Who has transitioned from hunter/jumper to eventing?

[onlyTBmares]

A little background. I have an OTTB who comes from an eventing barn. She competed up to training level a few times and, schooled higher. I bought her to do the 1.0m jumpers eventually and currently ride at a hunter jumper barn.
I really want to show, and my barn does mostly just the rated shows. I decided I was going to try to do a local outreach show, which happens at the rated shows but in a different ring as a nonrated show. I definitely can’t afford the rated shows but thought that could be a good way to participate and get some experience. I crunched the numbers and realized it was going to run me $600-$700 for two days of showing in one division!! On top of that I think I will get charged more for schooling and some other things. I looked up last years classes and realized I would only be showing against a few people, like maybe only one or two in the class. If I’m going to drop a crazy amount of money I would really want to be in a competitive class. I would rather come in 20th out of 30 than 1st out of 3 and come away knowing what I need to work on.

Then I read a recent article on the COTH which talked about the differences in cost in the HJ world vs the eventing world pointing out that that horse trials are largely run on volunteers and attended by lots of DIYers. I thought, hmm that sounds like my kind of people.

I have always done HJ and have never really considered eventing but the reality is, even though I make pretty great money, I’m priced out of it. All hunter/jumper show barns in this area require you to be in a full training program. Rated shows with good competition cost thousands and thousands for a week of showing. On top of that I know a lot of lower level eventers are running around on OTTBs, which is what I ride and also makes me an outlier in the HJ world.

Cross country is a little intimidating to me, but I would adjust. I’m not super fearful so I would get confident in beginner novice and creep my way up. I’ve got some dressage years in my history so could probably figure out those lower level tests enough to not embarrass myself.

Anyway, who has done the move? Or thought about making the move, or perhaps went the other way? Is it actually less expensive to compete or are there some hidden costs I’m also not aware of?

[Jersey_Fresh]

I did, with my adult hunter. It was a learning curve but I’ve never looked back. My horse loved it and the adjustability I had from my H/J came in handy. I was often told I had some of the most eq like stadium rounds of the division.

I ran through Novice, did a long format, and was looking to move up but I got pregnant and retired him from jumping when my son was 6m old. I have a young horse now that I’m bringing up the levels.

The people are for the most part nicer and I’d say things are a bit less expensive. My HJ trainer charged a day fee even when I groomed my own horse, did my own stall etc. but my eventing trainer just charges me coaching and I care for my own horse.I prefer it that way.

I wasn’t motivated because of finances-I wanted a change from feeling like a square peg in a round hole with my fancy but classic TB. There are a lot of rules but you learn a ton by volunteering and the officials tend to help you want to learn the right things. I also feel that horses get to be horses more- you don’t need people up lunging their horses to exhaustion etc.

[Gardenhorse]

I have always been an eventer, so can’t directly compare. However, a little info below on costs.

The costs to show depend a bit on what region you are in and the details of the horse trials. In my area in MD/VA there are multiple 1-day recognized and unrecognized horse trials within 2 hours, so it is very rare to need to stay overnight/stable. Most people just show out of their trailers, which saves a ton on lodging/stabling fees. In other areas, horse trials might be held over 2 days or be a longer drive, so require stabling and therefore costs are higher.

A recognized horse trial entry fee is on the order of $200-250 and an unrecognized (many of which are put on by the same venues) is typically half that. I trailer myself and braid myself so typically my only costs for a show are the entry fees and a coaching fee. I have occasionally paid one of the barn teenagers to be a groom/helper for the day, but sometimes a friend will help or I just do it on my own. I suppose if you were going to the show on the barn trailer with a working student or groom to help out, there could be some kind of day fee.

Most low-level event barns that I know of do not require full training, although they may have a lesson requirement. A lot of folks take 2 lessons a week (1 dressage, 1 jumping). The horse does need to be ridden enough to be fit for XC, so may need training or conditioning rides if you can’t ride 5-6 days a week (although Beg Novice on a TB doesn’t require a lot of extra fitness). You’ll also want to do some cross-country schooling excursions (typically $50-$60 or so for schooling fee plus your coach’s fees).

