Hi, i m a breeder and showjumper in Belgium and would like to know what are the requirements for a good hunter/hunter prospect?
Why? Because i have a very beautiful 4 y old dark grey gelding with flat movement, clean flying changes and he jumps with a good (hunter) form. Is this enough for a good prospect our do they need more? Also what is the price range for a hunter prospect?
In Belgium we don’t have hunter shows and i would like to learn more about it.
It must have a great mind. It should be quiet and easy-going, not one to get reactive or to hold a grudge if a rider makes a mistake. A natural sense of rhythm helps, too. If the horse can pick an easy canter and tend to stay there, so much the better. Ideally, the horse should be quietly brave: Ready to jump whatever is put in front of him without looking to hard at it. The horse should be quietly smart: This means he gets softer when he’s given a softer ride. This is the horse you can correct once and then leave alone.
Remember that the horse’s ultimate market will women and children who ride for fun. Sometimes, these people don’t put many, many hours in the saddle each week. In addition, the American hunter ring now has a standard of “quietness” that’s a bit unrealistic in my opinion. A horse who isn’t naturally easy-going is going to have a much harder career ahead of him. Pros will do a lot to make a pretty, expensive, imported horse who jumps well quiet enough for their clients.
In short, make sure your horse has the mind for the job, and that can be hard to figure out if you all don’t have hunters in Belgium. Just imagine the easiest jumper in your yard, one that can be ridden with a very light contact and who listens to his rider’s body. That might be a close approximation of the mind needed for the American hunter ring.
Another way to put it is that in addition to having a pretty way of going, generally they will need to be non-reactive and have less blood than you’d typically want for European show jumping.
The price range on imports varies a lot, even for the 4 year olds. If you are not a known dealer of hunters yet then you’d not be looking at the highest price range most likely, even if the horse is very special. You’d be able to get a bit more if the horse is amateur friendly in the way mvp describes already at 4 years old. Another big factor will be the stride of the horse. If he’s got the stride to effortlessly get down the lines in the bigger classes, even if he is not ready to jump the height yet, he will be worth more than one who may have to top out at the 3’ hunters due to stride more than scope, or one who would have to gallop more in the bigger classes.
And I hate that this is true, but the size of the horse matters. People tend to equate getting down the lines more easily with a big horse. So even if they aren’t looking for a tall client, they like the bigger horses.
I say this as someone who is VERY tall (6’ or 1.82m) and I happen to own one hunter who is 16.1 but big boned with a huge stride. But for some, they want it be of a certain size.
Otherwise, I completely agree with IPEsq and mvp.
Your horse should be quiet as a church mouse, pretty as a picture, and an easy ride for an amateur who only lessons once or twice a week. It should have no opinions and be completely agreeable, willing to jump without displaying any emotion other than “pleased to be here.”
And keep in mind, a hunter stride is typically a longer stride. So your horse should be dead quiet even when picking up and maintaining an extended canter. And because of the stride length, large horses typically fare better with judges. I’ve noticed that the US has a thing with tall horses, lately. It seems like anything under 16.2 is small these days! Has anyone else noticed this trend?
Big, imported European warmbloods are a hit with most hunters, so you’ve got that going for you! But the competition doesn’t always play fair. Too many trainers tranquilize their horses before a hunter show to make them more… agreeable.
I’ve also heard of trainers “blood-letting” their horses before a show. That is, they drain just enough of the horse’s blood to make sure it is too drowsy to act up in the arena. (This usually happens at shows where drug-testing occurs, because removing blood is untraceable). These disgusting practices are all too common in the hunter circuit, so that’s the standard your hunter prospect is up against.
Even if your 4 year old is beautiful, with great form over fences and automatic lead changes, he’s only halfway there. Famous bloodlines will increase his price, along with an easy, unflappable disposition. But he has to be a quiet ride without any reactivity. And, silly as it is, a full luxurious tail will help him sell. Yep, you heard me. People spend money (and lots of it) on fake tails for the hunter arena.
Where you sell in the US will also be a factor; buying an imported horse in California is more expensive than in Alabama. Try the New York or Florida marketplace for buyers. Southern California has its fair share of fancy hunters, too.
