HUNTER/JUMPER CHAT CLASS

Make Friends. Share your pics and vids. Evaluate pro riders and horses. Learn!

H/J Girls Unite

In this live, online class, students bring weekly video of their riding to review with friends. A teacher facilitates discussion to be sure everyone gets a turn and conversation stays on track. Plus having a teacher there means you get some professional advice and tips!

Class gets super exciting during show season! All year long, we review video from weekly riding lessons and watch how everyone is progressing. You'll make friends both near and far from you, crossing from the Bay Area to Long Island to Florida.

It's great to see other riders your age and see what they struggle with and are successful with. Compare notes, solve problems, share kudos - this group builds amazing camaraderie! It's not just like Instagram or TikTok where everything is heavily edited to look perfect. Here we are together for growth and learning and building long-lasting friendships where you can geek out about horses the way you never can at school. Plus, since you aren't competing agains the other riders in the club, you can be genuinely happy for their success and not feel anxious about how you're doing by comparison.

Groups are divided by age and experience. We have some super enthusiastic trot-a-course riders as well as some kids slaying it in the meter jumpers. We will help you find your tribe.

Example Class Summary 1:

Wow so many great videos from everyone's shows this weekend! Ruby, Lucy, and River all had IEA videos to share, and Tiffany and Sage have derbies coming up too. I'm loving seeing all you riders in action! Today we also checked out some awesome Maclay Medal Finals screen grabs that Kaelyn brought. As a group, we talked about what the riders were doing well and how they placed. Looking forward to reviewing more footage with you next week!

Example Class Summary 2:

On request from Ellie, we talked about horse shopping. I showed learners how I use DreamHorse to find a horse for a student. I talked through what goes on in my head as I evaluate different horses. I showed learners a worksheet that I put together to help decide if a horse is a good investment or not. At the end of class, we spent a few minutes looking at saddles to help Maya with her search. We compared prices, and talked about tree widths, panels, and changeable gullets on different saddles and looked at common defects like poor stitching.

Example Class Summary 3:

Today we watched a Pony Finals documentary as well as some rounds at Pony Finals. We discussed how to qualify for Pony Finals and what events take place at Pony Finals (for example, Medium Pony division vs Medium Green). We then watched some "judge’s perspective" videos on hunter under saddle and equitation over fences, learning about what judges are looking for.

Example Questions from Students:

A horse keeps stopping at a jump. What can you do?

You have a horse that keeps shying in one corner. What can you do?

Where should the stirrup bar hit for jumping and for flat work?

Is there a class at a horse show where you might be required to drop your stirrups?

Do you always have to do an opening circle at a horse show?

Are you required to braid for jumpers?

Are boots allowed in hunters?

Why is two-point position called two-point?

Describe the cue for canter.

Describe how to do a half halt.

You’re horse keeps taking the wrong lead. What are some things you can do?

What does a horse need every day other than food?