Thank you, Peter. https://www.phelpssports.com/unnecessary-drama-hunter-division-presented-peter-pletcher/?fbclid=IwAR2HqDUi0keocz6WoRHGkC0RSRJCQ7lKxaOBdDgUJkwUL_wlLPidginLdWY
Interesting. I love to read articles like this one. I will say (I do not post the canter) but I was always taught (by an A judge and trainer in the 70s and 80s) to get off their backs at the canter for hunters and I sat in eq. So that is interesting to me. My one mare def likes me in a light 2 point in the hack, and she was 2nd at Devon in a light 2 point. Fascinating.
Thanks for the link.
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Really enjoyed this- sending it to all my riders as homework to watch this week! Thank you!
That was really interesting! (And I don’t know nuthin’ about H/J!)
THANK YOU!
And Amen :applause:
I’m an Eventer, but have done hunters (on the local level), and did the rated hunters back in the late 70’s early 80’s. No one rode this way, and it looked completely different.
The riders Pletcher mentions: Rodney, Bernie, et al - were our “heroes” - and they all (with the exception of Rodney, who had an unconventional style) rode smoothly and in balance. They did a crest release, but nothing was exaggerated. Of course we all rode TBs back then, but just because WBs rule the rings now (and tend to have a slower, more back cracking jump) there is no reason for these affectations. If the JUDGES are finding them distracting and unnecessary ?!? then what is the justification?
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I remember this from last year. I was hoping his views would catch on, but over the last year I haven’t seen much change. I agree with his views, though, completely.
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The issue being of course that that is by Peter’s own admission exactly how he rides :lol::lol: go watch pp and within one minute you will see every sin. So until the top of the top stops this style, it will persist ever more.
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That’s exactly the problem! Those at the top that teach and judge rant against the riding style. But when they go in the ring to ride? They do the same and are rewarded. shrug As it ever goes
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Yes, the hypocrisy is frustrating :rolleyes:
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That part was interesting to me as well, that’s definitely something that is taught a lot and that I wouldn’t consider to be a fad like the other things he mentions! My gelding prefers a light two point in the hack also, although I do practice both ways because sometimes you need to be able to sit and repackage him a bit.
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I think posting at the canter is sooooo ugly, but it is sooooo fun to do :yes:—I error on the side of ugly and don’t do it 
!
I use to have one that you had to pick up in front of the jump—he didn’t necessarily pull rails, but he could wack them pretty hard and if you were indoors, it could echo around the whole arena!
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I am so out of touch! :lol: Posting the canter? I can’t even envision what that looks like, but certainly understand how that would be “distracting”. Seriously, can someone post a video link to show this to me?
And as a product of the 60’s/70’s, was taught to sit in equitation classes and do 2-point in over fences. For flat classes was told to do 2-point or sit, whichever made the horse move best.
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If you watch the video in the link in the original post, Peter Pletcher demonstrates what posting the canter looks like.
Oops! I must have missed the video in the article. My very slow internet out in the boonies sometimes just shows a blank where the video goes. I’ll look again.
The fact that the horse could not halt once for the video is a bit sad. Just ask him to stand, politely?? How does this hunter do the hack - don’t you need to line up?
It actually diminishes his argument entirely.
“Don’t do these things, even though I do them”
“Don’t do these things that we didn’t do 30 years ago, even if what pinned 30 years ago is not what pins now!”
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What a bizarre thing for him to write/give opinion on
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Actually they do look a little silly with these practices.
They’d never survive an actual fox hunt.
Posting the canter is not uncommon in polo.
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Who says it couldn’t? I saw him ask the horse to walk forward after brief halts, not a horse who couldn’t stand. Which is definitely preferable, IMO, as it annoys me to no end when people stand around chatting treating their horse like a couch. Their backs deserve to be treated better than that.
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BTW, GM and many others teach that “llight two point” mentioned upthread as a " half seat", between full and two point, which is controlled by hip angle and sadly under emphasized by many trainers these days.
