Hey y’all! So I do hunter jumpers with my TB gelding Ty, we do rated shows and they keep track off points from the show so you can win overall year titles. I’m really working hard to try and get in the top for hunter. I show 2ft hunter classes and I was wondering if you all had any tips for me to work on to help my horse win hunter classes. Also if you had any tips judges like to see in a hunter horse. Please comment what you got! ???
Do you have any video of your horse currently?
This has been rehashed here several times if you’re willing to do some digging. Try looking for videos of top hunters so you can really SEE what wins. Here are a few to get you started.
https://youtu.be/LameFQOcNFo
https://youtu.be/GaKaLwvIOCg
https://youtu.be/Q9t7ewVnVic
https://youtu.be/EJcJNFUeHbE
https://youtu.be/NczRsZ4S1uQ
https://youtu.be/Snjcml8rQK0
Over 2 foot jumps the judge really won’t have the opportunity to assess the horse’s jumping form aside from penalizing invertedness and the like, so the qualities that are likely to result in a top placing are things like rhythm, finding consistent distances, correct leads, a relaxed and pleasant horse, etc.
[QUOTE=CHT;8309641]
Do you have any video of your horse currently?[/QUOTE]
Yes if you go onto YouTube and search Equine Perks that’s me and my friends youtube channel and there is a video titled show vlog that has clips from my pervious horse show
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkxHHczup_8
Class starts around 3:27 and goes on for those that want a direct link.
ETA: Your horse is super cute OP. I think some show jitters got the better of you a few times (I’m the worst about show jitters), and you got a few weird distances and jumps. At these levels, you want a smooth, flowing round (IMO). There isn’t going to be much impression of a 2ft jump, because your horse can just step over them. However, the smooth rides in between have always been what my coach told me to work on when I rode the smaller hunters. You’re a great rider, and I think you have a great horse.
However, I’m mainly a jumper. I hated hunters. So I’m probably very wrong. :lol:
OP, you have a very cute horse who shows a lovely rhythm and a pleasant expression. You seem to have a good eye, finding your distances quite consistently out of that nice flow instead of picking and pulling.
What likely bumped you down to fourth in your second trip of the video Belmont posted (~6 minute mark) was putting a half stride in the diagonal line. I don’t know how the lines were set for that particular class (they may have been set too long for the low jump height) but you need to make a decision one way or the other and not end up on a half-stride at the end of the line.
You and your horse make a lovely pair!! He looks like a really good egg. At that height you need to decide if you’re doing the adds or not. Either way you need to set the pace at the beginning and stick with it. At 2’6 and under the judges really don’t care if you do the adds, but they want to see the same thing every line. He’s jumping cute even though the jumps are small. Best of luck to you! Out of curiousity, what’s your horse’s background? He certainly doesn’t look green.
consistent pace
get your strides
get your changes quickly and easily
[QUOTE=Duckz;8311019]
You and your horse make a lovely pair!! He looks like a really good egg. At that height you need to decide if you’re doing the adds or not. Either way you need to set the pace at the beginning and stick with it. At 2’6 and under the judges really don’t care if you do the adds, but they want to see the same thing every line. He’s jumping cute even though the jumps are small. Best of luck to you! Out of curiousity, what’s your horse’s background? He certainly doesn’t look green.[/QUOTE]
Thank you everyone for the nice/helpful feeback! 
On the account of my horses background, he is 13 and was off the track a while ago. He is not green but he’s definitely not perfect. He’s taught me a lot because he does know a lot but he can definitely be difficult to ride.
