Is this possible? Good/Bad idea? How?

[Fractious_Fox]

First, thanks to those who care to read my rambling questions.

Second, background:
I live in Germany and will probably be staying here for a few more years. I have an incredible horse who I left at home to wait for me. I cannot bring him to Europe - lifestyle and location make this a poor investment of resources. Said wonderful horse is living in luxury at a friend’s place in Ocala. Really, he is in a better situation than I ever imagined. He isn’t ridden (this is a racing oriented facility), but he is handled multiple times a day and is in no way just “out to pasture”. We planned on sending him back to school for a bit before coming home, just to knock the cob webs off. He is the kind of horse who can sit and be the same after ages. I don’t know what I want to do though. We did low level eventing before I moved and I always planned on going further with him (Lord knows I was the only thing ever holding him back, as I was told time and again by pros) but then life just got in the way. I’m at peace with this fact, if we never go past where we have already been in jumpers and eventing. I have a toddler and another baby on the way and my goals have shifted to dreams of pony club and ponying shetlands off the side of my 18h beast and the like (ha!). But I want something when we head home. Some direction; being without horses (especially MY HORSE and our relationship)has been such a challenge these years. BUT, I don’t have the desire or time to drive to far away lessons ever week, to spend time in the arena daily working on something, in short - to isolate myself from my family and make my goal exclusive (via competition, etc). This works for some families, but I see something different for mine. My husband is horsey, and so far my kid is too, but time is going to be a difficult resource to manage for the next 10 years at best

So, my mind regularly returns to hunting. I cubbed and hilltopped with a previous horse a few times with Belle Meade in GA - I really liked it! I bought a subscription to use the facilities at Foxboro in Thompson, GA with this horse and had a blast. The folks at Foxboro openly admired him and asked if I’d ever sell him, so they must have seen something. So in short, hunting calls to me because it is an organized riding event with a sense of community that I believe would fit into my life and what it has become, and I really think that it would welcome my husband and kids as well. (here is an opportunity to correct me if you think I am wrong)

So, I think I would like to take the plunge. I know how to initiate the process once we settle back in the states (most likely in the Mid Atlantic area), but what about my horse? I wonder, can you send a horse to foxhunting school? Part of me cringes at the thought of not doing the training myself, but then my new perspective steps in and realizes I’d rather use my time to be out and doing instead of banking on uncertain opportunities to do the work myself. That said though, seems like you could ruin a good hunt mount in a heartbeat if they fell into the wrong hands. Are there trainers who teach horses how to properly take fences and terrain in a foxhunting environment? How do you go about this process? Why do I feel like it would be riskier than sending a horse to an eventing trainer?? (This is a stupid fear, I know!)

ok, I must end abruptly here because nap time has run on too long and I need to wake my little prince! I look forward to any and all advice you can give, and if you have answers to questions I should have asked and didn’t, please provide them Thanks!

If you made it through this ramble and still feel like contributing, thank you for your time! I have time to consider possibilities but I want to have a plan for my boy. He is really a once in a lifetime mount, and I don’t want to waste any more time once we head home.

[SidesaddleRider]

Yes, there are many people (especially in NoVA) who train horses for hunting. Depending on when the horse arrives, it may be introduced to group rides x-c, schooling hunt jumps, hunt trail rides, and, of course, hunting. A good trainer is essential, like most disciplines.

Yes, it is riskier than sending the horse to an eventing trainer, as the eventing horse still competes alone, and goes x-c on a marked course that the rider walks and gets to identify all the tricky areas. The field hunter goes in a group, on open terrain that you don’t cover beforehand, so you have no idea if there will be a rock, a hole, etc. It is the nature of hunting.

[poniesinthenight]

Be careful, sometimes these folk are not what they profess to be. Do due diligence carefully and thoroughly.

[RPM]

You want someone to work with your horse for the next few years 'til you get back? Wow, that is certainly thinking ahead!

