The show hunter is a type of show

horse The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 mi ...

commonly seen at equestrian events across

Britain Britain most often refers to: * Great Britain, a large island comprising the countries of England, Scotland and Wales * The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, a sovereign state in Europe comprising Great Britain and the north-eas ...

. The British "show hunter" is shown primarily on the flat, while the "working hunter" must also jump a series of rustic fences (see also the horses called " show hunters" in the USA). The governing body that oversees show hunter horses is Sport Horse Breeding (GB), formerly the Hunter Improvement Society. Horses competing in SHB(GB) affiliated ridden and in-hand hunter classes must be registered with Sport Horse (GB). Horses competing in unaffiliated classes do not need to be registered. Show hunter ponies are overseen by the British Show Pony Society (BSPS).

Show hunter horses

Weight sections

Show hunter horses are divided into three weight sections - lightweight, middleweight and heavyweight. The lightweight hunter should be able to carry up to , stand around and have about 8 inches of bone under the knee. The middleweight hunter stands around , can carry between and and has 8 to 9 inches of bone. The heavyweight stands around , has 9 inches of bone under the knee and is capable of carrying over .

Other sections

In addition to the three weight sections, hunters may compete in small hunter, ladies' hunter or working hunter classes. The small hunter must look like a "miniature middleweight". The maximum height is , and small hunters should have relatively short legs with a deep body. The ladies' hunter may be small, lightweight, middleweight or heavyweight, and should be ridden sidesaddle. It should have an elegant appearance, perfect manners and give a smooth ride.

Turnout

Show hunter horses should be shown with

manes In ancient Roman religion, the ''Manes'' (, , ) or ''Di Manes'' are chthonic deities sometimes thought to represent souls of deceased loved ones. They were associated with the '' Lares'', '' Lemures'', '' Genii'', and '' Di Penates'' as deities ...

plaited (braided) and ears, faces and legs trimmed. Between nine and 13 plaits is traditional, although the number may vary depending on the horse's conformation. Tails may be pulled or plaited, although most professionals prefer to pull.

Tack Thermoproteati is a kingdom of archaea. Its synonym, "TACK", is an acronym for Thaumarchaeota (now Nitrososphaerota), Aigarchaeota, Crenarchaeota (now Thermoproteota), and Korarchaeota (now Thermoproteota), the first groups discovered. They ...

should be workmanlike, with

bridle A bridle is a piece of equipment used to direct a horse. As defined in the ''Oxford English Dictionary'', the "bridle" includes both the that holds a bit that goes in the mouth of a horse, and the reins that are attached to the bit. It prov ...

s having a flat noseband and plain browband. Handlers should wear tweed jackets, shirt and tie, buff or canary

breeches Breeches ( ) are an article of clothing covering the body from the waist down, with separate coverings for each leg, usually stopping just below the knee, though in some cases reaching to the ankles. Formerly a standard item of Western men's ...

and black leather

boots A boot is a type of footwear. Most boots mainly cover the foot and the ankle, while some also cover some part of the lower calf. Some boots extend up the leg, sometimes as far as the knee or even the hip. Most boots have a heel that is clearl ...

with garter straps.

Movement

Show hunters should have a straight, ground-covering movement with little knee action. They should be able to show a good

gallop The canter and gallop are variations on the fastest gait that can be performed by a horse or other equine. The canter is a controlled three-beat gait, while the gallop is a faster, four-beat variation of the same gait. It is a natural gait po ...

, and come back to canter when asked. The horse should have straight, "daisy cutter" or "pointed toe" movement - "flicky toes" are a fault that suggests a horse has been schooled using artificial aids such as draw reins, and too much knee action is discouraged.

Working hunters

Working hunters can be of any of the weight classes, but are expected to jump a course of natural-looking fences in addition to performing the usual short show on the flat. Working hunter tack also varies from traditional rules. Martingales, flash nosebands and grackle nosebands are permitted, although in the event of a tie-break, the horse wearing more traditional, simple tack will win. Plain black or brown boots are allowed in the jumping phase only. Riders may wear body protectors in the jumping phase only.

Show hunter ponies

Show hunter

pony A pony is a type of small horse, usually measured under a specified height at maturity. Ponies often have thicker coats, manes and tails, compared to larger horses, and proportionally shorter legs, wider barrels, heavier , thicker necks and s ...

classes were first introduced in 1984. Ponies are shown in height classes - up to , , and . Ponies over 148 cm but under 158 cm may enter Intermediate Show Hunter Type classes, which are open to riders under the age of 25. Turnout is the same as for show hunter horses, and show hunter ponies are expected to show the same paces as their larger counterparts, with the exception of lead rein and first ridden competitors, who do not show the gallop.

External links

Sport Horse GB websiteBSPS websiteVideo: Horse Of The Year Show champion overall show hunterVideo: Horse Of The Year Show lightweight hunter classSlideshow: Horse Of The Year Show working hunters, including mountain and moorland working hunter classes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Show Hunter (British) Horse showing and exhibition