse with good form will be more likely to get over fences correctly. They need to be careful and responsive.
 
#61 ·
Continuing from my last post
What last post? I know the last post I saw was that you going to update me later tonight. Is there a different last post you were talking about?
 
#58 ·
As far as I have ever been aware, a numnah:



It's a saddle cloth that's shaped to the saddle, it's what we use in show classes where you're trying to show off the horse, where saddlecloths aren't really allowed, instead of putting the saddle on a bare back. They don't have to have sheepskin on like this one does, but those are pretty fashionable at the moment... plain black or brown depending on your tack is more proper for a show ring.
 
#62 ·
@upnover I loved your posts! Thank you so much for clearing some things up.
 
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