Horses and Courses

Show jumping 101
by Barb Hento

Last month, we looked at the traditions for horse and rider in the hunter discipline. This month, we'll take a look at the jumper ring, which has long been a crowd favorite. This colorful venue offers the viewers thrills as they cheer their favorite competitor to the winner's circle.

A jumper can be any breed and size of horse. The only requirement is that the individual must be athletic and like to jump. The equipment used on the horse varies with no discrimination as long as it is humane. The rider’s dress is more casual than that of the hunter rider. Polo shirts, breeches and boots (plus the required helmet) are the favorite apparel in the lower level classes. Formal dress is worn in the Grand Prix ring and at derbies.

Scoring the Jumper
The basic scoring in jumper competitions is easy to track:
· Knocking down a rail equals 4 faults
· A horse's first refusal to take a jump equals 3 faults
· The second refusal is 6 faults
· A third refusal is elimination
· The clock (the time it takes to do the course) speaks for itself

When a horse finishes the course, everyone ringside knows where the horse and rider team stands in the placings. The judging is totally objective and done mathematically—the faster the time and the lower the fault count, the better the score. Large jumper contests have a panel of people, called a jury, who score the horse’s round.

Where the hunter is judged on a smooth, even pace over the course, the jumper merely has to maintain a forward motion, but the time a jumper takes to complete a course is figured into the score. Most courses have an announced time in which the course must be finished. Time faults are incurred for each portion of a minute the horse takes past this stated time.

After all entrants have jumped the course, a "jump off" is called for if any horses are tied for first place. In this round, the horse must not only go clear (fault free), but it must also go fast. For a detailed study of jumper scoring, look at the tables of the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF, formerly AHSA) and the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) associations. To find the tables, contact the USEF (http://www.usef.org/) or the FEI (http://www.fei.org/).

The Jumper's Course
Unlike a hunter course, which is designed to be ridden smoothly and look natural, a jumper course is designed to present a challenge of lengthening and shortening the horse’s stride. Vertical fences require a horse to collect in order to spring upward; spread jumps require speed to let the horse fly over. The course designer builds the jumps in combinations (e.g., a spread jump moving into a vertical jump, then into a spread) that require the rider to make adjustments in order to successfully complete the course.

Combinations and distances between jumps can vary in uneven measurements. When this happens, the rider must decide if he will ride in short or long strides. The horse must be well broke and allow itself to be guided through the course.

The jumps that the horse faces are colorful and varied. Each jump is numbered, and each style of jump presents its own mental problems for the horse and rider. In combinations (two or more jumps set in a close line), jumps are not only numbered, but lettered (1a, 1b, 1c), making the set of jumps an unit that must be ridden without stopping. Each jump is also flagged to show the direction of travel: red flags are on the right and white flags on the left.

Preparation and Trust
Before competing, the rider walks the jumper course to study the lines leading up to each jump. Often, the rider’s trainer or coach will also walk the course. As the rider walks, he visualizes the takeoff and landing for each jump, and then calculates the number of strides to the next jump. This allows participants to plan the ride and prepare for the challenge in order to properly guide the horse.

To be successful in the jumper ring, there must be complete trust between the horse and rider. Both members of the partnership must also be brave to navigate a course that presents many challenges to their ability to make quick decisions and adjustments.

Hunter Training & Tradition

Traditions and training make for a safer hunt
by Barb Hento

Hunters were originally used in the field to follow a pack of hounds in pursuit of a fox. Therefore, a horse that moves low to the ground, covering great distance with each stride, is desirable. A quiet temperament and good manners are a must. The rider, too, has traditions dating back to the early days of fox hunting. For both horse and rider, the history of the hunt are as important today as they have ever been.

Training the Hunter
To be successful and safe over fences a horse needs to be well broke. Ninety percent of the problems over fences can be fixed on the flat with schooling exercises. A good hunter needs to move off the rider’s leg and guide between the hands quietly and willingly. This is as important in the show ring as it is when riding across the country after a fox. The horse's and rider's safety, as well as their score, may depend on it.

Slow and low jumps help the horse gain confidence. When training over fences, the use of gymnastic exercises is beneficial as the horse learns to use his body. Trotting jumps is a good strategy, giving the rider more time to organize the horse. The trot is also an even, rhythmic gait, which helps to get the horse to the fence quietly. It is not necessary to jump big jumps when schooling. If your horse can trot a 2’6” jump in good form, he will easily canter a 3’ to 3’6” fence. Once your horse is schooled over low, simple rail-type fences, you can start to add what are referred to as "mental hazarded" jumps. These can be created by adding a blanket over or under the jump, upside-down buckets or cardboard boxes under a pole, or anything that can safely be added to the jump that will cause the horse to look and think.

Each breed has individuals with the potential to make nice hunters. How athletic the horse is will determine if it has star power. Not every horse will make an “A” show hunter, but many small shows offer classes over lower courses. Even if your horse will never see the inside of the big show ring, hours of enjoyment can be found jumping in the paddock at home.

You can also search for a local hunt club in your area to find experienced riders who will help you get started in the sport. Try asking at a nearby stable or searching the Internet for your city or county and the words "hunt club."

Traditions for the Rider
Have you ever wondered why hunter riders dress as they do? The many years of tradition are steeped in practical applications. Remember that fox hunting was often an all day event over the countryside in fall and winter. The tall leather boots worn by hunters give leg support and protection against branches and scrapes. A narrow strap at the top of the boot, called a boot garter, is held by a loop at the back. This strap fastens around the upper calf of the rider and can be used to fix a broken piece of equipment so the rider is not forced to give up the hunt and turn back.

