Can you jumper people out there enlighten me on major differences, i.e. like what are the shows like, how are they ran… Do you pack your whole life up for 1 round lol? Lease is up on our hunter pony soon and my daughter really wants to try jumpers…
No braiding bills (unless you braid for classics).
A different (and rather fun) dress code.
Yes, you pack your whole life–as much as you would need, which depends on things other than what ring you’re headed to.
No back to back classes (though sometimes there are combined cards).
A sub-par course design at a sub-par show is not just disappointing but could possibly be dangerous–remember that the winners are decided by faults and time–not everyone is going to be clean and fast, and the problems can be tricky.
Because of this, skill of the rider and suitability of the horse come into play in a much more immediate way than in the hunter ring. The jumper ring is not the place to go if you are just looking to have fun without doing the ‘work’ to make sure that horse and rider have a solid partnership, and are on the same page when they go in the ring.
It’s not a beauty contest, but an athletic event. Hunters are ‘athletic’ at the top levels of the sport–but at the lower levels in hunters, it’s about being safe and stylish. At the lower levels of jumpers are a distressing number of contestants who ride too fast for safety, even though they are ‘successful’ in terms of winning at the lower heights.
The riders who advance to higher levels in the jumpers have solid skills, and haven’t spoiled their horses by running them too fast at low heights. They have taken the time to do the clear-round classes (1 round, all clears get a blue ribbon), and devote themselves to progressive training, with knowledgeable, accomplished trainers. They have formed solid partnerships with their horses.
It’s not like the hunter ring, where you can sometimes simply lease or buy the winner…
The age of your daughter and the height of the pony are another consideration. Very few jumper classes are held for ponies, and when they compete over courses designed for horses, the result can be serious disaster, especially in the combinations, and this isn’t recommended.
What does your trainer think of this proposition? Why not the Equitation division? That’s where rider’s skills are considered and developed…
I did the switch several years ago, after I came back to riding during graduate school. I showed hunters from the time I was 9 until I aged out, and when I came back I picked up hunters again but decided to try the jumpers after a couple of years back in the saddle.
Jumpers is fun, exciting, and does away with the subjectivity of the hunter ring. If the horse and rider are educated and schooled well, it can be an exhibit of good planning and execution of a difficult track. If not, it can be a scary mess.
I really like the thinking involved in a tricky course/jump-off, and how the best rounds are models of precise riding and communication between horse and rider. I also enjoy the dressage work needed to get most jumpers past a certain level so they can be competitive. There is also a level of leg maintenance that becomes more important the higher the jumps get, and as horses get older. Successful jumper riders do things like pack their horses’ feet, ice the legs, use various therapies, and so on, because the pounding taken by the legs and back is greater than in the hunters.
If your daughter is really interested, I suggest you go to some of the shows and watch the children’s, ponies, and junior classes. That should give you a good idea of what everything is like. It’s generally fewer classes than hunters, and (sometimes) they run more quickly. I tend to bring everything with me, even if it’s only for a handful of classes over three days- but there is always something I forget!
I’m pretty new to jumpers. One of the biggest differences to me is in the hunters you get yourself set up to a line and you can kind of coast through it. Then pick up again and ride the next line. Jumpers is constant riding and thinking about what’s next. It’s a very technical sport that uses your powers of concentration. Your horse needs to be a responsive partner. It’s a lot of fun though.
Jumpers are like equitation, but with neater turns and more pace. Oh, and it’s objective.
Depending on the height, generally 1 round per day. At the bigger levels, some horses might just do the “big class,” whether that’s a classic or a grand prix, or what have you. Maybe with a qualifying class earlier in the week.
There are very few “jumper only” shows; most are hunters and jumpers, at least on the rated circuit - I can think of more hunter/eq only shows than I can think of jumper only shows.
There are a lot of different class types - I would read the USEF rulebook to see the differences in speed, power & speed, jump-off now vs later, faults converted, etc. I would say that there are probably 4 classes that you most frequently see:
- Table 2.1 is a speed class. One round, clear and fast will win it.
-Table 2.2.A is a jump off class with the jump-off after all of the first rounds. A grand prix is a 2A class, as are most classics.
-Table 2.2.B is also a jump-off class, but clear rounds immediately go on to the jump-off after completing the first round. They get a brief break in between rounds (just enough to catch their breath, or halt/back, or whatever), but then the buzzer goes again and off they go.
