Learning the Hunter divisions

Ok so this Eventer is starting to get schooled in Hunters I'm pretty familiar with the types of classes (O/F, U/S, Eq, etc) and what they each entail. But now I would like to learn a little more about the divisions.

My first Hunter show is this weekend, at a non-rated schooling show our barn is putting on, and my trainer has entered me into Limit Rider as a good starting point for us, which in this show is 2'0" fences.

But I've noticed when I google "Limit Hunter" it normally pops up as a 2'6" fence course So I'm confused! In the Hunter world, do they not have standard heights for each division name? I'm so used to Eventing, where Beginner Novice is always going to max at 2'7", Novice at 2'11", Training at 3'3", etc. Anyway, just trying to gain as much knowledge as possible into this new discipline!

"Limit Hunter" is not actually a official division; it's kind of a made up name for an unrated division or one at a schooling show. There is "Limit Equitation", which is open to riders who have not won 6 blue ribbons over courses of 2'6" or higher, and where fences are 2'6" - 2'9". The equitation divisions are maiden, novice, limit and open, followed by the various medal classes.

Rated hunter divisions start with fences at 3" (Children's and Adult Amateur); only ponies show over fences below that height (Small and medium working hunter ponies, and green working and confo ponies of all heights, I think, large working hunter ponies shows at 3'.)

So lots of shows offer unrated divisions for horses at lower heights, and they call them all sorts of things - Pre-green, baby-green, green as grass, open, schooling, student, etc, etc., and the show organization can offer them at whatever height they feel will draw entries. "Limit Hunter" suggests to me that the class is limited to horses that haven't won a lot at that height, which is cool, but the height can be whatever that show organization decides it wants.

Confusing, I know, but there it is.

Hope that helps.

Oh ok thanks!! Holy crap so basically to do any rated show I would need to be jumping 3'0" minimum?? Yikes!
Posted via Mobile Device

Not necessarily. You could do an unrated division at a rated show, usually the schooling division is 2'6". Confused yet?

And truthfully, the unrated divisions are pretty much your only option as an adult showing a pony.

Weeeellll I just re-measured Sandie yesterday and she is actually 14.3!!!! An official horse!!!

I'm thinking when I first got her and we measured her at 14.1 she was very out of shape and overweight. Now 3 1/2 yrs later all muscled up and fit she gained a couple inches and pushed her way into the horse world!!
Posted via Mobile Device

This was Sandie when I first went to try her out before I bought her. When we got her to the barn where I was boarding her, we measured her at 14.1 hands:


And here is Sandie today, 3 1/2 yrs later, measured at 14.3 (and a half!) hands