Questions for my research..

[horsehorse1140]

Been searching for two days to find this information but I cannot find a strait forward answer. If you are all willing to, please help me out.

1. How many refusals can you have in a hunter over fences course before you are eliminated?

2. What is the minimum amount of fences you must have in a hunter course?

3. When does a judge begin judging a horse in a hunter or equitation class over fence?

4. When or what riders are allowed bit converters in hunter and equitation class’s?

5. After being eliminated or retiring in a jumper class, the rider may make one attempt to jump a courtesy jump. What is the jump they can jump?

Thank you all in advance!

[Groom_amp_Taxi]

The reasons you can’t find a straightforward answer is because the answers to all your questions vary depending on the rules under which the show is being run as well as sometimes local custom or protocol. 4-H rules and protocols will be different in some ways from the rules in effect at a rated USEF rated show. Breed associations that do not fall under the umbrella of the USEF (e.g.AQHA) have their own rules as do state and local associations.

For example, most typically it’s three refusals result in elimination in a hunter round; however, if a local schooling show was running behind schedule and lots of horses were stopping out, they could decide it could be two for the remainder of day. Or if they had plenty of time in the schedule, they could let riders continue past three to let them get more schooling.

Another example - have seen situations where warm-up is limited that let a rider have a courtesy fence or two in the competition ring before the round. Judging did not begin until that had been completed. Have also seen riders required to take a couple of fences as “safety check” before starting judged round (high school equestrian team).

[Jumper221]

If you’re talking about USEF rated shows, you can find straightforward answers to most of your questions in the Hunter section of the USEF rulebook.

https://www.usef.org/documents/ruleBook/2016/17-HU.pdf

[shedllybip]

Check the USEF rule book for all this info

[DoubleTwistedWire]

The entire USEF rule book is here: https://www.usef.org/_IFrames/RuleBook/2016.aspx

The chapters come up as PDF files, which you can search.

1. HU134.3.a “Three refusals”

2. HU117.4 “Horses must be shown over a minimum of eight obstacles the required height in all “A”, “B” or “C” rated sections.”

3. HU130 is the definition of “competed”

4. Converters are a bit of a grey area. EQ105.1 and HU123.1 both state that pelhams are permitted but that judges may penalize “unconventional” bits/bridles. Not explicitly prohibited, but in an equitation class especially, I would never use one.

5. JP135.8 The judge designates the courtesy fence. You do not get one in the event of a horse/rider fall.

Really, CTRL+F is your friend. The rule book is free and available to everyone, USEF member or not.