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OK, Seriously? That was the most fun I've ever had in my life on a horse.

Hunting
#1

My horse and I hunted today for the first time. It was, hands down, the most fun I’ve ever had on a horse. And my horse could not have been more fantastic for her first-ever outing. She stood when she had to stand, she galloped fast and gamely when she had to gallop, she was calm and fast and forward and game and calm and fit all at the same time. For hours. Amazing. And she was smart too- she figured out PDQ that when the master held up his whip that she was supposed to stop- and she started stopping on her own, with me barely having to use rein. And then galloped off smartly when it was time, with barely any leg. And she found her fifth leg and started reading the terrain and the other horses and just was SIMPLY AMAZING! Can you tell I"m in love with my horse after today?! :cool: (I already was of course, but even more so now!)

And what a fantastic sport. After galloping hell-bent for leather for several hours, we come back and put up our horses and then eat and drink and hang out with new and old friends. Especially the drink part. I chose champagne to celebrate my first-ever foxhunt. I am HOOKED! Line and sinker. :smiley: What is eventing, again?? :lol:

#2

Sounds like you had a great time. I am going out for the first time next weekend. Hope my experience is as good as yours.

#3

ME TOO! My horse is out with a tendon injury but I rode a guest horse last weekend in my first hunt ever. All I can say is that I hope my horse bounces back well from her injury because I can’t WAIT for next year!!

#4

Wonderful! That was the way I felt - twenty years ago!
I really think the best part is that your horse, when they “get it” like that, is really having as much fun as you. When you start to really watch and follow the hounds it even gets better.
And way more fun after!

#5

Awesome!! Congratulations on a great day!! Sounds like you AND your horse are hooked!! Some of them are just born to hunt and when you sit on one that looks around, figures it all out and says “OK, seriously, that was the most fun I 've ever had in my life being ridden” you know you’ve got yourself a hunt horse. I hunt my event horse, sent entries for Rubicon, turns out it’s the same day as opening meet. What event? :lol::lol::lol: Horse agrees wholeheartedly!!

#6

Congrats! Sounds like you are hooked. It IS addicting, for both horse and rider.

I hunt my event horses, too. Moved The Heathen up to prelim two weeks ago, and whipped in on him this Saturday. You’ll love having the training and communication in the hunt field, and the fifth leg experience for the event course. It’s a perfect fit.

#7

Oh yes, you have been bitten. There is NO going back! No indoor arena flat work for you this winter!! Congrats! :slight_smile:

#8

In answer to your question - Eventing is a way to keep you and your horse fit until the next hunt season begins.

#9

Last year was the first time I had tried foxhunting and I quickly began to clear my weekends so I could hunt no matter what else I had to do.

Yesterday, was my first day out this season and it was awesome. I sold the horse I hunted last year and leased the other so I have three horses I am going to be hunting this season. I hunted my 8 yr conn/tb that I have evented and he was quite good. He figured it out so quickly and I swear within a half hour of starting he had it all figured out. It was exactly as you described he was stopping himself and galloping off just watching the other horse. I was just sitting up there steering but letting him do his thing. We navigated some jumps and some steep up and down banks with style. I had planned not to jump because he is returning from a major knee injury but he was so pissed at me for going around the jumps he was getting rank so I just let him jump making our life easier. That made him happy:lol:

I drove home with a big smile on my face and even though I am sore this morning it all feels so worth it. You think you are in shape until you are moving non stop for 2.5 hrs! We were on a fox within the first 5 min and never stopped. I haven’t galloped that long since last foxhunting season and I can’t wait to do it again.

I will hunt the CANTER horses I have and I might try my other personal horse but he just strikes me as a horse who isn’t going to enjoy it. Junior, my conn/tb, was bred to hunt. He isn’t for someone who want to sit back and see the sights he wants to be right in the thick of the action. I have been leasing him to a girl at the barn and letting my husband ride him so it has been almost a year since I rode him but I remember why he was my ultimate event horse. He has a 5th leg and then some. Nothing like hunting on a good horse and this time of year is so gorgeous. We had a great view of a big healthy fox and the hounds were amazing. Can’t wait to do it again!

