New season, new horses, how is it going??

[pleasantmeadowfarm]

Uggghhh

I’m not nearly as excited as I was when I posted last… My fab-o mare is currently being treated for cellulits. She was hunting like a pro this season, and days before hitching up the trailer to hunt with my VA pals she came in with slight filling in her right hind. I immediately recognized the pitting ademma and had the vet out post haste to treat aggressively. It’s now a month later, and she’s been NEARLY perfect, and POW, she begins to swell again. We started on Ceftoflex & Gentomicin (seems to be the best cocktail thus far) and I’ll have a second set of Xrays done along with ultrasound (maybe a splinter lurking somewhere?), and a CBC to see if there’s a teeny WEENIE resistant bug lurking around her her poor hock…

Mare #2 still rocks! The hot little Ferrari LOVES hunting, hounds and going out for hours… I think she’d love endurance even more… with someone else ;).

The newest addition is a 4 year old Belgian/QH cross who was totally out of shape when I bought him. When they’re as quiet as he is, in a barn full of sales horses, he was lucky to be worked once or twice a week. All fine and good, except that I’m impatient and CAN’T wait to take him out. As he naturally travels a bit on the forehand , teaching him to use his hinney and lift his forehand (along with being able to work more than 20 minutes without throwing in the towel) was a priority before following hounds.

I took him out for a hound walk which bored him to death - YAY, one trail ride (his buddies took off and left him in the dust - NO PROBLEM), and I’m thinking about a Boxing Day debut…

I’d be grateful to anyone willing to say a little prayer for my mare. She’s been my friend, mentor and confidant for several years, and I’m hoping our friendship will last for years to come… We (she) just have to kick this little bug that’s got her by the hock!

[jawa]

Jingles for your mare!!! And Hugs for you!!

[SLW]

Hope your mare rallys and kicks the cellulitis ASAP. The young draft cross sounds like a cream puff!

[Beverley]

‘New season’ is a relative thing

I get my hunting in fits and starts, when I can. Had the week in Reno last March with my ‘made’ 7 yo. 9 hunts in 6 days (beagles every day after foxhounds), 1st flight, hilltoppers, whipping in, even hunted hounds one day. I think all told he’s been out 18 or 20 times over the past 3 years. But my grandmother could’ve hunted him the first day.

Hoping to get my little mare out at earliest opportunity. Maybe Montana in April. Might concoct something earlier too…of course my issue is, I need to haul at least 6 hours one way to hunt anywhere, so I want to go where I can enjoy consecutive days of hunting.

[Benson]

Mine is progressing nicely. History: 13 y.o. OTTB, raced 11 yrs, last race April of '09. Off last season due to TONS of snow in Maryland and ligament damage.

2010 Season: He’s a rockstar. For the first 8 hunts he yawned and followed the group with ease. Water was an issue and it took one in front and one behind to push him through. By mid November he had water figured out. No problem! He also has Hunting figured out and needed some tack upgrades to maintain his good behavior. As of last week, we are now in whip training and he couldn’t be better. He will try his heart out every second, including crossing icky, trappy ditches and streams (solo or in the lead), picking his way through briars, galloping full tilt to head off a hound and then, he can stop and snooze as we wait for the our next move.

He loves to listen to hounds and will follow their voice through the covert. Last week the hounds were a ways off, but we were waiting at the end of the covert for two fox to cross the path. We were standing there, and I was scanning the woods edge for movement. His ears twitched and I followed his gaze for quite some time. He scanned back and forth on the woods edge and about a minute later the fox popped out and crossed the path in front of us. So, we waited for the second fox. I was scanning the woods’ edge when he pricked his ears toward a spot, so I followed his gaze and sure enough, out pops the second fox.

He’s such a nice horse and this season has been great with him.

[pleasantmeadowfarm]

First Hunt on new boy - HUGE success!

Benson - Congrats on your rock star!

