Attention Hunters - help!

[celticravenwolf]

Me, a lifelong eventer, groom for show jumpers, and she who loathes all things Hunter, has just been asked to be a Hunter judge for the local show tomorrow

Comments

[fallenfaun]

Just out of curiosity, why did you say yes if you don't really know anything about hunters?

[default_reality]

I was wondering this as well o.O

[quietann]

I don't think she is saying she knows nothing about hunters, only that she's been away from that world for a while, and possibly never judged. I'd also assume that because this is such a last minute request, it was harder to turn down...

[thelovegetaway]

Well the first thing she said was she was a lifelong eventer and hates hunters, which makes me believe she was never involved in it at all.

[annemaeve]

It's definitely hard to turn down a request for last-minute help - good for you for filling in

[siobheanne]

Red here - the OP and myself are Canadian. Not that you'd be able to know that from her post! But giving them all blues (2nd) might confuse them! :)

Excellent comment and advice, by the way - very impressed with your system (knowing nothing about judging, myself), actually.

[annemaeve]

Oooo you do that in Canada, too? Neat! Your horse is lervely! Does it have big sexy knees? It looks like it might. I love knees. :P

My system's just my own - had classes on judging in college, but I'm sure 4-Hers (do you have Canadian 4-H?) would be much more proficient and organized about it. I just like getting paid to enjoy myself, practice, and learn new things to yell at my students about.

[celticravenwolf]

Wow, these are some great ideas, thanks so much!

I'm all over the cue-card idea, and I'm totally going to use your shorthand format for the jumps! Kickass!

I know for sure that they're giving me someone to call the classes, and I'm hoping that they've already got the courses laid out - I'm totally not prepared for course design!

Thanks again!

[xihateyourx]

I always explain it (to really really really dumb it down) that it should look like any drunken idiot could ride the horse.

[velessa]

Haha, I don't know anything about showing, but the description I've heard of hunters is the horse that wins should be the one you could put your grandmother on and have no worries about. ;)

[thehomicidehoe]

Sorry I just had to laugh, because people that I know who hunt are drunken idiots!! (Usually pretty useless on a horse too!)

(jk jk!!)

[subplot2]

Anna Jane White Mullin has written some good books on the basics. Her website is here:

http://www.mindspring.com/~jonknop/horse/index.htm

And her book on judging hunters should be in most large book stores.

The principles are the same for all disciplines. Reward safety, balance, and rhythm.

[greyskyridge]

I second this comment.

AJWM's book is awesome.