About AQHA - Disciplines
English Classes

Hunter Hack is the transitional English class between Hunter Under saddle and Working hunter, and requires a Quarter Horse to move freely and easily while jumping small fences. Horses are required to jump 2 fences, ranging in height from 2’ to 2.9’. After completing the jumps the horses are then shown at a walk, trot and canter along the rail in both directions. Horses are judged on manners and way of going, both on the flat and over fences.

Hunter under Saddle is the preliminary class for English riding disciplines and judges evaluate   the way of going of a hunter type horse on the flat, at a walk, trot and canter. Exhibitors in this event must wear traditional English attire consisting of a hunt coat, breeches, high English boots and hunting cap. Horses circle the perimeter of an arena, performing each gait called, at the judges discretion. Particular emphasis is paid to the smoothness of gait, free flowing stride and a willingness to perform.


Hunt Seat Equitation is an English class designed to test the equitation of amateur and youth contestants and not the performance of the horse. As in western horsemanship, contestants must individually work a predetermined pattern consisting of manoeuvres such as changing gaits (walk, trot, canter); travel in a figure-8 pattern and back up. Top riders return to the arena as a group and are judged on the rail, performing gait changes at the judge’s discretion. Emphasis is placed on the rider’s ability to sit in the saddle correctly, hold the correct riding posture and control the horse.

Photo: Courtesy of Francene Neuendorf