Hunter / Jumper

While I had promised you a look at English riding in general, I’m finding that describing one discipline (hunter/jumper) within the world of English riding has taken longer and involved more detail than I expected, so what I’m going to give you here is a brief history of the origins of English riding along with a focused look at the discipline of hunter/jumper within English riding.

The world of English riding has its roots, as its name suggests, in England. At the most basic level riding “English” means you use an English saddle which is lighter and smaller than a Western saddle and has no saddle horn. The English saddle itself developed from the practice of fox-hunting which often required horse and rider to negotiate fences and other obstacles. Saddles with higher pommels (front of the saddle) and cantles (back of the saddle) became painful for the rider, hitting him in the stomach and back each time his horse took off and landed over a fence. The low profile of the English saddle’s pommel and cantle made it ideal for riding over fences. Today, English riders, in training and showing focus primarily on the gaits of walking, trotting and cantering. Most English disciplines, though not all, also include jumping.

Hunter/Jumper: Perhaps closest to the roots of English fox-hunting describes a style of riding English focusing on maintaining an even pace at the three gaits and negotiating fences smoothly without knocking rails down and while remaining obedient to the rider. Very popular in New England, Virginia, Kentucky, Florida and most of the eastern U.S. hunter/jumper shows happen somewhere almost every weekend of the year, though primarily in the spring, fall and summer. Most hunter/jumper show classes take place in a riding ring or an indoor arena.

• “Flat classes” show off the horses work in the three gaits. Sometimes an extended canter or “hand gallop” is also required to be shown. The announcer or judge will ask all the participants to enter the ring at the same time and be judged at the walk, trot and canter in both directions. Riders may also be asked to show a halt or perform other specified tasks, but for the most riding as part of a group on the rail makes up the majority of hunter flat classes.

• Hunter “over fences” classes judge horse and rider while negotiating a specific pattern of obstacles. Riders enter the ring one at a time and perform the prescribed jumping course. Most of the time, riders can choose between trotting or cantering between fences (hunter classes are not timed). Failing to negotiate the fences in the correct order, knocking down rails, refusing jumps or horses being unruly or horse or rider poorly turned out can all result in loss of points. Some special hunter over fences classes take place over an outdoor course of fences in an open field, but these are not as popular or prevalent as hunter classes in the ring.

When choosing hunter classes to enter, the rider can decide to enter an equitation class (judging the rider's performance) or an under-saddle (judging the horse's performance). "Equitation" or "under-saddle" will be part of the name of every class on the list so entrants can always choose in which type of class they'd like to compete.

As much as hunter classes focus on an even pace and smooth performance, jumper classes are all about agility and the clock.

• Classes at a jumper show all take place over fences and are timed. Instead of being judged on turnout, cadence and style, horses and riders in jumper classes are concerned with only two things – getting around the course cleanly (without refusals or knocked down rails) and as quickly as possible. Jumpers must be fast and nimble, listening to their rider to direct them to the next fence, minding that neither their front nor back legs hit the rails of the fences, negotiating turns quickly, etc.

What I've written here is far from a complete look at the disciplines of hunter and jumper. It should be taken more as a brief overview. Perhaps some die-hard hunter/jumper folks can fill in details in the comments section.

Tune in next time for a study of Dressage and Combined Training another focused discipline within the world of English riding. Until then Happy Trails!

Worlds of Riding

Today I’m starting a series on the various worlds of horseback riding. Perhaps your child saw a movie, read a book or talked to a friend and has approached you about wanting to ride horses. As I’ve mentioned before in this blog, the very LAST thing you should do the first time your child expresses an interest is consider buying a horse.

Your first step should be to encourage your child to take riding lessons. However, you’re likely to find that there are a number of different stables in your area where lessons are offered and very likely a number different styles of riding are represented by those stables. Which style you and your child choose will determine how your child relates to the horse and what skills they learn to ask the horse for. For example:

English Riding Disciplines:

Hunter/Jumper horses walk, trot, canter and jump with style, control and an even pace. In horse shows, these horses and riders are either judged on their style, obedience and turn-out or their speed and accuracy over a course of fences.

English / Saddle-Seat horses walk, trot and canter, but also show off gaits unique to their breeding and training such as the slow-gait, running walk and the rack. The emphasis in shows for these horses is similar to hunter / jumpers in that turnout, an even pace and style are all important, as is “suspension” in the gaits; however, saddle-seat and “gaited horses,” as they are sometimes called, do not jump in competition.

Dressage / Combined Training horses practice three disciplines that evolved from the tests that horses and riders used to undergo for the cavalry. Dressage, meaning “training” in French is an exacting pattern test involving walk, trot and canter and a number of unique movements designed to test the horse’s gymnastic ability as well as his submission to the rider. Cross country and stadium jumping, the other two disciplines are designed to test the horse’s speed and endurance as well as his trust and obedience to the rider. Some horses and riders study only dressage without cross country or stadium jumping.

