And sometimes there is a single jump set up on a quarter line of a riding ring. Of course, there can be singles on the long sides of an arena or on the diagonals too, as well as bending lines and in and outs, but we will still have less technical, more basic courses when you’re setting up a hunter course.
Each year more than 1,000 US Equestrian-rated and countless other local Hunter/Jumper competitions take place across the country. Each show offers competition for riders of varying skill levels, and each offers Hunter, Jumper and Equitation classes. While Hunter and Jumper classes judge the horse, Equitation classes judge the rider.
But in case your running short on time, here are a few popular unrated hunter jumper divisions, what they are, and who is typically eligible to compete in them. Short Stirrup is typically for younger riders (age 9-11 and under) that have not shown higher than 2′ or 2’6″; the exact age limit and fence height restriction will vary by show.
Jumper classes are scored objectively based solely on the horse’s athletic ability over fences as measured by time. A jumper’s only job is to clear all the fences in the course as quickly as possible without incurring any faults.
8-16 jumpsCourses are usually made out of 8-16 jumps. You'll want to make sure you can control your horse and complete a course. What is this? A show jumping course can consist of turns, angles, combinations, certain stride-lengths, and intimidating jumps.
The jumps in the courses can represent the obstacles on an actual hunt course. First round- The first round of the derby is the classic round. The classic round consists of ten obstacles. The course includes at least one bending line and one combination, usually a two stride.
7-10 fencesTypical hunter courses consist of 7-10 fences. Another thing to note is that when you look at courses A and B, each course starts with the rider on a different lead, which is often done on purpose by course designers at horse shows.
For Hunters, if a trot/canter/placement rail is used, the jump may not be higher or wider than 4'3” (1.30 meters). If the rail is used on the take off side of an obstacle it may be no closer than 8'2” (2.50 meters). If the rail is used on the landing side of a vertical it may be no closer than 9'10” (3 meters).
8 Ways to Remember Your Show CourseName the Jumps. Every jump has some defining feature that's worthy of a descriptive nickname. ... Break the Show Course into Sections. ... Plan out Your Turns. ... Repeat the Course, Jumps and Turns out Loud. ... Visualize Your Ride. ... Walk the Course if You Can. ... Draw the Course. ... Play Games.
Hunter Classic defines a class of two jumping rounds with the scores added together to produce the final pinning (awarding) of the class. Each horse does one round which is scored; then the top fifteen horses with the highest first-round score are invited back to ride a second round.
Hunter – A jumping discipline scored by a judge's subjective score on the horse's form and manners going around a course of jumps. Courses are simpler than in jumpers and are designed to emulate classic “fox hunts” with fences that resemble natural terrain.
Hunters are judged subjectively, by a human. Judges place horse and rider pairs based on rider ability, horse ability, and style. Jumpers, however, are judged objectively, by a combination of time clock and faults. Riders need to hit or exceed the optimum time, with faults added to the round's time.
Hunter Over Fences. Hunter Over Fences is a discipline where the horse and rider jump a course of fences. The higher levels are for advanced Hunt Seat riders (must be Regular Level) but there are introductory classes of ground poles to teach riders to negotiate a course and cross poles for beginning Over Fences Riders.
In fact, jumpers are the more difficult of the two sports at many levels when ridden correctly. And some people even do a very good job of riding both the hunters and the jumpers.
12-16 jumpsJumper courses, which are technical in nature and typically consist of 12-16 jumps, require strategic riding in addition to a swift pace.
A hunter horse must be athletic and agile and good breeds for the purpose include the Hanoverian, the Holsteiner, the Arabian, the Quarter horse, and the Trakehner. Both thoroughbreds and warmbloods perform well at the training and junior competition stages.
In jumpers, each course has a time limit, with a certain number of seconds given to complete the course. This is referred to as the “time allowed.” Horses who go over this time are assessed penalties.
While the components of a jump may vary, all are composed of “standards,” which are the upright structures which hold the “poles” or “rails” between them to form the jump. Here are a few of the most common types of jumps:
In the jumper ring, there are certain classes that will have a “jump-off.” If a horse and rider complete their initial course with no faults (meaning they didn’t knock any rails down and came in under the time allowed) they progress to the jump-off, which is a shorter course over the same jumps. Sometimes this happens immediately, without the horse and rider leaving the ring; other times, jump-offs occur after all horses and riders in the class have completed the initial course, having each horse and rider pair return to the ring a second time.
