Foxhunting for the attire *rolls eyes*

[starkissed]

I don’t what everyone else’s take on hunting is, but I foxhunt because I love riding and I love the thrills. My hunt is a tad “rough and ready”. Yes my hunt coat is OLD, lot’s of hand-me downs going on, holes here and there, mud splattered after a few hunts. But I am not going to kill myself over it. I spend more time and energy riding, making sure my HORSE is ok and we have a great time. I love my horses and they are so wonderful for me.

But now I board my horse and I can’t hunt. I met a nice lady boarder who had just bought a lovely appendix hunter. She has never hunted- minus her trial of whether she liked the mare out hunting. But she joined and will be going out for the first time this fall.

The other day I casually asked her if she would be showing at our barn show this weekend (considering she has only ridden this horse in the ring since she bought it) And she said no because she had spent so much getting into the hunting thing.

THEN she proceeded to tell me about all the stuff she had bought so she was “ready”
Brown field boots
Brown hat
string gloves
Tweed jackets (plural) from england
dress boots
vests… ENDLESS
Honestly i wouldn’t be surprised if she bought new tack.

But its just soo…errg. I don’t think this lady is every actually going to gallop around and jump. Its a small hunt too- barely a step up from farmers pack. Maybe I’m old fashion-but not OLD! Why don’t you learn how to ride instead of just playing dress up! ahh Sure I like the tradition and fitting as close to that as possible, but I don’t give a hoot if my helmet bow is positioned up or down, I don’t have to look like a model out of hunt country.

And for reading that- you can have a treat- me and my boy out hunting

[JollyBadger]

For some people, that’s all it’s about.

I used to teach riding at a summer camp, and one of the girls came to every riding lesson in full show clothes. The thing is. . .she really didn’t like riding and was actually a little afraid of horses, but she just liked wearing all that stuff around camp because it made her “look” like a rider.:rolleyes:

[Sithly]

Sounds like sour grapes to me. I think you should just MYOB and ride. And I mean that in the friendliest way possible.

People can spend their money however they want. Bet you’d go on a shopping spree too if you could afford it. I would.

[Beverley]

People hunt for all sorts of reasons, and that is fine by me because SOMEBODY has to pay the bills! Some folks hunt to ride, others ride to hunt, some obsess over the attire, others do the bare minimum acceptable to the Master. All fine by me so long as I get to enjoy the sport! Really, we’re too few in number to bicker over minutaie.

I do much enjoy the attire traditions and do make an effort to be neat and proper (primarily for the landowners). But I’ve also enjoyed some hellaciously good days hunting in blue jeans, and a parka.

As for the OP’s fellow boarder- there are fashionistas in EVERY horse sport, and hunting is no exception. If she’s got the money and wants to make the effort to be reallllly correct, that’s great.

People obsess over their attire and tack for the hunter ring, western pleasure, whatever discipline! I’ve always enjoyed beating those dressed to the nines- for example, in western pleasure, with them wearing ‘the latest thing’ and me wearing 40 year old chaps and using a 40 year old saddle!

[Equibrit]

I don’t find that attitude in any way welcoming for somebody new to the sport. You could have made yourself uselful by offering to help her out; it may benefit you in the future. After all she will be trailering to a hunt - won’t she ?? :winkgrin::winkgrin::winkgrin:

[tullio]

Some of us coming from other disciplines get the impression (whether correct or not) that foxhunters either greatly appreciate correct turnout or will not tolerate incorrect turnout. Rather than potentially insult your new foxhunting friends, or (worse?!) be asked to leave because you’re ruining the pictures, some newcomers will feel the need to be fully, correctly attired before even attempting to take part. Not sure that’s a bad thing.

For many people, it also gives confidence to “look the part” - you don’t want to go out for the first time feeling like you look totally out of place and obvious. At least, I wouldn’t.

I’m sure there are plenty of people just in it to wear the pretty clothes, but there may be other motivation. Just sayin, from my “new to all this” perspective.

[xeroxchick]

I definitely hunt to wear the clothes. That chick and I would love each other.

[starkissed]

[QUOTE=xeroxchick;4337776]
I definitely hunt to wear the clothes. That chick and I would love each other.[/QUOTE]

haha priceless!

