Who has transitioned from hunter/jumper to eventing?

[onlyTBmares]

Thanks everyone for all of this info. In general, this is wealth of knowledge and I hope to hear even more. I had not thought about two different saddles, that’s a good point. But it sounds like what everyone is saying is that with just starting at BN there is no reason I can’t ride in my jump saddle. There are a few event trainers in the area with some cross country features and some places to school with all the bells and whistles that aren’t so far away. Sounds like if I’m going to try just tackling BN and set sights at getting to training in a couple years that this would cost a tiny fraction of what showing at the rated HJ shows would cost.

I had heard the term combined test before and thought that was just another term for a horse trial but that sounds like a perfect way to sample the waters. I think I will look into volunteering this summer at the closes HT and meet some people and see what I pick up. Thanks COTHers and feel free to keep sharing. Sounds like once you cross over to the dark side you never go back

[RizenPhoenix09]

Back in the late 90’s I finally had my fill of the politics in the H/J world. I showed and coached at rated levels. Ultimately I could not stand the way everything seemed to come down to who you knew, what you were wearing, what kind/color/breed of horse you rode, etc. My clients had the money. I did not have the stomach to keep playing.

If you rocked your jump courses and the hack BUT were on the wrong breed or, heaven forbid, your breeches were not $$$ dollars it seemed nearly impossible to find success. Personally I always rode the “wrong” breed. Sorry, not sorry I will always be a TB girl.

Switching to Jumpers did certainly help. My boys slew and we found tremendous success. Ultimately, the reason I chose to move to eventing was the fact that I put in a lot of time doing dressage to get my horses balanced, soft, and supple. PLUS XC is a blast. Figuring I was pretty much training for eventing anyway I moved to the dark side.

The community is open, friendly, and helpful. My experiences with eventers have been overwhelmingly positive. The people, in general, are amazing. You can knock around at the smallest or highest levels and no one looks down at you. You are riding at the Ameoba Level? AWESOME! Get you some! You just killed Burghley? HOLY CATS YOU ROCK! I am impressed with anyone who shows up and tries and it seems the whole event world also feels this way.

Eventing stole me away from the H/J world with ease. How do you say no to people who laugh with you and want to help? Shiteventers (FB reference) we may be, but I love every darn moment of the ride(s).

[Janet]

@onlyTBmares

I think I will look into volunteering this summer at the closes HT and meet some people and see what I pick up.

That is absolutely the best first step.

Welcome to the world of “red on the right”!

[trubandloki]

@Janet

Welcome to the world of “red on the right”!

An important tid bit to go with this, that when I first learned it I liked. Even in warm up, red is on the right. It is not like hunter ring warm up that everyone goes every which way and there is some version of scary mayhem going on. The warm up jumps go one way, and only one way.

[simc24]

I did it in my mid-20s and never looked back, mainly due to the cost and time needed to show. Plus I am just very independent and realized I didn’t like the culture of amateurs being so dependent on their trainers in H/J land. I like Eventing, where trainers coach you, but let you loose.

One thing I’d suggest from my own experience is to find a great eventing trainer and learn to ride XC from that trainer- not just by hauling out and riding around low levels yourself. You’ll do yourself a favor by learning the correct basics right from the get go. XC riding is quite different than you’ve learned to ride in H/Js.

[onlyTBmares]

Yeah I’m certain I can just go out and canter a 2’6" log no problem but I haven’t the slightest clue how to ride drops or even galloping downhill sounds hard!
I will certainly need to enlist a professional. I’m sure there is much more that I don’t know I don’t know

[sportyspicepony]

I switched to eventing in college after growing up in the hunter world and it took me FOREVER to unlearn my lil’ hunter perch position. Not that everyone in h/j does that, but I think part of it was unlearning that I don’t have to look pretty while jumping, just have to get the job done!! Sounds like you do mainly jumpers so you probably won’t have that problem

[foggythistle]

Just because the jump is 2’6" doesn’t mean it’s easy. You can be jumping uphill, downhill, out of deep slop because it’s rained for a week and the field you’re running through was flooded until a couple of days ago, or on solid ground. Each scenario can require thought. Your stadium is also likely to be in a field, and not in a ring, so the ground won’t be even. Think the Field Hunter/outside course classes.

