Disillusioned with the show scene...want to try hunting...

[Beverley]

With regard to translating one’s competitive nature to a non-competitive sport such as hunting:

I showed mostly western growing up, then showed jumpers in France, then simultaneously started showing hunters and foxhunting. In showing or eventing, yeah, the juices get flowing, you want to be the best, and at the same time you reap considerable satisfaction from enjoying the results of the gazillions of hours spent training your horse and yourself.

When hunting, your horse is your transportation and your health insurance policy. When you are galloping over hill and dale, jumping trappy fences or sagebrush or ditches, and enjoying the sights and sounds of a good pack of hounds in full cry, in my opinion your satisfaction (or conversely dissatisfaction!) with your horse is orders of magnitude greater than it is with any form of competition. You’re having a real life out of ring experience. You and your horse are looking out for each other and enjoying the proceedings immensely albeit from slightly different perspectives. To take an accomplished (but hopelessly bored) show ring horse out into the ‘real world’ in such a manner is really, really fun when the horse says to you “what the heck to you so long to introduce me to this?”

I’ve got boxes full of ribbons and trophies and the few hundred won since moving to Utah on various and sundry walls and shelves. And they are all special to me. But the hunting recollections are way more special!

[naters]

HELLO. Get your a$$ down here. Plenty of hunting activities, and HUNT WEEK is not far away.

Tons of hunter paces (FUN FUN FUN!), and I know the Master over at Belle Meade Hunt, and he is super nice. He has tons of extra horses and is always offering them up to me (I am too chicken to go first flight, but would hilltop if I had someone along!!)

My friend Jacqueline rides them all, and can give you the scoop on the horses…

As I said:

GET YOUR A$$ DOWN HERE.

That is all,

thank you

[naters]

@Im Natives Last;3554967

Moore County Hounds are having a Hunter Pace November 9, I think. That is a good place to meet members and get a feel for things. I used to hunt before I had kids, and we may get back into it this year. One bit of advice, I’d take the paint the first few times. Sometimes the fancy horses are not the best hunters! I have OTTB’s, but usually hunt QH’s.

Please post a link? I would love to go, and it is too bad the Hunter paces aren’t better advertised, I know a TON of people that would like to go.

And all of the foxhunters I have met, have been SO very welcoming and encouraging. Plus, you can carry a flask

Don’t forget to always make a contribution for the hounds, especially if you are invited as a guest, etc.

[SLW]

Beverly- well said!

In the past week I’ve taken a horse I bought in August who has never hunted, out twice for cubbing. His reaction has been " wow, this damn good stuff!" and on those two hunts I’ve done more with him than the 7 rides I did on him before hunting him.

Sure, he’s a seasoned trail horse but foxhunting can be like a trail ride on LSD.

[xeroxchick]

All the other posters gave you good advice and encouragement. Just please keep the competitive thing in check because you won’t make many friends if you get carried away and cut people off on a run, etc. in the spirit of competition.
Some eventers over-ride their horses by insisting the horse stay on the bit and flexed the whole four or five hours, don’t do this.

[IFG]

[QUOTE=LookinSouth;3555680]
Hi IFG, I think I PM’d you about a intro clinic awhile back. Did you end up going to the Tanheath clinic? I wanted to do it again this year but I had to deal with some unexpected vet bills:no:[/QUOTE]

Yes, went to the Tanheath intro clinic. They were very nice, and we had a blast. I had expected my OTTB (who is 16, but often still excitable) to be high as a kite. He was terrific. I put a pelham on him, and he was easy to stop.

As for the hounds, he was facinated. I hope it goes as well when we join an actual hunt. I am out of town on business a lot this month, but Tanheath is having an Intro hunt on Oct 19. I like the idea of a live hunt, so that is why I decided to start with Tanheath.

HHH, you must be north of me. I have heard ONBH is lovely, but they are quite a haul. Norfolk has been very welcoming too, but I think that they will travel a bit faster than I want for a first season with a frequently hot horse.

Hope to see several of you out in the field. As ArmandH suggests, I will be doing my best to keep my horse under control and out of other’s way.

[LookinSouth]

[quote=IFG;3557301]
Yes, went to the Tanheath intro clinic. They were very nice, and we had a blast. I had expected my OTTB (who is 16, but often still excitable) to be high as a kite. He was terrific. I put a pelham on him, and he was easy to stop.

As for the hounds, he was facinated. I hope it goes as well when we join an actual hunt. I am out of town on business a lot this month, but Tanheath is having an Intro hunt on Oct 19. I like the idea of a live hunt, so that is why I decided to start with Tanheath.

[quote]

Awesome! I will probably be at the Pomfret hunt in Oct. this month and possibly another. In addition, Tanheath will probably be hunting in Scotland, CT in early November which I will definitely be at since it’s my town and I’ve been helping with the arrangements of the fixture. Hope to see you there.

[Im_Natives_Last]

[QUOTE=naters;3557124]
Please post a link? I would love to go, and it is too bad the Hunter paces aren’t better advertised, I know a TON of people that would like to go.

And all of the foxhunters I have met, have been SO very welcoming and encouraging. Plus, you can carry a flask

Don’t forget to always make a contribution for the hounds, especially if you are invited as a guest, etc.[/QUOTE]

They don’t have a website, everything is by mail. Someone posted the contact info for the secretary a while back, I would start there, or if that doesn’t work, I’ll find my flyer and post it for you.

