Novice Working Hunter

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ecrozier

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Finally taken the plunge and send off an entry to do a Workers class on OH's mare. She is just the right type I have been told, a 16.2hh 3/4ID. She is forward going without being silly, and will jump whatever you put in her path!
So just a couple of questions...
Firstly, turnout for me. I'll be wearing a brown tweed jacket, black velvet hat (only have black), cream jods, black boots/gaiters, cream shirt, tie. Do I have to wear spurs/carry a stick? I don't need them!
Second, turnout for her. Got a bridle with a flat noseband/browband. Would rubber or plaited reins be better? She is ridden in a waterford - is that ok? If we go to the local county show in sept I might put her in a rugby pelham but want to give it all a try before spending too much money! Her saddle is a brown GP - can I put a numnah under? Also I usually jump her in a martingale - would that be ok? Should I take it off before the showing bit? Know boots can go on for jumping and come off for the showing section.
Lastly, the class itself! Do you jump at a set time? Then go straight into the ring? And what % of the mark is for jumping? She is a great jumper so not worried about that bit, she is also well schooled and a nice ride, works nicely etc. She does have the odd scar here and there - is that going to be a major problem? Her conformation is pretty good too, bit close behind but not dreadful.
Sorry for so many questions, never ever done a WH class before - can you tell?!?
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Normally you would carry a stick - a lot of riders will wear spurs but being a novice class I'm not too sure.

Your dress sounds fine.

You can put a numner underneath the saddle, but ensure its smart and is a similar colour to your tack. You can jump in a martingale and will need to take it off IF it says you can in the rules. The same goes for boots.

Most of your marks come from jumping (well the penalities if you refuse/knockdown) and then you will get marks for jumping style, conformation and your show/overall turnout. Scars in workers are not usually frowned upon though if you and someone else on a clean limbed horse are on the same marks - then it will go to the person with cleaner limbs (though some judges view scars as evidence of being on the hunting field!!).

I am used to doing hertiage m and m so the rules maybe slightly different.
 
Thanks for reply! Ok, can carry a stick, just have to keep it well out of her way! (she hates them, poor girl). The schedule says no changes of tack apart from boots, so guess martingale needs to stay on. WOuld I do better to leave it off altogether do you think?
Thats good news about the jumping being the most important bit, that will be her best bit. She has certainly seen the hunting field - all the did for 3 years at one stage in her life, so scars are 'battlewounds'!
Thanks for advice, all input much appreciated!
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You can jump in a martingale and will need to take it off IF it says you can in the rules. The same goes for boots.


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You shouldn't take a martingale of between phases - it's competely ok to have a martingale, but it must stay on throughout, the same goes for any other tack. In contrast, boots are fine to have for the jumping, but must be taken off for the showing phase so the judge can see the horse's legs.

At local level there often isn't a marks system for WH classes. You jump round the course, and the clears (plus nearly clears if it's a small class) go back in for the showing section. If there is a marks system they vary slightly between societies, but usually 40-50% for actual jumping (with points knocked off for knock downs/refusals), 10-20% for style while jumping, 10-20% for manners/ride and 10-20% for conformation.
 
For horse classes you should wear spurs, but dummy spurs are perfectly acceptible.
At county level the judge will ride rather then you do a show, at local level it could be either!
If you can do without the martingale i would but if you cant then it is better to have a nice controlled round.

If the judge does ride i would warn him/her about the stick issues as they will carry one and you dont want her to dump the judge!

At county shows they will have an order for you to jump in, but at local levels its normaly first come first in!
 
As said before, leave the martingale on if you need one. You won't get marked down for wearing one...but again it could be a deciding factor!
 
Brilliant, thanks everyone. So will probably leave the martingale on of the first show, see how that goes. Will put the spurs on, and make sure to warn the judge about the stick. She should be fine with one being carried (will practice) but not used - she won't need one anyway, she is perfectly good off the leg.
Anyone know about the reins? Hers are rubber but don't really match that bridle (too light brown). Could I use my lad's plaited ones that would be a better colour match?
 