Sounds like you are hooked and like everyone else I love eventing but once foxhunting season comes there is nothing more thrilling! Glad you have a hunt horse in your barn it makes life so much easier when they enjoy it.

#10

Oh I am SO SORE this morning! Sore to the bone. I always love it when I think I’m in shape and then I find a new activity to knock me down a peg or two and I have a fun new way to get in better shape. And it was worth every sore muscle. :smiley:

I am completely hooked. I’m already scoping out ebay to find a tweed jacket (I hunted in black yesterday and just kept my black jacket on for the breakfast, didn’t have anything else) and canary vest and are newbies allowed to carry a flask? :lol:

And I think this is truly my horse’s calling. She tolerates dressage, LOVES cross-country, and is fine at the show-jumping. But hunting- wow she just was amazing right out of the gate. Like she’d been waiting for four years for me to figure out that this is what we should spend our horsey dollars and time on. Yes ma’am, I am with the program now! :winkgrin:

#11

Join the Foxhunters online message board. I scored a really awesome black frock and canary vest a few months ago. I bought the rest of my gear on ebay but still don’t have a cubbing jacket which they said is fine. I wore a blue jacket that I use for hunters which is lightweight (it was 60 degrees here yesterday). One of our members gave me a flask as a new member gift so I would say it is okay:lol:

Bartville tack (an amish store) is the place to shop for foxhunting tack on the cheap. They have lovely hunt bridles for around $90. I go there all the time if you ever need someone to shop for you but they also have a catalog and ship.

#12

Welcome to the Dark Side!!!:D:D:D:D:D:D

#13

I too, am joining the Dark Side.

I pick up my new prospect this week, and my trainer has promised to turn him into a foxhunter.

Now I can join the Bedford Hunt Club, as several of my friends have been bugging me to do.

I am now the owner of a 15.2 h, 5 y/o TB gelding. I always said I’d never, ever, nuh-uh own a TB. Much less one who’s just two months off the track.

Eating crow isn’t too bad, if it’s baked in a pie… :wink:

Do I have pictures, you ask? Well, maybe a few:

[IMG]http://i1016.photobucket.com/albums/af285/JJsSneakySnake/JJ4.jpg)

[IMG]http://i1016.photobucket.com/albums/af285/JJsSneakySnake/JJ3.jpg)

[IMG]http://i1016.photobucket.com/albums/af285/JJsSneakySnake/JJ2.jpg)

[IMG]http://i1016.photobucket.com/albums/af285/JJsSneakySnake/JJ1.jpg)

#14

You can often find something at a thrift store to use for ratcatcher.

#15

Yeah, you get used to it. A little salt and pepper… and it’s almost as good as humble pie. I eat a lot of both. :lol:

Congrats on the new horse. 15.2h is a good height.

You know the old saying, “Those who need a mounting block shouldn’t fall off in a hayfield.”

Welcome both of you. Foxhunting is about as much fun as you can have with your clothes on.:slight_smile:

#16

[QUOTE=hey101;4459965]
My horse and I hunted today for the first time. It was, hands down, the most fun I’ve ever had on a horse. [/QUOTE]

Perfect description.

#17

That was EXACTLY how I felt too! Last year was my first season (mares-y’s too) and we are totally hooked.

Getting involved with the hunt club is fun too, going to board meetings, building jumps, volunteering at paces and hunter trials.

Nothing beats the sensation of riding to hounds. It is spectacular!

#18

Interestingly the same remarks echoed by Sean Clancy in his blog (10-27-09) when he went out too:

It’s been two days. My body feels like a truck ran over it. My soul feels good.

Although he doesn’t steeplechase professionally any more he’s not exactly riding over rolling hills and jumps for the first time. (During his 13-year career he won a total of 152 races and a national championship in 1998.)

#19

hey! I know your feeling! After being a show hunter/jumper and tied to an arena since I start riding 12 years ago…I was transplanted into a hunt barn 3 weeks ago! Although I have yet to be out hunting, I’ve been out galloping and doing hill work, etc! I have fallen in love with the sport…I’m even looking to sell my (flat as a pancake) close contact saddle so I can afford a (deeper seated!) all purpose! :yes:

#20

I hunted this morning and came back with a big smile on my face.

It is truly a blast (and my horse seems to think so too). My TB is turning into an awesome hunt horse.

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