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About Hunter and Working Hunter Classes

Hunters are divided into four sections - small, lightweight, middleweight and heavyweight. Small hunters are up to 15.2hh, and based on a middleweight horse scaled down, so not too fine. Lightweight hunters are usually thoroughbred or similar, about 16hh - 16.2hh, and should have about eight and a half inches of bone. Middleweight hunters are bigger - up to 16.3hh and up to nine inches of bone. Heavyweight hunters are often not much taller, but have up to ten inches of bone. The heavyweight hunter needs substance enough to carry fourteen stone for a day's hunting. While bigger and heavier than the TB types in the LW classes, they should still have quality and not be coarse.

As the name suggests, Hunters (also known as Show Hunters) are the type of horse most commonly (in the past, at least) seen on the hunting field. LW hunters were typically ladies' rides, and as such can also do the Ladies' Hunter class, which is done sidesaddle. Ladies can also ride sidesaddle in a normal hunter class. MW hunters would be ridden by ladies or men, while HW hunters are traditionally men's rides. They are shown plaited because they would have been plaited for hunting, to keep the mane out of the way of the reins.

Hunters are heavier than Riding Horses or Hacks.

Show Hunter Ponies are smaller versions of hunters. They are often TB/native crosses, although some of the finer native breeds can do double duty plaited as SHPs. New Forests, Connemaras and Welsh Bs are the most common ones. SHP classes are divided by height, with age limits for the riders. For ponies up to 122cm, the rider is under 12, 133cm, under 14, 143cm, under 17, and 153, under 20. Horses of 148-158cm can do Intermediate Show Hunter Type, the hunter's equivalent of the ISRT class.

Working Hunter is for the same physical type of horse or pony, but with a course of rustic jumps. Rider age limits for the pony classes are the same as for SHPs. The course should be taken at a 'hunting pace' - faster and more fluid than a showjumping course, but controlled and not hell-for-leather. The courses (especially at higher levels or championship shows) may include bulfinch fences, water splashes or other hazards, to replicate what might be found out on the hunting field.

The Horse of the Year Show holds the finals of the McCusker Hunter of the year and the Ladies' Hunter of the year.

For amateur owners, the SEIB Search for a Star championship has the final at the Horse of the Year Show.

Tack and Turnout for Hunter and Working Hunter Classes

RIDDEN HUNTER

Horse

• • Mane should be plaited, tail pulled. Heels trimmed.

  • Plain tack, brown is preferred. Black tack is very rarely seen in affiliated Hunter classes.

  • Double or pelham for open classes, snaffles for novices. If a rugby pelham is used, then a sliphead improves the look a lot. Plain browband and noseband.

  • A straight cut or working hunter saddle will show off the horse's shoulders and movement, so is preferable to a GP. Leather girth, or a white one is acceptable if your horse is grey, as a dark girth can distract the eye.

  • Quartermarkers are correct (optional) for hunters and hunter ponies.

Rider

• • Beige or canary jodhpurs or breeches, long boots.

  • Shirt and tie.

  • Tweed jacket. Look at different colour tweed jackets here.

  • Bowler hat for men, bowler or velvet for women. In WH classes, velvet hats or skull caps with velvet covers must be worn and done up.

  • Brown gloves, brown leather or malacca cane.

  • Women should wear hair in a hairnet if long enough. Must be neat and tidy.

  • Waistcoat is optional.

  • Spurs should be worn, but dummy spurs are acceptable.

INHAND

Horse

• • Plaited and trimmed as for the ridden classes.

  • Youngstock in bitless inhand bridles, adults in normal riding bridles as for ridden classes.

Handler

Tweed or dark suit with bowler or trilby hat for men. Women often wear plain trousers, tweed jacket and velvet riding hat.