Are there any working hunter people on here?

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Starbucks

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I went to a local show with Badger on Sunday and did the working hunter, he did really well! Won his class and won the Championship too! :)

We did the open and fences were only 90cm and although there were some really nice horses who were probably nicer in a showing kind of way, he was the only proper hunter type.

Even so, he's a very good jumper (jumped Newcomers/PN) and in the sporadic occasions I've done workers he's never been out of the first two, so I'd like to do more!

Only thing is, I’m feeling that local shows are a bit easy but in proper county/affiliated shows we might look a bit out of place!

Is there anything in between? I’ve found a couple of agricultural shows that do unaffiliated classes but again they are quite small (2’9’’).

What is involved in affiliating to do novice workers?


(BTW other pics are awful on link!! He jumped really well but the arena was tiny and he had to hop over a couple and that's where he took the pics! As for him looking like a donky in the line up, no excuse!)

Also, turnout, see link below. I assume this tack is acceptable? Is it better to wear a tie instead of a stock? I much prefer to wear a crash hat but need a new cover (!) or is it much better to have a more showy hat?

Thanks!

http://www.thehungryaperture.com/p141928245/h6d97913d#h6d97913d
 
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I would go to a few Agricultural shows where the judge will usually ride and see how they go before looking to step up to county level, you will probably find the courses are a bit tougher and more up to height.

Your turnout is ok but would need to be a lot more polished for county level, he does not look very fit or muscular, he does not need to be fat but with more topline and less tummy he would look more the part. I would plait on the correct side, pull the tail further down, trim his ears, use a martingale if you have to but not the breastplate unless the saddle is really going to slip back which it should not if it fits correctly a neat fitting sheepskin would be smarter if you really want to look the part.
You can wear the scull cap but a velvet with flesh coloured straps would look smarter, a shirt and tie is correct not a stock and brown gloves please:)
 
Great, thanks!

I wasn't thinking of going to the great yorkshire show or anything but even our local agg. wants you to be registered for the bigger classes.. I watched the class last year and they didn't look that great in the jumping phase! And yep, we are cool with the jumps (SJ 1.10 is fine), but you are right, he's no show horse!
 
I think with some work on his way of going which should build him up into a good shape he could look very smart, he is a proper working hunter type just not looking his best, some of the points are only fine tuning and attention to detail once he is muscled up he will look much better.

I am not sure about the registration but think the passport will need to be overstamped, this should not cost much to do.
 
Thanks so much..

BUT!.. I am really not sure how I will get him into good shape. When he is fit and worked harder (i.e. hunting) he has a worse top line even if he's fed all he can eat. I really think he just has that kind of shape.

Would be interested to see what you think of this one:



I think he looks much better? But he is miles less fit, has the same lifestyle (minus as much exercise) and isn't even sound!

Any advise?
 
In the photos he just looks rather unfit, his tummy looks rather big, his flanks rather hollow and generally lacking muscle tone. The bay is holding himself a little better, it can just be bad photos of the grey, his colour does not help, plenty of really steady work getting him using himself correctly, just like suggested about the dressage, topline should build up if fed and worked properly unless there is an underlying physical issue that prevents them using all the muscles correctly.
He does not look bad, just could look better for the job even hunters can look really strong after a hard season but they need the slow work put in to build them up before increasing the fast work.
 
Thanks. I'll do more school work with him but when I have, he hasn't looked any different.

The think is, it's "working hunter", he's actually a hunter and full of jump and gallop with one of the biggest jumping packs in the country..

So how can't he be "fit", if he actually kicks ass as it?

*confused* Are showing and hunting not that conected?
 
Starbucks said:
Thanks. I'll do more school work with him but when I have, he hasn't looked any different.

The think is, it's "working hunter", he's actually a hunter and full of jump and gallop with one of the biggest jumping packs in the country..

So how can't he be "fit", if he actually kicks ass as it?

*confused* Are showing and hunting not that conected?
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No, they're not. The point of a working hunter class is that they are suitable for hunting and can do the jumping side of things, but can also prove themselves conformationally correct and capable of doing a ridden show nicely. This includes having the correct musculature, and topline.

I would say he does look poor with respect topline, and his neck is looking slightly upside down in those pics.
 
Starbucks said:
Thanks. I'll do more school work with him but when I have, he hasn't looked any different.

The think is, it's "working hunter", he's actually a hunter and full of jump and gallop with one of the biggest jumping packs in the country..

So how can't he be "fit", if he actually kicks ass as it?

