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Like or dislike huntters?

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Hunters -opinions?

3K views 19 replies 10 participants last post by  flywithoutwings 
#1 ·
As a forced hunter I find it repetitive and political and think it sacrifices the horse. I was wondering what you all think if the discipline at any level?
 
#2 ·
lol...they all look the same to me.

showing at any level in any discipline is political; teh point is to have fun at what you do!

i would never try traditional hunters (my ASB goes hunter, but differently ;) ) - too much competition! :lol:
 
#3 ·
Regardless of what discipline you are part of or choose to compete in, there will always be politics, always. For the most part a lot of riding is a spectators sport which leaves for a lot of talking.

As it has just been mentioned, you need to ride for yourself. Set up your goals with your trainer and have fun. If you aren't having fun or to concerned about what people think, then you shouldn't be out there. You will do yourself more harm than good.
 
#4 ·
My2Geldings said:
Regardless of what discipline you are part of or choose to compete in, there will always be politics, always. For the most part a lot of riding is a spectators sport which leaves for a lot of talking.
*sigh* sad but true.
I was raised in the hunter world, and I am very glad not to be showing anymore. I grew up in a competition style where all the competitors would congratulate the winner, and take losing easily. Nowadays I hear kids wishing ill on one another - what's gone wrong?!
Anyways, I love jumping, love doing hunters, but am not planning on getting back into showing anytime soon.
 
#6 ·
I personally love it. I think it's a fantastic way for people get a great foundation of jumping. (and for green horses as well) -can you imagine trying to learn to jump doing the jumpers? I know people do it, but it's so much simpler learning to jump a nice line rather then worrying about a quick tight turn if you aren't balanced yet! At the same time I don't consider it to be "easy" either. At least not when you're aiming for 'perfection'.

Have you heard of the "Hunter Derbies" they've started this year? George Morris (and several leading hunter trainers) started a new class to help teach hunters ride a more technical course. They have jumps that you'd find in the hunt field (more natural looking) and involve several tight turns, banks, walk or trot jumps, 4" options, etc. Plus things like opening and closing gates! You get more points the harder 'options' you choose, but you have to keep it steady and 'pretty'. They usually have prize money involved (like $10,000 or so) They're starting them at a handful of the bigger rated shows (unfortunately none of the ones I'm going to! :(). Maybe one day!
 
#7 ·
Regardless of what discipline you are part of or choose to compete in, there will always be politics, always. For the most part a lot of riding is a spectators sport which leaves for a lot of talking.

As it has just been mentioned, you need to ride for yourself. Set up your goals with your trainer and have fun. If you aren't having fun or to concerned about what people think, then you shouldn't be out there. You will do yourself more harm than good.
argh, politics... lol. Yeah, but there is less in jumpers. And in eventing, while dressage judges favor seniority and record of the riders at upper levels, they are not going to favor the barn with tons of money nearly as much as hunters. I mean, whoever said they look the same was right! There are good and bad of course but at A level shows the judge gets to pretty much place based off of barn rep, # of trainers kids, and cost of the horse. And may I add that, while it takes a lot of effort to learn to adjust a horse without looking like you are, at A level shows, no one is actually riding, they are coasting on 40000 warmbloods schooled by their trainers.

as for the George Morris thing, that sounds like a lot of fun. It's like a working hunter class.
 
#8 ·
I love hunters, always have. I've never really had a trained horse so winning is difficult, but I don't care much. I've done everything from AA shows to local and I think it's great. As far a jumpers go, I've done it, but never really liked riding it. I don't like the rushed feeling of the whole thing so when I branch out it's to equation. Plus, my horse isn't at all built to do it, his head is set is way too low.

But yes, the show hunters has many rider that are coasting through on their expensive horses, but I just love the way a traditional hunters look and move. However, many of the trainers, at least on the east coast, don't let their kids school at shows. They school the horses and then, right before they go in the ring, hand the them off. One of the trainers near me find and buys the horse for you. I can see why people would dislike it, but I thrive on this kind of crazy intense competition.
 
#9 ·
I agree, hunters is great. It's where I basically first started too. Jumping is soo much fun and I love how hunters takes it relaxed, easy and elegant (or supposed to be!).

However, at my old barn, some people kind of ruined it by being so competitive. I'm not really that interested in showing hunter-jumper, more for fun!
 
#10 ·
flywithoutwings said:
argh, politics... lol. Yeah, but there is less in jumpers. And in eventing, while dressage judges favor seniority and record of the riders at upper levels, they are not going to favor the barn with tons of money nearly as much as hunters. I mean, whoever said they look the same was right! There are good and bad of course but at A level shows the judge gets to pretty much place based off of barn rep, # of trainers kids, and cost of the horse. And may I add that, while it takes a lot of effort to learn to adjust a horse without looking like you are, at A level shows, no one is actually riding, they are coasting on 40000 warmbloods schooled by their trainers.