I took my new 4 year old Belgian/QH cross out this morning for his first hunt. We had a dozen or so members in the field, and stayed towards the back. Hounds worked for half an hour and then hit a line - fast.

We’ve got at least 50% snow cover/drifts and he handled the footing perfectly. Hills, streams, steep inclines/declines, checks, hounds darting about, traffic jams, friends misbehaving… nothing phased him. :yes:

I know I’ll have a better idea after 6 or so hunts, and a season or two for him to prove himself. But, today he was saintly. I’ve been out of the hunt field since my last COTH/VA trip and I couldn’t wait to take the new guy out.

So thrilled to be back out with hounds and friends on a steady young mount!

[Doctracy]

My 18 year old ex- show horse who’s been making babies came out of retirement after 10 years to pack beginners around. She’s doing beautifully and on her first hunt hauled my brother around behind my TB in First Flight without blinking.
My 7 year old paint gelding is on about his 3-4th hunt, packing my husband. I think I have the tripping solved through different shoes, a course of Legend and Adequan, although he hasn’t been truly tested again since starting the course of it. We’re getting ready for Ridgecrest so I’m taking all three horses. Hopefully, all will continue to improve and do as well as they have been. Overall, I couldn’t be happier. My TB is 13years old this year and starting to really mellow out. We whipped in last weekend and while I had issues ( it being only my 3-4th time whipping) he was awesome. He just loves whipping.

[MichMort]

My guy just flipped the switch in the last few hunts, to where he is so quiet and good in the barn on Hunt morning, like he’s being VERY sure I won’t have a reason to not take him hunting! He loves watching the hounds and listening to them. We did have one short horse race break out during our last hunt, but he sheepishly got back in line after being told that was not acceptable. He stands so sweetly afterwards, as I grab his fleece and halter out of the trailer, all contented. Bonus: he started self-loading 2 weeks ago, instead of following me into the trailer!

[SLW]

Nice reports on the newbie horses! Congrats!

My last hunt was almost a MONTH ago! Between the holidays, family in town for several weeks and the snow which has cancelled a few hunts, I’ve been a no show. And now I have a damn cold and am.dragging.my.fanny.

So, it is “to be continued” with my mare who on that last hunt for sure wanted to be in the front of the group, especially at the start when the ground has an electric current running through it that she feels in her darling lil hooves.

She doesn’t know I also have my colors with the COTH Snobbington Hunt where the good old girls meet to ride and gossip. Hard to gossip when the pony is doing the whole grande levade, doop-dee-doo donkey routine. :lol:

[wateryglen]

OOOoooohhhh!!

Electric Current??? Aaahhhh so that explains it…makes my one mare wanna go backwards as they are moving off…
or…so I’ve heard…!! :sigh::rolleyes:

[whicker]

SLW,
You just are so busy with your horse that you didn’t notice the rest of us are doing the moves, too! :winkgrin::lol:

[SLW]

Well for the first 20 minutes or so my position varies from braced like I[m in traction to looking like the little bobble head decoration in the back window of cars. Pass the flask, puhlease!

[SLW]

She’s got it

Woot, woot my mare! As the band “Shocking Blue” sang in the late 60’s “She’s got it, yeah baby she’s got it!!!” :winkgrin:

It’s been 3 weeks since her last hunt. Today was a perfect day for hunting, sunny, a lil windy in the open but not a biting wind and scenting conditions were good. The ground wasnt’ frozen and only deep & boggy in the low spots. Started out in the back with Miss Fancy Feet and from the get go she all business and no gangsta. I thought SWEET. :yes:

After 30 minutes I moved her into the back of first flight- we were in an area where there were no jumps. The hounds were on a line and moving out. She rated perfectly, never got chargy, bore up and down the hills, through the bogs with her ears perked and her body relaxed. That’s when I heard it, the song- “She’s got it, Yeah baby she’s got it. Well I’m your Venus, I’m your fire at your desire”. Really, the refrain of the song is like galloping up a hill behind a pack of screaming hounds.