Western Riding Disciplines:

Cutting horses are trained to respond not only to cues from the rider’s hands and heels, but also to the slightest shifts in the rider’s weight which help guide the horse to work much like a herding dog when “cutting” one cow out of a herd. In shows, the emphasis for cutting horses and riders is on successfully “reading” the cues from the animal trying to rejoin the herd and staying ahead of the animal’s motion all without obvious use of the rider’s hands to guide the horse.

Reining horses are to Western riding what dressage horses are to English riding. Reining horses also focus on performing the three main gates in a very specialized pattern and are also judged in shows on their gymnastic ability and obedience to their rider.

Rodeo Sport horses perform various tests of speed and agility such as barrel racing, pole-bending, flag races, etc. Mostly determined by the stopwatch and the successful maneuvering through obstacles (without jumping), rodeo horses must be swift and capable of tight turns as well numerous quick starts and stops.


The six disciplines of horseback riding mentioned here ARE FAR FROM A COMPLETE LIST. Not being a Western rider myself, I may not have even come close to the most popular types of Western riding These are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what your child can study and how they can compete, if they choose, in horse shows.

Tune into the next entry, coming soon in which I will describe English riding in general, its origins and a few reasons why your child might choose to study riding English. Until next time, happy trails!

Trailering Tips - Add Yours in the Comments Section

Never mind that my mom had been riding horses all her life. I think her eyes got bigger and her nerves got stretched harder than any horse's ever did at the sight of a horse trailer. I don't know what it was/is, but trailering can be a source of anxiety for the many people and horses. Anyone have suggestions for how to make this necessary activity less stressful for all? Read some of my tips below.

1. Keep any high strung people away while loading and unloading.
Horses will pick up on human nerves so if a person who's participating in the loading or unloading is nervous, the horse will sniff that out and likely become nervous as well.

2. Make loading and unloading something you do more often than just when you're leaving the farm or going to a show.
Horses don't tend to want to leave their familiar pastures so if there's a way that you can disassociate loading and unloading from actual travel, that's a good thing. If you're horse is used to getting on the trailer once a week and getting right back off, he'll forget about the few times you actually took him somewhere else after he was on the trailer. Plus, if you can make the process something he does frequently, he'll become calmly bored with it.

3. Travel with a calmer horse.
If possible, there's nothing more calming to a horse than traveling with a buddy, especially if that buddy is so completely dead calm bored with trailering that the idea that getting on a trailer could be scary is laughable to him. If a skittish horse sees a companion horse step onto the trailer like it's the most natural, unscary thing in the world, he's more likely to follow suit.

Anyone have any other good tips...there are lots of techniques. Share what has (and hasn't) worked for you in the comments section.

Article Part 5: Have They Earned It?

You’ll know your child deserves a horse and that (if your financial and overall life situation allow) it’s time to buy when your child has proven their commitment to riding and their genuine love of horses. You’ll know they’re ready…

• when they want to spend more and more time at the stable
• when they’re willing to do barn work like mucking out stalls in exchange for more riding time.
• when they start to pass their knowledge to less experienced riders and you can see the excitement in their face while they’re doing it
• when they don’t look to others to tack or un-tack their horse, pick its feet or muck its stall
• when they go to the stable on an off day just to give their favorite horse a bath or a special treat
• when they’ve asked their instructor without outside encouragement if there’s more they can do to help around the barn

These aren’t all the signs and you may not see every one of these specifically, but you know your child better than anyone else and you’ll know when they’ve truly earned it, when you can tell that they’re not going to balk at the idea of getting up before school to go feed their horse in the morning if necessary, when they’ll turn down a birthday party or a movie with friends without a second thought in order to be with their horse themselves during its vet visit instead of letting someone else handle it. You’ll know without doubt that they’ve earned it, in essence, when they think of their horse much the same way that you think of them, wanting the best, wanting to be there and truly enjoying the ride.


So these last five posts are (in a nutshell) what this blog will be all about. Got specific questions? Send them my way. Got comments? Bring them on. I am here for you, for your children and for all the horses who come into your care. Happy Trails!

Article Part 4: Three Priceless Benefits of Horseback Riding

Now that I have your reeling and backing away from this idea with heels dug in, let me tell you about some of the considerable joys that can come from your child’s companionship with the right horse. This is the factor in your decision-making that you should let your heart dictate.

1. Watching your child develop confidence in him or herself.
And this is something your child can and should develop during riding lessons before owning a horse. You don’t have to purchase a horse to reap this benefit for your child. Because riding and handling horses is so very much a psychological exchange, your child has a significant advantage over you. Just as no one has told the horse that it is larger than the human, no one has (or should) tell your child that there’s any reason he or she can’t ride and control a horse. As your child gains stability in the saddle and confidence in handling the horse on the ground, you’ll be amazed how easily they control their horse. That can-do attitude, vital to successful riding and horse handling, will grow with them into other aspects of their life.

As your child approaches and experiences adolescence riding can be a fantastic haven, a single area of their life where they feel 100% in control and in charge. I can’t tell you how valuable this very aspect of riding was for me through the difficult years of puberty. And as a parent who agonizes over your child’s happiness, you may find a haven in their horseback riding as well, a precious hour or two out of each week when you know they are feeling in control and their self-esteem is kicked into high gear.

