Posted by Katie Aside from Carrin's advice, I have a few points to offer on hunter / jumper judging. Both disciplines, hunter and jumper, involve navigating a course of fences, however similarities generally end there. In jumper classes, the jumps are usually higher and more elaborate. A riders form is not important, and neither is that of the horse. For example, a rider could be sitting on the horses neck and hanging onto its ears - as long as they clear the jump, they're fine. A horse can also chip in (add an awkward short stride) before a jump, but as long as the jump itself isn't lowered, they're fine. Hunter courses are generally not as elaborate as jumper courses, however obstacles like roll-tops and gates are commonly seen. Fence heights are also considerably lower then in jumper classes. In contrast, hunter rounds should look smooth, flowing and effortless. The horse, ideally, should reach the jumps in correct stride, and at the correct pace. The rider must compliment the horse, and vice versa. Judges must look at a variety of things to judge hunter classes. If a specific stride number is set between jumps, as Carrin pointed out, riders must try and adhere to that. Horses should also take the proper leads around a course (ie: a horse who doesn't swap their lead or cross-canters will get pinned lower). The horse should have an even pace throughout the course, though minor adjustments can be made to meet a jump properly. Hunter horses should also move towards the jump with an alert expression, however spookiness and anything that goes along with it (ie: running out, slamming on the brakes, etc) is penalized. If that weren't enough to take into consideration, judges can also look at the horses jumping style. For example, if two horses completed a round and were, for the sake of this discussion, equal in score.. a judge would pin the horse with the better jumping form higher. A horse who dangles his legs over a jump, or routinely chips in, could pose a danger to its rider. I'm sure Sandy will post here soon, and add to what Carrin and I have already talked about. Take care & good luck, Katie
on 10/3/2007, 12:58 am, in reply to "Re: Hunter-Jumper Judging"
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To the original poster Marilyn,
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