The show hunter is a type of show

horse The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million y ...

commonly seen at

equestrian The word equestrian is a reference to equestrianism, or horseback riding, derived from Latin ' and ', "horse". Horseback riding (or Riding in British English) Examples of this are: * Equestrian sports *Equestrian order, one of the upper classes i ...

events across

Britain Britain most often refers to: * The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands * Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...

. The British "show hunter" is shown primarily on the flat, while the "working hunter" must also jump a series of rustic fences (see also the horses called "

show hunter The Hunter division is a branch of horse show competition that is judged on the horse's performance, soundness and when indicated, conformation, suitability or manners. A "show hunter" is a horse that competes in this division. Show hunters, id ...

s" in the USA). The governing body that oversees show hunter horses is

Sport Horse A sport horse or sporthorse is a type of horse, rather than any particular breed. The term is usually applied to horses bred for the traditional Olympic equestrian sporting events of dressage, eventing, show jumping, and combined driving, but ...

Breeding (GB), formerly the Hunter Improvement Society. Horses competing in SHB(GB) affiliated ridden and in-hand hunter classes must be registered with Sport Horse (GB). Horses competing in unaffiliated classes do not need to be registered. Show hunter

ponies A pony is a type of small horse ('' Equus ferus caballus''). Depending on the context, a pony may be a horse that is under an approximate or exact height at the withers, or a small horse with a specific conformation and temperament. Compared ...

are overseen by the

British Show Pony Society The British Show Pony Society (BSPS), formed in the autumn of 1949, is an organisation which oversees affiliated show pony, hunter pony and working hunter pony competitions for children's ponies in the United Kingdom. The Society offers three s ...

(BSPS).

Show hunter horses

Weight sections

Show hunter horses are divided into three weight sections - lightweight, middleweight and heavyweight. The lightweight hunter should be able to carry up to , stand around and have about 8 inches of bone under the knee. The middleweight hunter stands around , can carry between and and has 8 to 9 inches of bone. The heavyweight stands around , has 9 inches of bone under the knee and is capable of carrying over .

Other sections

In addition to the three weight sections, hunters may compete in small hunter, ladies' hunter or working hunter classes. The small hunter must look like a "miniature middleweight". The maximum height is , and small hunters should have relatively short legs with a deep body. The ladies' hunter may be small, lightweight, middleweight or heavyweight, and should be ridden

sidesaddle Sidesaddle riding is a form of equestrianism that uses a type of saddle which allows female riders to sit aside rather than astride an equine. Sitting aside dates back to Ancient history, antiquity and developed in European countries in the Middl ...

. It should have an elegant appearance, perfect manners and give a smooth ride.

Turnout

Show hunter horses should be shown with

manes In ancient Roman religion, the ''Manes'' (, , ) or ''Di Manes'' are chthonic deities sometimes thought to represent souls of deceased loved ones. They were associated with the ''Lares'', ''Lemures,'' '' Genii'', and ''Di Penates'' as deities ('' ...

plaited (braided) and ears, faces and legs trimmed. Between nine and 13 plaits is traditional, although the number may vary depending on the horse's conformation. Tails may be pulled or plaited, although most professionals prefer to pull.

Tack TACK is a group of archaea acronym for Thaumarchaeota (now Nitrososphaerota), Aigarchaeota, Crenarchaeota (now Thermoproteota), and Korarchaeota, the first groups discovered. They are found in different environments ranging from acidophilic the ...

should be workmanlike, with

bridle A bridle is a piece of equipment used to direct a horse. As defined in the ''Oxford English Dictionary'', the "bridle" includes both the that holds a bit that goes in the mouth of a horse, and the reins that are attached to the bit. Headgear w ...

s having a flat

noseband A noseband is the part of a horse's bridle that encircles the nose and jaw of the horse. In English riding, where the noseband is separately attached to its own headstall or crownpiece, held independently of the bit, it is often called a cavesson ...

and plain browband. Handlers should wear tweed jackets, shirt and tie, buff or canary

breeches Breeches ( ) are an article of clothing covering the body from the waist down, with separate coverings for each human leg, leg, usually stopping just below the knee, though in some cases reaching to the ankles. Formerly a standard item of Weste ...

and black leather

boots A boot is a type of footwear. Boot or Boots may also refer to: Businesses * Boot Inn, Chester, Cheshire, England * Boots (company), a high-street pharmacy chain and manufacturer of pharmaceuticals in the United Kingdom * The Boot, Cromer Stre ...

with garter straps.

Movement

Show hunters should have a straight, ground-covering movement with little knee action. They should be able to show a good

gallop The canter and gallop are variations on the fastest gait that can be performed by a horse or other equine. The canter is a controlled three-beat gait, while the gallop is a faster, four-beat variation of the same gait. It is a natural gait pos ...

, and come back to

canter The canter and gallop are variations on the fastest gait that can be performed by a horse or other equine. The canter is a controlled three-beat gait, while the gallop is a faster, four-beat variation of the same gait. It is a natural gait pos ...

when asked. The horse should have straight, "daisy cutter" or "pointed toe" movement - "flicky toes" are a fault that suggests a horse has been schooled using artificial aids such as

draw reins Draw reins and running reins are pieces of riding equipment used for training that use the mechanical advantage of a 'single movable pulley' to cause the horse to bring its head down and inward. While a regular rein is the strap that attaches to ...

- and too much knee action is discouraged.

Working hunters

Working hunters can be of any of the weight classes, but are expected to jump a course of natural-looking fences in addition to performing the usual short show on the flat. Working hunter tack also varies from traditional rules. Martingales, flash

s and grackle nosebands are permitted, although in the event of a tie-break, the horse wearing more traditional, simple tack will win. Plain black or brown boots are allowed in the jumping phase only. Riders may wear body protectors in the jumping phase only.

Show hunter ponies

Show hunter

pony A pony is a type of small horse ('' Equus ferus caballus''). Depending on the context, a pony may be a horse that is under an approximate or exact height at the withers, or a small horse with a specific conformation and temperament. Compared ...

classes were first introduced in 1984. Ponies are shown in height classes - up to , , and . Ponies over 148 cm but under 158 cm may enter Intermediate Show Hunter Type classes, which are open to riders under the age of 25. Turnout is the same as for show hunter horses, and show hunter ponies are expected to show the same paces as their larger counterparts, with the exception of lead rein and first ridden competitors, who do not show the gallop.

External links

Sport Horse GB websiteBSPS websiteVideo: Horse Of The Year Show champion overall show hunterVideo: Horse Of The Year Show lightweight hunter classSlideshow: Horse Of The Year Show working hunters, including mountain and moorland working hunter classes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Show Hunter (British) Horse showing and exhibition