A&B
Member
Can someone run me through hunter trial etiquette please? i.e: what to wear, what horse needs to wear, rules etc. Thank you!
Hunter trials
- Thread starter A&B
- Start date
Honey08
Waffled a lot!
Traditionally you used to wear hacking jackets for hunter trials, but nowadays people wear XC colours. Perhaps ring the organiser to check? The horse can usually wear any tack, bits, boots - whatever you need. Sometimes there is an optimum time, sometimes there is a timed section, sometimes the whole course is timed - again check with the organiser to be sure.
sonjafoers
Well-Known Member
It's normal to wear xc colours these days, so cream(ish) jods with a long sleeve top. You will need a body protector and medical arm band, some organisers give you a material bib to wear with your number printed on but others expect you to have a BE style number bib and they give you an A4 sheet to insert with your number on. If you don't have one of these bibs you can often buy or hire them at the event. It normally says this on the event schedule but if not check with the organisers.
You will need a kite marked hat which the organisers will check when you enter, if it's peaked it must be a flexible peak although I think they all are these days.
Your horse will need to have at least front boots for safety and anything else such as rear boots, over reach, stronger tack by choice. It's not a rule that horses wear front boots but you will want to use at lease these.
If you have long hair this will have to be tied back and remove your jewellry etc.
If possible walk the course the day before, if not arrive in plenty of time to walk the course, enter and tack up etc. When you are ready check with the stewards which class they are on because there's no set times so you have to 'guess' class timings to an extent. Go to the warm up in plenty of time and ask the steward to put your number on the board which tells you the order of running - keep an eye on this whilst warming up so that you are ready and in the entry area a couple of horses before your go.
Be aware of others in the warm up as it can be chaos, jump as many practice jumps as your horse needs for his warm up but always jump in the direction of the flags. There are normally 2 or 3 of differing heights in the warm up.
On course just be aware of others coming up behind you if you are a bit slow or sticky,it's etiquette to move away from a jump if you are slowing down the rider behind you so just move to the side if you see someone coming and then follow on after them. If you are in the way they will normally shout anyway!
It's great fun so good luck and enjoy it!
You will need a kite marked hat which the organisers will check when you enter, if it's peaked it must be a flexible peak although I think they all are these days.
Your horse will need to have at least front boots for safety and anything else such as rear boots, over reach, stronger tack by choice. It's not a rule that horses wear front boots but you will want to use at lease these.
If you have long hair this will have to be tied back and remove your jewellry etc.
If possible walk the course the day before, if not arrive in plenty of time to walk the course, enter and tack up etc. When you are ready check with the stewards which class they are on because there's no set times so you have to 'guess' class timings to an extent. Go to the warm up in plenty of time and ask the steward to put your number on the board which tells you the order of running - keep an eye on this whilst warming up so that you are ready and in the entry area a couple of horses before your go.
Be aware of others in the warm up as it can be chaos, jump as many practice jumps as your horse needs for his warm up but always jump in the direction of the flags. There are normally 2 or 3 of differing heights in the warm up.
On course just be aware of others coming up behind you if you are a bit slow or sticky,it's etiquette to move away from a jump if you are slowing down the rider behind you so just move to the side if you see someone coming and then follow on after them. If you are in the way they will normally shout anyway!
It's great fun so good luck and enjoy it!