# Training a hunter under saddle horse?



## mildot (Oct 18, 2011)

Get him and thee to a dressage trainer. Tell him or her what you want to achieve, then follow their advice.


----------



## back again (Mar 29, 2011)

One of the horses that I am riding at the moment can be a bit like that. If you just ask him to move up without properly engaging him he rushes and falls onto his forehand -- the end result is short fast choppy steps that are uncomfortable for both him and me.
But if you take the time to get him working through properly with lots of transitions within the gait, he will soften and his stride completely changes (ie. slow the trot 10 steps, move forward 10 steps and then bring him back again). From there we start spiraling in and out of the circle and move onto leg yield etc. working on improving the connection once we have the relaxation. 

But by giving him something to do (keep changing what you are doing) and really give him a chance to relax, they find it easier to track up and supple through. And from there you can work on connection and what ever else you want.


----------



## howrsegirl123 (Feb 19, 2012)

Thanks, I'll try that (the transitions.)


----------



## maura (Nov 21, 2009)

Why would you take a Quarter Horse showing QH show hunters to a dressage trainer instead of a QH trainer or even a hunter trainer? 

The goals and expectations of each of the disciplines are quite different.


----------



## mildot (Oct 18, 2011)

Yeah I guess if a peanut roller is what you want, don't go to a dressage trainer.


----------



## maura (Nov 21, 2009)

Hmmmmmm. Sounds like discipline snobbery, again. A dressage trainer is a good answer to many training questions, but not all training questions, and most likely, not this one. 

Oh, and by the way, get your stereotypes right - Western Pleasure horses are supposed to be the peanut rollers, not QH hunters.


----------



## mildot (Oct 18, 2011)

maura said:


> Oh, and by the way, get your stereotypes right - Western Pleasure horses are supposed to be the peanut rollers, not QH hunters.


Around these parts they are the same in different tack.


----------



## howrsegirl123 (Feb 19, 2012)

No, actually, you just hear about peanut rollers in western pleasure.


----------



## maura (Nov 21, 2009)

Mildot, 

I've never seen hunters, even breed show hunters, which are very different, look like peanut rollers -

Here's AQHA hunter under saddle -





 
Here's a video of USEF pony hunters under saddle, not a peanut roller in the bunch -





 
The AQHA hunters do travel very differently, and with a very different headset, but you can hardly characterize them as peanut rollers.


----------

