Hunters for sale on ehorses

Hunter classes are some of the most popular showing events, and a full class of gleaming hunters on display is certainly an impressive sight. Hunter classes draw on historical hunting traditions, particularly those of Great Britain and Ireland. The modern show hunter tends to be a showier version of the type of horse that developed from the eighteenth to the twentieth centuries for fox hunting. Although many hunts still exist across the world, most of them engage in drag hunting, in which hounds follow a scent trail laid in advance, rather than hunting wild animals. Show hunter classes are a great opportunity to showcase traditional hunting dress and riding styles on an exceptional horse with plenty of presence.

Characteristics of the Show Hunter

Traditionally, show hunters were classified by weight, rather than breed, so that riders could select the horse that was best for them. They were described as heavyweight, middleweight and lightweight, and sometimes as ladies’ or small hunters. Hunters are often expected to show a brief period of extended speed during the course of their individual presentation, as they would be expected to gallop for long periods across country terrain while hunting. For the show ring, a hunter should be immaculately turned out in English saddle and bridle, with the rider wearing a traditional tweed or black jacket, breeches or jodhpurs, and boots. As well as ridden showing classes, there are working hunter classes during which the horses or ponies will have to jump a small course of natural obstacles, and hunter trials, which is a type of cross-country event with jumps.

Show Hunters: The Best Breeds for this Discipline

For showing, the horses are often hunter types with a relatively high proportion of Thoroughbred to give them a presence in the show ring. Good crosses include the Cleveland Bay , Irish Draught and many of the old German breeds, including Hanoverians and Holsteins . Modern warmblooded horses are a very popular choice for hunter classes, meaning that the competitor has a wide choice from Hungarian Sport Horses to the Selle Français . Show Hunter classes for ponies are also very popular events across the world. Traditional native ponies, such as the Mountain and Moorland breeds – Fell , Dales , Welsh and Connemara for example – compete with equal success alongside more highly bred show ponies with a high percentage of Thoroughbred in them. Broadly speaking, in the show ring, judges look for a well-turned-out horse and rider who strike an elegant image, whereas, in the working hunter classes, a workmanlike horse or pony has an equal chance of succeeding, as the event is based on performance.