“looking around, pulling my Steton down low,” It is hard to believe I am thinking this but I would almost go fox hunting but I have no plans of ever riding in English gear or wearing anything but my Wrangler jeans, Justin boots, and my normal clothes. And I have no idea how to ride a horse while jumping (I might have had one do a slight jump on a trail getting out of a ditch or something), and when I go hunting there is usually a gun involved but I have handled my 30/30 off of Hercules back. It was unloaded and I only cycled the action from his back without doing it on the ground first, yes I know better than starting from the saddle :o But he just back up alittle bit there.
Well, to hunt in the manner you so describe is easily accomplished. Find a large (very large) piece of lovely land adjacent to or in the middle of someone’s hunt country.
Buy it.
Join the hunt, and of course you are a landowner, and then most hunts of course will enable you to hunt in whatever manner of tack and attire you so desire in exchange for your generosity in providing hunt country.
Otherwise, your point is?
Or you could book one of those highcountry elk hunts where you have to pack in and out by horse. That might be what you want.
I don’t know why I started this thread, it was more of a joke from a western rider’s point of view. I don’t have anything against fox hunters, if I rode English I would most likely enjoy that over the of style or event (whatever the proper term is.) And as far as the rifle part, I know the risk of shooting a gun from a horse while riding after a pack of hounds is too high for anyone. I have been lurking on the forum/ subject and wanted a post for some weird reason.
Well some small private hunts don’t dress at all so you wouldn’t raise any eyebrows in your attire. Also many hunts have ways around most jumps. The problem is getting an invite to visit! The land idea certainly would work. 
I have standing invitation to a private pack in my 'hood (square center of fancy Va. hunt country) where they care little what dress/tack (there’s a tooth-floater who comes with us regular in his calf roping tack/gear.)
Come along. : o )
We have had a western rider come out with us this year at Rappahannock Hunt a couple of times . They’ve come out during the week when we are hunting rat catcher. While they are not traditionally attired they were very nicely turned out - neat and clean. They went second flight and had fun.
I think a reining horse might be pretty handy in the hunt field!
Kentucky-we often have riders in western tack come out with us. In most of our country the fences are optional, so you can still see all the hound work in spite of not jumping. We have several gaited horses in the field-they do a great job.
The horses are perfectly groomed, the riders neatly turned out, so no problem there. In the future, there may be a problem in the helmet department-our landowners want them to be required.
If you want to go hunting, you should-you will lovelovelove it, I promise!
I’ve hunted with a number of hunts out west where cowboys are welcome in their usual working attire. Usually about 3 or 4 miles into the first run they acknowledge that those ‘English’ saddle types can indeed ride!
Really, give it a try- you’d be amazed how many cowboys have gotten hooked and after a year or two, converted to those tight britches and postage stamp saddles…
As for shooting while fox hunting, well, ‘that’ is frowned upon though staff carry pistols loaded w/rat shot in case it is needed to get hounds off of ‘the wrong quarry.’ So in that context a pistol-broke horse is a good asset.
[QUOTE=nickers@dawn;5538333]
Well some small private hunts don’t dress at all [/QUOTE]
Nekkid hunting!! I. Am. So. There.
I lived in kentucky for many years. Did the State Hunt which was a wonderful mix of hunters in every possible turn out. Those of us on our fancy TBs were regularly put to shame by a true mountain man and his mule. While we could find no way over a high barb wire fence he simply tossed his coat over the fence, stood there ands said “Jump mule” – the mule popped over, he got back on and left us in his dust. It was awesome…but years ago…I wonder if they still do it.
I rarely post video links, but I think mules are just the cutest things, and their standstill jumping is amazing, so I couldn’t resist this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OaMSvccpgUU
I especially like the slow motion replays!
LOL, ole Mabel was a pretty savvy jumper.
Where are you located
Many hunts do allow people to hunt occaisionally in western tack and most of our staff carries pistols. You’d fit right in.
But just to be clear its not like they’re shooting foxes from the backs of horses. Its the hounds that do the hunting. The riders are more or less just present to watch them work. I suspect the pistols are there in the event there is an injured animal that needs to be put down or a venomous snake about to strike a horse or hound.
Yes, pistols are not used on the foxes/coyotes. They are used to shoot in the air to get hounds off bad game or to prevent them from crossing major highways when they don’t respond. They have also used the pistols when they come upon came that needs to be dispatched. The one time I can think of was when we came upon a deer in some dense woods that had been hit by a car and was suffering from a broken leg.
[QUOTE=3dogfarm;5538467]
I think a reining horse might be pretty handy in the hunt field![/QUOTE]
I think the sliders would come off after the first miile.
Kentucky,
I sent you a p.m.
Thank you everyone, and I live in the western part of the state, near Paducah, Ky. I knew the hounds did the work on the hunt btw, it is more akind to coon hunting than deer hunting. And I am sure it would improve my understanding of the other side of the hill per say, and my skills as a rider would certianly be improved as well.
As far as a reiner being an asset on a fox hunt, well most western horses including trail horse can neck rein. True this ain’t reining like it is done in the show ring but it has a few similarity as well. and any method to control a horse shouldn’t hurt on a hunt. but the ability make sudden movements at speed would be a great asset.