[Ray]

just in case anyone had not heard about:
he ONBH 2008 Fall Hunter Pace will be on Sunday, October 5 at Great Brook Farm State Park, Carlisle, Massachusetts.

Teams of 2 to 3 riders will ride the park trails and compete in three divisions - Fences, Flats, and Leisure. Trails are well-marked, and the emphasis is on fun.

For more information, call Meta Greenberg at (617) 332-9265 or email her at meta@comcast.net.
www.onbh.org/onbhhunterpaces.htm

[nightsong]

I understand the “competitive” impulse, at least for ME. It comes, not from a desire to be better than others, but just to be good. Hunting is demanding ENOUGH that that is satisfied in SPADES and you don’t NEED the artificial competition of beating OTHERS when you’re satisfied that you did good enough for YOU. JMHO…

[armandh]

+1

[QUOTE=nightsong;3562437]
I understand the “competitive” impulse, at least for ME. It comes, not from a desire to be better than others, but just to be good. Hunting is demanding ENOUGH that that is satisfied in SPADES and you don’t NEED the artificial competition of beating OTHERS when you’re satisfied that you did good enough for YOU. JMHO…[/QUOTE]

that is what I like most about hunting
a great view, a great run, the game marked to ground
it just doesn’t get any better than that!

[eventer_mi]

Geez - I just want to survive my first few hunts - forget about cutting people off in an attempt to be “first”!

The only thing that’s holding me back are the annual dues - youch. I understand that the hunt needs them to run/field a pack, but they were a bit higher than anticipated - more than I pay in a year for events, since I can’t afford to even that much.

Naters, you are hilarious. When are you going to come up and play on the Foundation with me? I did tell you that I’m no longer at North Star, right? Wanna do the Hunt Pace with me (Moore County)?

[Meshach]

oooh, if you or anyone here reading this that wants to meet up at moss foundation, please send me a PM. I really want to start going down there more since the heat of the summer is over and I have to get my horse back in shape (Mr. Fatty McFatterson). I am all the way up in N. Durham but I can’t find any good places up this way to do some conditioning work (we’re talking trotting and some canter – not hell bent for leather).

I think I am going to be resigned to going down to SP for the good footing. I was thinking of going to the foundation this sunday morning.

[naters]

Kim -
Any time. Although I am a little travel shy right now, I just had two flat tires on the horse trailer, on I95 the other day coming back from bragg. My horse was a trooper. Beware the construction up there on I95 in NC! My tires got slashed on my driver side.

Beau was a VERY good boy. He ended up staying the night at Mr. Gore’s (yep, of Gore Trailers) self storage facility, and they let me stay in their house.

They fixed us up and we were back on the road the next morning.

[eventer_mi]

Amy, geesh, that’s scary. Glad to hear that Beau (and you) are okay. COme on down and play with me when you get the chance.

Meshach - my boys live at Denny’s until December, so any time you wanna come down and ride on the FOundation (and even school Denny’s xc course), let me know. THis Sunday I’ll be in your neck of the woods, actually - I’m doing a couple of dressage tests at MacNair’s, and the following Sunday I’ll be at FenRidge watching Christan ride my baby 'round his very first show, ever, but I’m always free and willing on Saturdays (and most Sunday, with the exception of the next two).

Come on down! The weather and footing are lovely!

[Meshach]

thanks, eventer_mi, I will take you up on that! I am ending up doing the hunter pace tomorrow at quail roost instead of SP. But I will look at my calendar and send you a PM. thanks so much! Good luck at macnairs!

[wateryglen]

now wait a minute!!

Hey you guys; we aren’t telling the whole truth here if we say hunting isn’t competitive! :winkgrin:
I mean…isn’t there a fashion competition going on with some people?! Like MY stock is poofier than yours!! Or MY cubbing habit is purtier than yours! etc!! My fav is the “my coat costs less than yours” competition! I always win!
And…there’s an untalked about competition on horses! I had a regular joke that I had the prettiest horse in the field! Best draft-cross horse in the field!! Cutest pony!
And…there’s the turnout competition! Cleanest tail, prettiest tail, tails DESERVE compliments when they are truly white! Least pre-hunt dirt on butts contest! Best clip contest! Best use of show sheen! Best paint!
And…there’s the best joke telling contest!
And of course…the best flask concoction contest! This is a hard fought, tough contest best left to the big boys!! :yes::lol::lol::lol:
So don’t lie my friends! We ARE competitive!! :lol::lol::lol: ;););)

[pegasusmom]

Kim, all you needed to do was ask me, we have hunted with Moore County since the year after we moved here. Haven’t been active over the last three or four years as we simply haven’t had the horses. Andrew, Manny and I all have earned colors from MCH, as well as South Creek in Tampa, and Nashoba Valley (Manny from Ft. Leavenworth as well). Moore County is a private pack, with hunting by invitation only. Annual donation is up there.

We haven’t been out since the new huntsman and his pack arrived - but based on what I know about the territory and the quarry, I would expect it to be onthe speedier side (PMDs on coyote more often than not)

PM me if you want more info.