Hope that helps! Good luck. 
It might help you to look at the sales horses from sellers who export regularly to the US – http://www.burgers-stables.com/ is one example, although it does not list their prices. Prices vary a ton based on the size of the horse, how far along the horse is in its training, its looks, how it will vet, and how good the seller’s contacts are. If you don’t have any contacts in the US market, it will be harder to get the higher end of the price range.
There are some agents over there who specialize in finding and preparing prospects for the US Hunter market with great connections to well known US trainers who routinely shop in Europe. They get the best prices. Might be worth it to find one of them.
Typical US buyer looking specifically for Hunters will want to see them over fences under a rider and with enough hours under saddle to determine rideability/trainability and if it actually has the chops for long, low and easy. Attractive or flashy will price up above a plain Jane-it’s a Show Horse, looks are part of the total package.
[QUOTE=mvp;8779599]
It must have a great mind. It should be quiet and easy-going, not one to get reactive or to hold a grudge if a rider makes a mistake. A natural sense of rhythm helps, too. If the horse can pick an easy canter and tend to stay there, so much the better. Ideally, the horse should be quietly brave: Ready to jump whatever is put in front of him without looking to hard at it. The horse should be quietly smart: This means he gets softer when he’s given a softer ride. This is the horse you can correct once and then leave alone.
Remember that the horse’s ultimate market will women and children who ride for fun. Sometimes, these people don’t put many, many hours in the saddle each week. In addition, the American hunter ring now has a standard of “quietness” that’s a bit unrealistic in my opinion. A horse who isn’t naturally easy-going is going to have a much harder career ahead of him. Pros will do a lot to make a pretty, expensive, imported horse who jumps well quiet enough for their clients.
In short, make sure your horse has the mind for the job, and that can be hard to figure out if you all don’t have hunters in Belgium. Just imagine the easiest jumper in your yard, one that can be ridden with a very light contact and who listens to his rider’s body. That might be a close approximation of the mind needed for the American hunter ring.[/QUOTE]
Excellent post and very accurate.
And I agree with Greys as well on the height thing. Many buyers want over 16.3 hand horses.
I have a tall Hunter (17.2) and a 16.1 Hunter with plenty of stride and I personally love them both. Different rides however. The 16.1 is much more forward and I think extremely fun… where the bigger one is slower and very simple.
I have had some very well known trainers and judges say they love my smaller guy - remarking as mvp did above - a “quietness” is a bit unrealistic in the ring today. They prefer the more forward and handy type hunters.
It seems in the American Hunter ring that many barns want the bigger, slower, safer ones for us (eehem) older gals… and that has transitioned to some of the judging. LOL But I still like the forward TB feel personally.
[QUOTE=Vieve;8779952]
I’ve also heard of trainers “blood-letting” their horses before a show. That is, they drain just enough of the horse’s blood to make sure it is too drowsy to act up in the arena. (This usually happens at shows where drug-testing occurs, because removing blood is untraceable).
Hope that helps! Good luck. :)[/QUOTE]
This made my stomach turn. Is that true?
Just coming back to second the emphasis on a long stride. That’s easier to show well since Americans want “unrealistically” slow. In addition, I think Americans in general (and riders are following suit) are getting bigger. Sometimes this means heavier. It can also mean taller or longer legged.
I’m short and my buying strategy is to get the smallest, lightest animal I can that will do the job. I have been told this is a great hedge against osteoarthritis. But so many riders in the hunter ring-- because of the nature of the competition or their size-- can’t do that and “look the part.”
Last, if I could pick another, rather technical quality for a hunter, it would be a canter with a bit (just a bit) of a leap to it. That moment of suspension rather than a canter that feels like a 4 beat canter with one leg always on the ground makes it easier to see a distance to a fence.
Getting a horse who canters slowly and still has a moment of suspension is what we go to Europe for. I hope you guys have bred that kind of horse for us!
Thanks a lot for all the good comments i know already a bit more about it. And mind think he is more and more a good hunter prospect. He is so quiet and easy going and when you jump with him he looks to nothing. A child can ride him. He is not the biggest one but he have a nice long stride. And for the details he have a nice big tail.