The simplest thing you can do is to start riding outside in pastures or on trails and not be in a ring all the time. Only the dressage rings will be flat. You can’t even count on the warmup areas

[catchcan]

I did h/j from short stirrup on up and made the change to eventing last year. I have so much more fun doing eventing. Once you have experienced having actual, accurate start times you will NEVER want to go back to hanging around the gate waiting to ride at a h/j show. Since you are new to working outside the ring, my suggestion would be to work with an eventing trainer to learn the basics of riding in the open, navigating drops and water, and how the competitions work. There are some crucial techniques that will keep you and your horse safe. You probably won’t find them particularly difficult to learn, but it is good to have someone teach them to you correctly. Once you feel comfortable riding outside the ring (not jumping necessarily, but just being in the open) hack out as much as you can. Start with just walking, but aim for several hours total per week. Both you and your horse need to log miles on uneven terrain. There are some good articles out there about how to develop your horse’s “fifth leg” - the balance and agility the horse has to develop to avoid stumbles, slips, and other mishaps. Some horses have it somewhat naturally and others have to work to develop it, but it can only be found outside of the groomed arena. There are some really enjoyable ways to log those miles - meet up for trail rides, go cubbing with your local hunt. Hunter paces and paper chases are also really fun, no pressure, and inexpensive ways to get out cross country. I hope you love it as much as I do!

[catchcan]

Oh, and regarding expenses, I spent money on new and good quality safety equipment - vest and MIPS helmet for me, cross country boots for my horse. Other than that, I bought an older dressage saddle with cosmetic blemishes on the seat for a song and my show clothes are almost all bargains off of Poshmark or things I already had from h/j like boots and breeches. I have never once gotten any second looks or snide remarks from anyone at a horse trial or clinic because I didn’t have fancier stuff. Eventers are about safe competition and having fun - you don’t have to spend a ton of money for that.

[Pennywell_Bay]

I still do H/J- now I’m in jumperland (where it’s red-on-right, as well). But I did some mini events (a few CTs and a derby) and it was a blast. I had way more fun eventing than the h/j shows. I go and meet friends, course walk together and it’s so- liberating. There’s a local eventing barn to me (my jumper trainer actually clinics there) so I’ve got to go do the teeny tiny stuff eventing. It’s super fun and my horse really seems to enjoy it.

I’ve done rated h/j shows my whole life - I really like the eventing.

Actually- one of my h/j show friends was with me in Ocala during a jumper round last week and said “ Your eventing friends would be proud”. Totally took it as a compliment. Good times.

[BK6756]

I’m a jumper rider that gets frustrated with costs to compete, but it seems to me that many of the “costs” that make h/j shows more expensive are not required, but rather things that people choose to pay for because they aren’t independent. For example: paying someone to haul your horse, set up your stall, day care, training rides, coaching, braiding, grooming stall, etc.
I don’t think I’ve ever paid more than $600 to do an AA rated h/j show (1 division plus a couple warm up classes). Of course this doesn’t include hotel stay, but that’s not specific to h/j. I haul my own horse and my husband helps me with everything. I don’t need a trainer at shows, but if I do have one, all I pay for is a coaching fee per day.
The main h/j fee that seems to cost more is the stall fee because rated h/j shows often go for the entire week which makes the stalls cost more, rather than just 2-3 days.

[onlyTBmares]

Thats definitly true that there is some “cultural” nature to it. In HJ land we’re not supposed to sneeze without talking to our trainers. But I just looked up the local A show, and before any classes are added with no stall, one day would cost $250. That’s with grounds fees, USEF fees, haul in fees and office fees. And if you didn’t want to show there would be another $50 non-showing horse fee! So $300 to just walk your horse around on the property for a day. Thats crazy right??

[onlyTBmares]

I do quite a bit of trail riding with the mare amd galloping fields, popping over little logs and stuff so. Last summer we were doing probably 10 miles a week minimum so that wouldn’t be so foreign. But all that jumping up and down hills…there’s some serious technique there I know nothing about.

