Maplemeadows
Could you tell me more about your clinics? Who is the instructor? The Masters? Advertising- how and to whom? length of the clinic? etc.
PS please tell your Master Elaine that Missy Roetter says hi. I rode in Ireland with her 9 years ago.
check your PM’s
At our clinic we have one eventing trainer who hunts and several field hunter trainers. Jumping and hilltopping groups.
The membership cost. Last time I looked into it, it was near $800 a year. I just cant’ afford that and do the other things I do like showing. And I usually just show at schooling shows.
[QUOTE=mroetter;3669851]
Maplemeadows
Could you tell me more about your clinics? Who is the instructor? The Masters? Advertising- how and to whom? length of the clinic? etc.
We usually ask two experianced members to volunteer to teach the clinic. We hold one each season and it’s always the first Wednesday of August just before the Children’s hunt. By keeping the date consistent many who have attended hear about it from others who have previously attended and plan ahead to attend themselves. We usually send out e-mails to all members and any who have capped or ridden a hunter pace with us previously because there is obviously interest already. Members spread the word and post in their barns. We also place an ad in the local newspaper.
Our clinic is a one day. It includes “class room” sessions and “cross country” riding in groups. We want people to feel prepared and comfortable hunting with us so they can truly enjoy themselves. It’s important to put the emphasis on safety.
All you need to do is whip up the Hunt Saboteurs and get the politicians interested and in a frenzy to appease the urban population and go and put in legislation to attempt to ban hunting with hounds.
It’s what happened here and it increased hunt membership 5 fold :winkgrin:
Lots of good points made already.
Way back when, Bull Run had a very cheap social membership. Social members were welcome for that fee at all non-riding functions (except hunt ball for which everyone paid their way) and as a social member, you were welcome to come hunt and pay the capping fee. I don’t recall there was a limit on caps, as there was for guests, but such a membership is, I think, a good compromise for people who want to dip their toes in the water but for whatever reason don’t have the time to hunt often enough to justify full dues.
Junior members paid $25 a year, and ‘junior’ was defined as all the way through college.
We also tried, once, early 80s, a ‘free and open to anyone’ day and had gazillions of never-ever hunters turn out. Obviously we structured a number of extra hilltopper fields to accommodate the newcomers, and it was a pretty popular outing. But you do have to have a fixture that can accommodate large crowds and not every hunt does.
These days I mainly hunt out west, and I can tell you that pretty much every hunt, including Arapahoe, welcomes guests in whatever saddle, whatever attire they might have. The only requirement, generally, is a helmet and safe riding boots of some sort, but even the helmet is not a hangup if it’s cowboys/girls. Two positive effects from this- when the cowboys see just how much fun it is, and figure out that those people in the little bitty saddles and funny coats can really ride, word gets around about the ‘macho’ index and the sport is made even more welcome in the general area. Second thing- may of those cowboys/girls become pretty danged enamored of the sport. So once they throw in, they just naturally gravitate over time toward the correct attire, then the correct tack.
Here in huntless Utah, we do have an annual horse expo, and Back Country Horsemen has started a similar day but it’s limited to horse related non-profits, and the county, state and federal land management agencies. Likewise we have county and state fairs. If I had a subscription pack, I’d be setting up a booth at those gatherings, probably with a couple of friendly hounds (and if available irresistible pups) to meet and greet, and would exhibit the hounds with staff in full regalia as a part of the deal, maybe a couple of shows during the day. I would also (as Red Rock does) take my hounds to 4th of July parades, 4H and Pony Club meetings, anywhere that wants to see them. In other words, get out into the community instead of hoping the community will come to me.
Originally Posted by Painted Wings View Post
Membership is $10/month.
Uh, WOW! There’s such thing as a membership for us broke, college slummin, 20-somethings out there that cheap? If I only had a trailer and that kind of membership you would never get me to leave the field! Nor would you get me to my Wednesday classes but that’s another story 
(Mom, I know you wont admit it but lets face it, you approve of skipping classes in the name of hunting right? haha)
encourage “invites”
I went hunting today-I’m sorry to admit it was the first time this season. My son in college has taken my Saturdays for travel in NE for football games. Now it’s time to ride!
I brought a young gal who is in college and a friend who had never hunted before. Both loved it. My friend in her 30’s was very interested in what was going on. I explained the role of the whips, how they were placed, the scent, the horn blasts and so on.
It was cold in NE but the despite the frigid temps warm friendly members and active hounds kept us quite warm (thanks to Greg K and staff). I can’t say that either will ever join a hunt, but they will speak highly of their experiences and might encourage others to participate. I know both hope to hunt again in the near future.
Once “in” keeping people in is the key. In these tough economic times perhaps offering alternatives in membership fees/dues/caps/ might be helpful. Be creative!
