What movement qualities should you look for in a hunter prospect?

The movement qualities that hunter judges reward — and that therefore define what to look for in a hunter prospect — are specific and recognizable qualities that are largely natural rather than trained, making movement evaluation one of the most important components of hunter prospect assessment. The trot is the primary movement assessment for hunter prospects because hunter under saddle classes are judged at the trot, and the trot quality significantly influences how the horse looks in the approach and departure of hunter fences. The ideal hunter trot is long-striding and ground-covering, with the front leg reaching well forward from a free, elastic shoulder and the hind leg tracking up behind the front with an active, swinging quality. A naturally smooth, floating quality to the trot — the horse appearing to glide rather than bounce or chop — is highly valued because it produces both the aesthetic quality that hunter judges reward and the rideability that allows the horse to maintain consistent pace throughout a course. The canter quality is equally important because hunters are judged primarily in the canter — the quality of the working canter, its rhythm and balance, and its ease of adjustability are all observable in a prospect's natural canter before any training has refined these qualities. A naturally three-beat canter with a clear moment of suspension and a balanced, slightly uphill quality will develop more easily into the show ring hunter canter than one that is flat, pacey, or heavily on the forehand. The walk, while less frequently shown in hunter classes, should be active and free with a clear four-beat sequence and good overtrack — a restricted or lateral walk often reflects overall tension or physical limitation that may affect other qualities. The overall impression of the horse's movement should be of effortlessness and natural quality rather than of an athletic horse working hard to produce its movement.