Looking back, there were hundreds of signs my child would be a horse jumper. That is an entire post of its own, which I will write someday. Today, I’m focused on the hunter jumper riding discipline because I’m eager to explain some things — and also so I have a place to lovingly send my friends and family when they ask me, what’s hunter jumper again?? (smile)
Hunter jumper is the style of riding that Riloh currently does… which is technically two disciplines: hunter and jumper. Both involve jumping over fences, but they test different skills of the horse and rider. One key difference between the two is jumper courses are timed, hunter courses are not. Some riders participate in both hunter and jumper courses, but most specialize in one or the other.
- Hunter courses highlight the movement and form of the horse and rider as they navigate through obstacles like fences and hedges, like a traditional fox hunt. Horses are judged on athleticism, form, temperament, movement over jumps, and style.
- Conversely, jumper courses are more technical and the jumps can be easier to knock down, so the rider and horse have to work together and think quickly to get through the course as fast as they can with as few faults as possible.
- There are lots and lots (and LOTS) of rules for each discipline that the rider is expected to remember and follow. And, the rider might have only had a few minutes to study the course map prior to riding the course. Exciting!?!
So what’s the job of a hunter jumper parent? Haha. Buckle up. It’s exciting, terrifying, thrilling, often a bit confusing, so fun to watch when it’s going well, really sucks when your kid has anxiety…. I could go on and on. Basically, it’s parenting on steroids with extra expensive safety gear. (Allll the safety gear is another important post coming soon.) On show days, there are many moving pieces and changing variables all day long, which is why we’re noncommittal about set plans with family and friends who are coming to watch Riloh. Chances are GREAT we’ll see you after Riloh and Nikki are done with their classes. But before they go in the ring, it’s anyone’s guess how many different things we’ll be dealing with and where our focus will be needed. A well-trained Thoroughbred is still a 1,200 pound prey animal who will dictate most of the day’s decisions. Some days our team just needs some extra space and TLC because it’s hard to reason with a horse (and a nervous teen). It’s all part of the show day experience.
All that said, I love to watch Riloh and Nikki in the show ring. They are a beautiful team. And to see my child do her passion so remarkably — she just morphs into this other dimension of herself — it’s awesome.
Here are a few extra links for fun:
