Hunter competitions are based on the horse. Judges try to determine which horse in each class comes closest to the ideal mount for a ride to hounds. The horse should be beautiful with a small head and a correct and proportional conformation. The judges are looking for as much quality as possible.
The horse should be well turned out, needs to be completely clean, and his coat shiny. His mane should be braided with many small and evenly spaced braids, and his tail braided and well combed out. It is important for the tack (saddle and bridle) to be clean and supple, and any metal (bits, stirrup, etc.) be well shined. The horse’s movement and carriage are an important part of the presentation. He should have as little action in his legs as possible (less action conserves energy for the longs days in the hunt field). The horse should be light and graceful across the ground. A relaxed horse with a long, low neck and a good expression (ears forward and alert) is the most desirable.
Probably the most important consideration when judging hunters is jumping style. The horse should jump with his front legs folded high and evenly. His head and neck should stretch out and down to insure a well balanced jump. It is important that horse’s body and legs stay straight while jumping, and that the horse stays in the middle of the jump. His expression should say that he enjoys his job (ears forward), and his jumping should appear effortless. A top hunter does not appear nervous or difficult to handle.
The hunter rider’s main job is to show off his horse. While the rider himself is not being judged, he can do a lot to present his horse favorably to the judges. The rider must show how easy and enjoyable his horse is to ride. The rider should demonstrate as little motion as possible, and appear to be relaxed. The rider’s round should not look like work.
Great article!!! It really helped me intraining my horse for some more shows!