I know I am being ridiculous, and honestly its all going on INSIDE my head. I am nothing less than gushing over her otherwise telling her what a lovely horse she has and how much fun they will have- YES all in my relentless attempts to possibly have an “IN” to the hunting field.

Even though I still think it’s ridiculous, I do see the angle on, its her first time out there and she wants to “fit in”. Hmm I forgot that not everyone is like me, that being not giving a hoot.

True, very true that these people exist in all aspects of life, and yes, we do need their money so I shouldn’t complain. It’s like one of our family friends who INSISTS that you must fly a horse back from IRELAND to have a good foxhunter- Thats extreme. but thats what bulletin boards are for right? complaining! haha

Thanks all

[Major_Mark]

I like dressing up for riding. I think it shows respect to the horses for their service to you, hauling you around during the hunt, at substantial risk to them.

Plus, it tends to make you behave in a respectable manner, much like a military uniform affects your composure. Each individual is aware they represent the group.

[weebs07]

[QUOTE=Major Mark;4338434]
I like dressing up for riding. I think it shows respect to the horses for their service to you, hauling you around during the hunt, at substantial risk to them.

I don’t think the horses know you are dressed up but I get what you are saying. I think it’s not worth the time to pick on somebody for being giddy and excited about trying on a new outfit for a new riding. When being harsh on other people, I find it helpful to try to find their intentions. If she was saying all this to show off her disposable income, then yeah, she sucks. But if she was saying this because she wanted to share her excitement with you, then cut her a break. She probably didn’t even realize the way she came off and said all that in innocence.

[Good_Old_Sledge]

weebs - good point about intentions and thoughtful answer throughout. My problem is with your first sentiment - that the horse doesn’t know that you’re dressed up.
Why then, does he never slime me except when I’m in a white shirt? Never trods on my boots unless they are freshly polished and never drops me in mud unless I’m in white britches?

[Romany]

Jeezelouise, mrs (mr?) do-as-you-would-be-done-by. Give the newbie a break! If she’s keen enough to get out hunting that she bought all the gear, and ended up buying it new, some of it from the UK (the home of gorgeous tweeds, after all), what’s so wrong with that?

There’s a wacky type of inverse snobbery rears its head in this forum sometimes which I just.don’t.get.

Are you lashing out because you can’t hunt? Because it’s a small hunt? Because she probably won’t ever gallop and jump? What’s so wrong with a small hunt and self preservation?

[Equibrit]

@starkissed;4338415

haha priceless!

I know I am being ridiculous, and honestly its all going on INSIDE my head. I am nothing less than gushing over her otherwise telling her what a lovely horse she has and how much fun they will have- YES all in my relentless attempts to possibly have an “IN” to the hunting field.

Thanks all

Wouldn’t that make you a two faced inverse snob ?
I think we all occasionally get those “green” feelings, but most of us don’t succumb to them, and we definitely don’t post them on bulletin boards. You have some maturing yet to achieve.

[SaddleFitterVA]

I totally understand. Foxhunting does seem to be about the clothes to many of us outsiders.

And, to be honest, if you can afford it, having all the proper colors for the seasons would be very cool, and make you very popular with your local tack store.

[Romany]

[QUOTE=SaddleFitterVA;4338766]
And, to be honest, if you can afford it, having all the proper colors for the seasons would be very cool, and make you very popular with your local tack store.[/QUOTE]

:lol: too true.

[weebs07]

[QUOTE=Good Old Sledge;4338697]
weebs - good point about intentions and thoughtful answer throughout. My problem is with your first sentiment - that the horse doesn’t know that you’re dressed up.
Why then, does he never slime me except when I’m in a white shirt? Never trods on my boots unless they are freshly polished and never drops me in mud unless I’m in white britches?[/QUOTE]

I think its all coincidence. I have been thrown in the mud in jeans and I have been thrown in the mud in dress outfits. I am going to get a lot of people really angry at me when I say this, but, I honestly feel much of what people perceive as horses’ “intentions” are merely people projecting their feelings onto the horse.

