Showing amateur looking for guidance...

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Crackerjack19

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Hi - I've recently started showing my Irish Draught/small hunter. So far so good. But am completely confused as to what criteria the judge actually looks for - or is it totally subjective?
 
Good turnout of both rider and horse and well presented, good presence, follows direction willingly, moves well with aforementioned good presence, straight conformation. Judges also will look at you when you think they are not (i.e. when they are looking at another horse) so when in the ring always be IN the ring, never think "well theyve looked at me i can relax now." Always have one eye on the horse and one on the judge. Judges appreciate someone who is actually trying.
 
Also never forget hoof oil. I have been told by a Judge before to put some oil on those hooves if i want to get anywhere lol (got a bit of oil and took Champ :p)
 
Good advice! I'd add a horse that stands quietly without fidgeting means a lot to me. I cant stand it when the judge is giving out the rosettes at the end and the horse wont stand still - one very good judge (in my opinion) actually refused to give a rosette to a horse they had placed 1st in one class i was in, because it started to muck about and rush backwards when the judge tried to present it with its rosette. He stated politely that the horse did not deserve to win due to its behaviour and was moved down the line up. So even when it's all been decided, it's still to be decided! Also: SMILE! even if it's not going to plan.

Imagine you're in a car show room trying to sell your second hand car - you need to convince the buyer that yours is the best one in the showroom, despite the fact it may not be as new as that sparkly one over there, or not as powerful as that race car. You want to emphasise all the good points, while attempting to disguise the not so good points. Unless there's a set show, use your individual to show off your horses best paces. If he has a fantastic trot but weaker canter, show off the trot more than the canter. A stonking gallop to halt always looks impressive in hunter classes and shows true manners.

For a hunter type, a forward going but mannerly horse is what they're going for. the old adage of "which would you want to spend a day's hunting on" alongside "which has the best conformation to withstand the hunting field" is what i think most judges look for. Something that covers the ground with ease but isn't strong in the hand. If your horse is one that falls asleep in the line up (mine is!) then start to wake him up quietly a couple of horses before its your turn so that you can walk smartly out and stand square for the judge.

As Equi pointed out, while they're not going to make he difference between winning and losing, the finishing touches such as hoof oil, neat plaits/quarter marks, and rider turnout can transform a partnership from looking slightly amateur to professional and can draw the eye of the judge. Correct and flattering quarter marks can help disguise a slightly weaker bottom, and the length/shape of the tail is also good for showing off or hiding what the horse has. have a good look through pro photos at the top level to scrutinise what they do for turnout.

At the end of the day, the main thing to remember is that you can do it all right and go sweetly and still not be the judges cup of tea on the day. Just have fun and enjoy your horse!
 
I'm a ridden hunter judge (amongst many other iterations), and there are a lot of things that are taken into consideration. First and foremost is suitability for the job, conformation and movement being the most important, hunter "type" is also key, along with quality. Presence is the elusive factor that makes a great show hunter. The ride is supposed to be paramount, but often minor, green faults there are forgiven if the type and way of going is exceptional. You want a horse that is kind and willing to ride, goes smoothly on in gallop and comes back politely. Neat turnout is nice, but I certainly wouldn't give it preference over conformation and ride. We judges are mostly not dim enough to be fooled by a pretty tail wafting over a set of bad hocks BTW.
**Please note I judge primarily in Ireland, hunter classes in England do seem to be a bit more of a beauty pageant.

If you are new to the game it would be very useful to stand ringside and watch as many hunter classes as you can, and read some books on conformation.
 
IcarusGirl said:
Good advice! I'd add a horse that stands quietly without fidgeting means a lot to me. I cant stand it when the judge is giving out the rosettes at the end and the horse wont stand still - one very good judge (in my opinion) actually refused to give a rosette to a horse they had placed 1st in one class i was in, because it started to muck about and rush backwards when the judge tried to present it with its rosette. He stated politely that the horse did not deserve to win due to its behaviour and was moved down the line up. So even when it's all been decided, it's still to be decided! Also: SMILE! even if it's not going to plan.

Imagine you're in a car show room trying to sell your second hand car - you need to convince the buyer that yours is the best one in the showroom, despite the fact it may not be as new as that sparkly one over there, or not as powerful as that race car. You want to emphasise all the good points, while attempting to disguise the not so good points. Unless there's a set show, use your individual to show off your horses best paces. If he has a fantastic trot but weaker canter, show off the trot more than the canter. A stonking gallop to halt always looks impressive in hunter classes and shows true manners.

For a hunter type, a forward going but mannerly horse is what they're going for. the old adage of "which would you want to spend a day's hunting on" alongside "which has the best conformation to withstand the hunting field" is what i think most judges look for. Something that covers the ground with ease but isn't strong in the hand. If your horse is one that falls asleep in the line up (mine is!) then start to wake him up quietly a couple of horses before its your turn so that you can walk smartly out and stand square for the judge.

As Equi pointed out, while they're not going to make he difference between winning and losing, the finishing touches such as hoof oil, neat plaits/quarter marks, and rider turnout can transform a partnership from looking slightly amateur to professional and can draw the eye of the judge. Correct and flattering quarter marks can help disguise a slightly weaker bottom, and the length/shape of the tail is also good for showing off or hiding what the horse has. have a good look through pro photos at the top level to scrutinise what they do for turnout.

At the end of the day, the main thing to remember is that you can do it all right and go sweetly and still not be the judges cup of tea on the day. Just have fun and enjoy your horse!
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Thanks a million.
 
Cortez said:
I'm a ridden hunter judge (amongst many other iterations), and there are a lot of things that are taken into consideration. First and foremost is suitability for the job, conformation and movement being the most important, hunter "type" is also key, along with quality. Presence is the elusive factor that makes a great show hunter. The ride is supposed to be paramount, but often minor, green faults there are forgiven if the type and way of going is exceptional. You want a horse that is kind and willing to ride, goes smoothly on in gallop and comes back politely. Neat turnout is nice, but I certainly wouldn't give it preference over conformation and ride. We judges are mostly not dim enough to be fooled by a pretty tail wafting over a set of bad hocks BTW.
**Please note I judge primarily in Ireland, hunter classes in England do seem to be a bit more of a beauty pageant.

If you are new to the game it would be very useful to stand ringside and watch as many hunter classes as you can, and read some books on conformation.
Click to expand...
Thanks very much - that is very helpful.
 
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