Opening cubbing meet.

[jawa]

Up before the sun, coffee made, dogs feed and up to the barn. The horses were in the pasture grazing,but happily came into the barn for their early breakfast. I was very happy to see 4 shoes on all the horses and that my rinse and scrub (no shampoo) yesterday afternoon was not a lost cause. Both horses were really clean…boy am I enjoying hunting 2 bay horses!!!

I had hooked the trailer up yesterday in the sweltering heat, so with 2 clean horses eating breakfast, I had a few minutes to tend to morning chores. Breakfast eaten, it was time to decide which bay to take. Knowing the fixture and the fact that it tends to be a bit boggy and well paneled, I decided to go with the veteran, 6 seasons under his belt. A few minutes to give a final brush, tack up (with a fly rump rug as an added bit of kit) and then on to loading onto the trailer.

45 minutes later driving down the road to the meet, I noticed it getting more foggy as I headed west. At some points, it was hard to see it was so thick. As I pulled into the meet 25 minutes ahead of the time for hounds to be cast, I was happy to see so many familiar faces out early to start the season. Boots on, helmet donned, gloves, hunt whip, tighten that girth and mount up to have a walk about to warm up my mount a bit.

A few morning announcements from one of our masters and we were off. Within just a few minutes (15 at the most) hounds began speaking on a line. Fast and furious through narrow trails in the woods, popping out onto the road, back into the woods with coops, post and rail and creeks and ditches crossed in between. Back the way we came, “Huntsman back!” Off for another short burst, until hounds came to a loss. Quite moments passed, a voice, then another, cheering from the huntsman and we were off again. Back again the way we had just been. A short run after the hounds had recast themselves and the fox went to ground. There was much praise from the huntsman. Well done!!

Hounds were gathered and made their way to another covert. Within a few minutes ( again 15 at most) hounds began speaking on a line. It wasn’t long before all were on and we were off on another run. This fox ran some of the same territory, but made a few extra turns here and there to give a view of some other scenery and gave us a chance to jump of our more technical coops (coop, 2 strides to a left hand turn, 4 strides to a stout coop with a ditch on the landing side, across a gravel road, another ditch and up a bank.) I was very glad to have been on the veteran today. A bit more gallop and a few more coops and that was the end of the run as the hounds had lost. It was at this point I decided we had enough for the morning. We waited until hounds had regrouped and were off hunting a different direction before heading in for the morning.

1hour and 30 minutes with 5 1/4 miles covered left both horse and rider dripping in sweat.

What a great way to start the season!!! Here’s to many more fabulous hunting mornings.

Happy Hunting!!

[Foxglove]

Wow! So exciting —our cubbing, for members, is much tamer --staff are working hard, but we are more or less just a prop --I think -still fun though. Our first meet is a joint meet with three other hunts (we don’t open until Oct --they open in Sept.) Just arranged stabling for my two horses there . . .next, I’ll need a place to stay! Priorities! Happy hunting!

[RPM]

Wow – I enjoyed reading your post, jawa. Thanks for posting it.

[Willesdon]

Thank you.

[Hunter_s_Rest]

Nicely told.

[Denali6298]

And this makes me wish I had the means to pack marsey up and join a hunt…

[jawa]

I went hunting on Tuesday thinking that it might be the only chance to hunt this week due to the impending storm. I took my young horse for his first day of his second season hunting. He has been a work in progress due to hoof issues (which seem to be resolved!! KNOCKS WOOD!!!) It was at I fixture I know fairly well and there aren’t many jumps, which is great since I haven’t pressed the jumping issue due to his hooves. It was a fairly slow day, a few voices here and there, but they just couldn’t seem to hold the line. Lots of walking and trotting with a few canters and one short gallop. It was a great day because he seemed to finally let go of his back and get round. I knew that canter and gallop were in there somewhere… and we have finally found it.

I was supposed to be heading to WEG today, but I felt like it might end up being difficult to get back home, so I decided to stay home. I called the hunt monitor and we were hunting today at a fixture that, depending on the direction game goes, is heavily paneled. I decided to go on my tried and true first flight TB. AND I AM SO GLAD I DID!!

Yet again, up before the sun. It will be so nice when the temperatures cool and I won’t have to wake up at 4:45 am. I was the 2nd person to arrive at the meet. As I went to go into the tack room of my trailer, I noticed the running board of my truck was covered in crickets. Crickets are supposed to be good luck, so I was hopeful we would have a good day.

Mounted up and walking around to warm up my boy, onto a little trot and a couple of short canters to be sure he is listening. There were 10 of us out on this humid morning with 18 1/2 couple. We set off around the large cow fields drawing along the drainage ditches. One to another working our way along to the last cow field before we enter into a large forested tract. We headed toward a gate and paused as we heard a voice, then another, and another. Before too long the hounds were in full cry. At first it sounded as if they were heading away from us, but our huntsman held to see if the game would turn back. Turn back it did and gave a wonderful view to anyone who was paying attention. A tan coyote came out of the woods and out into a small field before doubling back into the woods. Away we went for a 50 minute run. At one point if came out into the fields again before turning back into the woods, through some cutovers, back into the woods and away from where we found. The coyote was very sly and was able to lose the pack. We had quite a few coops to jump to go into and out of the fields and woods trying to keep up the circling of the coyote.

After an hour and ten minutes we had covered 6 miles. The hounds tried to work out the line for another 20 minutes, hunting and pecking, a voice here and there, but nothing strong enough to get them moving quickly forward.

After being sure a rider was replaced on a jump and making it back to the trailer we had covered 10 miles in 2 hours.

It was a great day to be out!

Tallyho!!!