[aregard]

Two things, neither about the cost.

Eventing isn’t about looks or style (though how nice to have a lovely soft style if you can manage it). So you really have to switch your thinking about what you are trying to accomplish in your training, and you really need to consider how XC jumps are placed and formed to ask completely different questions of the horse/rider team than arena jumping. I’d make a point of training somewhere that has XC fences, and a XC trainer.

Second, the rhythm of the event is also completely different. What you do on any given day at an event is really opposite from how a H/J show runs. That might take a little getting used to as well.

I hope you have fun!

[GoodTimes]

I’ll be a bit of an outlier. I’m a hunter rider, some jumpers with the right horses. But I did dabble in eventing for awhile. Way back when I was even the “model rider” for an article on drops and banks in Horse Sport magazine.

I’ve never been a fan of trainers who insist on hand holding. I’ve never been a client at a barn like that, but have worked at them. I’ve always been independent and done countless shows without a trainer, braid myself, etc. So I likely have a different view of the h/j show scene than many here.

I quite enjoyed eventing. My horses and I had no difficulty stepping in at Pre-training (Novice) and Training level. My H/J trainers always stressed the importance of dressage, and we schooled x-c several times before competing. My horses were always relaxed and confident, they weren’t phased by the new questions.

I ended up returning exclusively to the h/j world. Local to me there are far more opportunities to show, and the cost is comparable.
I’m still in touch with my old eventing coach. I still take my horses over a couple times per year to school x-c for fun. He had just moved to Canada from Europe when I started riding with him. He also has a small breeding program. I introduced him to the hunter ring and that opened a door for some of his horses.

We have a good relationship because we can both respect and appreciate the things that make each discipline unique. We can appreciate that some horses and riders are more likely to excel in one over the other, but even in those cases the basics and foundation are very similar.

Good luck with whatever you end up doing! And consider that clinics and off property schooling can be just as much fun as competing. And often a better barometer of how you’re doing and what you need to work on.
I audited an Ingrid Klimke clinic in the fall of 2019 and I loved it. Her exercises and tips carry across all disciplines.

[TheDBYC]

Re tack, I once saw a meme that had me howling with laughter: a tack room bursting at the seams, captioned something like “We have 2 horses. Yeah, we’re eventers. How did you know?”

It is so true, though. I used to ride with an eventing trainer. When we moved into a new barn that had previously been used by normal people, we had to install as many more bridle hooks as would fit & put saddles 2 to a rack despite the wall racks going up all the way to the ceiling. And most everyone had a 2nd tack trunk up in the observation room in addition to the one in the aisle.

[greysfordays]

hi!
I’m very timidly resurrecting an old thread, apologies.

I’ve been firmly ensconced in jumper land, doing the 1.20-1.30m. I have a lovely horse who’s 13 and quite hard on his body, so I’m not sure how much longer we get to do this.

We’ve been looking for a younger horse and all I can think about while looking at these horses is wanting to move to eventing. It’s something I’ve wanted to try for a long time. I’m turning 44 this year, so I know, I should probably make this transition sooner rather than later.

There are lots of reasons I’m drawn to eventing, but the biggest are 1) the independence 2) I love dressage 3) I love the cross training for the horses, we do a lot of track rides with small changes in slope and I can tell they have helped both my horse and I a lot. 4) it’s more cost effective 5) people seem less catty, more horse welfare minded and dare I say, seem to have a sense of humor?

My biggest question mark is cross country, which I do find a bit intimidating. But I do think since I’ll be starting off quite low, I may actually enjoy feeling less pressure to be perfect over big jumps and focusing instead on figuring out how to read terrain and track over smaller obstacles.

Right now I’m shopping for something green to do the 1.30s on and there’s a lot of griping I’m only willing to spend low six figures. That feels nuts to me. Like spiritually.

My vet is an eventer but unfortunately, I don’t have any good eventing trainers near me, but in a couple years I’m moving to the PNW where there are a few I could work with.

