What do you like- Hunters or Showjumpers?Why?

Question

What do you like- Hunters or Showjumpers?Why?

Answer 1

neither. racing is the way to go for me. hunters? sorry but i dont know what that is and stuff . jumping is just boring and racing is the best way to go. it's exciting and there is a triple crown that you can win. so neither of them. i go for racing. like Curlin! look at that horse run! now that is exciting!

Answer 2

I love watching the jumpers, they're just so athletic. Show jumping is more about boldness, power, and speed, it's like the flash of the English riding world.

Watching a hunter jumper class is about as thrilling as watching paint dry, at least for me anyway. It's just too neat and conservative, it's all about being well mannered and precise.

Answer 3

Showjumpers: rails are so honest.No need to ride the fad for looks, the score is you vs the course. Nothing else. Never liked politics.Plus it looks good>> Such performers!

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Answer 4

Well to me, they're kinda the same. Of course they're not, but I like to think of it that way. Only because I enjoy both very much. But if I had to choose, I would probably have to say Showjumping. I always dream about the day me and my Thoroughbred Oliver are going to be the ones in the ring doing the jumping, and not just the ones in the stand cheering. I also like Showjumping better because it's in a closed ring, while Hunters is a bit more open. My horse Oliver is better in a closed ring only because he gets excited in the open...(he'll try to throw you---and he gets ya off everytime). I couldn't lie and say that Showjumping 'has more action', because Hunters and Showjumping are both very exciting and fun to watch!

Answer 5

Well, as far as competing...unless you have a very large income, or a sponsor, showing jumpers is out of the question for most of us, because of the cost of the horses and the cost of the training.

I showed hunters, and I liked the training, but I didn't enjoy the showing after a while.  Unlike jumpers, which is completely objective-- you either jump clean, or you don't, and you either get time faults, or you don't, no judging involved-- hunters are judged subjectively.  In most classes, there are fairly obvious placings, but it can get real subjective when everyone is either really good or really bad--the judge's personal prejudices and preferences can play a BIG part in the placings.  

I also have to say that I found the horse show world, at least as far as hunters went, to be somewhat of a disappointment.  Before I actually started showing, I thought that most of the people who participated must actually be people who really loved and cared for horses, and I found out that this was just not true.  There are a lot of people who are into showing hunters for reasons that have very little to do with the horses, and a lot of people whose interest in the horses themselves, and in horsemanship, is very superficial and transitory.  Maybe the training barn I was with just wasn't the right one, but I found that showing hunters wasn't what I enjoyed.

I love the horses and horsemanship aspect of riding, but the showing itself is very expensive and can be a very, very, very big drag after awhile, given some of the things you see and learn about the horse show world.  I guess it's like sausage-- if you like it, you're better off not knowing too much about what goes into it.

I personally prefer horse racing, particularly the breeding and pedigree angle.  I love Thoroughbreds-- the most athletic horses in the world, IMO.

Answer 6

I prefer to watch showjumpers. It is amazing how fast and well some of them can jump.

My personal favorite is racing as I grew up working on a breeding training racing farm and rode at the track as a exercise rider.

Answer 7

I like both- and I follow both sports-as a spectator.I used to jump a lot myself as a teenager, but then I had a bad fall when I was in college and I lost my nerve over fences. Jumpers are thrilling to watch, with their speed and power, and the hunters are fun as well, because they are judged on their manners, appearance, movement, and because the riders actually have to think about how they present themselves to judges. I love all horse sports, and it is interesting to me that the asker of this question is a dressage enthusiast like myself. There are some who say that that sport is about as entertaining as watching paint dry or grass grow, unless one really understands it. I would beg to differ- but that's another story.