Chester County PA help needed. Beginning hunter, where to hound walk

[Xctrygirl]

So since I am no longer an employed hunt groom, it’s substantially harder to find a way to expose the new horse to hound walking. Cheshire has significantly tightened the reins on who can hound walk and how much it costs.

I am trying to find a semi local way to go out on weekends and get him into the groove.

Anyone able to suggest any great alternatives???

Just so I am explaining the whole picture, he is entered in the Retired Racehorse Project Tb Makeover competition and I’d like to compete him in the fox hunter section as I believe he is REALLY well suited for it. This being based off my experience hunting with some of the top packs and loads of years as a hunt groom. He’s been fantastic in groups and with the limited exposure of a small group of friends dogs. (4) It’s not much but he definitely needs to see the real pack of hounds and see if he is still well suited.

Thanks in advance,

Emily

[lily04]

River Hills. Jimmy is a big supporter of racehorse retraining.

[SonnysMom]

Probably a bit of a hike but Bellwood in Spring City is a pretty friendly hunt. They have a new huntsman so I don’t know his feeling on hound walking with non-staff. Bellwood is a small farmers pack and has limited territory. However they may be a good starting point.

[chaserider]

[QUOTE=Xctrygirl;8171703]
So since I am no longer an employed hunt groom, it’s substantially harder to find a way to expose the new horse to hound walking. Cheshire has significantly tightened the reins on who can hound walk and how much it costs. Emily[/QUOTE]

I’m just a wannabe so I truly don’t know. And this is off the topic of your actual query, but…

Hunts charge you to houndwalk? Is this perhaps for non-members or for everybody that comes out? I didn’t realize there was a charge for this.

[jawa]

This would differ from club to club.

For my club, mounted hound exercise is open to members (and member’s grooms or staff) only, from mid-July to mid-August. Staff hunting begins mid-August and runs through early to mid-September.

There is no charge.

Once a month from the end of hunt season to the beginning of cubbing season the hunt offers trail rides hosted by members that live within the territory. It is free for members and a $10 fee for non-members.

[kcmel]

West Bradford is really low key, but we don’t go out until October, so probably too late for you. Andrews Bridge is doing some sort of trail rides throughout the summer, but I don’t think hounds are involved. I’m technically a land owner with Cheshire (lol!) but I don’t know if I can invite a guest? I haven’t gone out since they got stricter with who could hound walk.

[Xctrygirl]

[QUOTE=chaserider;8173092]
I’m just a wannabe so I truly don’t know. And this is off the topic of your actual query, but…

Hunts charge you to houndwalk? Is this perhaps for non-members or for everybody that comes out? I didn’t realize there was a charge for this.[/QUOTE]

A couple summers ago Cheshire was $400 per person for all 2 months of hound walking or $50 per time if you went sporadically. Now it’s MUCH more strict and closed off.

~Emily

[bornfreenowexpensive]

[QUOTE=Xctrygirl;8173853]
A couple summers ago Cheshire was $400 per person for all 2 months of hound walking or $50 per time if you went sporadically. Now it’s MUCH more strict and closed off.

~Emily[/QUOTE]

For landowners too? I would have thought the farm you are at is one of the landowners and could join hound exercising. Otherwise, just could call a few people to see if they would take him out for you. Have you contacted any of the other local hunts like maybe Andrew Bridge or River Hills over near Kirkwood? There are a bunch of smaller hunts around that would likely be better for a young horse anyway.

[Xctrygirl]

They’re not members. Of any hunt. So no go there. I am in the process of checking with River Hills and some other smaller ones. Cochran is possible and close, but they only go once a week. So if it rains you’re behind a week. Plus they have a max of 50 people per outing. So we’ll have to see.

Em

[bornfreenowexpensive]

[QUOTE=Xctrygirl;8176606]
They’re not members. Of any hunt. So no go there. I am in the process of checking with River Hills and some other smaller ones. Cochran is possible and close, but they only go once a week. So if it rains you’re behind a week. Plus they have a max of 50 people per outing. So we’ll have to see.

Em[/QUOTE]

It used to be that the landowners…even if not a member of Cheshire could go hound exercising. I thought they had tightened up on just anyone going but would be surprised if a landowner couldn’t pay a capping fee. But if you want to go out a lot…then that is different.

[Xctrygirl]

“A lot” is of course relative. I would say more than 10 times between hound walking and cubbing. But not a full season and not every opportunity. Just enough to get him exposed, we’re talking an hour or so at a time, and see if he does like it. If he doesn’t, I think that would be obvious inside of the first 5 outings.

Em