A “line” of jumps is a term used to describe two or more fences that are usually set in a straight line, with a related distance. The course map will tell riders how many feet are between each fence, denoting the number of strides their horse should take. Sometimes riders further describe a line using the term “outside line” which denotes two jumps set in a line along the fence, or “diagonal line” which means the two jumps are set across the middle of the ring, on the diagonal which causes the horse and rider to change directions as they go over the jumps.
This means that the line of jumps isn’t perfectly straight, but set on a slight curve. Sometimes, course designers set these lines in a specific number of strides, or will allow the rider to “ride off their eye,” and choose their own number of strides depending on the track they take to the second jump.
There are diagonal lines: two fences that are setup from corner to opposite corner of an arena, which allows for a change of direction.
There are many different iterations, usually 4-6 elements to memorize – nothing too hard. An outside line is two parallel jumps, set at least three strides apart, that sits perpendicular and close to the outside rail of a long side of a riding ring.
A hunter course is usually pretty easy to memorize: quarter-line single, outside, diagonal, outside, diagonal.
When the second jump comes into view between the standards of the first jump, initiate your turn to the line. As you complete the turn and the two fences line up, ride to the center of each one, focusing your eyes on a point beyond the far end of the ring .
With rounds lasting only 90 to 120 seconds, there’s not much time to demonstrate that your horse is the answer to that question. From the moment you enter the ring to the moment you leave, your performance must exude ease and confidence. Communication between you and your horse should be nearly invisible.
For instance, having to go around an outside line to get to a single jump on the diagonal seems to really play with people’s eyes. Riders tend to wait until they’re past the first obstacle before planning the turn. By then, they have missed the correct turn and end up on the wrong track to the fence.
One of the things that makes hunter/jumper shows so complicated are unrated divisions. Many shows choose to add divisions that aren’t technically recognized by the United States Hunter Jumper Association or US Equestrian to increase entries and provide more opportunities for weeny adult amateurs like myself to actually get in the show ring. Usually, these un rated hunter jumper divisions are lower in height and have various experience qualifications for horse and rider. Sometimes the names of these divisions vary by region, or the name may be the same across the nation, but the rules for eligibility differ. In a nutshell, unrated hunter jumper divisions are super confusing and there’s really no rhyme or reason to them. In all honesty, your best bet to enter correctly is to read the prize list, the rule book and/or contact the show organizer. But in case your running short on time, here are a few popular unrated hunter jumper divisions, what they are, and who is typically eligible to compete in them.
The Hopeful Hunter division is for less experienced horses with heights ranging from 18″ to 2’9″.
Long Stirrup or Limit Rider is an unrated hunter jumper division similar to short stirrup, but for older riders usually age 12 and over with the same height restrictions (not shown higher than 2′ or 2’6″).
Generally, riders must be 18 years old or over to be eligible to compete in rusty stirrup divisions. Beginner Hunters typically show at fence heights of 18″ to 2′ and the division is for to horses and ponies with limited show experience, such as those who have never shown over fences at 2’6″ or higher or within their first year or two of showing.
Fences are usually 2’3″ to 2’6″. Puddle Jumpers or Itty Bitty Jumpers have fences set at 18″ – 2′ and are generally for very inexperienced and/or green horses. Sometimes Itty Bitty Jumpers go up ...
Beginner Jumper or Debut Jumper classes can easily be all over the board as far as fence height, ranging from 2′ to 2’6″ , however the most popular height is 2’3″. Typically, this division has no qualification, except for sometimes restricting the maximum fence height the same horse can jump at that particular show.
Fence heights range from 18″ to 2’3″, although 2’3″ is most popular. Very Green Hunter is open to horses with limited experience in their first (or sometimes second) year of showing. Fences are usually set at 2’3″, but sometimes can be up to 2’6″. Novice or Maiden divisions typically refer to a number of blue ribbons won by the rider or horse ...