I can ride to the Hunt by my farm ( I can actualy hear the hounds also) but I do not know anyone from the hunt. I plan on attending the Foxhunting clinic they hold each year and see if my STB is suitable. I have always been interested in foxhunting but have never known where to start.
Elaine
I have just started hunting (still a car follower at this point, but working on the riding) in part because of what I read here on this message board about how welcoming foxhunters are. I too had all the typical misconceptions about foxhunting and had never even considered it as something I would ever do. I am a conformation dog show breeder, but I’m very interested in functional working dogs. I am also interested in riding so… after reading a bunch of great things about foxhunting, I got online to try to find a hunt to contact.
The hunt I ended up contacting (after taking a deep breath and hoping I didn’t come off as a blithering idiot) has been even more wonderful and welcoming than I could have imagined. And I even get to hang out with the hounds at the kennel. Heaven for a dog person!!
One thing I haven’t seen mentioned yet as far as attracting new members is a website. Make sure your hunt has a web site and if you want visitors, state that on your web site. Make sure your hunt’s website is link on the MFHA website (one of the hunts in my area has a website I’m still not sure how I stumbled across). The hunt I contacted not only said on their main page that they welcome visitors, but also had a visitors page linked off the main site. Make sure your hunt lists who to contact, with an email address if possible. Much less scary to send an email than to call up a stranger IMO. I will say I think it is probably less intimidating for newcomers to read “contact Jane- our Honorable Secretary at xxx@xxx.com” than “contact the Honorable Secretary at xxx@xxx.com”, but I’m sure the second is more correct.
Thanks again to all the posters here who have encouraged everyone to contact hunts and try hunting. I never would have thought of it if I hadn’t read all of that information and yes, I’m totally hoooked now!
I know the gas prices hit a lot of our membership hard, and some members also lost their jobs or had hours cut, etc. Times are hard for lots of folks now and they are having to cut out some extras.
mroetter,
I’m in your area and I think what we don’t have here are hunter paces and the clinics and such that get people out to meet the hunt members or even know what the hunt is all about. It is fairly intimidating to stick your toe in and to tell you the truth, there are a lot of rules and tradition. Ways for people to learn the basics in a friendly environment might help encourage people to try it. I know the local hunt has just issued an invitation to our eventing group to come out for a day and if my horse and I weren’t both down and out, I would definitely have taken them up on it. More of those types of invitations and people to help you learn the ropes would generate interest. The cost is a bit prohibitive though so for people to get their feet wet, a pay as you go is far more inviting.
I have to say–cost is a huge part. Plus, some of the members can be stuffy, opinionated, name dropping jerks (!), just like real life… the majority of them are very nice, caring horse people.
It isn’t cheap! I wish there were a less expensive way to be introduced and ride for a season, without the cost of the formal stuff.
I am already into it for more than I care to admit, but I wanted to be correct. Some of the costs–those field boots (which I have seldom worn) are a no-no for the formal season. Used dress boots. Mid weight hunt coat, new because I couldn’t find used. Flat bridle, even on eBay- Capping until approved member (even though that is refunded, if approved)–subscription fee, application fee, some other fee, too. Various stuff that I didn’t have-- like brown gloves, black velvet helmet, canary vest, new breeches (I didn’t own tan), tweed jacket, shaped pad, stock tie, white ratcatcher, Cavallo boots for my horse that I don’t shoe (my choice), new Barbour, trailering… thank heavens, my horse was free!
Riding with the hunt—PRICELESS!
All of which is why I’ll probably never foxhunt even once, no matter how much I would love to. I own NO leather tack, flat or otherwise, no proper breeches, not even a pair of field boots, let alone dress boots.
The closest hunt to where I live is roughly forty miles away, and I have no trailer. If the day ever dawns that that hunt declares an open day for a minimal fee, come as you are, I will beg a trailer ride there somehow, provided I hear of it in time. Folks, its probably not gonna happen.
Plan B is I win the lottery or otherwise come in to a fortune or the kit somehow falls out of the sky, and a foxhunting enthusiast starts boarding next door and offers me the loan of everything I need and hauls me there. I simply dont have the disposable income or free time to haunt ebay or garage sales to get all that stuff, and cant justify the investment.
Until I met some people who belonged to a hunt, after our first hunter-pace, I always thought foxhunting was like country clubs - something very rich and fancy people got specially invited to do. I remember my husband and I talking on the way home about how surprised we were that these guys encouraged us to come ride with them, and were very welcoming and friendly.
I never got a chance to go then, but this year a friend invited me to go with another hunt, that happened to be riding out from a nearby farm (I don’t have a trailer), and I went and had a blast. Everyone was super friendly and encouraged me to come out again. I ended up going twice this season, but again, since I don’t have a trailer, going when they are riding in other locations is more difficult.
