My hunter under saddle horse in the making

[Pipkin]

I know someone who died from a head injury when their horse stumbled.

They were wearing a brand new safety regulated hat.

Some people will judge you for not wearing a body protector at all times when riding, and some insist on wearing a hat for all handling and groundwork. Some will judge you for riding a horse at all. Whatever precautions you take might not be enough (perhaps we should wear body armour like American footballers?) - It’s a dangerous sport.

I personally would never ride without a hat, or let my family ride without a hat, but equally I wouldn’t ride in a body protector unless I was racing, so I won’t target others about their safety decisions! It’s not the law yet, but a personal decision, and in the end, it is the OP’s decision. I don’t think the approach taken by certain posters here will do anything to change her mind.

[fairtheewell]

What would happen if there was a hedge coming up in front of you? You would most likely have to gather up everything a bit or you would fall off. Everything seems a little too loosey goosey to me. I think you need to ride miles and miles at posting trot, no stirrups, and turn your toes in, i.e., strengthen your seat. You can be relaxed and not loose all at the same time, but you need to work on your seat, because it is causing your hands, arms, etc., to be too busy. Make sure your canter is a true 3-beat canter. JMHO

[Long_Spot]

[QUOTE=huntseat3;7406989]
Please stop telling me I need to wear a helmet. I’ve heard it enough. If you have nothing else to say, don’t comment. And if you don’t know about breed hunters, then don’t comment. I didn’t post in western because I’m not riding western.[/QUOTE]

Aren’t you a little ray of sunshine?

[ToTheNines]

I think she is off to the pleasure horse forum, which is much better place for breed show HUS. I honestly don’t understand why the breed show organizations, especially the AQHA, because it is the leader, don’t promote a more USHJA type horse for their hunter judging. It would do the American breeds so much good to be able to be competitive in both their shows and the USHJA type shows.

It is not the horses. I love a good modern QH hunter bred canter. Those deep hocks and slow legs. They breed some lovely movers, but then push their front ends into the ground. My hunch is because they use the same judges for all classes, and those judges are cowboy hat judges.

[huntseat3]

[QUOTE=Long Spot;7407060]
Aren’t you a little ray of sunshine?[/QUOTE]

Do you all just want to make me feel bad?

Please, I’m not trying to be rude here. I was only commenting back on what that poster said, things that weren’t true/related to my situation.

[huntseat3]

I made a huge mistake coming to this forum. I was only looking for opinions on my horse. I don’t belong here.

[huntseat3]

Long Spot- I was only defending my position. I did not start any of this controversy. I don’t want this turned on me. I was very nice the whole time.

[Bristol_Bay]

OP, the most Western thing about you and your riding is the helmet attitude. I do not say that with snark attached; it’s just a very foreign attitude here.

Go to the search feature and search for TBI. That will educate you as to why.

My sig line says it all–I hit a metal rail coming off a bolter and I would be dead had I not been wearing a helmet. It was a horse with a show record a mile long under his junior rider; I had watched him go a hundred times. It was just that one time.

Check out the equestrians with disabilities forum. There’s a poster on there with a constant headache from a concussion. She was riding without a helmet. Same poster took a ration of sh!t a couple of years ago for the same thing as you. She posted a video for a critique in which she was riding without a helmet.

Putting it on every time, every ride is a habit. If your western friends poke fun at you, shame on them. They are ignorant.

Good luck with your nice horse.

[Bristol_Bay]

[QUOTE=huntseat3;7407073]
I made a huge mistake coming to this forum. I was only looking for opinions on my horse. I don’t belong here.[/QUOTE]

No you didn’t. The next time you throw your leg over your horse, the helmet comments will creep into your thoughts.

[huntseat3]

Ok, I will wear my helmet. Seriously, I will.

Now let’s move on.

[Hunters_Ridge]

I compete in USEF hunters but my husband is an AQHA trainer. Your horse is very cute. With AQHA HUS horses, consistency is very important. They need to maintain a level topline, and keep their gaits very even and be quiet in the bridle. Transitions must be smooth and consistent without moving their heads up. Purity of gait is also important, no four beat trot and canter. In the show pen, they are ridden without contact, however in schooling, a good trainer will teach them to accept contact and push from behind, school lateral work and transitions just like the basics of any other discipline. When they are “pitched away” in the show pen, they have the balance and strength to hold their position (some AQHA trainers say self carriage but it’s relative to their discipline - I say “hold their position” because they ARE truly on their forehand). Your little guy is adorable, I would work with a trainer to get his top line more level and he does need to move out more, slow legged is desired but not short strided, they like to see a free shoulder and a good split behind in the canter. As you said, he is smaller so may not be a Congress contender but if you can get him to be super consistent and on the money with transitions while displaying pure gaits, he will certainly get lots of ribbons locally and at smaller shows. I really like him and think he has lots of potential. My husband spends a lot of time long trotting his horses (both HUS and WP) and focusing on lateral work (haunches in, shoulder fore, leg yielding and side passing), strength, balance and consistency. He will pitch them away and practice his show gaits minimally.

