Showing Hunters and Jumpers

Gray jumper There is more to the sport of jumping than just getting from one side of the obstacle to the other. Yet it seems that many English riders envision themselves leaping over challenging jumps long before they’re truly up to the task. It’s best to keep your enthusiasm in check and assess your actual skill level.

Hopefully you’ve aligned yourself with a knowledgeable instructor who’ll make certain you’ve mastered basic skills on the flat before you’re allowed to jump. Flatwork is preparation for jumping. If you cannot control your horse’s pace and length of stride on the flat, you’ll never do it over jumps. When you’re ready to compete, allow your instructor to choose the classes best suited for you and your horse.

Get Our Free Weekly Enewsletter About Horses

Most shows offer jumping classes for both novice riders and seasoned competitors. If you’re wise, you’ll take advantage of this tiered approach. The lower level hunter classes allow you to develop a sense of timing without facing the specter of huge jumps. As the hunter classes become more advanced, skills like getting the prescribed number of strides within lines of jumps and producing clean flying lead changes become necessary. Naturally, you must look smooth and relaxed, too. Riding a winning hunter round is much harder than it looks!

Once you’re comfortable with hunter classes, you can test your horsemanship in jumper or medal class events. Though jumpers are judged on faults and time, and medal classes on equitation, both require the same basic skills. Can you negotiate a series of jumps set on a bending line? Are you able to keep your horse balanced as you make a tight, rollback turn to the next jump? These are maneuvers best practiced at home, not in the show-ring. By having a realistic view of your jumping skills, you’ll be safe, successful and have fun.

Further Reading
Horse Jumping Tips
Rating the Competition

Cindy Hale is an experienced amateur hunt-seat competitor and author of Riding for the Blue.

18 years ago

Cindy Hale

Cindy Hale’s life with horses has been filled with variety. As a child she rode western and learned to barrel race. Then she worked as a groom for a show barn, and was taught to harness and drive Welsh ponies. But once she’d taken her first lessons aboard American Saddlebreds she was hooked on English riding. Hunters and hunt seat equitation came next, and she spent decades competing in those divisions on the West Coast. Always seeking to improve her horsemanship, she rode in clinics conducted by world-class riders like George Morris, Kathy Kusner and Anne Kursinski. During that time, her family began raising Thoroughbred and warmblood sport horses, and Cindy experienced the thrills and challenges of training and showing the homebred greenies. Now retired from active competition, she’s a popular judge at local and county-rated open and hunter/jumper shows. She rides recreationally both English and western. Her Paint gelding, Wally, lives at home with her and her non-horsey husband, Ron.

Next What is the 4-D Barrel Racing Format? »

Previous « Parade Primping

View Comments

Rachel Gonzalez says:
February 17, 2007 at 11:55 am
I just luv to jump and will always luv to jump, But i prefer hunter then jumper
Yvette says:
February 27, 2007 at 9:40 am
I think all the articles on the web site don't do much to help. They just give you a little blurp about the subject and don't have very much information. When I read about a subject, I don't just want to be told find a trainer.
Hannah says:
March 5, 2007 at 1:34 pm
Try providing tips for the beginner and young riders prepping for a good first hunter or jumper rounds, too.
Debbie says:
March 5, 2007 at 5:48 pm
I think the article makes some good points, but I agree with Yvette's comments. If you can't find or can't afford a GOOD instructor, order instructional DVDs. Watch them over and over until you understand what the narrator is saying as the video demonstrates - visualize and practice the movements on a stool at home so that when you do get horse time, the movements come automatically. Also, audit clinics with reputable trainers. Remember, riding is less about how you look and more about how your mind tells your muscles what to do to communicate with your horse.
Jessica says:
April 13, 2007 at 3:52 pm
I do agree with this article BUT finding a good trainer is not always the case. I used to ride at an upscale hunter barn and the trainer there would frequently put children in classes they SHOULD NOT have been in to please the parents and keep the money comming. So beware when looking for a trainer especally for you kids.
Bridget says:
April 18, 2007 at 6:44 am
Well, I think having a good trainer is a huge part of riding. By good, I don't mean well known or expensive, I mean someone who can teach you how to interact with your horse and how to ride correctly. There are so many methods to riding, just because you need a $300,000 horse to ride with Missy Clark, doesn't mean you couldn't get just as much education being, say a working student from her or riding with a less known trainer. I am big on trainers and I think that everyone needs to be comfortable with their trainer and the pace that he/she is moving them forward. My old trainer wouldn't let me jump because she said that my pony was 'unsafe'. This is the most untrue (is that a word?) statement that I have ever heard. This past year we won Reserve Champion at the end of the year in the 2'6" pony jumper division. That pony is the safest pony anyone could ask for. Ahem, sorry, I love my pony dearly. Anyway, I couldn't stand just trotting over trotting poles any longer so I found a new trainer and in just 1-2 years, I'm now jumping 3'!!! And, yes, I am not the best at this level but I need to be moved up or else I willget bored! I love jumping, it's my passion but I do believe that you can succeed with a smaller budget and still have a trainer.
Ashley says:
April 21, 2007 at 1:46 pm
It is NOT a good idea to learn how to ride based on books and videos. If you don't have someone experienced watching and telling you what you are doing wrong, you will never know if you are ding it right. When you learn how to ride wrong, it will not impress the judges, and more importantly, it will screw up the horse. If you do not know what you are doing, you should not have a horse. On finding a trainer, there are a lot of good, inexpensive intructers out there. What I did was go for a lesson or two at one barn, and if I didn't like it, move on to another barn.
Marie says:
July 25, 2007 at 12:17 pm
I ride in 2" foot jumpers.....nice articles.
Christina says:
July 31, 2007 at 6:49 am
Great tips but there is a lot more to jmping than this. I have seen many riders go face first in the dirt because the horse refused.
kallie says:
August 10, 2007 at 5:24 pm
i loooooooooooooooooove show jumping , im an eventer so i kinda have to.