It is a rather structured, formal kind of event (but really kind of in the same way horse shows often are - the right turnout, certain rules, etc.), so I think it helps a lot to have someone knowledgeable help you get everything right. Otherwise that is kind of daunting.
In this day and age, especially to get younger folks involved, it probably helps to have publicity through websites or email, not just word of mouth.
I love the idea of introductory clinics.
We had our junior meet today and had a lot of kids out. Do all hunts do a junior meet?
There’s really not that much to buy if you already compete. Most hunts will let people hunt in field boots. Also many hunt in their dressage frocks or dark hunt coats. Very few people that ride English don’t have a pair of beige breeches. You can really put any plain bridle on your horse. The reason for flat tack is much of it is a little heavier and it’s a LOT easier to keep clean and inspect for wear and tear.
I hunted the first year in my dressage Frock, it still had the silver buttons but I didn’t know any different and no one said anything. Over the years I have accumulated the vest and all the proper items.
Of course now I just got my colors so I’m busily trying to figure out how to retrofit hunt coats and such. But I got a hand me down vest in the hunt colors. One of our hunt members is a seamstress and she put the colors on the collar and adjusted the fit of the vest for me. I sewed the buttons on myself.
We had a guy come hunt as a guest and he had bought all his hunt attire back east at second hand stores. He had the canary vest and everything. He did hunt in paddock boots and half chaps and no one cared. He had a great time and I expect him to be back. One of our masters loaned him a horse.
If I find out someone I know is hunting as a guest I will usually offer up a vest or any other items to help keep them comfortable so they have a good time. I have offered up a horse on occaision too and even hauled it. I usually have at least two horses hunting. Right now I have three but one is leased out. It’s kind of fun to be at a hunt and realize that you have three horses in the field, all homebreds.
I also have started inviting people to come out with the basset hounds too. There aren’t many hunting sports cheaper than that. Of course unless you are like me and have 8 beagles to feed.
[QUOTE=Elghund2;3690052]
We had our junior meet today and had a lot of kids out. Do all hunts do a junior meet?[/QUOTE]
we are having ours next saturday, but of course we always welcome guests
Jeano, just call the Master of that hunt 40 miles away and tell him/her of your interest! Pretty much as you told us- you’d love to try it sometime but know you don’t have the right tack and attire, and just ask point blank, are there any meets where I might be able to come incorrectly attired and hang out in the back? You might just be surprised at the answer.
And here’s a Plan B- just call and ask if you can come over and car follow. And then do it. And then when they see your interest face to face, they’ll say ‘well, come hunting with us some time,’ and then you can explain, no trailer, no attire, and I bet from there you will be out hunting before you know it!
Go for it, life’s too short to sit and wonder for very long!
it’s all about feeling “special”
I need to be careful how I say this but here goes. I can cite at least one example of a hunt where I have met several dozen people over the years who “used to hunt with …” . They liked hunting and many went on to join other hunts. They felt that there was clearly and “us and them” mentality. It included but was not limited barring access to hounds , staff joking about hiding from the field and an overall lack of the most admired leaders to "give anyone " the time of day . There were even days when the huntsmen felt it necessary to belittle the staff and/or not speak to them both infront of members and for weeks at a time -making it very uncomfortable for all who observed.
In another example I had a friend who clearly wanted to hunt with a group whose paces , etc she had attended. Despite long conversations with the Masters about hunting they never invited her . I told her to ask but she felt that according to protocol you must wait for an invite. She might be right-she is now hunting with another group.
The sport itself should be enough. However, if one has choices they will not remain with a group that shows no growth, remains stagnant in membership and allows for negative leadership . Sometimes that is hard to break especially if the leadership won’t change or is the only access to hounds or territory. Bite your tongue weekly, monthly and over the years and hope the gnawing pit settled in your stomach finally goes away? I think not.
To maintain an active hunt the following must be in place:
-tradition and pride
-good footing in the majority of the country to allow safe passage especially for guests.
-access to views/hounds and if out of view due to territory then there must be a full accounting by the field masters as to where the hounds are-what the territory is like and why we are “just standing here” ,.
-access to hounds for walking, etc. So many hunts make this an enjoyable event. Yes, the numbers wax and wane but you have so much more of a buy in when people KNOW the hounds
-consider capping packages for people to purchase that may not be a full subscription. Allow for “social” memberships, multiple cappings and other ways for people to participate all the while having them learn more about the workings of a hunt .
For some of us, hunting is an experience that we will never forget. Access to it should not be so difficult that you sacrifice family, and to put up with abuse from those in power. Sadly those hunts will perish and rightfully so.
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