Hello!

[emerald76]

Hello, everyone! I'm quite excited to be able to participate here, as many other horse forums I've found either want to know everything about me, up to and including my address, or are completely inactive. I'm American, but as I said, American horse forums seem to be completely useless. I own a 17.1 OTTB bay gelding named Chase and I currently lease a 15.2 bay Dutch Warmblood named Wall-E, mostly because I can't find another 17-something hh horse that can accommodate my (probably abnormally) long legs, meaning I look completely ridiculous when riding Wall-E. I'm a hunter-jumper rider, but Chase is determined to make me a dressage rider. I've been riding since I was two, I believe, so it's been quite a while that I've ridden by now. Anyways, since I'm not quite sure what else to say, thanks in advance!

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Hi E76, welcome to the forum.

 

[On the Hoof]

Hello, everyone! I'm quite excited to be able to participate here, as many other horse forums I've found either want to know everything about me, up to and including my address, or are completely inactive

I think you have found the right forum here then! Welcome

 

[npage123]

Hi Emerald76! Welcome! Oh you can stay as anonymous as you like on this forum, and there are so many people using it that you could quite easily spend hours going through the posts every day. I was born in SA, not born in the USA (thanks for that song, Bruce Springsteen!) and have been living in the UK since 2000. My 22yr old TB is now semi-retired. I keep him ticking over with hacking, strolling along in walk only, and a few stops along the way for a nibble on juicy grass or a play and drink in deep water puddles. When you say you're a hunter-jumper rider, what does that mean? Do you do showjumping as well as drag/foxhunting? The dressage that Chase is making you do, can only be a good thing for the other disciplines that you'd rather do - I believe that each horse that we come across is there to teach us something, and maybe Chase will make you a better dressage rider than you've ever been. By the way, have you by any chance had the opportunity to see the recent Badminton competition? William Fox-Pitt who won it is a very tall man, and he always looks in perfect balance and harmony with his horses, whether he's doing XC, SJ or dressage. I'm sure your long legs helps you to sit up nicely balanced too!

 

[emerald76]

Hi Emerald76! Welcome! Oh you can stay as anonymous as you like on this forum, and there are so many people using it that you could quite easily spend hours going through the posts every day. I was born in SA, not born in the USA (thanks for that song, Bruce Springsteen!) and have been living in the UK since 2000. My 22yr old TB is now semi-retired. I keep him ticking over with hacking, strolling along in walk only, and a few stops along the way for a nibble on juicy grass or a play and drink in deep water puddles. When you say you're a hunter-jumper rider, what does that mean? Do you do showjumping as well as drag/foxhunting? The dressage that Chase is making you do, can only be a good thing for the other disciplines that you'd rather do - I believe that each horse that we come across is there to teach us something, and maybe Chase will make you a better dressage rider than you've ever been. By the way, have you by any chance had the opportunity to see the recent Badminton competition? William Fox-Pitt who won it is a very tall man, and he always looks in perfect balance and harmony with his horses, whether he's doing XC, SJ or dressage. I'm sure your long legs helps you to sit up nicely balanced too!

Hunter-jumpers here in the USA is showing in a ring in two types of classes, generally put in a division of three classes, which would be two over fences and one on the flat. There are two main forms of divisions, hunters or equitation. Equitation is judged on the rider, hunter is judged on the horse. A medal ride typically includes a bit of both. But back to our basics.
In an over fences class, there are seven or eight natural looking jumps in the ring. They are typically made of what you find on a fox hunting ride or made to look similar, like a pile of branches or an artifical-grass covered roll top, which is a quarter circle shaped fence. They are not colorful and are meant to make a horse look good when jumping. The jumps are typically very inviting. There is no time limit or faults for dropping a pole, although three refusals or a fall is a disqualification and a pole drop will definitely affect your placing. The horse should tuck up its knees evenly and bascule, rounding its back, over the fence. Pacing should remain the same. The course tends to be simple. An example-
Outside line to a diagonal line to an outside line to a diagonal line. (Not very descriptive, but it'll work)

A flat class is a group class, whereas only one horse jumps at a time. You walk, trot, and canter in both directions in a basic flat class. You are encouraged to keep a steady pace and not pass or cut off any other horses. The preferred style of movement for a hunter horse on the flat is called "daisy cutter", a low, sweeping movement.

Scoring is all about form rather than function. Warmbloods tend to excel, although OTTBs are also very common and successful hunters. An equitation horse should never make unnecessary movements, be bombproof, and make its rider look good. Each class earns a ribbon and the three combined determine the champion. For a year long course, you earn points with each placing, from 8-10 for a first to .5 for eighth place.

Riders wear tall boots or garters below the knees for younger riders. Jodhpurs are worn with garters and paddock boots or britches with tall boots. The pants are always a shade of fawn, tan, or beige. The shirt is a dress shirt worn with a choker or high collar. The color can be any range, from white to pale purple. Shirts come in most any color now. You wear a hunt jacket over your shirt, in black, navy, grey, or dark brown typically. The helmet is black, like the boots, or if you wear garters with paddock boots you can wear brown boots and garters. The belt and gloves typically match your boots and/or garters. A choker pin in silver, bronze, gold, etc. is used to pin the choker. There are more formal styles, but this is the most typical.

Feel free to ask any other questions you might have!

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Very interesting, thanks for explaining that. I've always been intrigued by how things are done in other countries.

 

[Peregrine Falcon]

Hello and welcome.

Thanks for sharing the information about shows. As Faracat has already said, it's interesting to learn how shows run elsewhere in the world.