First, don’t feed the horse anything out of your hand. If you want to give him carrots, break them up and put them in the feed bin when he’s not looking–for instance, when he’s in the wash stall. Don’t let him see you carrying around yummy things and maybe, in time, he’ll stop searching you with his mouth.

Secondly, devise a punishment for his biting that won’t make him head shy. You could slap the horse on the shoulder; but don’t slap the animal anywhere on its face, for this invariably causes a horse to be head shy.

Third, keep a salt-mineral block (and lots of water) in the horse’s stall. An animal that is deficient in minerals will sometimes be prone to chew on things.

Finally, make sure your horse has as much turn-out time as possible. If an animal becomes bored in the stall, it will often crib, bite at passing humans or horses, or develop other bad habits. All horses mentally benefit by spending time in their natural state, leisurely grazing.

A common problem among hunter seat riders is finding a bad spot to the first fence in a class. It usually results from the rider coming out of his initial circle at too dull a pace, so that he looks at the first fence only to see a deep distance or a distance that is much too long for the amount of impulsion his horse has. This leaves him with two choices: (1) place the horse at the deep spot, then struggle to lengthen the horse’s strides to the second fence; or (2) try to jump from the long spot out of too little impulsion, in which case the horse will either make a dangerously weak attempt or will chip in, adding an extra stride at the base of the fence.

Often, when a rider meets a bad spot to the first fence in a couple of classes, he becomes so preoccupied with that fence that he spends the rest of the show worrying about it. If you have this problem, concentrate on using the time you have during the initial circle to steadily increase the horse’s pace. Look at the first line as you cross the centerline of the ring and keep your eyes riveted on it while driving the horse forward through the corner, preventing it from shortening its stride. Try to “override” the approach to the first line a little by having more impulsion than you think you need. By doing this, you will have about the right amount to the first fence and will find a better spot.

When looking for a show horse, first consider the job that the animal will be required to do. For example, A Junior Hunter must be able to clear 3’6″ in good form and have a long enough stride to extend beyond twelve feet when necessary at bigger horse shows. If a horse will be used for advanced equitation classes, such as the USET Class, then it must be capable of jumping fences set a 3’9″ with 5′ spreads.

Not only must you consider whether or not the horse can do the tasks that will be asked of it, but also how well the animal can perform them. If you are trying to win in A-rated classes, your hunter must be a good mover as well as a good athlete over fences. Your first considerations, then, center on the horse’s talent.

It is best to have a horse that comfortably travels on a twelve-foot stride, but can readily shorten or lengthen its stride by a foot when called upon to do so. Horses that have a much longer natural stride may appear dull as they lope around the course. If the horse is very tall and long-strided, it may also be lazy with its legs in the air, since a very tall horse, measuring 17.2 hands for example, will not have to make as big a jumping effort as a normal-sized horse measuring about 16 hands.

However, the horse with an excessive length of stride is generally preferable to the very short-strided horse. Anything is better than a horse of limited ability struggling to get through a course in the normal number of strides. Rushing to make the distances, a short-strided horse looks dangerous, giving both the judge and spectators the uncomfortable feeling that if the rider missed a spot, he would end up in the hospital!

This is not to say you must give up on all short-strided horses. They have their place as beginner mounts and may even be sufficient for the Children’s Hunter classes in certain areas of the country. If the stride is not too inhibited, a very good rider who maintains the horse’s impulsion on corners and finds excellent spots to the fences may transform a slightly short-strided horse into a brilliant performer. This is the rare exception, however. Too often, parents of junior riders expect their children to work miracles to make up for a horse’s inadequacies, such as the tremendous drawback of an overly short stride. This unrealistic expectation can lead to frustration and disappointment for the child, or even worse, to a serious accident.

Next, consider the rider’s build in relation to the horse’s. A short or very thin rider will look better on a normal to slightly narrow-bodied horse than on a wide-barreled, coarse animal and will usually be more physically capable of controlling the delicately built horse. In contrast, a tall or slightly overweight rider should avoid a finely built animal, since it will emphasize the rider’s size. Instead, large riders should seek medium to heavyweight hunters.

Short riders often have problems finding the right horse because when a proportional match in size is achieved, the horse is too small to cover the distances or jump the bigger fences well. In this case, a narrow-bodied horse of medium size (about 16 hands) is the best option, since it would allow their rider’s leg to drop downward and appear as long as it possibly could, rather than sticking out as it would on a wider horse.