We’ve got 6 weeks left in this season and I think I’m seeing some nice payoff now.

How are all the other newbies doing as the season starts to wind down??

[Doctracy]

Well, here in Phoenix we were snowed out last Sunday. Seriously! I’ve not been out in awhile. 2 snow outs, some rain, couldn’t go on two out of state trips for various reasons. Looks like we might hit end of season with no more hunts for me. Last hunt, I rode my husbands gelding. He was awesome but got a cactus sticker in his leg. Had to have surgery and is still not quite sound, after almost 6 weeks. He was truly the most lame I’d ever seen a horse, at the beginning I’d thought he had a major fracture Nd for a couple days it looked like he was foundering because he laid down so much. So I can’t complain that he only has a tiny head bob at the trot now. Looks like he’ll make it back in time for dubbing season!

[SLW]

Wow. Where did the cactus sticker penetrate his leg? Sounds terrible. I don’t boot up for fox hunting. Years ago while riding with a friend through a wooded path her horses bell boot snagged a stob on the ground and that slammed him down to the ground, tossing her off, hard. But out in your area cactus might make me think differently about booting up.

[Painted_Wings]

My horse is doing great in her first full season in spite of the erratic schedule due to the weather. Took her to a joint meat with Shawnee. Fairly large field, rode first flight and she was perfect. Took all the coops right in stride.

[JSwan]

I’m very superstitious and don’t want to jinx myself. And it was beaten into me by scary nuns that pride is a sin.

So I’ll say the rosary and cross my fingers and toes and throw salt over my shoulder and spit after writing this.

My new horse is FREAKIN’ AWESOME. Didn’t get to hunt as much as I wanted due to a minor health thingy and then weather… but I’m back in the saddle and hoping my back holds up.

Here we are at a recent hunter pace.

http://www.richardclayphotography.com/p/ch_-_flat_races/ch-hp-2011-170_42_1_2

My partner was on this absolutely fantastic TB who found another gear and was just a little bit out of the camera shot. Just a little. hee hee hee… vrrrrooooom!

[SLW]

Congrats PW on your mare. You sound like us- the past 6 weeks have been hit or miss with mostly miss. Well, they went out a couple days and I didn’t go because of the snow, etc. and then I was out of town.

I did a Joint Meet today and the lil mare was rock solid. She seems to get it now so maybe the down time helped her. We host the meet tomorrow and I’ll have her back out for a lil bit.

[system]

Hunting is considered to be one of the most dangerous. Due to this, many safety precautions must be made to ensure your safety

[Painted_Wings]

20 hunts

My coming 6 yr old Paint Mare finished her 20th hunt yesterday. The last three hunts she has really settled in and become perfect. Probably the best hunt horse I’ve ever had (and I’ve had a couple of really good ones).

She gets out of the trailer, stands quietly, stands quiet to mount. Jumps everything, doesn’t rush, goes anywhere.

The last three hunts have been especially challenging. All three with deep mud. She has stepped up to the task and been perfect.

2 weeks ago. Hunted with another hunt First flight, strange horses strange territory, deep footing… perfect.

1 weeks ago I was the only one in the field. Rode in the huntsman’s pocket most of the time. We had to go off by ourselves at times. With the huntsman you have to wait for all the hounds to go before you can go so you don’t really get a lead. We jumped at least 20 coops and some twice. Deep footing and high water in the creeks and ditches.

Yesterday. Another 12 mile hunt. Lots of coops, large field. Had to babysit three horses (guests) in the field that hadn’t hunted before. Horse was perfect, would let me stop and photograph other horses jumping without getting antsy. Would trot or canter coops, whatever I wanted to do.

Fabulous horse!

This mare is 1/2 paint and half Tb. I bought her as a yearling. Her sire is a full brother to my older hunt horse. My older horse strained a ligament late in the season last year so this mare had to become #1 in a short time.

Oh, and not for sale…ever.