Hunter seat riding is a style of riding horses that was
developed to enable the animals to have speed and maintain
balance when traveling over uneven terrain and encountering
obstacles that must be jumped--such as fences enclosing fields.
This style of riding is historically associated with England, in
which groups of farmers would go hunting for foxes that were
raiding their hen houses. Fox hunting is still practiced in
England and elsewhere, but now is more of a sport and social
gathering than a necessary pursuit in order to protect one's
property. In fact, most of the people who practice hunter-seat
riding do so for the sake of competition or trail-riding, and the
fox is left out of the picture entirely.
An English-style saddle and bridle are used, and they are
referred to as "tack." The cut of the saddle and the
short accompanying stirrup length enable riders to raise their
seats out of the saddle when their horses are galloping, This is
called "two-point position," for only the rider's two
legs are on the horse, and the third point, the seat, is away
from the horse's back. Two-point, or galloping position as it is
sometimes called, is maintained at high speeds and over
obstacles. This keeps this rider's weight just over the horse's
center of gravity, promoting balance, and frees the horse's back,
promoting speed and endurance.
The rider's competition clothing is a high-top boot and breeches,
as well as riding jacket and safety helmet. For training, some
riders practice in lower-cut "paddock boots," and blue
jeans protected by chaps (although chaps tend to have more grip
and give a rider a false sense of security, so that sometimes the
more slippery breeches are a big surprise in the show ring!).
The nationally recognized governing body for hunter-seat riding
is the American Horse Shows Association (AHSA), which is located
at 220 East 42nd Street, New York, NY 10017-5876; telephone
212-972-7286. Current membership fees are $70 for people over 18,
and $46 for people under 18. Members receive an AHSA Rule Book
every two years and "Horse Show" magazine ten times
yearly, enabling them to keep abreast of upcoming competitions
and other equine news.
If you're planning on keeping your horse or pony at home, it
would be good to join the United States Pony Clubs, located at
4071 Ironworks Pike, Lexington, KY 40511; telephone 606-254-7669.
There are more than 600 Pony Clubs in the United States, and if
there isn't one near you, you can always start one. Check out the
Pony Club web page for more information: http://www.horseworld.com/uspc/index.html.
Too often, riders pick a coach based on convenience or
personality rather than on knowledge. However, you cannot get an
accurate evaluation from a person who is not well-educated in the
sport, so be sure to choose based on that person's record as a
coach. (When you go to a horse show, keep track of whose students
are winning the most in the Equitation Division--which is judged
on the rider's proficiency. This is a good starting point in your
search for a competent coach.) If he (or she) has also been a
successful rider, that is another point in his favor; but in
choosing, it is better to have a very good teacher who was not a
very good rider than a very good rider who cannot teach what he
knows. Of course, the best combination is a coach who has proven
his capabilities in both areas.
Once you have a capable teacher, do exactly what he tells you to
do. If you are always straying off in your own direction,
ignoring the suggestions of your coach, then you might as well
not have one. He should have an overview of the sport and be able
to steer you toward reasonable goals. His evaluation should be
the most meaningful because he sees you ride regularly and knows
whether you are progressing, regressing, or standing still.
It's best if your coach helps you choose the right horse, not
only because he (or she) is a professional who should know more
about choosing a horse than a lay person, but because your coach
has to work with the animal and be accountable publicly for its
performance in the show ring. It's only fair that he should get
to choose something he thinks he can work with--the old silk
purse from a sow's ear phrase comes to mind.
You may become faint of heart when you realize how expensive a
good horse is; but remember that a bad horse eats as much, has as
many (or more) veterinary and shoeing bills, etc. Additionally,
the winning horse can at least make back his purchase price when
you sell him; and if you rider really well, you'll be able to
greatly increase the worth of your investment.
You need to have a horse with reasonably good natural talent, a
build suited to your own, and a temperament that compliments your
disposition. For example, you don't want a long-legged girl on a
skinny horse so that her feet hang below the line of its belly
(the Icabod Crane look); and you don't want a nervous rider on an
excitable ("hot") horse, for this is a terrible
combination.
Some basic advice: Put a nervous rider on a dull horse; put a
timid rider on a horse that isn't too difficult to motivate
forward; put a long-legged rider on a big-barrelled animal; and
put a short-legged rider on a slab-sided horse so that the
rider's legs hang farther down the horse's sides. Make sure that
a rider with a long torso isn't mounted on a horse with a very
short neck—it looks ridiculous. In all cases, avoid the
high-strung horse, for few riders—even
professionals—can deal with "hot" horses well
enough to make them winners. If your first thought is,
"Isn't this a high-spirited horse," put your checkbook
back in your pocket.