Whether your horse just doesn’t have the speed or natural turning ability to excel in the jumper ring or you just want to try a different discipline, you can retrain your jumper to succeed as a hunter. But transitioning to a different style of jumping and moving requires time, patience and taking small incremental steps.
From a physical standpoint, hunter horses have to travel between fences in a longer, lower shape with a more outstretched neck and light rein contact while still powering their bodies forward with engaged hind ends. This is new way of moving for jumpers who are accustomed to balancing in a more compressed shape, and it can take time for your horse to develop these different muscles.
In addition to learning how to travel differently, jumpers who are a retraining to be hunters have to get used to taking off several inches farther away from the base of fences than jumpers normally do. Known as the “hunter gap,” this extra space in front of the jump helps encourage horses to slow down their jumping efforts, giving them more time in the air to rotate their shoulders forward, tuck their front legs neatly and demonstrate a nice bascule in the air. In contrast, when you’re training a horse to be a jumper, the emphasis is more on creating power to clear the jump, which is easier from a closer takeoff spot and also encourages him to be careful with his front legs.
Every horse will progress and learn the ropes of the new discipline on his own time, but here are few additional factors to keep in mind as you work on his retraining:
- Different fences: You horse will need time to get familiar with the different types, colors and textures of the jumps you’ll encounter in the hunter ring including flower boxes and rolltops.
- New aids: Hunters are expected to ride with lighter rein contact than jumpers, so they must learn to rely more on their body weight and position to communicate with their horses.
- Big atmosphere; different expectations: Big, competitive hunter classes will have the same electric atmosphere that jumper classes do, but hunter horses have to learn how to keep their cool and maintain a steady, rhythmic pace that appears relaxed and balanced despite outside distractions.
Hunter trainer and rider Kristy Herrera has successfully retrained a number of jumpers to excel as hunter horses. In this video lesson from her series on EQUESTRIAN+, Herrera offers top tips on how you can make your horse’s transition between disciplines smooth and successful.
Relax, Take Your Time Over Tiny Jumps
“The first thing I tell riders who are transitioning from jumpers to hunters is to just take a breath and relax. And this can take time for both riders and the horses. Gradually start to work on keeping your horse’s topline nice and level and so he can learn how to carry his balance from their back to front end.
“One of the first steps in retraining a jumper to be a hunter is to first let your horse learn to take his time over small jumps. Here, we jump this cavalletti line, adding a stride, to just let the horse get used to the slower pace and quieter stride. If your horse makes a mistake or rushes, just be patient and give him time to understand that he doesn’t need to rush through line.
“Here, it’s important to give and take with your reins maintaining soft contact with your hands. While jumpers tend to ride with a fairly strong feel of the reins, hunters tend to have softer contact.”
Think Slow
“Any time you’re asking your horse to add, try to do it as early in the line as you can. If your horse isn’t comfortable or accepting with the softer rein at first or continues to rush, simply repeat the exercise as necessary, giving your horse time to think in between.
“A lot of jumpers anticipate the bigger jumps. So what we’re trying to do is teach them how to take a deep breath and relax their bascule over the smaller fences. Establish some trust in your feel of the reins and in your pace and maintain leg connection without be aggressive with your leg aids.
“Over time, your horse will become confident that he doesn’t have to rush anywhere and adjust to the slower, steady pace.”
Single Fences With Longer Distances
“Once your horse has mastered the cavalletti a the slower pace, you can start to incorporate single jumps. I suggest starting with small fences to start; they should have a nice ground line in front of each of the jumps and the oxers should be ramped so your horses starts to understand what a little space in front of the distance means and how to take off from there.
“If your horse gets a little rushed, focus on slowing everything down and allowing your horse to stretch down in his neck. Take your time getting to the jump and give your horse a nice crest release in the air.”