As far as the helmet goes, it’s an AQHA thing and drives me nuts. My husband never wears a helmet, I hate it and it scares me. But he’s a grown man and I cannot make him. I do know that AQHA is slowly working towards including helmets in their shows. I believe juniors need to show or will soon need to show in helmets. I know that it is a habit, you either do or you don’t, I never mount up without one but it seems in the culture of AQHA to not wear one. I don’t agree with it but hopefully as the trends change towards safety at shows, more will choose to wear them at home.

Best of luck with your guy, enjoy him and have fun

[kookicat]

[QUOTE=huntseat3;7407073]
I made a huge mistake coming to this forum. I was only looking for opinions on my horse. I don’t belong here.[/QUOTE]

I actually think your horse is lovely, but I haven’t a clue about the hunters you’re interested in.

Stick around.

[doublesstable]

[QUOTE=huntseat3;7407083]
Long Spot- I was only defending my position. I did not start any of this controversy. I don’t want this turned on me. I was very nice the whole time.[/QUOTE]

Welcome to COTH… controversy, regardless who starts it, happens especially on a “public” forum.

What you need to understand is if you “chose” to participate in a public forum, you have many personalities around the world chiming in and you will hear things you like, things you disagree with and things that may be harsh. It is what it is and trying to control other peoples opinions is never a winning battle. Which brings me to the saying - You cannot control anyone but yourself.

You also have to understand the posters that are passionate about helmets have very good reasons to be. They are not trying to hurt you, to the contrary, trying to help you. You came on this BB asking for help… and were not wearing a helmet which is controversial to many.

I agree with the posters that say there is a difference in breed Hunters and Hunters… BIG difference. It looks like you found a breed Hunters forum to get more information and that’s great.

My opinion of you and your horse; you would really get a great value from a good breed trainer. To me your horse looks like he moves as a western horse especially the canter;

Edited to add - -

I think if you watch youtube videos of some of the top hunters you will see the differences in what is desired in the Hunters and in the Breed Hunters -

Here is a video of what I consider a Hunter (I have to say because this is me on my green horse last year) I think this gives you an idea of what they look for in the way a Hunter carries himself on the flat -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VthgCKz8Zs4&feature=player_embedded

Here is a breed QH type in the Hunters (and as you can see it is very different)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBQfZGcHnuk

[gumshoe]

I think I watched your horse for less than 5 seconds and said “western horse” to myself.

Nobody is saying there is anything wrong with that. It’s just that the hunter riders here, on this forum, ride a very different horse at a very different kind of competition.

[QUOTE=huntseat3;7407031]
Wow, I’m really not trying to fight here.
My horse is an English horse, not a western horse. I occasionally ride him western, but 95% of the time I do hunt seat.[/QUOTE]

[SquishTheBunny]

The AQHA hunters move a little different that your guy. Your horse (I like him), I think, would do better in the hunter ring than AQHA ring. He doesn’t look like he “wants” to be a peanut roller, he looks to be a nicely balanced horse who is told to ride with hid head low. He has a big stride and lovely shoulder. I bet he would also have a great jump.

The breed shows will often go for horses who are much flatter movers, much slower than your horse and on a shorter stride. They have a significantly lower wither (rather than just head set). Now, not saying this is wrong - but I don’t see it in YOUR horse. In your horse, I see a horse who is better suited (with a little more elevation and pace) to the open hunter world. I bet he would do better than you think.

And I wont say anything about the helmet thing, it IS personal choice - however you must remember that you are posting on a public forum where many readers have known people who have had severe life changing head injuries. Just take from the posts what you want, and leave the rest

[caughtintheact]

[QUOTE=Hunters Ridge;7407112]
I compete in USEF hunters but my husband is an AQHA trainer. Your horse is very cute. With AQHA HUS horses, consistency is very important. They need to maintain a level topline, and keep their gaits very even and be quiet in the bridle. Transitions must be smooth and consistent without moving their heads up. Purity of gait is also important, no four beat trot and canter. In the show pen, they are ridden without contact, however in schooling, a good trainer will teach them to accept contact and push from behind, school lateral work and transitions just like the basics of any other discipline. When they are “pitched away” in the show pen, they have the balance and strength to hold their position (some AQHA trainers say self carriage but it’s relative to their discipline - I say “hold their position” because they ARE truly on their forehand). Your little guy is adorable, I would work with a trainer to get his top line more level and he does need to move out more, slow legged is desired but not short strided, they like to see a free shoulder and a good split behind in the canter. As you said, he is smaller so may not be a Congress contender but if you can get him to be super consistent and on the money with transitions while displaying pure gaits, he will certainly get lots of ribbons locally and at smaller shows. I really like him and think he has lots of potential. My husband spends a lot of time long trotting his horses (both HUS and WP) and focusing on lateral work (haunches in, shoulder fore, leg yielding and side passing), strength, balance and consistency. He will pitch them away and practice his show gaits minimally.

As far as the helmet goes, it’s an AQHA thing and drives me nuts. My husband never wears a helmet, I hate it and it scares me. But he’s a grown man and I cannot make him. I do know that AQHA is slowly working towards including helmets in their shows. I believe juniors need to show or will soon need to show in helmets. I know that it is a habit, you either do or you don’t, I never mount up without one but it seems in the culture of AQHA to not wear one. I don’t agree with it but hopefully as the trends change towards safety at shows, more will choose to wear them at home.

Best of luck with your guy, enjoy him and have fun[/QUOTE]

I agree. I don’t do HUS, but I have friends who do and I have to know how to judge the classes. To the posters saying he looks like a western horse, I disagree–he doesn’t at all. It’s just a different style than USEF people are used to.

I do agree that he needs to rock back on his hocks more so he can more out more freely and be better balanced at the canter.

[rosebudranch]

[QUOTE=huntseat3;7406991]
There’s no such thing as western English, it’s western or English. Even on the breed circuit, they are, or should be, very different. Yes, breed shows and USEF shows are different, but that doesn’t make USEF hunters the correct English and breed hunters wrong.[/QUOTE]

There is a huge difference… and sadly… most of the hunter world… aka performance jumping hunters… see english pleasure as exactly that… “western” english… becuase it is essentially western pleasure with an english saddle.

As for the helmet thing… don’t get rude with people who are stating a known fact that it is common sense and a SAFETY thing… if you don’t want to hear it criticism don’t post on a bulletin board… its part of the game… take it with a grain of salt… and maybe even learn something… that was your goal anyway to LEARN something thats why you asked a question.

[ckcdvm]

I rode on the AQHA circuit for years before coming back to this world. He’s a cute horse and will likely do ok in the novice divisions. He is small, even for the smaller shows and novice classes, but he has a nice look. The hunters are so big these days, it’s easy to get lost on the rail behind these guys. He’s a nice enough mover, but lacks some of the sweep and loft in his step of the bigger level horses (particularly in the amateur/youth/open divisions). I agree with working on impulsion and drive from behind, which will enable him to free his shoulder up some and swing his legs. Overall, though, I think he’s a nice horse- have fun and good luck!

[huntseat3]

Thanks everyone.

We would be novice amateur, just fyi.

[huntseat3]

[QUOTE=SquishTheBunny;7407493]
The AQHA hunters move a little different that your guy. Your horse (I like him), I think, would do better in the hunter ring than AQHA ring. He doesn’t look like he “wants” to be a peanut roller, he looks to be a nicely balanced horse who is told to ride with hid head low. He has a big stride and lovely shoulder. I bet he would also have a great jump.

The breed shows will often go for horses who are much flatter movers, much slower than your horse and on a shorter stride. They have a significantly lower wither (rather than just head set). Now, not saying this is wrong - but I don’t see it in YOUR horse. In your horse, I see a horse who is better suited (with a little more elevation and pace) to the open hunter world. I bet he would do better than you think.

And I wont say anything about the helmet thing, it IS personal choice - however you must remember that you are posting on a public forum where many readers have known people who have had severe life changing head injuries. Just take from the posts what you want, and leave the rest :)[/QUOTE]

I don’t jump much, occasionally and probably will more in the future, but I have free lunged him over heights up to 2’9" and he has very nice form. He’s round and has very tight knees. Enjoys it too