Small Horses in Hunters?

[jagarabiansporthorse]

Sorry I feel off the map!

Love following everyone’s experiences and discussions on the different divisions! Thank you all for the insight!

@Small Change - Your guy is super cute!! Lovely! AND awesome that you are jumping without a bridle!

@rockonxox Thanks so much! Makes complete sense. I’m under 5’1" and 95 lbs max so I can still fit on my wide barreled 13.2 7/8hh medium pony but do have a horse a little over 16hh so I have a range to pick through. I was certainly curious about that middle range though that seems to be “no man’s land”! I know leg length & horse’s barrel size can play a huge part as well as meshing with a horse (or pony) as a team. I know, personally, trail riding or hacking the farm on the ponies and small horses is a lot easier to mount back up on though!

@MtnDrmz - I don’t sell my horses anymore (too tough on the heart!) - only seem to accumulate and lease lol While my showing focus is now on rated USDF shows…Our homebred Half Arabian got champion in his medium green pony division first time out to qualify for PF and got 19th at the 2014 Pony Finals. I don’t think I will personally be showing A or AA due to my experience level over fences (and budget) but maybe an occasional C or B rated show. Though I would love to show at Tryon one day just for the experience! My 3/4 Arabian is a little over 16hh so the small hunter division won’t apply to him. Just was thinking and chatting with my friends about a smaller “dressage” prospect we have that screams hunters so I was very curious! Unfortunately she grew a bit much to be a large pony.

@RugBug - True! I typically don’t see much tail flagging under saddle with the 100s of Arabians I’ve met - although there are definitely very strong exceptions with a naturally set high tail carriage (though the horses I’m thinking of are not bred or trained for the “sport” divisions – probably another reason I rarely see them lol). I’ve noticed “Warmblood hunter enthusiasts” won’t often acknowledge TB in their Warmblood mount’s pedigree. It takes two seconds to google the horse’s bloodlines if they actually use their registered names, but I know their USHJA/USE registered names tend to be different than their Warmblood names. But, do most riders even investigate pedigree as long as they’re trained/proven to do their job, approved Warmblood or like you said, sired by a Warmblood? I guess that’s another topic for another day. lol

And after all this discussion I completely forgot about the purebred Arabian stallion Oration who I believe is 15.2! And I even saw him in person…Wow.

@findeight Thanks for getting the exact rule!

This is a REALLY old article, but I thought it was pertinent since COH actually did cover the division: http://www.chronofhorse.com/article/usef-small-hunter-division-back-action It’s from 2012.

[McGurk]

“…over 14.2 not to exceed 15.2 1/2 inches.” Note it is called Small Hunter, not Small Working Hunter…no rated divisions use “Working” anymore. So if you are seeing " Working" in the class title, likely not nationally rated.

Wow, one more indication that I have not been involved in rated Hunter divisions for a looooooooonnnng time.

I do remember when the division was called “Regular Working Hunter” and that there was a distinction between Working and Confo divisions; but then, I remember when the governing organization was the AHSA, the rule book was a ring binder and updates to the rulebook were made by mailing out replacement pages when you paid your yearly dues.

When did that change - when they introduced the Performance Hunter Division? Or earlier?

Just curious.

[findeight]

It went to Performance Hunter in the last few years. They got rid of “Pre Green” too. Too bad, it was easier to understand exactly where a horse was in its experience level.

Funny thing is they still have trouble getting decent numbers at most shows in anything over 3’.

[MHM]

There has been some recent discussion about returning to the previous names for the divisions. We shall see what happens.

[RugBug]

@jagarabiansporthorses

@RugBug - True! I typically don’t see much tail flagging under saddle with the 100s of Arabians I’ve met - although there are definitely very strong exceptions with a naturally set high tail carriage (though the horses I’m thinking of are not bred or trained for the “sport” divisions – probably another reason I rarely see them lol). I’ve noticed “Warmblood hunter enthusiasts” won’t often acknowledge TB in their Warmblood mount’s pedigree. It takes two seconds to google the horse’s bloodlines if they actually use their registered names, but I know their USHJA/USE registered names tend to be different than their Warmblood names. But, do most riders even investigate pedigree as long as they’re trained/proven to do their job, approved Warmblood or like you said, sired by a Warmblood? I guess that’s another topic for another day. lol
.

Maybe flagging is too strong a word. Carrying of the tail is closer.

BTW - Here is my WB and his bestest Arabian friend. I love how the WB, who was often confused as an Arab, has pointier ears than his buddy. The buddy was a great embassador for the breed, loved by all.