Trotting horse + jump....

[kafar]

...entering the ring. Exiting the ring. So done.

Handy hunter? Do they go over low jumps at a trot? Hunter type jumps, of course.

4-H type shows?

Looking for ideas. I'm having brain freeze. [do we have a smiley for that?]
Vikki :D

[sassymiss]

Here are some things I can think and that I have used with my trotting hunters:

~Handy hunter - trotting jump (yes, they can require a trot jump and they aren't always as low as you'd think!)
~Entering/exiting ring
~Courtesy circle for soundness (a requirement in most hunter/jumper classes I believe)
~Hunter hack - I think this is mostly a stock type class but you have to show on the rail then do 2 jumps. So you could have them trotting for rail work...
~Schooling show - have it trotting crossrails for warmup or a green horse or rider trotting a jump in the class (there are probably some specific classes that allow trotting jumps but I don't know them specifically)

That's all I can think of. I usually use the handy hunter or the courtesy circle for my entries. :)

[thebillybo]

Great ideas... I can also add that in CA we usually had hunter hack at the local unrated shows, rail class and then the 2 jumps. Open to all breeds... My QH was competing alongside TBs and ponies and Appies. :)

[Pizzazz]

I've also used trotting horses in cross-rail hunter classes. It's an open/schooling show class for beginners & can be trotted. All of the jumps are cross-rails set in a simple pattern.

Trina

[DrSteggy]

FWIW, as a judge, I much prefer a horse that is actually performing part of the class, rather than "entering/leaving." :D

Jackie

[Jennifer]

Although it's not truly a hunter class, you could use your trotting model in a hunt seat equitation class. Riders are often asked to trot a fence in the workoff, occasionally without their irons! Equitation horses wear all the same tack as a regular hunter, sometimes with the addition of boots.

[kafar]

Bless you, one and all. My frozen brain thanks you.
:rocker
Vikki :D

[Mary]

All really excellent suggestions. I have always thought the PS Palouse is very much like what you see in local English shows and events, and would be great in that kind of performance.

Another idea is lower-level eventing, Novice and even Training level. There is no requirement on pace, you can trot all the jumps if you like (you are just likely to incur a lot of time penalties.) Just be sure to check the height of the obstacle, and the color of the jump number, with the division level. You can get that in the Rules at www.useventing.com.

Plenty of event riders go slowly as either they, their horse, or both are new to eventing. Others go slowly because they just like to do the courses and the tests, and don't care where they place. Most get to do an entire cross-country course only in competition.

Publicity eventing photos favor those hard-charging do-or-die jumping efforts. But most eventers stay at the lower levels, so at a real event you see a fair number of riders trotting all or part of the lower courses.

[sassymiss]

Ohh. I just thought of another one that is inline with Mary's eventing but perhaps would be easier if you didn't have all the eventing rules. Around here, we have hunter paces. They are done on an outdoor sort of cross country course (but not big huge jumps) and the "pace" is set by whatever team starts first or from a pre-determined pace (usually from the previous event on that course). Then the placing are made by whomever kept up with the pace, was slowest, etc...all fun awards and nothing real serious. Just finishing first does not always mean you win either. I don't know the specific "rules" but most of the riders go just to "trail ride" and play. The rules state that you don't even *have* to take the jumps if you don't want or if you want to do some and not the others, it doesn't matter. I think those who choose to do an all flat course are called "hill toppers" and they just trot/canter around the jumps. The riders are in teams so if you had more than one horse they could be part of the pace group. So if you had a low cross country or outdoor looking jump, you could do a hunter pace. :)