Our hunt is experiencing a decline in membership. Are any other hunts out there having the same problem. How are other hunts recruitinng new members?
It seems alot of hunts up here in New England are eager to recruit new members. The hunts have alot of older members that have been around for years but are lacking new, younger members coming in.
From what I have observed many have offered Introductory Foxhunting clinics , hunter paces and hunt trail rides to help recruite possible members. Hunter trials and Field hunter horse shows run like the old fashioned Hunter shows can help to attract new members as well.
I think the intro clinics are a big hit and a wonderful way to ease into foxhunting. I honestly would have never started hunting myself if there was not a clinic available in my area for us newbies.
Clinics, trail rides, paces etc are all good. The best thing is to be very welcoming to new people. I know when I started there were some hunts that were standoffish to say the least. I joined Loudoun Hunt West because the people were helpful and very friendly.
I’m trying my heart out to try to recruit new pony clubbers to hunt, but I find that many have pre-conceived notions about it, and aren’t even willing to give it a try. Very sad really, because the more I hunt, the more I realize I like it better than eventing, show jumping, or dressage. I do wish more people would at least give it a try!
I think for people like me who have no exposure-it just looks very formal-with the dress and all. So I never thought about it. But the more I learn about it-it seems fun. I am moving and there is a hunt somewhat close to me (they hunt NOv to april and hunt coyotes-s.cal) . I might just try it out-but just saying from appearances it looks very formal -kind of a like a black tie occassion as opposed to just wearing your jeans and t shirts. But that is just my perception -when I am moving I might check it out -it certainly looks like fun…
Hunting caught my heart
Hunting was something I always wanted to do but never actively pursued it. Truthfully, the idea was rather intimidating. But when I received an invitation to hunt opening day as a member’s guest I jumped on the opportunity. Wow!
I LOVED it. The history, the tradition, learning about the hounds, the sport, the people, and of course everything about the ride.
Joining a hunt is out of the question for me now but it is definitely part of my long-term plan.
We have a junior foxhunter program
This is to get more members eventually
How does a Junior Foxhunter Program work?
We send out information on our hunts to all the area riding schools – and get almost NO response. I’m not sure why, but I would guess:
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The (mostly) women at these schools don’t like the idea of killing (or even chasing) animals.
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Many trainers and barn owners seem actively opposed because they are afraid their students will get hurt.
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A lot of horse owners don’t own trailers and so can’t get their animals to the hunts.
I don’t know how to get around these objections.
ETA - actually we could get around #3 by announcing we’d have a trailer come by each school if required – but that would be a HUGE effort.
Membership is $10/month.
We have a Junior Membership coordinator who actively recruits. Even with that we only have about 10 Junior members. But its a start. One of our Master’s keeps her horse at her Dad’s place that is a reasonably priced boarding stable. She hauls some of the juniors with her. It is important though to get the support of the trainers. Otherwise you won’t have much luck
What’s your cut-off age for Juniors?
I really think the breakdown is transportation. Lots of people have a horse and the desire to go, but no way to get to the hunt location. We could probably have 20 times the turnout we have now if everybody interested could get to the hunt.
We have found our summer foxhunting clinic draws a few new cappers each season. We hold it early in the cubbing season at a location we plan to hunt the following day. The clinic is inexpensive and the hunt the following day is our childrens hunt. All juniors hunt at no charge the day of our childrens hunt. Normally we keep our junior membership at only $75 to encourage more young riders to join us. We also encourage our regular members to make an effort to offer trailer pick up for any juniors living near their barn or on the way to the fixture.
This past summer we had six adults attend our foxhunting clinic and all came out to hunt. Four joined as new members for the season!
Our hunter paces are also a great way to get new riders to the hunt. We make a strong effort to chat at the lunch with all the riders who attended the pace. We bring along a couple of hounds and handouts about our hunt to share with riders at the pace. Our MFH personally works the start line so she can introduce herself to each team and welcome them to one of our hunting territories. The beauty of the property alone gets people excited about joining us for a days hunting.
Lastly we hold a kennel day for pony club and 4-Hers. It gives the kids a chance to meet up close and personal with our loveable hounds. It’s a really great time and parents enjoy it just as much as the kids!
Anything you can do to project a positive image of your hunt and hounds will pay off to increase your membership.
ding!
I ride at home, in an isolated area which is mostly residential (you should see some of the reactions I get when I tell people that there are horses on this road!) - meaning there are no other horse owners within a reasonable trailering distance without someone going grossly out of the way. I have tried finding someone to hire to get me to a hunt, and even that didn’t work.