Beginner novice dressage is literally walk, trot, canter and 20 m circles. Ride accurate circles and decent transitions and you’ll do just fine. If your horse has evented through Training, BN cross-country should be straightforward for her. The biggest issue for you is likely learning how to feel comfortable cantering/jumping on uneven terrain rather than the jumps themselves. Unrecognized events usually have even lower levels (often called elementary or tadpole).

And, yes, there will be plenty of OTTBs!

Edited to add: One other cost is USEA membership needed for recognized shows. But not needed for unrecognized and no USEF membership until Modified and above.

[Gardenhorse]

Of course, there is also a current thread in this forum about being priced out of Eventing, so it’s all relative.

[onlyTBmares]

Ugh I’ll skip reading that one or I might just have to give up!

[onlyTBmares]

That all sounds like significantly lower costs than HJ land. Even rated shows are priced like schooling show. There is one rated within a 2 hour drive of me and one non rated.

[onlyTBmares]

Yeah the TB can do just fine in the jumpers but may very likely be the only one around. She certainly excelled in xcountry when that was her job and seemed quite happy. I just really like that whole volunteering concept.

[Jersey_Fresh]

I will say I think overall my costs are lower and I compete more now that I event. But yes it is all relative.

I hold USEA and local association memberships that add up to around $200 a year. I do not have a current USEF membership.

I lesson once a week and then every other week or so I lesson twice-I pay $200-300 a month in lessons. My trainer has a XC course, but if we do school is typically a $35-50 facility fee and $50 coaching. Many of the events here will hold schooling after and if you volunteer they give you a voucher to way the schooling fee which is awesome. Maybe once a month in the spring and summer? I have a green horse so many times we do a SJ lesson and then go jump a few XC jumps.

I am local to the KHP and primarily show there right now as I have a young son, so I don’t have to account for hauling long distances or lay over stabling. I travel for work, so hotels would be on points if needed. Our USEA events with stabling typically run me about $300-350 in entries/stabling/fees. I will sometimes just haul in especially with COVID. Coaching for all 3 phases (including course walks) is $150 for the weekend. I braid my own horse and my friends and I all pitch in with horse care-often someone comes off XC and their horse is taken away before their feet hit the ground. We all pay generously in cold beer and cocktails

A average stable-in local H/J show here would cost me about $700. That was with hauling, taking care of my own stall and braiding on my own. Lessons were about the same but I did board my horse when I did the hunters and I keep them at home now so that cuts costs quite a bit as well.

Local shows/CTs IMO are much much cheaper than local H/J. We have several dressage schooling shows where you can ride a test for $35. CTs run about $85 and most of the time, ill go to both of those sans coaching.

I compete more as an eventer than I did as a H/J rider because of the difference in cost and because of the time involved. Ride times are a savior with a young family. I also couldn’t pull off many A-rated shows but every event I run now is USEA (I rarely bother with the local events because the cost is close to what I would spend on a USEA and while I love the concept of a one-day, here we tend to have really long gaps between rides which is again hard with young kiddos).

I rode my first two seasons in my old H/J tack-the only thing I bought was XC boots and a vest. Over the years I’ve gotten more eventer “stuff” but its more to replace older tack that needed replacing anyway like my jump saddle that split at the pommel and replacing laced reins with rubber (highly recommend that investment ASAP). I still ride in my TS and pearls Its very easy to make things very expensive quickly if you try to “look” the part.

I don’t ride at the UL so again, YMMV, but I keep my horses fit basically riding the same as I did before. The only difference is I get out of the ring more-I hack out at least once a week if not twice. But I have OTTBs that have always been very easy to keep fit for N and below. When I did my long format, I did have to add in several days a week of longer rides BUT that resulted in a very sassy, over conditioned OTTB for the level I don’t have time to ride more than 30 mins a day but this seems to work for me.

