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Show hunter (British)
Encyclopedia
Horse show
A Horse show is a judged exhibition of horses and ponies. Many different horse breeds and equestrian disciplines hold competitions worldwide, from local to the international levels. Most horse shows run from one to three days, sometimes longer for major, all-breed events or national and...
horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
commonly seen at equestrian
Equestrianism
Equestrianism more often known as riding, horseback riding or horse riding refers to the skill of riding, driving, or vaulting with horses...
events across Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. 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
Show hunter
The show hunter is a type of show horse that is judged on its movement, manners, and way of going, particularly while jumping fences. The horses are shown in hunt seat style tack, and are often of Warmblood or Thoroughbred type, though a hunter-style pony is also seen in youth classes...
s" in the USA).
The governing body that oversees show hunter horses is Sport Horse
Sport horse
Sport horse, or Sporthorse, is a term used to describe a type of horse, rather than any particular breed. The term generally refers to horses bred for the traditional Olympic equestrian sporting events of dressage, eventing, show jumping, and combined driving. The precise definition varies...
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
Pony
A pony is a small horse . Depending on 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. There are many different breeds...
are overseen by the British Show Pony Society
British Show Pony Society
The British Show Pony Society , 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 scholarships each year to help young riders develop their...
(BSPS).
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 12 st (76.2035182 kg), stand around and have about 8 inches of bone under the knee. The middleweight hunter stands around , can carry between 12 st (76.2035182 kg) and 14 st (88.9 kg) 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 14 st (88.9 kg).
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
Sidesaddle riding is a form of Equestrianism that uses a type of saddle which allows a rider to sit aside rather than astride a horse, mule or pony. Sitting aside dates back to antiquity and developed in European countries in the Middle Ages as a way for women in skirts to ride a horse in a modest...
. It should have an elegant appearance, perfect manners and give a smooth ride.
Turnout
Mane (horse)
The mane is the hair that grows from the top of the neck of a horse or other equine, reaching from the poll to the withers, and includes the forelock or foretop. It is thicker and coarser than the rest of the horse's coat, and naturally grows to roughly cover the neck...
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
Horse tack
Tack is a term used to describe any of the various equipment and accessories worn by horses in the course of their use as domesticated animals. Saddles, stirrups, bridles, halters, reins, bits, harnesses, martingales, and breastplates are all forms of horse tack...
should be workmanlike, with bridle
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 headstall that holds a bit that goes in the mouth of a horse, and the reins that are attached to the bit....
s having a flat noseband
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 or caveson noseband...
and plain browband. Handlers should wear tweed jackets, shirt and tie, buff or canary breeches
Breeches
Breeches are an item of clothing covering the body from the waist down, with separate coverings for each leg, usually stopping just below the knee, though in some cases reaching to the ankles...
and black leather boots
Riding boot
A riding boot is a boot made to be used for horse riding. The classic boot comes high enough up the leg to prevent the leathers of the saddle from pinching the leg of the rider, has a sturdy toe to protect the rider's foot when on the ground, and has a distinct heel to prevent the foot from sliding...
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 gallopGallop
Gallop is an asymmetrical gait used at high speeds by quadrupedal organisms such as the gait seen in the horse.Gallop may also refer to:*Conductor gallop, wind-induced low frequency oscillation of overhead transmission lines...
, and come back to canter
Canter
The canter is a controlled, three-beat gait performed by a horse. It is a natural gait possessed by all horses, faster than most horses' trot but slower than the gallop, and is used by all riders. The speed of the canter varies between 16-27 km/h , depending on the length of the stride of the horse...
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 - 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
Martingale (tack)
A martingale is any of several designs of tack that are used on horses to control head carriage. Martingales may be seen in a wide variety of equestrian disciplines, both riding and driving...
, flash noseband
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 or caveson noseband...
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 back protectors in the jumping phase only.
Show hunter ponies
Show hunter ponyPony
A pony is a small horse . Depending on 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. There are many different breeds...
classes were first introduced in 1984. Ponies are shown in height classes - up to , , and .
Ponies over 148cms but under 158 cms 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 are their larger counterparts, with the exception of lead rein and first ridden competitors, who do not show the gallop.