As a dressage person who does not hunt but plans on eventually doing so as it sounds like such fun I wanted to offer an opinion. It is intimidating to contact a hunt not knowing whether your riding ability is sufficient to warrant an invite or whether your horse is up to the challenge. It isn’t like a horse show where you can go and watch, gradually immersing yourself into the sport. The only hunt in my area, to the best of my knowledge, has not advertised any kind of clinic, kennel visits, walking the hounds, etc. I believe they do have a hunter pace. Those members that I have met are very friendly and welcoming. After discovering that my dressage horse has a great dislike of anything canine, it is doubtful he would make a good candidate for hunting. However, as a prospective recruit, activities that did not involve my needing a horse would not only get me initially involved but keep me involved until I purchased an appropriate horse. Who knows the extra horse in your barn might be sold to someone just like me. I suspect that many, who are unable to ride at the moment, would enjoy non riding activities. I think your new members are out there and many of us are just waiting for the right opportunity to participate. Some people are a bit shy at trying new things. They just need the right kind of encouragement.
As someone who has never hunted but thought the notion of going out with your favorite horse and bunch of dogs (“hounds”, sorry…) while enjoying the wildlife and scenery is intriguing. So why have not tried it yet? There are several perceptions that might be very incorrect… But very real… And here they are…
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You “have to” be a super rider, someone who is very very brave and someone who can ride before he/she can walk. If you cannot gallop at a break neck speed while jumping jumps, forget about it…
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You have to pack with $$$$, sort of born with silver spoon, someone who don’t need to work. If you have to work and your job happen to be something less than corporate executives, forget about it.
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The formality is somehow intimidating. No one wants to make a fool of themselves and it seems that they “will” make a fool of themselves if they have no prior exposures to hunting etiquettes. I’m not saying the formality should be dropped. As a matter of fact, this kind of “dressing up” could be fun for many people. It is just that if you don’t know what to expect, it is hard to feel comfortable.
As I said, I have never hunted so these ideas could be very way off. But I bet many people have similiar perceptions and they are huge road blocks.
Would inviting them to the after hunt “breakfast” get them to come out, you think?
the sub junior are called youth riders
[QUOTE=Painted Wings;3668577]
Membership is $10/month.
We have a Junior Membership coordinator who actively recruits. Even with that we only have about 10 Junior members. But its a start. One of our Master’s keeps her horse at her Dad’s place that is a reasonably priced boarding stable. She hauls some of the juniors with her. It is important though to get the support of the trainers. Otherwise you won’t have much luck[/QUOTE]
actually they are not members yet but can be when they reach the age of majority.
the very low youth “ride along” fee is to grow future junior members.
it is well organized and will [we hope] pay back in future membership.
young fox hunters [through 18]
junior members [18 through 25]
regular members [26 up]
besides transportation and parental help
another problem is that when hunting particularly at some fixtures [state owned]
A small game permit is required and that requires a hunter safety course.
[QUOTE=Gloria;3669206]
As someone who has never hunted but thought the notion of going out with your favorite horse and bunch of dogs (“hounds”, sorry…) while enjoying the wildlife and scenery is intriguing. So why have not tried it yet? There are several perceptions that might be very incorrect… But very real… And here they are…
-
You “have to” be a super rider, someone who is very very brave and someone who can ride before he/she can walk. If you cannot gallop at a break neck speed while jumping jumps, forget about it…
-
You have to pack with $$$$, sort of born with silver spoon, someone who don’t need to work. If you have to work and your job happen to be something less than corporate executives, forget about it.
-
The formality is somehow intimidating. No one wants to make a fool of themselves and it seems that they “will” make a fool of themselves if they have no prior exposures to hunting etiquettes. I’m not saying the formality should be dropped. As a matter of fact, this kind of “dressing up” could be fun for many people. It is just that if you don’t know what to expect, it is hard to feel comfortable.
As I said, I have never hunted so these ideas could be very way off. But I bet many people have similiar perceptions and they are huge road blocks.[/QUOTE]
Let me preface this by saying I’m no expert, but this has been my personal experience…
I had some of these exact same misconceptions years ago when I first moved to the DC/Northern VA area. I’m sure that there are SOME hunt people like this, but the majority of the ones I’ve run into over the years are not at all like this. When I boarded in Maryland, the Potomac Hunt would come to our farm a couple of times a year. My friends and I would hang out with them afterwards and chat - most of them were really nice and friendly and happily answered all of our questions. (I remember one couple in particular with whom we chatted about their gorgeous matching deerskin breeches that they’d received as gifts from a friend.) From experience, I can tell you that Hunter’s Rest, Wateryglen, and JSwan from this BB are NOT AT ALL like this. They are some of the most down to earth, genuinely nice people I’ve ever met.
To blow the rest of your misconceptions out of the water, no, you don’t have to be “very very brave”. 
I’m not brave, nor am I a “super” rider, and I survived cubbing just fine. Sure, I was kind of terrified at first, but then the “survival” mechanism kicked in and I figured, “Dammit, I’m here to have fun. It’s time to grow up and get over it!” And I had a BLAST. I enjoyed it so much that I’m hopefully going hilltopping in a few weeks. Yes, I still need to be with a “slower” group, and that’s OK. I don’t jump, either, and I want to be really, REALLY SOLID as a rider before I even attempt anything beyond that. But that’s OK with me. I enjoyed riding at the back and I liked meeting new people.