I hope you are doing some hunting in the meantime over in Germany so that when you get back you will still be in shape. You can’t just sit around the house all day long while the kids nap and expect to be able to hop on horsey on the weekends and go off hunting. I am trying to discipline myself these days to get up and work out at least 3x a day so as to be in shape by Christmastime – and that is only 8 months away!

[Fractious_Fox]

[QUOTE=SidesaddleRider;8085598]
Yes, there are many people (especially in NoVA) who train horses for hunting. Depending on when the horse arrives, it may be introduced to group rides x-c, schooling hunt jumps, hunt trail rides, and, of course, hunting. A good trainer is essential, like most disciplines.

Yes, it is riskier than sending the horse to an eventing trainer, as the eventing horse still competes alone, and goes x-c on a marked course that the rider walks and gets to identify all the tricky areas. The field hunter goes in a group, on open terrain that you don’t cover beforehand, so you have no idea if there will be a rock, a hole, etc. It is the nature of hunting.[/QUOTE]

Sidesaddle, thank you for the thoughtful reply. I know this is a very generalized question for a incredibly specific topic, but how long does a standard training period take? With the training my horse has now, after I had him fitted up over the course of about three/four months I would probably send him to an eventing trainer for 60 days to get him back to where I’d like him (confident enough to go into a novice level event, take him around a derby course, etc). Maybe this gives you enough information to ball park a time frame for me? I don’t know enough about the hunt world to know for sure, but at this point I would guess that it takes perhaps a season to give a horse a good start in this career…?

Poniesinthenight - Yes, it’s the worst part about the horse world, isn’t it? There seems to be a handful of dishonest people for every solid horseperson you know. I have a great network within my own circle, but I only know a few people who hunt and honestly, I’ve lost touch with them. I am asking questions early because that’s how I do things -plan, plan, plan. Plus, it gives me a mental outlet while so far away from my previous 24/7 horse life.

Someone posted a response earlier and then it was removed before I could reply, but to address a few points: No, I haven’t hunted with anyone in Germany. There aren’t any hunts nearby and my personal riding goals aren’t the focus in my life right now. I stay fit for riding during my hiatus by turning my attention to other sports (which have many unseen benefits, truth be told). I am not worried about getting back into the saddle. I’ve ridden long enough to have a very clear idea of what level of input produces the quality of output I seek.

Oh and maybe this is very common knowledge to the rest of you, but I thought it was interesting when I learned it - hunting on horseback with dogs was banned by Adolf Hitler as it wasn’t “sporting”. Hunts today involve drag or a rider who plays the fox. I don’t know what the word for this is in English…? Another tangent… they still hunt with dogs who go to ground (Dachels, anyone?) but I guess this doesn’t fall under the previous legislation.

[SidesaddleRider]

[QUOTE=Fractious Fox;8086226]
Sidesaddle, thank you for the thoughtful reply. I know this is a very generalized question for a incredibly specific topic, but how long does a standard training period take? With the training my horse has now, after I had him fitted up over the course of about three/four months I would probably send him to an eventing trainer for 60 days to get him back to where I’d like him (confident enough to go into a novice level event, take him around a derby course, etc). Maybe this gives you enough information to ball park a time frame for me? I don’t know enough about the hunt world to know for sure, but at this point I would guess that it takes perhaps a season to give a horse a good start in this career…? [/QUOTE]

I have started many horses in the hunt field, and it is really horse-specific as to how long it takes. There is really no way to tell how long it will be until you are working with the horse. Some “get it” much faster than others, and some never settle into the job. I have had several horses that were made field hunters by their second hunt - they understood what their job was, could be ridden by almost anyone, stood at checks, went in the first or second field, jumped anything, etc. Others have taken a solid season to settle in. Some need a season of hilltopping or second flight before moving up to first flight. Some horses were the quietest, beginner-type horse you could imagine in the ring, but completely lost their marbles when hunted and I feared for my life (and I give them a good 6-10 hunts before making the call). And, as the saying goes, “It is far easier to turn a hunt horse into an eventer, than it is to turn an eventer into a hunt horse.”

