How do you get horses up yo hunter standard?

Question

so strong, full of energy, and have their ears forward all through the hunt? galloping all the way, never stopping to question a fence or gate, jumping without fear of whats the other side. is it a question of just getting the right horse, or just serious training, like they do with racehorses (which is totaly cruel... long story!)

thanks

Answer 1

Well it starts with the horse itself.  Hanoverians, Oldenburgs, warmbloods (Dutch, German, etc,) Selle Francias, Welsh Ponies, and other fancy, but more expensive, breeds ussually make the best hunters.

Then comes the training.  Consistancy is what makes the hunter.  The flat work should be mastered before jumping so that you have very consistant gaits, a nice headset,  and are getting those lead changes.  Then you add small fences.  You are trying to get from point A to point B the same way as you were on the flat, you just happen to have an obstacle inbetween.  Lots of bounces and many differently colored fences will help a lot on keeping the speed and avoiding future refusals.  

Also, always have a very experianced rider on during training so that you don't ruin your horse.  Once proven calm and willing, you can add a few younger riders of variety, but dont over do it.

Answer 2

It's a mixture of the right combination of horse and rider, tedious training and constantly going over the basics, a great trainer, and talent of both the horse and rider.

Answer 3

You just need to do some training and get your horse fit. Maybe make some makeshift fences to jump if you have none available to practice over. Any horse should be able to do it in time. All they need is confidence in you as a rider. Good luck.