Form To Function
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66 – March/April, 2024
By Elizabeth Arnold
When you picture an ideal Hunter Under Saddle horse, what comes to mind? A long, sweeping trot? A ground covering canter marked by strong rhythm, impulsion, and self-carriage? Perhaps it’s a horse with an alert, pleasant expression, a willing partner, a steady topline? For many, the ideal Hunter Under Saddle horse should possess bold gaits and movement that demonstrate its ability to take a fence. For others, the ideal horse looks easy and pleasant to ride, exhibits good cadence, is steady and obedient, and moves with flat, even strides.
In recent months, the question of form to function and the purpose of a Hunter Under Saddle horse has been discussed widely across the Quarter Horse industry. The discussion hinges on a fundamental question of form-to-function. Are Hunter Under Saddle horses currently moving and performing according to the AQHA rulebook?
The first sentence addressing Hunter Under Saddle in the 2024 AQHA Rulebook states, “The purpose of the Hunter Under Saddle horse is to present or exhibit a horse with a bright, alert expression, whose gaits show potential of being a Working Hunter.”
AQHA Professional Horseman Lainie DeBoer of Dreamfield Stables sparked much of the initial discussion regarding the suitability of today’s Hunter Under Saddle horses. DeBoer trains and exhibits exclusively in the over fence divisions. In her view, the majority of current Hunter Under Saddle horses are not being exhibited according to the rulebook standards. She says, “I believe the current Hunter Under Saddle horse does not show to the rulebook requirements. We have gotten so far away from the purpose of the class and the general description of how the horses are to be presented that we have created a horse that doesn’t have a future as a hunter.”
Click here to read the complete article
66 – March/April, 2024