as for the George Morris thing, that sounds like a lot of fun. It's like a working hunter class.
Um wow. What zone do you ride in? I'd have to say that while I know some of that happens I think you're making a rather sweeping generalized statement. How do the judges even know whose kid is whose, what barn they're from, how much their horse costs, and what does it matter to the judge how well another person's barn does? I'm a trainer and I have no clue who the judges are (they're always from out of state, usually far away) and they certainly don't know me. None of my trainer friends know judges unless they're judges themselves. They have no reason to give our barn favor but our kids always pin well.
And, I have to say that at the last rated show I was in I won my undersaddle and ribboned in all of my jumping classes on a 15.2 paint horse that was bought for $1750 from previous owners who used him on cattle drives. (i'm not kidding) Last Nov I was also champion on a $4000 quarter pony that was originally a reiner. And last July my old buckskin pony I bought out of a pasture for $1200 was reserve champion with his 6 y/o kid. Not every blue ribbon goes to a warmblood.
I see the kids at our barn work their butts off, try hard, and have fun. Some of them are on expensive horses, some of them are on more beginner friendly horses and some of their horses need a more experienced person to school them over the fences first. But all of them have put blood sweat and tears into their riding and would be offended that someone would say that they just "coast along without riding". I'll take it as a compliment for them that they've done their job well to make it look that way.
 
#12 ·
If I wanted to ride, it would have to be hunters. I live in Cleveland and there are no other disciplines that have even mediocre facilities within an hour of where we live. I could show jumpers if I wanted but I couldn't school it as all of the trainers have minimal knowledge. And they'd get annoyed if I reset the course for every lesson.

Someone did find me a western lesson barn nearby. I was so shocked! unfortunately my horse isn't trained western and I actually love my horse more than riding. At least I can take lessons there though
 
#13 ·
I learned to jump in jumpers. As soon as I realized that hunters was based on opinion rather than performance...I avoided it at all costs. I know it has gotten better with the new scoring system...but still to much politics for me to bother with. Plus it seemed a bit repetitive...outside, diagonal, outside diagonal. Eegh not my thing...but to each his own.

I think the new "derby" format is a bid to actually get hunters on the international scene more. We will see if it works or not.

Plus I live in Texas. In hunters you have to get all foo-fooed up with the expensive, HOT jackets. In jumpers I can wear the polos. :D
 
#14 ·
hotreddun said:
I learned to jump in jumpers. As soon as I realized that hunters was based on opinion rather than performance...I avoided it at all costs. I know it has gotten better with the new scoring system...but still to much politics for me to bother with. Plus it seemed a bit repetitive...outside, diagonal, outside diagonal. Eegh not my thing...but to each his own.

I think the new "derby" format is a bid to actually get hunters on the international scene more. We will see if it works or not.

Plus I live in Texas. In hunters you have to get all foo-fooed up with the expensive, HOT jackets. In jumpers I can wear the polos. :D
exactly...
 
#15 ·
flywithoutwings said:
If I wanted to ride, it would have to be hunters. I live in Cleveland and there are no other disciplines that have even mediocre facilities within an hour of where we live. I could show jumpers if I wanted but I couldn't school it as all of the trainers have minimal knowledge. And they'd get annoyed if I reset the course for every lesson.

Someone did find me a western lesson barn nearby. I was so shocked! unfortunately my horse isn't trained western and I actually love my horse more than riding. At least I can take lessons there though
Most hunter trainers also do eq since they always have hunter and eq at the same shows, does that interest you at all?
 
#16 ·
eh, it's a little better but eq. is usually only one or two classes a day at the shows so it isn't the focus in lessons (i mean equitation is certainly critiqued but we don't do 'eq' courses). And, basically, its hunters but they are looking at you and not the horse. It can be fun but my horse isn't a good eq ride and when your barn mates own four horses specialized to coast through different disciplines, there isn't much of a prayer for me at any level above where I'm at (at which I currently get top three ribbons 60% of the time). It's rewarding, though, when people you don't know clap for you after eq, during hunters, they clap for the horse but in eq, they are clapping for you - a nice self-esteem boost
 
#17 ·
flywithoutwings said:
eh, it's a little better but eq. is usually only one or two classes a day at the shows so it isn't the focus in lessons (i mean equitation is certainly critiqued but we don't do 'eq' courses). And, basically, its hunters but they are looking at you and not the horse. It can be fun but my horse isn't a good eq ride and when your barn mates own four horses specialized to coast through different disciplines, there isn't much of a prayer for me at any level above where I'm at (at which I currently get top three ribbons 60% of the time). It's rewarding, though, when people you don't know clap for you after eq, during hunters, they clap for the horse but in eq, they are clapping for you - a nice self-esteem boost
Eq and hunter is split about half and half at most of the shows I've been too. I think eq is much different that hunters, except at the very low level (mini stirrups, short stirrups, long stirrups). My friend bought an ex-Maclay so I know what you mean about horse being able to coast, but you still have to be able to execute the the rollback and long/short strided lines correctly. Ask your trainer to practice equitation courses, I'm sure they'd be willing to do it. I do hunters primarily, but my trainer makes us do eq courses all the time to keep the horses on their feet and listening to our aids.

That being said, I don't know of any hunter trainers in my area that don't have both equitation and hunter riders...
 
#18 ·
basically, everyone does both but focuses on hunters because that's where you get prizes and, and, well, actually I have no clue why - but they do. Most of the people i ride with (and I like to include myself in this category) are good riders who can ride an equitation course. On the flat we practice a lot of equitation stuff and if we ask we can throw rollbacks into courses or ask for an off number of strides in a line. It's just that they never set broken lines or bounces. The horses are all so good (and pricey!) that on show day they handle it in stride (sorry for the pun) after a morning tune up that reflects the course they will jump.
I guess I value effectiveness over look. Here the look they want sacrifices effectiveness.
 
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