If you are not brave or your horse needs a boost of confidence to do it, there are so many ways to build up to that. Not everyone’s horse was just born to do it right away. And if you do it right and go out with a great hunt who has a group of hilltoppers who are a little more laid back, it’s a wonderful way to build up your bravery. If I can do it, anyone can.
Also, not all the people who hunt live in big, fancy houses with white pillars out front, either. 
Several of them are just average people who get up and go to work in the mornings. And as for the formality, sure, it can be a little intimidating, but that’s why you talk to the field secretary and find out exactly what’s expected. From what I’ve seen and read, a lot of the time, they’re a more lenient with guests who probably won’t have all the proper equipment or gear. If you’re a member, sure it’s expected you have what you need, but as a guest? Nah… I was made to feel incredibly welcome by everyone, even though I forgot my brown gloves and had to wear black and didn’t have flat tack.
For myself, I would join a hunt in a second, but the only two things that hold me back right now are transportation (no truck or trailer) and the cost. However, it’s definitely a goal I’d like to accomplish within the next year or so. :yes:
I think we should all read & heed what Gloria said. I think she hit the nail on the head! It’s “perceptions” in many cases. It sure was for me! We are all ambassadors for our sport whenever someone learns we are foxhunters. Welcoming people to come see/enjoy/experience our sport is THE most important recruitment device IMHO. And you never know when the new person you’re talking to might own 2000 acres or a chicken neck factory or whatever!!! :D;)
But, much like fishermen, we foxhunters are known to exagerate our experiences into scary stories that freak others out. They say the fish was 2 ft long - we say it was a 4 foot coop with a blind takeoff and a landing 3 feet downhill into a creek! :winkgrin: They say they fished from dawn to dusk for hours- we say we hunted for 6 hours and well after dark! :winkgrin: We scare people when we say we covered 20 miles or galloped for hours in ankle deep mud, on asphalt or downhill etc. When the truth is likely a less glamorous version!! :yes: Less glam version? :D:lol: "We hunted for 3 hours but I went in at 2…and we trotted across a soft corn field…we trotted an ancient 2 foot coop in a flat hedgerow…we covered 5 miles in a loop…we had breathers in between the runs (BOTH of them btw!)…it was dark when I got home from the breakfast!!! :D:lol::lol::lol:
But in some areas of the country, there is NOT active recruitment going on tho’. In the Wash DC area, many (most?)hunts are trying to LIMIT their memberships and field sizes. Thats why the dues & caps are so expensive. Many don’t do any public events or advertising and stay under the radar a bit. Some of these hunts appear exclusive when they are really just trying to keep the numbers down some. Their landowners and territories can’t handle big fields. They don’t want to sacrifice the quality of the hunting too. And all hunts want “good” members over just members I think. And I gotta think the current economy is affecting all horsesports too.
Coming from a local level hunter show ring as a kid and financing dear daughters rodeo and rodeo queening experiences, the $$$ needed to outfit one person for foxhunting is really simple. Hunt attire nevers goes out of style or changes so one pair of black dress boots, one black coat and so forth will have you correct for many years- a very affordable outfit to own. Ditto the tack- inherited hunting tack seems more desireable than most anything new!
Wateryglenns exageration example is spot on. Some stories to grow over time. Like any riding activity, hunting begins with baby steps and there is a season to the training. It would be harder, but not impossible, to begin hunting during the season. The two hunts I’ve been a member of have always encouraged and provided a safe place for new folks at any time during the year.
Even while hunting on Weds, three horses in second flight/hilltopping were having a really bad day so that pace kicked way back. That fieldmaster sent me ahead with first flight- my mare doesn’t jump safely which is why I hilltop her but hunting pace is a no brainer for her so off we went skirting the jumps as needed.
Then I made a gaff…we were at a check, visiting and passing flask. The hilltop fieldmaster, the one who had sent me ahead w/ first flight, let me know by turning in her sadle and telling me “SLW, they are hunting again”. Thinking she was letting me know to go ahead and join them I replied “Oh, that’s okay, I’m back here visiting!” LOL, she was telling nicely “time to quiet up girlie”. I laughed my hiney off when my narsicitic self put two and two together and she and I laughed about that at lunch.
There are core people who contribute much in the way of land and finances which the hunt needs to survive. In our hunt those folks are very nice and seem to not expect anything special in return other than to enjoy hunting. The rest of us juggle our work schedules to make it possible to go out as often as we want. I’m very fortunate in that the kennels are just 15 minutes from my house- a drive an hour or more for each hunt it would much different.
I hold many of the same perceptions- but I was invited to the local hunt’s “guest day” this Sunday by a member, which I would think would be a good way to recruit new members 
Hopefully some of my misconceptions will be erased this weekend!!
