Long shot..

[themarchcat]

I know this is probably going to be a long shot, but I am looking for a hunt whip to purchase and I’m hoping to keep the price under $200 (the long shot). So if anyone knows of someone selling a hunt whip (with the thong and lash) I’d greatly appreciate it if you sent them my way. =)

Reply here, PM me, email anything! Ebay hasn’t helped as there aren’t very many posted on there and they are usually wayyyy out of my budget. My email is melaniewilliams09@gmail.com

Another long shot, but any tips for helping your horse stand better at checks? My mare is green (and very new to foxhunting, she’s been out 3 times now) and has her breed going very much against her (Arabian), but she has alot of heart and try, and will jump/cross anything I point at her, so really the checks are our biggest issue. Tips? Stands like a doll at home for however long I’ll ask her to so other than that, I’m drawing a blank. Thanks!

[Benson]

For the whip, check eBay UK.

Standing at checks: Don’t force the issue. If you can ride at the back of your flight, do so, and at checks, ask her to stand. Then, when she gets fidgety, move quietly in a circle WORKING HER LITTLE BRAIN - leg yield, bend, bend, bend, shoulder in, etc. Make the work hard, but quiet and consistent. Then, go stand again. When she gets fidgety, go back to work on your circle. If at all possible, circle as far away from others as you can. This will help your mare learn that work is away from friends and it will decrease any noise you’ll be making in crunching leaves, corn fodder, etc.

I feel your pain! My greenbean has also only been out 3x and doesn’t stand still for the first hour and then doesn’t stand still while we gather hounds. It’s completely annoying for all involved.

[candysgirl]

No clue on the hunt whip, but I did a lot of trail riding and endurance rides with my Arab prior to taking him hunting. He learned on endurance rides that being calm and chilling out when given the opportunity for a break is a really good idea, because he never quite knows how far he’s going to be asked to go in a given day.

Also, we did a lot of trail riding with friends. We’d specifically stopping and standing politely. Not really with the intention of using that skill on the hunt field, but just in general. I expect my horse, Arab or not, to stand still when told to do so.

I don’t care that he’s an Arab. He can have manners and act like he’s got a brain the same as any other horse. Of course we still have Arab moments (he’s only 7) where he jumps something in spectacular Arab fashion or shies from something only Arabs can see, but overall, I expect him to behave and do as asked. Even going from a dead run to catch up with the field after staying back with a fallen rider and then catching up to the field already at a check and standing politely at that point.

[lily04]

Bartville Harness has them in that price range. 717-529-6992

[Beau_s_mom]

Try these follks. I bought a hunt whip from my daughter there a few years ago. It is very nice.
http://www.oakdalehorsefarm.com/tacksale.htm

[themarchcat]

Thanks, Benson. That is exactly what I did this past Sunday out. Instead of starting out first flight and potentially ruining my nice horse, I decided to drop back to 2nd flight, keeping to the back, until she figured things out. She eventually semi-understood to stand still, but then I would stop and wait for someone else to catch up and she’d dance around all over again saying “we need to go, Mom!”. Eventually I moved her up to first flight and we had to start the calming process all over again. Just like the technique you mentioned, I kept to the back of the field and while we were waiting our turn to cross a creek or at a check, I’d let her work in figure eights just trying to keep her mind and body in motion (otherwise, since she hasn’t figured out to conserve her energy yet, she’d be more prone to leap about =/). I’ll continue those methods when I can, thanks Benson.

Candysgirl, I wish I had the option of trail riding with friends, but I don’t unfortunately. =/ I stable at my house, so unless I were to trailer out during the week, I have no one else to ride with me until the weekend and that’s during the hunt! Oh boy! haha So, having said that, she is brilliant by herself since that’s all she has learned, how to work and ride out by herself. I was soooo hoping to start her out this season in the field and then, when I’m bored of being a field member, go back to whipping-in like I usually do. I feel that job would suite her slightly better, but even then she’ll have to listen and stand calmly. I guess from your suggestion is that I’ll just have to take her out on suppperr long rides now and make her stand randomly for extended intervals at a time?

I do have to say though, that my girl, considering Sunday was her first time cubbing ever (we had just been out roading the 2 previous occasions), didn’t do that bad. She wasn’t even the worst horse either! Though it was the two redheads that were the fireballs for the day, I can just happily say that mine calmed down the last hour, while the other lady still had her’s bouncing everywhere, teheee.

Thank you, lily04 and Beau’s mom for the whip suggestions. =)

[Whistlejacket]

I second the suggestion of on your non-hunting rides practicing standing, pretty much as a matter of routine until it “clicks” for your horse.

While it may sound funny that a horse needs to “practice” standing, it is the mental aspect that needs to become comfortable for them. And just like any new skill, you start out in small achieve-able steps and gradually build up to incrementally ask a little more each time. Depending on the horse, you might want to start out asking him to stand for one minute (or even 30 seconds) in a (mentally) comfortable location for him. And then build up to longer times in more challenging settings (e.g. by himself out in the middle of a long ride or locations other than at or from home - i.e. places you trailered to).

And yes, as I am practicing standing, people do look at me like I am crazy…but then again, they compliment my horse in the hunt field!

[jawa]

When I first started hunting, the horse and I were new to hunting. We had done SO many of the things that you should do prior to bringing a horse out hunting, that I thought it would be no big deal to him…

Well, I didn’t realize how much standing around there could be. Walk, stand…trot, walk, trot, stand… GALLOP…STAND…

This bothered him GREATLY…capriolle anyone? (I’m not sure it’s a compliment when someone says “Well sat!!”)

So, I went home and did some homework. Walk, Whoa (1 mississippi), Walk. I kid you not, he was FREAKED out having to stand for 1 second. I worked at it, and worked at it… At first in the same place EVERY time, when we get to the corner of the field we will stand for 1 second. Then increased the time until we could stand for 10-20 seconds. Then I changed the locations of the halt, and increased the frequency.

After a trillion and 1 repetitions… I was able to hunt him and have him stand quietly at checks.

[themarchcat]

Okay, thanks you too! I’ll keep working on the standing repetitions at home. Like I mentioned above, being away from others at home and other trailer out situations is fine, but as she’s not used to a big group, it was hard for her to stand still away from the group while hunting. So we’ll keep working on the stand repetitions. Thanks!!

[themarchcat]

Hello everyone! I’m back with another question (and didn’t feel like starting another thread for it). What is a good place to send a hunt whip to be fixed? My huntsman (who is awesome!!) is going to let me pick one of her old hunt whips, but the catch is, is that the ones I have to pick from all have some sort of minor damage to them that needs fixing. I haven’t looked through them yet, we didn’t have time after hunting yesterday, but she said that some of them just need the lash fixed (most likely easiest to buy a new lash if it’s that bad) or the leather piece at the end of the handle where the lash loops through. Just looking for a list of names/numbers of people that have reasonably and reliably fixed your (or someone else’s) hunt whip. Thanks again!

[jawa]

Dixon’s Foxhunting Products

717-357-3937

www.marksnylonhuntwhipsthongs.com

He was at the VA Hound Show this year.

My hunt whip needed a new lash, as the original had dry rotted.

It was around $30 to get the repair done and shipped back to me.

I was happy with the work and cost.