The Hunter - The hunter can be of any age or breed
but are divided by the number of years shown in the Hunter
Division. Horses aren't judged on time but on conformation and their ability to
maneuver the course. As a horses'
ability and experience increases so does the difficulty of the course.
The Jumper - A jumper can be of any breed and is judged on it's
performance over jumps and speed in which it
completes the course. The horse with the fastest, cleanest round (fewest rails
knocked down, or faults) is the winner.
Differences between show jumpers, show hunters, and equitation.
Jumper obstacles are generally very high and brightly colored
Courses,
The most notable difference between hunters and jumpers is the technicality of
the
courses. Show jumping courses are generally much more difficult, because they
include several combination
fences with several obstacles in a row, which
requires the horse to be extremely adjustable, and have sharp turns
and several
changes of direction. Hunter courses generally have several strides between
fences and wide turns
between lines. Additionally, the jumpers have much higher
fences, up to 5-5'6" in Grand Prix show jumping, and
up to 7-7'6" in puissance
(high jump) classes, with a much greater width. Show hunters, on the other hand,
are
only shown over fences that are 3'6" to 4' in height, even at the highest
levels. Equitation courses are more
technical than show hunter courses, which
helps to test the rider's skill. They may include combinations,
tight turns, and
odd distances between fences. However, these courses only reach 3'6" in height
at the highest
competitive level.
Obstacles
The fences used in show hunter courses are designed to be very natural in
appearance,
to simulate a natural cross-country hunting course. The poles and standards of
the fences
are usually natural wood or painted a conservative color, such as white or
brown. Water obstacles are not included.
Obstacles used in jumper competition are anything but natural in appearance,
often brightly colored and sometimes even deliberately designed to look "scary." These courses usually include an
open water or "liverpool" obstacle, and
may also have varied terrain with fences on the top or bottom of a bank, or with
a ditch under an obstacle.
Equitation obstacles, though more complex in layout than a hunter course, are
usually more conservative in design
than jumper obstacles, more closely following those of the hunter courses.
Scoring
Both equitation and show hunters are judged subjectively. It is the judge who
decides which combination had the
smoothest round and displayed a ride most closely to the ideal. This can make
judging difficult to follow for the
neophyte rider, and can sometimes cause riders to feel that the judge did not
place them correctly in the standings.
Unlike the subjective scoring of the hunters, show jumping horses are simply
penalized by scoring "faults" if they
knock down or refuse obstacles, or if they exceed the optimum time. The horse
may therefore jump in unorthodox
form, take off from a poor spot, or rub a rail without any penalty. This
objective scoring makes show jumping very
easy to follow.
Speed
Speed is not judged in show hunter or equitation classes. Therefore, a slow,
steady canter is seen in show hunter
courses, and a steady, but perhaps slightly faster, canter in equitation
courses. In show jumping, the rider may be
penalized for going over the time. Therefore, a steady gallop is used in jumper
classes. Hunter classes have no
jump-offs, horses are placed based on their performance in a single round.
Jumper classes are not judged on anything
but time and clear obstacles, so to select a winner, a jump-off round is often
required. In the jump-off, the fastest
clean round wins, so all riders push their mounts to the limit.
