Horse's first time hunting

[jawa]

I have found that when people are too close and you politely ask for a bit more space + whatever reason (green horse, or one that just needs more space, or safety) and they can’t / won’t keep their horse at a comfortable distance, instead of asking if they’d like to go in front, I politely (or as politely as I can muster) tell them “Please go ahead of me. Thanks.” I hold my horse up and fall in behind them.

Earlier this fall I had someone riding very close behind me. I told her my horse has a need for a large personal space / bubble. Very shortly there after we came to a halt and her horse rear ended me hard. In the process she scraped the back of my horses leg (removing an 8" section of hair from his lower leg). Her response was she hadn’t run-in to anyone that week. sarcasm Well pat myself and the back and give me a trophy for being the winner!

[Huntin_Fool]

Thanks again for all the encouragement!

McGurk, I am going to quote your “the plural of anecdote is not data” that’s great!

At this point there’s no 3rd flight this weekend so I’ll have to wait to take him out again. I do plan to take him to the meet though.

I’ll asking the close riders to move ahead more forcefully next time-ha. Folks are funny-you could tell the horse didn’t like it-and she was close enough that our stirrups clinked-oh well.

I’ll be glad when this horse decides hunting is ok, but I do feel like we made a bit of improvement. I keep telling him “next year all you and I will be thinking of is how much fun we’re having.” And I do look forward to that day.

Thank you all again for the advice/encouragement!!!

Regards,
Huntin’Fool

[McGurk]

Huntin’ Fool,

I borrowed that from a wonderful COTHer, Deltawave, with her permission.

[Wanderosa]

I’m dying over here about the pony and cart and clowns juggling chain saws!

[Huntin_Fool]

Well, Y’all, a 3rd flight is scheduled for Wednesday, so cross your fingers around 9am.

AND, though it perhaps should be another post-How on earth am I gonna ride this horse at all when it gets dark at 4:30??? Last night I tacked him up and walked him all over the dark pasture. Better than nothing. He was good except I tried a figure 8 nose band on him that I’d gotten for anther horse years ago-since the cavveson broke on the bridle-he did not like it. And indeed it didn’t seem to fit. Which is weird, he has a typical “horse size” head but it seemed too tight. I never used it on the horse I bought it for.

I will tell you, I go back and reread all the posts y’all have sent-they are most encouraging!

Thank you.

And yes the clowns juggling chain saws is hilarious!

Regards,
Huntin’Fool

[McGurk]

That’s not original either. Another COTHer, whose name escapes me at the moment, has something in their sig line about horses not being completing broke until…they can complete an upper level dressage test… with a bunch of distractions, including clowns juggling chainsaws.

Good luck Wednesday! Can’t wait to hear your next report.

[Wanderosa]

@McGurk

That’s not original either. Another COTHer, whose name escapes me at the moment, has something in their sig line about horses not being completing broke until…they can complete an upper level dressage test… with a bunch of distractions, including clowns juggling chainsaws.

Good luck Wednesday! Can’t wait to hear your next report.

I had an aged (like 27yo) Percheron gelding that had been a commercial carriage horse his entire life. He loved going for a spin with the Pioneer forecart when the weather was warm enough not to aggrevate his arthritis. Otherwise, he just babysat the young OTTB loonies I had. I was told he’d never been ridden. Seemed he’d also never SEEN anyone riding a horse. When I would hack out in the adjacent field, he would station himself along the fence line and throw me judgy side eye.

[McGurk]

Here it is:

LarkspurCO: no horse’s training is complete until it can calmly yet expressively perform Gran Prix in stadium filled w/chainsaw juggling zombies riding unicycles while flying monkeys w/bottle rockets…

My bad…it was zombies juggling chainsaws…I guess it was the unicycles that made me think of clowns.

