I consider hunting a healthy albeit expensive addiction. Enjoy! There’s no going back…
You’ll end up needing a second horse though… Or maybe even a third…
When I hunted for the first time two years ago I completely lost interest in Eventing. At the time I was working at the BN level and was hoping to do my first rated HT’s the following year. After experiencing foxhunting those goals suddenly seemed VERY boring and I knew I wouldn’t be having nearly the fun I had foxhunting. It took some work to make my horse good to ride in a group at speed so that’s what I worked on in the off season, (lots of trailriding in groups, flatwork in fields, jumping XC. )
By year 2 he was much better and we were able to hunt 1st flight. I haven’t been able to get out hunting yet this season due to weather and also moving into a new house but boy am I itching to get out and hunt!!! There really is nothing like it.
Welcome to the fraternity of foxhunting addicts. It’s truly a drug. Hunting was canceled this morning, and I’m now moping around the house… I want to be out, come hell or high water (definitely some high water out there now)! My in-house Dressage/Eventing trainer asked me this am… “what do you want to do with your mare today?”… I’d rather be out in the rain, than stuck in the indoor… (Don’t tell my husband who helped fund the indoor that!) I suppose I can try out the new all purpose saddle I picked up yesterday…
It’s taken me way too many years to get out in the Hunt field. I’ve always wondered - what if. At some point you just have to suck it up and go… I’m so glad I had my fellow boarders out there with me encouraging me. I love it, love it, love it. Dressage - fooey, Eventing - fooey, Hunting - YAY! Ok, everything in moderation.
Every time I pull out of my driveway at the crack of dawn, I’m more appreciative of my surroundings than ever before… that applies tenfold to when we’re out in the field over hill and dale, communing with all of God’s gifts.
“Hi my name is Lauren and I’m addicted to fox hunting…”
I just started fox hunting this fall. All of my weekend plans now revolve around the hunt. My riding wardrobe has exploded. I spend far too much time on Ebay looking at English tweeds. My trailer has seen more road time this fall than in the past 5 years combined. My Facebook is now 80% fox hunting photos and it’s increasing (I purposely try to throw a few other photos in there so my friends know I still on occasion do other things!). I loathe Wednesday morning conference calls and take off as many as I can. Advil has replaced tic tacs. And best of all my horse and I are having more fun that I could have ever imagined!
Ah more converts!
I am the same as Lauren. I started hunting in 1998, and after my first season, if I had any appointments, trips, family stuff etc, we didnt’ do it on Wednesdays or Saturdays from October til March. MY family knows whatever we are going to do, we do it in the summer because once I start hunting that’s it. Of course, now that I am a whipper in even more so.
It is a very addicting sport, esp if you are an adrenaline junkie like I am. Hunting is the bomb. It did more for my riding than years and years of taking lessons and showing hunters ever did.
When I bred my mare in 2002, I actually chose my stallion and bred for a future foxhunter.
I found a second hunt a couple of years ago and whip in there too. I would hunt every single day if I could, but alas…I have this job thing that really interferes with my hunting.
Ok, y’all, I’m planning to do this sometime in 2010. I live in BFE West Texas, where there’s not a huge hunting contingency. So I’m going to be driving a loooooooong way to do this. I hope it’s as good as it sounds!