*confused* Are showing and hunting not that conected?
Click to expand...

Not that much really. The horse is meant to be clever, careful and forwards whilst being polite, which would make him a good hunter. But a horse doesn't have to hunt to be like that, and a horse that hunts who isn't like that isn't appropriate for the class.

Essentially, all showing classes are about conforming to a standard. So for a working hunter, they need to still be made well and correctly muscled. They need to jump well and neatly.

Badger looks great, but I agree that he needs to lose some condition and gain some muscle. He doesn't look bad, but he doesn't measure up to others competing at the moment. Check out the H&H showing reports as there are loads of pictures of the WH classes in there.

FWIW, the best WH I know of is a genuinely awesome proper hunter, who does both the big country stuff and then merrily nannies children out. But he's a very smart type, and won at all the top shows before he retired to just hunt...
 
I think Badger's the better horse for it, and could hold his own (more so than the bay) with some work :)
 
Lolo said:
I think Badger's the better horse for it, and could hold his own (more so than the bay) with some work :)
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That's a brave judgement given that we have no video footage of either in action doing a ridden show or jumping a course.;)

I think the bay has better conformation from the pics, though both look to have upright shoulders.
 
Moomin1 said:
That's a brave judgement given that we have no video footage of either in action doing a ridden show or jumping a course.;)

I think the bay has better conformation from the pics, though both look to have upright shoulders.
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The bay is a bit knackered now, he's 18, came to us as 4yo and perfect hunter - think he started young!! He has a lovely big trot and has always done well in Pre Novice dressage we've done.

The Grey, he's out of a Cruising mare and by a Clover Hill stallion, he's bred to jump and he can gallop but he has a very choppy trot - he's a traditional Irish Sport Horse.

Both are top class hunters, especially the grey.
 
Starbucks said:
The bay is a bit knackered now, he's 18, came to us as 4yo and perfect hunter - think he started young!! He has a lovely big trot and has always done well in Pre Novice dressage we've done.

The Grey, he's out of a Cruising mare and by a Clover Hill stallion, he's bred to jump and he can gallop but he has a very choppy trot - he's a traditional Irish Sport Horse.

Both are top class hunters, especially the grey.
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Can imagine a choppy trot on the grey as he looks to have an upright shoulder from that pic - though obviously hard to tell from just the one!

Both are lovely though.:)
 
Moomin1 said:
That's a brave judgement given that we have no video footage of either in action doing a ridden show or jumping a course.;)

I think the bay has better conformation from the pics, though both look to have upright shoulders.
Click to expand...

I've followed Starbucks adventures for ages, as she hunts a lot and is a fairly high-profile poster so have seen the grey in action ;)
 
Thirsk has a really good workers, and they do a few Eq life workers at Arena UK that are a decent size round and have strong classes, the quality of horses is very competitive though.
 
Photos look lovely :) after reading your last post a while ago I think this is where PS was getting too with fitness. He is fit in himself hunting wise doing lots of galloping and jumping but it's a whole different thing being fit for schooling/dressage, you have to work the muscles over back/hindquaters/top line and because he doesn't have much of a top line he needs to work correctly to gain the muscles which he will find hard to do so straight away as he isn't 'fit' to work them muscles properly if that makes any sort of sense haha! But because he has the stamina fitness it shouldn't take that long to build up his topline - lots of schooling, long and low, flexing, transitions etc.
 
Lovely horse!

Trouble is, in those photos, he looks like a hunter in the summer... which obviously, he is! Switched off, relaxed, full of grass.....

A showing working hunter (as opposed to a hunter that works lol!) is much more like a competition horse than a hunter. They need nice round, well muscled bums, necks that arch..... your guy is lovely but if you want to go further with the showing, you will need to school him to get him off his forehand, lighten the shoulder and get him to carry himself more with his hocks underneath him. Then he'll begin to develop the hindquarters the judges like to see and he'll give them a good ride too.

It'll help his hunting too, as it'll give him more power out of deep ground and make him sharper in front.

when I started doing workers, I was eventing and I thought "how hard can this be? I have nice looking, good jumping horses...." It's way more difficult than it looks to get a horse jumping well, looking good AND a nice mannerly ride for the judge, all on the same day. I normally managed 2 out of the 3 :p

My best two workers weren't great hunters (one ran away from people behind him and the other was seriously nappy and wouldn't leave the people behind him!) and my best hunters wouldn't do a workers class if the hounds of hell were in front of them so if you've got one that'l do both, then you're very lucky!
 
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