[Ponyclubrocks]

Just for encouragement: I started a new hunt horse a few years ago and our first season I took her to every hunt and we stayed out each hunt until she hit a point where she was either overwhelmed by something going on or it felt like her brains fell out of her head. (Picture levades at check or cantering in place). Then I would calmly excuse myself and hack her back to the trailers by herself. Some hunts we were out for only 20 minutes and some hunts we were out for the duration. I never made it a big deal, I’d just say “Okay lets go for a walk and go find your mind!” We went out twice a week the entire season and she got progressively better. Year two was the same routine although it became rare for her to have to leave early. Now she is an awesome hunt horse who understands the job and is calm and compliant in all circumstances. And it drives me crazy when people say “Aren’t you lucky to have found the unicorn!” Because we worked darn hard to turn her into a unicorn, she did NOT start out that way. Unicorns aren’t born, they’re made!!

All that aside I do think frequency matters: It’s tough that your hunt doesn’t always offer a third field. A dedicated buddy and permission to hang back might be your best bet to getting more hunts under his belt. Best of luck to you.

[Libby2563]

Just wanted to thank you all for the very educational thread!

I have very little foxhunting experience but took my then-4-year-old out a dozen times last year and he spoiled me by being very nearly perfect from the beginning. This year I am trying with my little Welsh/TB project pony and she does not handle it all quite so sanguinely (only 3 outings so far though). It’s interesting to read more experienced folks’ strategies for bringing them along. Thanks again!

[Huntin_Fool]

Well y’all, last week I took a precious vacation day Wednesday because we had a 3rd flight. I had my game face on, got up super early to clean the horse up-my hot water heater was broken, so it was lots of brushing, warm wet towels, and thank God he’s a bay. Aaannnndddd the truck wouldn’t start.

I won’t bore y’all with a minute by minute of the day, I’ll just say that the entire day from beginning to end was just like that-one thing after another and not one thing worked out. The last bit, at about 8 that night, was when my dog threw up in my car on a jacket that was dry clean only.

No 3rd flight last weekend. There is one this Wed, but I can’t be off. And one Sat, but I’ve got company coming from out of town and a truly horrible house. That’s kind of funny even to me-whole family at holiday thing, with me trying to do a silly amount of stuff, including trying to make living room curtains, except I’ve run out of time so I’m just pinning them in place. Some b***h trying to look at why the curtain looks funny is gonna get a handful of pins cause there are about 200 per curtain. Ha.

OK, back to the horse. When I was up that early he obviously thought we were hunting and started shivering (even without the warm wet towels), but I wanted to lunge him a bit to try the new bridle and just to see how he was. The minute I started to tack him up he quit shivering-obviously thinking we were going for a ride. So a bit of a lunge-just walk and a brief trot. Untacked and loaded. He didn’t shiver again so maybe that’s something to try. I had noticed the shivering before so I do think he’s anticipating. Maybe a bit of a lunge or just breaking things up is a good idea. I did have a nice wee ride on him-the one thing that worked that day. And if only one thing was gonna work-that’s a good thing to work!

And that’s the update.

Regards,
Huntin’Fool

[Huntin_Fool]

PonyClubRocks that story is really encouraging!!! I appreciate it! And LIbby2563 I am jealous of the perfect 4yo, but hang in there with the pony

[FlyHaff]

I love reading the experiences of others. I’m starting a new mare also. Turns out, she hates third field. She spun, piaffed, flew in reverse, you name the undesireable behavior and she did it. After two (painful rides) hunts in third field, the next time out we had no third and rode a small second field. We ended up becoming one with first and let me tell you my mare has never been happier. I was worried about her forwardness and inability to check, but she figured it out pretty quickly. She protested if I held her back and was a bit more on the fore than I like, especially down hills, but other than that she did great.
Due to rain, we haven’t had a hunt since that day (Friday after Tday) and looks like this wknd will be a wash too. We’re forecasted to be dry by Boxing Day (yay ratcatcher!!) so let’s hope I haven’t jinxed myself as we starting in second again.
I love love love this mare so I’m hoping she succeeds.

[right_horse_at_the_right_time]

@McGurk

That’s not original either. Another COTHer, whose name escapes me at the moment, has something in their sig line about horses not being completing broke until…they can complete an upper level dressage test… with a bunch of distractions, including clowns juggling chainsaws.

Good luck Wednesday! Can’t wait to hear your next report.

Me :). It’s from a post by LarkspurCO :). I’ve had it for YEARS ;).