-Table 2.2.C is a power and speed class. There are 2 phases: the power phase is first, and if the horse/rider team is clear and within the time, they continue to the speed phase without stopping.
I have found that the atmosphere is much more relaxing and jumpers in general are a lot less stressful. The only thing you are competing against is the clock and there are no politics. You can have a lot more fun with colors as well.
Riding wise its very different. Courses are designed to ask the rider questions about angles and distances in bending lines. It requires the ride to really think more on their feet than the standard hunter course. Its a lot of fun though and a great adrenaline rush!
Only problem I have come across is the quality of courses. Many of the local shows in my area don’t always have the best beginner type courses. The other thing you will find at much of the lower heights are the “turn and burn” types that just gallop around going for speed than trying to execute the right turn to save time.
But overall its a lot of fun and I love it! I’ve never looked back! 
Suggest you get her a lease horse quiet and proven to jump from anywhere off any track in the Ch/Ad or the lower non rated stuff that can double as an Eq horse. That way she can learn to manage track and pace safely and have lots of options in classes she can do.
Pony Jumpers is rarely offered and at almost the Ch/Ad heights and step. Might be a bit intimidating while trying to learn.
You are looking for the same type horse in training level and temperment for DD as you would for a Hunter, just a different skill set and more variation in type and color. Jumpers has a reputation as a dumping ground for horses that can’t do anything else. Nothing could be farther from the truth, especially for a learning young rider wanting to stay safe and get some ribbons when deserved
I rode hunters/eq for about 10 years (with the occasional jumper class to practice for the eq). I made the switch entirely when I bought my current horse as a 4 years old. We started him in the hunters/eq and then gradually transitioned to the jumpers.
I will just rattle off some differences I have noticed…
-More pace. Even 4 years later I will still feel like I am flying but then watch my video and I don’t look fast at all.
-Having a plan. It’s much more technical. Even a poorly designed course will present a lot of options that you need to tailor to your horse and riding style.
-Along with this, as I have progressed I have started coming up with multiple plans…There is a lot of part 1 goes well do A if not do B. Or if my horse is strong take this track or behind my leg do this etc. It’s a lot of thinking on your feet and literally “solving” the course.
-There isn’t as much hurry up and wait. Because you typically only have one round a day, things in jumper land tend to run more smoothly…or you at least know well ahead of time that your class will be a few hours late. There isn’t as much guessing.
- Less prep for the most part. Typically no lunging or early AM hacking needed. My horse sometimes goes out for a light stretchy hack in the morning but if I don’t have time it’s not a big deal.
- Figure out how your horse likes to go best. This is true in the hunters as well, but you still need to fit into that “hunter mold” to a certain extent. In the jumpers, going clean and fast is the only goal. There are so many different styles of riding and ways of the horse going in the jumpers. Do what works for the pair. For my horse, our first round typically looks like an eq round. For another jumper I rode, they thrived on the gallop and jumped better out of it. Any chance on course to gallop, even in the first round, I did. Because the next jump after that she would jump to the moon. Another horse loved to go around like a giraffe but was so athletic it didn’t matter. Trying to package her up made her angry and she would try less and pull more rails.
- Matching bonnets and jackets are fun!
- It’s less about the division champion/reserve and chasing points and more about the money classes.
- Nomination fees are expensive
- Flatwork really does pay off.
- It’s a lot more telling if you are out of shape.
That’s all I can think of for now. Anyone can win and it’s fun! Good luck!
I have seen good riders with small horses and medium/large ponies do quite well in jumpers. They add strides, but make up for it by taking shorter tracks, and since many “lines” are purposely set to not be a perfect stride for a horse, sometimes it is even easier for them. In the combos, they either add a stride or push to get the “correct” striding, depending on how they jump in. add a stride. It just takes a rider with more awareness, a plan and a good trainer.
If your daughter wants to transition, I would find something that is suitable for jumpers and EQ. That way she can have more opportunities for competition than you sometimes have at small local shows and more chances to get comfortable with the types of courses and questions she’ll be asked.
I was speaking of the rated shows and Ch/Ad on up. There really are very few Ponies there and Im not sure OPs DD wants to have to worry about adds in the middle of combinations and creative track planning while she is learning. Plus some combinations you just can’t add in.
You do see more smaller ( under 15h) horses and Ponies in the non rated divisions below 3’. There are a few Ponies in the low Ch/Ad classes since there are usually no Pony Jumpers for them.
Depends on where they want to show the Jumpers and in what.
