I am about 2- 4 hours from any hunt kennels, but it’s something I’d love to get into. Overnighting is an option. Am I crazy for wanting to haul that long for something? I have a hunt protocol class that I plan on hauling up and leaving the same day, so about 8 hours on the road…is this normal for some people? I’m new to traveling longer than 2 hours for horse events.
Not crazy. For 4 hours, I would rather overnight. All will depend on how well your horse travels, and how well your horse handles the hunt. I would prep for travel with electrolytes and 1/4 tube ulcergard a couple days before, day of, and day after. Handwalk after the hunt, ice boots for about 20 minutes, plenty of hay in the trailer.
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I have traveled up to 2 hours for hunting and returning the same day. I have gone to hunts that were 3+ hours away and stayed at least one night. Most of the hunts that I’ve been to that were 4+ hours away were multi day hunts (with the same hunt or with ones near by) and I stayed a minimum of 2 nights. Usually going up the night before a hunt and staying to hunt 2 more days, coming home the afternoon after the last hunting day.
I’m sure you could do 4 up, hunt, 4 home. I would be EXHAUSTED!
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As you apparently haven’t hunted before, rather than travelling both yourself and your horse how about contacting your nearest kennels and ask about hiring/borrowing a horse for a first go? Dip your toe into the water. Every hunt has a different character due to the terraine they hunt over, the vibe between members, their history and traditions - which is why visiting different hunts is so interesting. Once you have been and had a look, then consider travelling your horse to the people you enjoyed being with the most.
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I’m almost embarrassed to say, but less than half a mile. The kennel and clubhouse had been there for a few years before we met them, started riding out and then were asked to join.
I actually ride one of the hunts horses but this weekend will be taking my new guy out for the first time. Super excited!
I feel incredibly fortunate to have this basically in my back yard.
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I travel 90 min each way and haul my hunt horse. One member travels 2 hours hauling her own horse and three other members’ horses -they all ride together. One member boards his horse at the hunt stable (an option for all members) and drives his car 2 hours to hunt twice a week. I think the idea to try the hunt before you join is valid, however, I’ve been a member of 4 hunts in my 55 years of hunting --can’t say I disliked any of them. There were people I liked, some I avoided, but that’s true in any group.
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A great idea! I mentioned a protocol class, super low key. I hauled in the night before so my mare could settle! Normal hunts are about two hours away at most, they just so happened to be having this class, and I thought it would be a good idea to attend before capping.
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Wow, twice a week! That’s crazy. I honestly don’t know the culture, so that’s why I came here! There are a couple locations around 2 hours for me and they’re typically two days, but I didn’t know how wild people went to get to them! Either way, I love traveling with my horses, so that’s not really an issue to me.
How cool is that, though?! I’m jealous. I like in a VERY cowboy community but grew up watching hunter/jumpers in Kentucky…Now I’m in rural northwest Kansas, boooo. I’m very used to having to go ANYWHERE to do ANYTHING. Lol!
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Where abouts in NW Kansas and where are the hunts? We have a vacation/hunting home in Lenora, Kansas. My husband, sons and their buddies go to deer (white tail and mule deer) hunting, turkey (Rio and Merriam) hunting, upland bird hunting and duck hunting. If it’s not too far and they have horses for hire, I might be more inclined to join them on one of their trips that they are always inviting me on.
Believe me I KNOW how very very lucky I am!
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I trailer anywhere from 35 minutes to almost 2 hours depending on which hunt fixture they are at. I’m in Kentucky, so I have several hunts to choose from, but any of the three in my region would require about the same driving distance.
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Closest fixture is 10 minutes and farthest is 45 minutes. More than two hours I’d have to overnight. Even hunting so close, on hunt days I am exhausted. Note to all people looking for a hunt horse: a white horse adds 1-2 hours of prep time! My new horse is a bay…I can walk in the barn 30 minutes before departure time and leave on time…amazing.
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Haha, I turned down a lovely gray horse once for that very reason, all three of my hunt horses are bay!
I can be at my regular hunt in 10 minutes.
There is another pack I hunt with that is 25 minutes away.
I do appreciate how lucky I am.
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You aren’t joking about the “extra” prep needed to get a Grey horse presentable. I have a 14.1 hand pony that lived the entire hunt season clipped and covered if at all possible, AND it still was a chore the evening before, the morning of, the arriving 45-60 minutes prior to the meet to spot clean AGAIN! I was just glad that he was only 14.1!!!
Of course now that he is mainly retired from hunting, he has decided it’s a perfect time to remain presentable. I bathed him during last weekend and he is STILL clean.
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This is my idea of living the dream! I’m looking for a property now and my third question (after when was it last lived in and what’s the sewer/septic situation) is what’s the closest hunt? I’m thinking I’ll have to start my own, though, and since I won’t ever have hounds (neither a skill I possess nor facilities I have), I figure I’ll have to start a mounted harriers or paper chase club instead. I really want to only do things I can hack to. That’s the ideal, anyway!
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The farthest is 5 hours. But it was so wirth it!
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