2. Watching your child gain problem-solving skills.
Again, your child doesn’t have to own a horse to reap this benefit. Weekly lessons are sufficient. Horseback riding lessons are a unique learning opportunity in that problem-solving is built into nearly every moment you spend with a horse. Your child is learning so many things and in most cases, with for instance, math, soccer, trumpet or skateboarding, your child is being told or figuring out a certain set of steps, rules, directions or movements the get to the desired outcome. If your child is precise in learning and following those steps, rules, etc, their outcome will be positive. In horseback riding, your child is forced to contend with an x-factor not present in any of the other activities, a second mind with a will of its own. And they can’t simply overcome that second mind by arguing verbally. They must learn to read and respond to their horse. They must learn to tweak the commands their giving the animal depending on it’s mood that particular day. They must learn how different horses respond differently to directions, how what works with one horse on one day my hold no sway with the same horse on a different day or a different horse on the same day. They learn versatility, empathy, positive-thought-framing and a slew of other tricks that they can again tuck up their sleeve for use later in life. You’ll want to be there to watch them learn and triumph.

3. Watching your child gain responsibility.
And this is where actually buying a horse for you child cannot be equaled by riding lessons. If your riding stable is worth its salt the instructor will teach your child more than just getting on, riding and getting off. They’ll teach the child to groom the horse, tack it up, un-tack it and cool it out and give them as much of an idea as possible of what it takes to care for a horse, but your child won’t really know until they own their own horse which brings me back to where I started and the greatest factor that should weigh into your decision making above all others when deciding whether or not to buy your child a horse…

Tune in over the next few days for the 5th and final installment of the So Your Child Wants a Horse original article. Until then, Happy Trails!

Article Part 3: There's No Such Thing as a Free Horse

Truer words were never spoken. Even if you child won a pony in a contest, keeping the pony means agreeing to take care of it. A horse by itself (by the way, horses are not happy by themselves) requires at least two acres fenced with three or four plank fence, woven wire with a top board or electric fence (chain link and barbed wire fence are not safe for horses and cannot be used). The fence should be at least four feet tall, and the field should have grass, water and shelter from rain and sun. Every additional horse requires at least one additional acre. If you don’t own such a pasture, you will have to pay to board your child’s horse on a farm. Also, do you remember the list of responsibilities that you might need a professional’s help with? Every item on that list costs money and none are negotiable. Denying your child’s horse any of these items or procedures, or performing them less frequently than suggested is nothing less than animal cruelty. It’s true that horses in the wild receive none of these treatments, but in the wild, horses hooves are worn down by travel over rough terrain, horses that get diseases weaken and are left behind such that disease doesn’t spread through an entire herd. Free run over thousands of acres ensures plenty of grass through the winter and less chance to be grazing near manure piles which is how horses contract worms. You can see how when we confine horses together in pastures of three or even 100 acres, we create numerous problems for them. When we own horses, we’re responsible for relieving these problems.


The last several posts have included all the cautionary advice, and by now you're probably thinking you'd rather keep your child away from horses all together, but tune in at least one more time in the next few days to read about the SIGNIFICANT, AMAZING benfits your child will gain from horseback riding. The next post: "Three Priceless Benefits to Horseback Riding" will appear soon!

Happy Trails!

Article Part 2: Your Access to Horse Professionals and the Horse Community

So let’s say your child has been taking lessons for at least two years. By this time, you probably have a better idea of what’s involved in caring for a horse. Chances are you’ve done more than pet the pony’s nose at this point. You’ve likely had your child come up to you and say, “Hold Sparky for a second, Mom” handing you the reins without noticing the terrified look on your face. This experience should underline the basic need for your child to have access horse professionals and the local horse community. Owning a horse is not the next step up from simply dropping your child off for lessons each week. It’s about ten steps up. Once you own the animal, someone will have to be responsible for holding the horse to have its feet trimmed every six weeks, scheduling and facilitating vet visits every six months, de-worming (and convincing the horse to actually swallow the de-wormer paste) every other month and feeding the horse (preferably twice a day) every day of the year that the grass doesn’t grow. Keep in mind, we’re talking about animal that averages about 1000 pounds.

Horses are controllable by humans for much the same reason that bumblebees can fly. No one told the bumblebee it couldn’t fly and no one told the horse it’s bigger than the human. Furthermore, problem horses are created by unsure handlers. Once the horse senses your insecurity, it may become nervous itself and begin to act up out of its own mistrust and fear. Or, if it has places it would rather be such as dozing under its favorite tree or gorging itself in the feed room and you’re not feeling confident about keeping it quiet for the vet or the blacksmith, it’s probably going to try to escape the situation and go where it wants to go. And the more a horse gets away with disobeying a handler, the more it will try it and the closer it will come to realizing it doesn’t have to do what humans want it to do. Horses can be ruined this way. Far better to be able to count on someone who’s been holding horses for blacksmiths and vets for years. You will likely have to pay this person to assist you, but it’s well worth it to keep your child’s horse as a safe and well-mannered companion.


Tune in over the next few days for the third installment of the So Your Child Wants a Horse original article, "There's No Such Thing as a Free Horse."