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Flowerhill Equestrian Center
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OVERVIEW Ireland is a country known the world over for its outstanding horses, and the Irish Hunter is no exception. Excellent over fences, the solidly built Irish Hunter is a combination of Irish Draft horses and Thoroughbred. As the name implies, this horse is a popular hunting horse and is known as a horse suited to one and even two days of hunting per week during the hunting season. The general characteristics of Hunters call for a bold, intelligent horse with great stamina and jumping ability. Good conformation is also desirable due to the long hours endured by both horse and rider. PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION The Irish Hunter can be found in all colours except skewbald and piebald. The head is well proportioned, the eyes are large and expressive, ears are nicely shaped and long and the neck is lengthy and muscular with a slight arch. The classic Hunter is well-proportioned with a sloping shoulder, strong back and loins. A well-set head allows the horse to keep balance in all paces. Depending on the classification, Hunters stand at varying heights. There are five categories for the horses depending on weight of the rider and height of the horse: up to 175 lb., up to 196 lb., over 196 lb., small (14.2-15.2 hh), and lady's. In addition, there are sub-categories for show horses that are also used in the field: lightweight working Hunter, heavyweight working Hunter, and child's working Hunter. INTERESTING FACTS The Irish Hunter is well known for it's general robustness. It is usually a healthy animal and easy to feed. Most importantly the Irish Hunter is a brave and intelligent animal, making it all the more easy to handle. It is powerful yet agile, with great reserves of stamina. These are the characteristics which account for it's popularity as a world class show jumper. ORIGIN The Irish Hunter is the result of crossing good weight-carrying Irish Draft mares with Thoroughbred stallions. |