Do you all maybe know some trainers over there who buy and sell such a horses? And can i get in contact with them?
Thanks a lot.
It also needs to be quiet, have a long step, and be the right size. If it is below 16h you are looking at a small junior hunter.
[QUOTE=NiDe;8780804]
Thanks a lot for all the good comments i know already a bit more about it. And mind think he is more and more a good hunter prospect. He is so quiet and easy going and when you jump with him he looks to nothing. A child can ride him. He is not the biggest one but he have a nice long stride. And for the details he have a nice big tail.
Do you all maybe know some trainers over there who buy and sell such a horses? And can i get in contact with them?
Thanks a lot.[/QUOTE]
Ah yes, a thick tail. That’s one of the finer points of being a hunter in the current American ring that I forgot about. Folks hang fake tails nowadays. If you know about the Good Tail Requirement, you know more than you think about American hunters.
Really nothing constructive to add, and I’m not in the USA, but this is very very true. I just moved my 16.2 mare to a big H/J barn, and I keep getting comments about what a ‘cute little thing’ she is :lol: I’m 6’0 and she suits me just fine.
The trend certainly is to big, well built horses regardless of rider size.
I’m a jumper, but I think I could still help you out. I would say that a level-headed, quiet, light-on-their-feet sort of horse would make a good hunter prospect. Longer strides seem to work well with them, probably over 16hh. Not anything too nutty :lol:. I don’t think I could help with a price range.
[QUOTE=LilyJumper;8781941]
I’m a jumper, but I think I could still help you out. I would say that a level-headed, quiet, light-on-their-feet sort of horse would make a good hunter prospect. Longer strides seem to work well with them, probably over 16hh. Not anything too nutty :lol:. I don’t think I could help with a price range.[/QUOTE]
Yabbut, I object to the casualness of the “not too nutty” remark. See, these horses must have superlative minds. They must lope along, power off the ground, using their body hard over the fence, and, despite the speed and adrenaline (and perhaps a less-than-helpful rider), they must cruise along and forgive and make themselves look as it if takes nothing to ride them. In other words, they must listen patiently under a whole lot of pressure.
And “not too nutty” or even “regular horse mentality… he’ll get a little worried and quick if you pick bad distances too many times, or kick-and-pull all the way to the fence”… those horses get lunged down or drugged. Either way, these end up with shortened careers… all because someone thought they could “make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear” of a mind. I’m telling you: The horses with the bad minds get really, really screwed in the hunter industry. IMO, they get less screwed being made into, say, dressage horses where the discipline allows them to be “ridden more closely.”
[QUOTE=eastendjumper;8780714]
This made my stomach turn. Is that true?[/QUOTE]
I have been riding and showing rated hunters for half my life and have never heard of this practice, ever. I can’t imagine anyone would do this - it would make a huge mess and be fairly obvious - where would they put all the blood?!
Blood letting was 100% absolutely a thing in APHA/AQHA circles in the 80s. You did it in the stall, at night, into a bucket. Then you dumped the blood down the drain/hosed it down the drain. I saw it done.
I don’t know whether it’s still a thing in those circles. I am going to guess no mostly because there are so many easier ways to accomplish the same end. I never ever saw it in “open” H/J circles but that doesn’t mean it was never done.
[QUOTE=vxf111;8784194]
Blood letting was 100% absolutely a thing in APHA/AQHA circles in the 80s. You did it in the stall, at night, into a bucket. Then you dumped the blood down the drain/hosed it down the drain. I saw it done.
I don’t know whether it’s still a thing in those circles. I am going to guess no mostly because there are so many easier ways to accomplish the same end. I never ever saw it in “open” H/J circles but that doesn’t mean it was never done.[/QUOTE]
I stand corrected. I haven’t had much exposure to the AQHA world. That’s pretty disgusting, and I still can’t imagine it happening at an H/J show.
Other tricks from the 80s included withholding water and tying the head up high all night.
GABA and magnesium are so much easier, it’s hard to imagine anyone is bloodletting now.
