worldhorseforum.com
horseridinglessonsblog.com
horsecomedy.com
dressagenewsblog.com
eventingnewsblog.com
showjumpingnews.com
hunterandjumpersblog.com
floridahorseshowsblog.com
horsebreedsonlineblog.com
horsedatingsceneblog.com
horsesinthenews.com

We have many other sites that have guest writers and we need different writers and bloggers to be creative no matter what your interest is in horses….we want you! We have big plans and we need people who are passionate about horses and want to get in early.
I am looking for people who will write with personality, humor and provide interesting personal stories, advice, reporting on events both locally and internationally, photos and most importantly building a relationship and evoking responses from readers. Originality is of the upmost importance, no cutting and pasting other people’s work, it must be your own work.
If you are interested please email me at info@bobblesolutions.com to discuss it further.

Hunter competitions are based on the horse. Judges try to determine which horse in each class comes closest to the ideal mount for a ride to hounds. The horse should be beautiful with a small head and a correct and proportional conformation. The judges are looking for as much quality as possible.

The horse should be well turned out, needs to be completely clean, and his coat shiny. His mane should be braided with many small and evenly spaced braids, and his tail braided and well combed out. It is important for the tack (saddle and bridle) to be clean and supple, and any metal (bits, stirrup, etc.) be well shined. The horse’s movement and carriage are an important part of the presentation. He should have as little action in his legs as possible (less action conserves energy for the longs days in the hunt field). The horse should be light and graceful across the ground. A relaxed horse with a long, low neck and a good expression (ears forward and alert) is the most desirable.

Probably the most important consideration when judging hunters is jumping style. The horse should jump with his front legs folded high and evenly. His head and neck should stretch out and down to insure a well balanced jump. It is important that horse’s body and legs stay straight while jumping, and that the horse stays in the middle of the jump. His expression should say that he enjoys his job (ears forward), and his jumping should appear effortless. A top hunter does not appear nervous or difficult to handle.

The hunter rider’s main job is to show off his horse. While the rider himself is not being judged, he can do a lot to present his horse favorably to the judges. The rider must show how easy and enjoyable his horse is to ride. The rider should demonstrate as little motion as possible, and appear to be relaxed. The rider’s round should not look like work.

Tampa, Fl – 6th June, 2007

With the Winter Equestrian Festival coming to a close, Jennifer Reid and Playtime won the 18 – 35 Adult Amateur hunter division of the season.

Jennifer who rides Bainbridge Farm, rode Playtime to first and second places over the fences yesterday and to first place today after gaining 4th place in the under saddle class. 

Playtime is a 9 year old Warmblood gelding.  He is owned by Stacee Scott and is being leased to Bainbridge Farm.

Jennifer noted that she has been really happy to have him and that he has a lot of ring appeal and has exceeded all her expectations.

Tim Boulton and St. Christopher were declared reserve champion.

Devon, PA - After an emotional retirement ceremony on Monday for her successful mount GG Valentine, Jennifer Alfano came back into the winner’s circle this week at the prestigious Devon Horse Show. She piloted Rock Star to the championship in the Second Year Green Working Hunters.
Alfano found Rock Star, an eight-year-old Warmblood gelding, through trainer Louise Serio, and this is their second year together. “He’s really coming into his own this year. He sort of got overlooked last year. He needed bigger jumps and more of a challenge. He was great in Florida. I was hoping this would be his year,” Alfano mentioned.
This was Rock Star’s first time showing at Devon. “He’s a very easygoing horse and nothing really bothers him. I would say the first day he was a little different. Each day he got better and better. Today he was unbelievable,” Alfano remarked.

A good show hunter should appear to float over the ground while moving smoothly and freely.  Its strides should not be short and choppy or have excessive knee action and remain in the same rhythm.
When a show hunter jumps he should use his back, neck and shoulders to create a nice arc shape over the fence and have his knees picked up high and jump smoothly.
For both the equitation classes and the hunter classes, a horse needs to be able to do flying lead changes.

A show hunter is a type of horse that is judged on its manners, movement and temperament.  The horses are shown in the hunt seat way of riding and even though size and breeding doesn’t matter you will find that they are usually Warmbloods, Thoroughbred types and Quarter Horses. 

The ideal show hunter is attractive, with a nice top line and low and long ground covering movements.  This means that the horse’s strides are long and ground covering and there is not much flexion of the horse’s joints as it moves.  The action of a show hunter is efficient.