I’ll take it a step further and prepare for even harsher criticism, horses are fight or flight animals, they simply react, which is why to be a good rider, you have be proactive and not reactive. Horse intelligence is quiet comparable to that of a bovine. They don’t have a large frontal cortext. It is outside their brain capacity to think “I am pissed and I notice this person is dressed up so I’m going to throw them in the mud.”

I think a more likely explanation as to why a horse would only throw you in the mud when you are dressed up, is perhaps the horse senses a mood of anticipation or anxiety as the situations in which you are dressed up are those revolving around horse shows and fox hunts.

Sometimes when I’m having an off day and I think am 100% positive that my muscles are relaxed, my horse is able to react to very minuscule tension in my body. This might seem like a contradiction from my earlier statement that horses are merely reactive and don’t have cause-effect reasoning capacity. However, it is still a matter of action and reaction. I seem tense and the horse is reacting.

OK - I am mentally preparing myself for verbal lashings. Again, sorry if I am offending anyone. I am not saying this is 100% fact, this is merely my opinion after years of trying to understand these amazing animals. This is the way horses make sense to me.

I could very well be wrong and would enjoy hearing your thoughts to this.

[starkissed]

I admit, you are all right. Maybe I am a two faced inverse snob! Do I get some leeway for still being a teenager?

I think deep down it’s not jealously or whatever, but really I subconsciously am thinking that she is never really going to have fun (fun in the way I have it). And that is probably as far from the truth as possible because she probably has already had a blast hunting, getting ready and all that… and thats even before she set’s foot in the stirrup.
And I can see that, I just feel a little bit sad in side.

[starkissed]

@weebs07;4338788

I think a more likely explanation as to why a horse would only throw you in the mud when you are dressed up, is perhaps the horse senses a mood of anticipation or anxiety as the situations in which you are dressed up are those revolving around horse shows and fox hunts.

No, I think that is 100% true. They know when you are just messing around and don’t give a hoot.

[Equibrit]

@weebs07;4338788

I think its all coincidence. I have been thrown in the mud in jeans and I have been thrown in the mud in dress outfits. I am going to get a lot of people really angry at me when I say this, but, I honestly feel much of what people perceive as horses’ “intentions” are merely people projecting their feelings onto the horse.

I’ll take it a step further and prepare for even harsher criticism, horses are fight or flight animals, they simply react, which is why to be a good rider, you have be proactive and not reactive. Horse intelligence is quiet comparable to that of a bovine. They don’t have a large frontal cortext. It is outside their brain capacity to think “I am pissed and I notice this person is dressed up so I’m going to throw them in the mud.”

I think a more likely explanation as to why a horse would only throw you in the mud when you are dressed up, is perhaps the horse senses a mood of anticipation or anxiety as the situations in which you are dressed up are those revolving around horse shows and fox hunts.

Sometimes when I’m having an off day and I think am 100% positive that my muscles are relaxed, my horse is able to react to very minuscule tension in my body. This might seem like a contradiction from my earlier statement that horses are merely reactive and don’t have cause-effect reasoning capacity. However, it is still a matter of action and reaction. I seem tense and the horse is reacting.

OK - I am mentally preparing myself for verbal lashings. Again, sorry if I am offending anyone. I am not saying this is 100% fact, this is merely my opinion after years of trying to understand these amazing animals. This is the way horses make sense to me.

I could very well be wrong and would enjoy hearing your thoughts to this.

Learning to detect when somebody is injecting humour would help a lot !

[Equibrit]

@starkissed;4338789

I admit, you are all right. Maybe I am a two faced inverse snob! Do I get some leeway for still being a teenager?

I think deep down it’s not jealously or whatever, but really I subconsciously am thinking that she is never really going to have fun (fun in the way I have it). And that is probably as far from the truth as possible because she probably has already had a blast hunting, getting ready and all that… and thats even before she set’s foot in the stirrup.
And I can see that, I just feel a little bit sad in side.

1.Leeway - definitely not. As a teenager you deserve even more of a beating to make sure you learn the rules.
2.It is jealousy, don’t make excuses.
3.Her fun may not be the same as yours and why would you have to worry about it ?
4.You could introduce her to your kind of fun by helping her do it safely.
5. That “sad” comment is really condescending, and you have no standing in that regard.

Besides you just haven’t been on the earth long enough to earn the luxury of that attitude.