Moving up the rider's body, breeches are made of comfortable material in beige, buff or canary yellow. A leather belt supports the rider’s back through a long day on the hunt, and a long-sleeved plain shirt and a canary yellow vest are worn under the coat, all of which serve to protect the rider against the fall and winter chill.

The coat is traditionally black melton (a heavy, smooth wool that protects against rain). If the rider is a member of a hunt club, the buttons will have an insignia and the collar will be done in the club's colors. The traditional scarlet coat is worn only by hunt officials, i.e., the master and whipper-ins (hunt assistants in charge of the dogs), which helps to identify them if needed in an emergency.

Around the neck, the rider wears a stock tie fastened by a plain gold or silver safety pin. A properly worn stock tie looks similar to an ascot. For the hunt, the tie is white and approximately 4” wide by 30” long. This piece of apparel is not just for show. Originally, the stock tie was used as an emergency bandage or sling, held together by the safety pin.

The hunt cap or hard hat is self-explanatory.

Riders wear leather gloves, but under each side of the saddle flap is a string glove placed between the skirt and billet, in case the leather gloves become wet and slippery.

Finishing touches to rider’s personal appointments are a sandwich and a flask case to carry refreshment. The whip handle is made with a hook to make it easy to open gates without dismounting. Usually, hunt officials will carry stirrup leather a cross their shoulders for emergency uses.

These are just a few of the hunt traditions in the rider’s dress. As you can see, what may seem like old-fashioned stuffiness has actually evolved from necessity through the years, and can still be useful today.

Stay Safe, Have Fun
A well-trained horse and a well-appointed rider made the fox hunts of the past run safely and smoothly. Modern fox hunts and hunter shows benefit from keeping with these traditions that preserve a bit of history and make a great sport for horsemen and women who want to enjoy the precision and athleticism of the hunt.

Hunters vs. Jumpers

The difference between hunting and jumping, part 1 of a 3-part series
by Barb Hento

To the outsider, the world of hunters and jumpers is all the same: horses jumping big fences. The truth is, even though both types of horses jump, that is the only thing they have in common.

Hunters 101
A hunter is usual a handsome Thoroughbred type of horse with good conformation. Good movement and manners are imperative. Hunters must cover the ground in a smooth gallop, jumping each fence precisely at the same spot and in the same style as the previous fence. An even pace is a must.

The hunter’s tack and appointments, along with his rider’s, are conservative and follow fox hunting traditions. Bridles are plain and usually have a snaffle bit and standard noseband. The horse’s mane is braided, and sometimes the tail is too. This is a tradition from the hunt field where grooms braided manes and tails to protect them from brambles and burrs.

A hunt rider dresses in muted colors of black, brown, grey or green, with buff, canary or tan breeches and a black hunt cap and black boots. You might see a rider with a special collar if he or she belongs to a Hunt Club. Scarlet coats are reserved for hunt officials.

In looking at a course designed for hunters, you will notice there is a lack of bright colors. All fences are designed to represent what might be found in the hunt field and are made to look natural. The styles will be post and rails, oxers (never square), brushes, and walls. The distance between fences is set in multiples of 12 feet (or shorter if indoors or for pony competitions).

Judges look for a pretty horse that jumps evenly, smoothly, and would be comfortable to ride all day in the hunt field.

Jumpers 101
Opposite the hunter, we have the jump horse – the rock star of the horse show world. The sole purpose in this arena is to see who can go the highest and the fastest. The type of horse and its jumping style are not important; in the end, it is the numerical score that counts.

The competition arena is colorful, with brightly painted rails and fancy wings (the pieces that hold the rails up). Courses are designed to present adjustment problems to the horse and rider. Distance between fences is set at odd numbers (e.g., 21 feet instead of 24 feet) so the horse has to make stride (pace) adjustments as he travels around the course. Jumps are designed and laid out in a manner that requires the horse to speed up or slow down to make the distance. Mental hazards are also a part of the course, using variations such as a lack of ground lines, few rails, solid rails, odd colors and strangely shaped objects to throw off horse and rider.

The jumper dress code is much looser than that of the hunter ring, with the exception of the Grand Prix ring. Riders may wear long sleeve polo shirts, breeches, boots, and--of course--helmets. The "bling" (decoration) on the horse’s equipment is considered fun. The type of bridle and bit are left entirely up to the rider as long as they are humane.

Jumpers are scored on a numerical scale, receiving “faults” (points subtracted from their score) for knocking down or hitting rails, stepping in the water jump, or going past the time allowed to complete the course. Style and form are not considered.

The United States Equestrian Foundation (USEF) and Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI) associations have complete charts in their rulebooks that detail scoring. When competing in jumper classes, horses often jump the course several times to break a tie and determine the winner. Jumping is also an Olympic event for equestrians, whereas hunting is not.

The Plain English
In comparing the two types of horses, one might say that the hunter is the working horse whose job is to safely carry his rider over fences in the hunt field. The jumper is the horse who must show how athletic and brave he is as he negotiates an artificial environment.

BARB HENTO is an accomplished horsewoman born and raised in Bellingham, Washington. With her entrepreneurial drive and competitive spirit, she has been involved in all aspects and disciplines of the horse industry. She has trained and competed at some of the highest levels and has been a certified horse show judge since 1976. She continues to provide riding lessons and to both manage and judge horse shows around the Pacific Northwest and Canada.