To give you an idea of my normal routine: I usually pick up 1-2 prospects in late winter/early spring. How fast they progress depends on what they already know (i.e., are they OTTBs w/o reschooling or do they already have a good flatwork/jumping background), but I will get them going on the flat and o/f, doing trot sets on the hills with another horse, and begin hacking out x-c in hunt territory, so they learn how to cross water, be on paths in the woods, learn to lead and follow, etc. By the summer, we are usually schooling x-c/hunt jumps, going to local horse shows, and starting to do small group trail rides. By August they are getting pretty fit, and start doing the hunt trail rides. In September, they start hunting, either hilltopping or first flight.

[jawa]

As SideSaddleRider said, it depends on the horse. Personality and past history are two important things that can make the transition smooth.

As far as history: Has your horse trail ridden? trail ridden in groups? Is your horse used to dogs being around and under foot? dogs on trails?

If you answer yes to these questions, then chances are your horse will do well and won’t need a LONG time to acclimate to the hunting environment. But do realize that even with yeses to all the questions there is sometimes that one horse who JUST does not like the job.

I would want to have MANY references from people that you respect their horsemanship as to who you should use for your training. ESPECIALLY if you won’t be near by to check in on how the training is progressing.

[Equibrit]

The Wilsons could probably help you out.

[ISR]

Agree, you can never have too many references. There are people who I would trust to ride my horse in the hunt field, and yet, I wouldn’t trust to board my horse with them (and vice versa!).

It’s a very short list of people who can put both quality rides in the hunt field and ensure your horse has a good time and also take excellent care after the hunt.

Google can be a very good friend

[Belmont]

Yes, there are places that train hunt horses. I worked at Red Rock Hounds for years, and we often trained hunt horse inside the arena and out. Most horses were tried in the field and staffing (under Angela, generally). A lot of horses were tried in the field, slow at first then another. Honestly, there isn’t “training” when it comes to the terrain. The horse just has to GET it (in NV). The biggest training that comes in the field is the rider. We had to tell new hunters to stay out of the horses way (see another thread on here about why iris are the crazy ones).

Some horses just DON’T make field horses. Some horses don’t make staff horses. Honestly, I could say maybe 2 out of 10 that I would ride were good for the field.

Horses were also schooled in the ring and over natural XC fences. A lot of horses were also cubbed all over the summer during hound walks. We usually took in a hunt horse trainee sometime in summer and kept it through the first few weeks or more of hunt season. It depends on the person and the $$$ you are willing to spend. The horses are generally gun, whip, and hound broke during the summer. That way when it comes to actual hunting, the horse isn’t as overwhelmed with EVERYTHING. Your best dead head arena horse can become a beast when hunting… It’s just too much fun!

If for some reason you come to the west coast, please look up Red Rock Hounds. There isn’t anyone I would trust more to train me a hunter and be totally honest about it.

[Fractious_Fox]

Jawa,
I can answer yes to all of those questions - I hate ring riding and like to be able to ride anywhere and everywhere I can. I’ve had a lot of horses in my life as I’ve grown into and out of various mounts, but this guy is the only one who seems to be able to do EVERYTHING and ANYTHING, and with class. That said, because of the many horses I’ve ridden and owned in the past, I know first hand that the equine species is great at throwing curve balls! You can never say for sure one way or another until you know for sure, and even then I feel like I might be tempting fate

Thank you for taking the time to respond!

[Fractious_Fox]

Sidesaddle,
Thank you for that detailed description of how you make a hunt horse. Really informative.

Belmont,
Thanks for the very thorough post! I definitely agree that you just can’t predict. If I decide to go this route, that will be at the forefront of my mind. Also, there is always the chance that we might relocate to AZ. So, I will keep your suggestion of Red Rock in the back of my mind!

ISR,
Really good advice, and something that can never be repeated too often.

Equibrit,
Yes, I’ve thought of them. I only know them in passing though; I left shortly after the summer I spent riding on their farm and probably only spoke to Epp twice for a total of 10 minutes. As with any place, I’d have to make sure they were a good fit. What an amazing place though - we racked up a lot of miles out there!