Ideally, when the rider’s foot is in the stirrup, the heel should rest just above the bottom of the horse’s belly so that the animal’s coat forms a backdrop. If the rider’s feet hang below the horse’s belly when the stirrups are adjusted correctly, then the rider is too tall for the horse. Also, when the horse jumps, the rider’s face should be over or slightly ahead of the dip just in front of the withers. If the torso of the rider is so long that when the rider is positioned correctly his or her face is over the middle of the horse’s neck in midair, then the horse’s neck is too short for the length of the rider’s upper body, which generally means that the animal is too small for the rider.

Equally important as the physical match between horse and rider is the temperamental match between the two. While their physical builds should be similar, a temperamental match is often best achieved by pairing dissimilar personalities. A tense rider will usually do better on a dull horse, while an overly relaxed rider will fare better on a slightly keen animal. Of course, when you have a physically relaxed, but mentally alert rider, which is the ideal, the best pairing is on a horse with exactly the same qualities.

According to the USEF Rule Book, in hunter seat equitation classes “boots and conservative colored bandages are permitted.” This would include galloping boots, bell boots, ankle boots, and any bandages deemed “conservative” by the judge. Some typical colors for bandages are black, white, hunter green, and navy. Horse’s boots are usually black, brown, or white. The idea is to avoid wild colors, such as neon green, or patterns in either the bandages or boots.

In hunter classes, “boots, wraps, and bandages are prohibited. In the case of inclement weather, competition management may permit the use of bell boots.”

In jumper classes, boots and bandages are allowed.

Pictured are galloping boots to protect the front legs below the knee to the fetlock and bell boots to protect the soft tissue just above the hooves.

Ankel boots protect the bone and soft tissue in the fetlock area of the rear legs.

There may come a time when your horse is so strong that you must apply a pulley rein in order to stop the animal. This is a powerful, emergency rein aid that should be practiced before you have a real need for it, for if it is applied incorrectly, it will not only be ineffective, but can be dangerous.

First, make sure that your reins are quite short. Then place one hand in the dip in front of the horse’s withers, while SLOWLY pulling back with the other hand.  (Note: A quick jerk on the reins can flip the horse backwards.) The fixed rein position of the hand placed in the dip gives your other hand added force when you pull back. You should be sitting during the application of the pulley rein, so that your seat and back reinforce your hands. Also, the hand in the dip MUST REMAIN FIXED. If this hand slips and you’re only pulling back with the other hand, you could cause the horse to fall on its shoulder. (Look at some old cowboy movies and watch how the stuntmen cause their horses to fall by pulling hard on a single rein.)

The pulley rein should be so familiar to all levels of riders that it’s application is automatically correct when the need arises.

The rider applies a pulley rein by firmly placing one hand in the dip just in front of the withers, while pulling back smoothly with the other hand.

Riders who get ahead of the horse’s motion at take-off are often anxious riders who are using their upper bodies to motivate the horse, rather than properly using their legs. You should get into two-point position during your initial circle and stay there throughout the entire course. Concentrate on pressing the horse forward with your legs, rather than using your upper-body as a motivator. This way, you can stay still in your upper-body, making the performance look effortless, while using your legs to do all the work.

Be sure not to actively close your upper-body at take-off, but instead, let the horse’s jumping effort–that is, the arch of its back in the air, or “bascule”–close your hip angle for you. Also, if you’re riding a tense horse, don’t let the horse’s anxiety cause you to close your upper-body ahead of the motion, for this will actually make the horse more nervous and quick. Just in the same, still, two-point position around the course, letting the horse’s jumping effort close your hip angle ever so slightly in the air. That is all you need to do to stay with the motion of the horse.

The following ground pole exercise, which represents one line of fences, will help you learn to sustain the correct pace on course and develop a better eye for determining the proper take-off spot at fences. It allows you to simulate jumping a line of fences without having to stress the horse physically with the much greater effort of taking off and landing over larger obstacles.

In a rectangular arena, measure 24 feet from the railing at the end of the line and place a ground pole there; this will be pole number 4 and will represent the place at which the horse should change leads after it jumps a line of fences. Then place three more poles in line with pole 4, leaving spaces of 57′, 60′, and 57′ between them for horses; 54′, 57′, and 54′ for large ponies; 51′, 54, and 51′ for medium ponies; and 48′, 51′, and 48′ for small ponies. These are all 4-stride distances between poles.