My absolute bug bear watching workers is anything a bit flashy - last week watched a choppy moving horse being ridden in white fetlock boots. That just seemed stupid to me.
My other bugbear is people taking off martingales with double bridles - they wear the double because it looks smart but then do not put on the martingale and the horse throws it head about.
The quality at Novice is rubbish I was disgusted at county how badly most of them were prepared. There was only one horse that stood out -jumped nicely and then was polite and mannered. It was just in a snaffle and cavasson with martingale. At Bath and West 20 in class 3 (only one was a true worker the other was a nice RC horse and a common looking sportshorse) jumped clear and 3 had 4 faults. The rest either had several stops, were eliminated or had lots of fences down. I thought the course was very small more like 3'3 than 3'6. Everyone was stopping at an upright of 3 rustic poles with fern underneath!
 
Hi Lec
That is really interesting, I didn't realise you could still do novice workers at County level, and imagined the standard would be quite high. I'll bear your comments in mind....she will be in a waterford snaffle and martingale, and I don't own a pair of white fetlock boots! She'll just have a set of woof club tendons in front and woof club brushing boots behind on to jump - generally she is very tidy with her feet so I don't worry too much about boots etc.
Our girl is nice looking but certaibly wouldn't call her flashy, in my limited knowledge she looks like a worker should, being 3/4 ID she has masses of bone and is a real 'leg at each corner' type. She also very rarely stops at a fence, in fact I've never known her too. Maybe we will do better than I expect!
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Actually quite looking forward to giving it a try!
 
Oooh LEC - I think the one you liked was one of our liveries! He won the class, jumped a beautiful clear round, and was in a snaffle, cavesson and martingale. He has qualified for the flat RIHS class, and this is his first season doing workers. We were all really pleased with him! He ended up as reserve working hunter champion.

The quality in the class went from one extreme to another. Several people only managed to get over a few fences, and some horses looked like they had never jumped before. With shows like Bath and West, lots of local riders enter to "have a go" at their local county show.

Re the original post, Emma - your horse sounds like she is just the sort of horse the judge will be looking for. I may not "warn" the judge about carrying a stick. The judge will not be hitting your horse or, indeed, waving the stick around, so unless the horse goes ballistic just with someone holding a stick, I don't think you need to say anything. Some judges don't even ride with a stick anyway.

Good luck!
 
Hi FMM your horse was the only classy one in there and the only one worthy of a rosette. I thought the rider rode beautifully. I was truly shocked at how much the standards had gone down hill. The riding was appalling. I was stood watching with our hunts MFH who has done a fair bit of showing and she was also shocked.
Did you see one larger lady who carried her whip upside down? I was absolutely appalled. I understand it being local but frankly I would never send a horse that I did not think could win on its day. Most of those would not have got anywhere in a local show let alone county.
I have hopefully been offered a worker for next year he will need a lot of work and is not as nice as your chap but I think if he has his day he will be in with a shout.

Emma - quite a lot of events county and slightly smaller run a Novice worker as mentioned supposed to be 3'6 for Novice and 3'9 for open but have not seen that many up to height courses till you get to the big shows.
 
Lec - I certainly did see the larger lady. In fact, I had promised our groom that if the horse went clear I would buy it for him as it was obviously a saint! (it was eliminated btw!)
Thank you for your kind words about Venture - his owner bought him as a youngster and brought him on slowly - definitely worth the wait. The rider was Anna (Andy Austin's ex) who is usually a show jumper, but a fantastic jockey and has only done a few show classes before. She has been working with Venture over the winter.

If you consider the amount of preparation Venture has had compared with most of the others, then you can see why some went round and others didn't!

Look forward to seeing you out and about with yours next year - at least you will put in the preparation and groundwork and that is 90% of being a good working hunter.
 
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