What I’m thinking is wouldn’t it be better to just buy a going eventer who can teach me the ropes of cross country but could also cross enter into some jumper classes in the near-term for fun? I’m not sure how much my jumper today can do, he is not the most sure-footed horse and super careful. We have fun hoping over the small solid obstacles like wooden barrels on the track, but I worry he would get anxious doing too much more.

I’m 2-3 hours away from Galway and could probably find someone there to work with over their cross country jumps and keep working with my jumper trainer and add in some dressage excursions.

I just don’t really know where to start or how things work. Are there experienced trainers who will help horse shop for a non-client? I know I need to spend time volunteering at events, and I spend a fair amount of time watching clinics online, but are there other things I should be doing?

TIA for any advice.

[dmveventer]

I think you’re conflating a few different questions here, and talking about buying two very different horses. I wouldn’t make any purchase decisions until you figure out what your goals are. Start by finding a way to get out x-country schooling with your current horse just to see how it feels, if you can find a trainer that will work with you (most will want you to lesson with them in the ring at least a few times before they’ll take you out schooling, so that’s something to consider). Most horses are perfectly capable of doing the lower levels of eventing successfully, there’s no reason your current guy can’t do some cross-training.

@greysfordays

What I’m thinking is wouldn’t it be better to just buy a going eventer who can teach me the ropes of cross country but could also cross enter into some jumper classes in the near-term for fun?

Honestly probably not, if you want those jumper classes to be at the heights you’re currently jumping or higher. You’re not going to find a ton of confirmed event horses with scope for the 1.30s with an amateur rider that can also safely pack a brand new eventer around while she learns the ropes x-country. You’re probably going to want a well-connected event trainer to help you find one, it’s not going to be cheap, and you honestly don’t really need all that if you don’t have access to an trainer anyway. It’s going to limit your options unnecessarily.

If you can’t find a local trainer to work with and don’t want to wait to purchase your next horse until you move in a few years, I would probably buy the horse that suits your current program and goals and then reevaluate later if it comes to that. If you buy the green jumper now and spend a few years putting miles on him you could end up taking him over to eventing with you, or you could sell him and buy a Training-level packer to learn on. But I wouldn’t buy a green horse if you plan to go x-country immediately, and I also wouldn’t buy an experienced event horse if you don’t plan to (or can’t) event anytime soon.

Big picture though, I’m all for switching to eventing! It’s fun, and cheaper, and having three disciplines to work on definitely keeps things interesting. It’s not for everyone, but worth a try for sure if you think you’d enjoy it. It’s just hard to get into it as a total newcomer if you don’t have access to a quality trainer you can work with regularly, and for safety reasons you really want a quality trainer.

[BayBondGirl]

@greysfordays

What I’m thinking is wouldn’t it be better to just buy a going eventer who can teach me the ropes of cross country but could also cross enter into some jumper classes in the near-term for fun?

Absolutely, and this is almost exactly what I did with my mare who converted me to an eventer!

I was a nervous-nelly H/J (mostly hunter, because I liked it slow and in control), and found The One in an older mare with a history of eventing to Prelim. I intended to maybe try doing equitation jumping with her since she wasn’t a “hunter” type… but then one day I took her out with the fox hunt club and realized this eventing thing was exactly what she was skilled at and really seemed to love doing. I decided to give it a go, and she took me easily through the Pre-Training (3 foot) level for many years. She could also take me to the local jumper shows and we would cruise around the jumper courses for fun.

I’m not advocating this, but I didn’t actually take a XC lesson on her until years into our eventing journey together, and that was because I was returning to it after having my first baby and wanted some support. What I am suggesting with this though, is that a confident, schoolmaster eventer is the best thing in the world for dipping your toes into the world. XC is far less nerve-wracking when you know your horse can get you cleanly and confidently to the other side (in a comfortable level to you both, obviously) even if you accidentally make an error or freeze up in the moment.

I recognize that my jumping level is far lower than what you are shopping for and riding at, but if you do want to “take the plunge” and try eventing, I can tell you that with the right, confidence-building horse, XC will become like a bit of a drug!