I think the best part though is feeling your ex-hunter in the start box as they count you down. It didnt take mine to figure it out and that always made me so happy.

[SolarFlare]

I switched too. I don’t show very much (my horse has been in rehab off and on for a while, then the pandemic hit so all the schooling events got cancelled) but I volunteer a lot at rated events. I’m not in the US so I can’t speak to the costs of showing there, but volunteering at some events might also help you feel more comfortable with the different phases, and you’ll get to meet some people in the sport.

I also wanted to point out that you should be able to find some Combined Tests (dressage and stadium) for extra practice while you’re getting XC figured out, and you might have some unrated horse trials. Both of those will be less expensive than rated horse trials so you’ll be able to get out more.

[AllTheCarrots]

@Jersey_Fresh

I think the best part though is feeling your ex-hunter in the start box as they count you down. It didnt take mine to figure it out and that always made me so happy.

I love this feeling too! Pure joy.

As a once-and-future eventer who is currently lessoning in Huntlandia, the main difference I’ve noticed is the view of out-of-ring riding. Make sure you’re spending lots of time practicing hills, choosing lines over uneven ground, and just getting you and your horse comfortable with the sights and sounds (and footing!) of life beyond the arena.

[Willesdon]

The USP of Eventing is jumping cross country. It is a different style, a different set of skills and the móre you practice the better you get. It is very different from a set pattern jumped on set strides around a level arena and terraine, going, light levels, position of trees even… all play into reading a course. You already know how to jump but now you need to learn to do it xc. Try to prioritise xc coaching as that will build up your confidence.

[MsRidiculous]

This was a major factor in why I switched. I was in the same boat - a local 2-day unrated show cost me about $600 plus hotels, trainer fees, etc. A few days at a rated show was closer to $1000-1500. I just couldn’t justify that.

Eventing isn’t necessarily CHEAP, but it’s way more affordable. Even if - worse case scenario - I have to haul far away, stay the whole weekend, stable the horse at least a couple nights, etc, I’m coming in around $600 for a recognized show. Shoot, the year after I switched over from being able to afford just a handful of schooling h/j shows per year, I found myself at AEC (our national championship). NEVER would have been possible for me to compete at that level on that scale in the h/j world. A schooling event is about $100… I couldn’t even do a local one day schooling h/j show for that.

I also find that my low-budget horse fit in here a lot better too. If we put in the training to be competitive, then we are. He’s not fancy AT ALL but when we brought our A game he was as competitive as any. Fancy is nice but not required. I find the people to be more welcoming with regards to that too.

[TheDBYC]

My child rides/shows in Hunters. As a result, I’ve given up on my own relatively modest aspirations for the next couple years & don’t even have a horse atm. Yes, the Hunters are much more expensive in general for fees, etc. However, my personal, anecdotal observation is the meaningful cost difference doesn’t lie in the comparative costs of the shows. It lies in how quickly you as a person of normal means bump into the financial threshold past which competing no longer offers the opportunity for receiving actionable feedback for improvement.

To me, that’s what is really driving the issue that always gets seems to get reduced to a shouting match here on COTH with one side screaming “Elitist!” & the other “Learn some sportsmanship!”. It isn’t so much “At what point do you hit the You can’t ride THAT horse in THIS ceiling” that it gets reduced to in arguments. Instead, it is “I compete in large part to see where I am in my riding & how I can improve. How fast will I reach the point in this discipline where I am no longer able to receive this information?”

Between the judging criteria for Hunters & living in an area that is an epicenter for the sport horse industry & full of ultra-premium horses I will hit that point almost immediately upon venturing above the 2’ divisions at local schooling shows on my OTTB. It is true that ribbons aren’t everything & nothing says I can’t just keep entering shows & not pinning. That’s fine if I’m one of those people that shows because they enjoy the hustle & bustle of the show atmosphere. It is just that I no longer can use showing as a rubric for measuring my improvement. And there’s no way I can change that without upgrading horses. Which I cannot do. So I’m effectively stuck.

