TIPS AND PITFALLS

Remember, if a horse touches one pole off behind, I would not be as harsh with the style marks as I would be if he crashes a pole out with his front leg — if this was done out hunting, you would have a bad fall. Judging a working hunter is about finding the most valuable hunter in the ring.

Don’t add strides that aren’t there — if I saw someone add a stride down a related distance, I would deduct style marks as they clearly don’t trust the horse.

It may be a simple exercise, but I find it helpful, both in my own training as well as during lessons.

Using placing poles in such a way means you can be more mindful of your own position and how the horse is jumping.