From:
Melanie
Hi Jessica! I have enjoyed your newsletters and have gotten alot of useful information from them! Anyway, my question is about the "classic" hunter/jumper.I took riding lessons at a hunt barn for about 2 monthes. As I understood, the hunters are horses with a capabliity to jump in the open, on trail, and in a show ring. The horse has more of a flat gait ( as opposed to the saddlebred action) and a lower headset. Well, I have been working at a Morgan show barn for the past 2 monthes. I work for the head trainer, in return for her to train my Morgan, Shaz. She thinks that my horse would be a perfect morgan hunter. Anyway, she now is trying to "set" Shaz's head. She does this by "bitting" the horse. She puts a surcingle on her and side reins that are VERY short, so short that it pulls drastically on Shaz's head. Thus, Shaz puts her head down in a sort of collection so the bit won't pull on her. My trainer calls it "giving into the bit".My trainer also gave me a very thin twisted snaffle bit with sharp edges on it to use for the "bitting". I used it once and the corners of Shaz's mouth were bleeding. The next day I used just a full-cheek snaffle and got the same results. My question is: is this a true hunter, one with a fake headset? What exactly is a true hunter? And, is the type of traing Shaz is in just for the morgan shows? or can she show in any hunt show? Thankyou,
Melanie
Hi Melanie! In the USA, "hunter" competitions come in several types, all very different. Most "hunter" classes at shows are meant for horses that will never be foxhunted or ridden in a hunter pace, and many of them will never even be ridden cross-country -- or even on an outside course!
In open shows, show-ring hunters are meant to be beautiful, quiet, and smooth-moving, and most owners and trainers are unwilling to risk them outside the ring. There are some classes for horses that actually fox-hunt, and there are also competitions that involve riding cross-country over natural obstacles (hunter trials, hunter paces).
"Hunter" classes in breed shows are another matter entirely, and the standards don't match those of open shows. The horses that win the "hunter" and "dressage" classes at breed shows are rarely horses that would place at an open show, not necessarily because of their breeding, but because of the way they are trained. Go to some open shows and some breed shows, and notice the horses' way of going -- you'll see exactly what I mean.
What you've described -- the tight sidereins and sharp-edged bit -- are part of an unacceptable "training" method. Forcing a horse into an artificial shape and teaching it to hold that shape in order to avoid pain -- these are NOT ACCEPTABLE in any way, for any horse of any breed.
Pulling a horse's head down and in, trying to "set" it, is not collection.
Training a horse to stay behind a painful bit is not collection. Thin twisted bits with sharp edges should not be part of any horse's experience, and no good trainer will use such a bit.
So, in answer to your specific questions:
My question is: is this a true hunter, one with a fake
headset?
No, it's just a horse that has been taught, through pain, to carry itself in an unnatural way.
What exactly is a true hunter?
If you hunt, a true hunter would be a good fox-hunting horse. If you show in open shows, a true hunter would be a horse (usually of Thoroughbred type) that can gallop smoothly with long strides, meet each fence easily, and jump each fence calmly, still in stride, with consistent rhythm and good form (back lifted, front legs high and folded, head and neck reaching forward and down).
And, is the type of traing Shaz is in just for the morgan shows? or can she show in any hunt show?
This type of training shouldn't be for ANY shows -- it's incorrect and abusive. You could show her in any hunt show, but she's unlikely to do well if she's been "trained" this way. She's also very unlikely to stay sound for long, because horses that are hurt to force them into unnatural positions will eventually strain or tear something in an effort to compensate for the unnatural position and movement.
If I were you, I would think twice before continuing at this barn. If you love horses, try to find a barn, and an instructor/trainer, where the welfare of the horse matters and where horsemanship is taught -- and followed. You need to ask yourself whether what's happening at this barn is good for your horse and good for you, and I think that you already know the answers! If you ever want to train your horse correctly, you'll have to begin again from the ground up and hope that she isn't permanently damaged; if you want to become a horsewoman, you'l have to begin again with someone who can teach you the things you want to learn. Morgans can and should be trained like "normal" horses, whether your interest lies in hunter shows, dressage, combined training, driving, or anything else. Morgans shouldn't be tormented in the interest of breed shows, either! There's no reason to support methods like these, and every reason to get your horse and yourself out of a bad situation. Even if you're interested in breed shows exclusively, there are many Morgan trainers who don't believe in or use abusive methods. Don't help to perpetuate something that shouldn't be happening at all -- find someone who trains correctly, and give THAT person your money and your trust.
Good luck, and please keep in touch, I'd like to know what happens with you and Shaz.
Jessica
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