The judging criteria used for eventing allows for a much longer time before bumping into that threshold. I may find that if I want to move up from Training to Prelim, I need a new horse. But I can still receive my actionable feedback for improvement at BN level. Even if Stephen Bradley & Boyd Martin show up. Theoretically, I (an AA just starting to really get serious about dressage) could show up with Valegro to ride in the BN & you still get a higher dressage score on your average Joe OTTB because of what the tests do & do not require at that level. Regardless, everyone will get their own score sheet with personalized comments for what they did well & what they could improve upon.

[173north]

I switched from eventing to jumpers simply because there was no eventing barns in my area. I’m pretty firmly ensconced in jumper-land now but I’d go back to eventing in a second! I did a couple outreach shows this summer and they ran me about $400/day with day fees and entries so I understand your sticker shock.

Can you find a local event trainer who can give you an XC lesson to get a taste of it? Maybe you can haul out to their farm or meet somewhere with an XC course? If your mare has evented through Training I’m sure she can tote you around BN no problem and it will just be a matter of you getting comfortable with riding in the open, riding on terrain, solid fences, etc.

I also feel there’s generally more expectation of independence from eventers. When you’re out on XC, you won’t have a trainer at the rail yelling at you. (Odds are your trainer won’t even see your whole XC round, depending on the property!)

[foggythistle]

For a little less of a culture shock, especially if you haven’t done much cross-country, is to try a Combined Test, which generally consists of Dressage and Stadium phases. They tend to be a little cheaper as well since they can run with fewer resources. Sometimes you can add an extra dressage test for a minimal fee.

That would get you a little taste of the eventing world.

[NC001]

I don’t event but my kid does (I just get to pay for it). As others have mentioned, you can start with CTs and school xc while at some shows.

The thing I have not seen mentioned- tack. It is cheaper than hunter tack (based on my limited experience) and at low levels and local shows no one seems to care what brands you are riding in. However, we have a dressage saddle and a jump saddle and may end up with a xc saddle… and 2 bridles, multiple sets of boots and pads… ear bonnets…it is both the fun part and the annoying part of eventing IMO.

[Gardenhorse]

Tack expenses are a good point. At low levels, it’s certainly possible to compete in all phases in a jump saddle, but most people usually do want a dressage saddle before too long. And depending on your current jump saddle, you might want something a little different for XC. I don’t think anyone at my barn has separate SJ and XC saddles, but we’re all mostly Modified level and below so not jumping anything too huge. There is certainly a range in saddle costs - some of the custom wool-flocked dressage saddles can be as much as the fancy French jumping saddles. But it would be pretty rare for anyone to notice or comment judgmentally on your specific saddle brand.

Typically there is not the pressure that I see in the H/J forums to get the same saddle brand as your trainer is sponsored by - it’s more about fit and function. But there is certainly some peer pressure to go along with all the colorful saddle pads and ear bonnets and boots and breastplates.

Also, people are a lot less picky about show clothes. Of course there are plenty of people who are still into expensive show clothes, but I show in my white or tan Pipers and wear a jacket as seldom as possible. Dress requirements have been even further relaxed for next year as well.

You will have to buy a XC vest. Those can be expensive.

[NC001]

Oh yes I forgot about the xc vest. But I agree the clothes are much cheaper.

[Willesdon]

On saddles and bridles, I have a friend who evented up to Advanced using one saddle and one bridle. Tis possible.

[onlyTBmares]

I have a pretty lovely horse, if a little complicated and it does get a little exhausting just always being the person on “that horse”. She’s a little too enthusiastic, might bounce a one stride, but is super athletic, I think you know that kind of horse.
Also, I just looked up a local one day schooling jumper show and 3 classes will run me about $200 plus hauling+training with my barn and we’re at close to $400.