The distance between the first and second pole represents the approach to a line of fences; the distance between the second and third pole represents the footage between a line of two fences; and the distance betweeen the third and fourth pole represents the space in which you must collect your horse, balancing it for the upcoming turn.

To practice establishing and maintaining the proper pace on course, build the horse’s impulsion and increase its length of stride around the end of the ring, approaching the line of poles at a pace you believe to be correct. Try to negotiate the space between poles 1 and 2 and between poles 2 and 3 in four strides each. On most horses, you will have to progressively lengthen the horse’s steps between poles 1 and 2 to cover this distance in four strides, since the horse is coming out of a corner which restricts not only its pace, but also its length of stride. However, you should be able to cover the distance between poles 2 and 3 in four even strides, since the horse should have reached the proper length of stride just before jumping pole 2. Following pole 3, perform a downward transition, halting in front of pole 4. After halting for 4 to 6 seconds, walk the horse over the pole.

Now analyze each segment of your performance. If your horse added a stride between the first and second pole, the pace to the first obstacle (represent by pole 2) was too slow. If the horse left out a stride between the first and second pole, or took half a step on the near side of the second pole and half a step on the far side (representing a crash), then the pace to the first obstacle (pole 2) was too fast.

The same holds true for the distance between poles 2 and 3. If the horse added a stride, it did not have enough pace; and if the horse left out a stride or straddled the rail, then the pace was too great. Finally, consider the horse’s willingness to stop at the fourth pole. If the horse pulled on the reins and crossed the pole, then you know it would be unwilling to collect its frame and lighten its forehand for a change of lead.

Practice smoothly negotiating the three poles and halting before the fourth. When you are able to do this exercise well, continue galloping over the fourth pole, asking the horse to switch leads as it crosses this pole, if it is traveling on the counter lead. Use an outside leg at a behind-the-girth position to signal the horse to change leads while in the moment of suspension above the pole.

If your ring is too short to set the poles four strides apart, delete one stride between poles 1 and 2 and poles 3 and 4, so that the approach and departure will call for three strides, instead of four. The measurements would then be 45′, 60′, and 45′ for horses; 43′, 57′, 43′ for large ponies; 40’6″, 54′, and 40’6″ for medium ponines, and 38′, 51′, and 38′ for small ponies. This tighter setting of the distances is harder to negotiate because it requires abrupt adjustments of the horse’s stride, particularly during the last strides before the halt. It also causes more trauma to the horse’s legs leading into the halt, which is the main reason that I prefer the four-stride setting.

The next step is to raise poles 2 and 3 so that you can practice seeing distances to actual fences, with the approach and departure still marked by poles 1 and 4. (Set the fences three feet high for horses and six inches below the normal fence heights for ponies. Use additional poles to fill in the spaces underneath poles 2 and 3 so that these fences are not too airy.) During this exercise, the horse’s arc should be even–that is, the animal should leave the ground and land equidistant from the center of each obstacle–and the strides betweeen the fences should be of equal length. If you have difficulty finding a good take-off to the two fences, draw lines in the dirt six feet away from the near side of them to help you concentrate on placing your horse’s front feet on these lines. Of course, white lines made with lime would be even easier for you to see, but sometimes a horse will spook at something unfamiliar on the ground, which can be dangerous at the point of take-off. If you decide to mark the take-off with a bright substance, practice over very small obstacles first.

When training your eye, it is beneficial to set three separate lines of fences–normal, short, and long–with the same number of strides between them, so that they can be used for comparison. To set the short and long lines, subtract six inches to a foot per stride for the short line and add six inches to a foot per stride for the long line, still allowing for a six-foot landing and take-off at each obstacle. Concentrate on pace and evenness of stride, rather than worry about the take-off spot. By keeping the horse collected on the approaching strides to the short-distance line, and by galloping forward on lengthened strides to the long-distance line, you can greatly increase your chances of finding a suitable take-off spot to the first fence in each line.

The horse’s frame is the length of the animal’s body as controlled by the rider. When a rider shortens his horse’s body and length of step, he is collecting the horse into a “shorter frame”; when he elongates the body and length of step, he is lengthening the horse into a “longer frame.” A horse traveling on loose reins has “no frame.”

The rider has collected the horse into a short frame for the working trot sitting.

This horse is shown in a long frame during a Hunter Under Saddle class.

The horse has "no frame" as it trots, which is commonly called being "strung out."