Hunters Discipline

I've just noticed there isn't a sub forum about the Hunters Discipline.

What is it? Does anyone on the forum partake in Hunters? Sometimes I hear people ground them together like "Hunter/Jumper" what does that mean??

I know there is the "hunt seat" which is more forward and heavy in the stirrups than two point.. but what else can I learn about this discipline?

Hunt seat - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Hunters or hunt seat is a discipline, two point is a position. In hunt seat riding, you might ride in a full seat, a three point contact or two point contact, depending on the circumstances.

Hunters or hunt seat has two main sub divisions -

Hunt seat equitation, where the rider is judged
Hunters, either under saddle or over fences, where the horse's style, manners and suitablity are judged.

Jumpers are something else entirely, judged objectively on jumping faults and speed.

Hunter/Jumper is a odd regional term that means the same thing as Hunter Over Fences. It's confusing, as hunters and jumpers are very different disciplines judged on entirely different criteria, but it's a common term in certain areas and at breed shows with a lot of Hunter flat (under saddle/not over fences) classes.

So does anyone on here take any hunting classes?

Okay that sounds really cool! Especially how there are two different divisions judging different things.

I might take a few of these classes (flat only) to introduce Sky to showing since my trainer specializes in dressage, hunters, and jumpers.

Okay.. thanks for clearing that up!

This video is a fantastic representation of hunters. I love this horse; he really is fantastic at his job.

Wow!!! That is beautiful! I think I may want to try this one day.

Thanks so much equiniphile! :)

I really want to try hunters one day. I really need to work on my confidence over jumps so I can jump that height without any major issues.

Actually, hunt seat equitation and hunters are two different things. Hunters is where the horse is judged on its calmness and the perfection/ consistency of the horse. Hunt seat equitation is all about how the rider handles the horse on the course, how perfect their equitation is and their distances are. Hunters judges horse, eq classes judge rider ;)
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I'm sure you could do it!! I think the classes start out on the flat and then build up to the "natural looking jumps"

You could totally do it! :)

No, there isn't, but hunters and show jumping would both fall under "Jumping".

The hunter classes were originally based of what would be expected from a horse in the hunt field. Although it is still based off of this, it does seem to have gotten some of its own traditions along the way.

I am a hunter. :)

Hunter/Jumper can either be someone who doesn't understand the terminology correctly, or be using it to say that they do Hunter Over Fences class. Personally, I hate Hunter/Jumper, because each is its own seperate discipline.

I've never heard of a hunt seat being more forward and heavy in the stirrups. Where did you learn that? (Curiousity sake). Too much more forward then a two point, and you might as well start to be a jockey, as you would start to unbalance the horse.


A lot of upper level show jumpers have a back ground in hunters, as hunters starts out at a w/t or w/t/c level, with caveletti courses (18"), if they started at a young age.


Hunters start at a low height, so you can work up to jumping that height. There are a lot of adults who stay at a 3' to 3'6 level, because that is where they are comfortable at. In my area, there is also a 2'6 division, that is open to adults and children, for those who haven't moved up to the 2'9 + classes, or for kids who have gotten past short stirrup.

Here is a link to a thread, with me in a 2'-2'3" class. Hunter Critique!