So I think I want to try foxhunting...

[snakeybird]

Hi All,

I have learned a great deal reading old posts on this forum; it has been a great resource as I’ve explored my crazy idea to try fox hunting.

I have been riding off and on for a few decades, and these days I am mostly a trail rider, but my background is in dressage. I really would like to try fox hunting this fall, and would appreciate whatever thoughts and reflections you might have on the following questions.

1. I have e-mailed the local Indiana hunt and not received a response; is it acceptable to call the MFH to obtain more information? I am somewhat hesitant, as it is made clear on the website that the hunt is “by invitation only,” and I’ve gotten discouraging feedback in years past from the local eventing community that it isn’t a welcoming group (which I don’t wish to believe and hope is not so).

2. I assume that it would be wisest to hire, or if very fortunate, borrow, an experienced horse the first time or 2 I go out, if I jump (no pun intended) right into “real” hunting. Thoughts on this?

3. Are there hunts in Kentucky, Michigan or Ohio that are known for having experienced hunt horses for hire, and provide a good intro to the sport?

4. If I don’t go with option 2, I have 3 different mounts available, two of them very experienced with trail riding over rough terrain (I am known to trot and canter a lot on trails), and a re-purposed show jumper who adores hacking. What are some gentle ways to introduce a horse to hunting to see if they take to it?

5. Are well mannered mules generally permitted?

Thanks!

[Dutchmare433]

You should absolutely try it! Most fun you’ll have on horseback.

1. Not sure why you haven’t heard back, but hunt season (at least here) has not started and will not start until later in the summer. That could be why you haven’t heard back. Any hunts I’ve been a member of or capped with have been very gracious/accepting/encouraging of new members. (I’m sure this isn’t true of every hunt, but might as well try.)

2. If possible, yes that’s the best way to do it, bringing a green horse on it’s first hunt can indeed get a little hairy at times.

3. No idea!

4. Probably any of the 3 would be fine, but I suppose you never really know how they’ll react to the hounds and all the other horses. I assume they’re fine out in a group? A few great ways to introduce a horse to hunting are:
   -Hound walking (you would get more info on this from the MFH)
   -Hunt clinics (offered early on in cubbing season in both hunts I’ve been a member of)
   -Taking the horse out in 3rd flight/hilltoppers, preferably during cubbing season

5. Also no idea! Ask the MFH!

Good luck and I hope you have a great experience.

[snakeybird]

Thanks for the encouragement Dutchmare. I do think it would be a lot of fun!

I will call this next week; as you say, might as well try. I know that the regular season is over, but was hoping to be introduced to the hunt this summer; perhaps help with trail/jump maintenance for a day and get to meet the die hard crowd.

[McGurk]

Good for you! You should definitely give it a try!

I would strongly encourage hiring/borrowing an experienced fox hunter for your first time.

Foxhunting is definitely one of those things where green + green can equal black and blue.

My suggestion would be to call the MFH or secretary again, say that you’re interested in hunting, and ask if there’s a member that would like your help legging up their horses. Hunting horses usually have April - May or June off and start back to work in July. An extra competent rider is always welcome when legging up and you’ll be much more likely to be offered a horse to hunt.

In this way, you’ll learn the country you’ll be hunting over, acquire a member as a mentor, be introduced to various pieces of hunting and riding etiquette rather than having to learn it all on the morning of your first meet and get acquainted with your potential hunting horse.

If you want to further ingratiate yourself, volunteer to help in the kennels or to go on hound walk on foot. It will be a great addition to your education, and you’ll single yourself out as someone serious about hunting, rather than someone that’s looking for a lark on horseback.

If that doesn’t work, for whatever reason, and you end up doing the green on green thing, make sure you have an experienced foxhunter as your buddy and guide for your first hunt.

Finally, for some great education and good laughs, look up Fox Hunter on FaceBook or The Anonymous Fox Hunter on YouTube.

[snakeybird]

Thanks McGurk! I am ROTFL right now after watching a few of the Anonymous Foxhunter You Tube episodes; what a great recommendation for a newbie:) The attire one is particularly priceless.

I appreciate the ideas for getting involved with a hunt. Legging up is a great idea, however my arena skills are rusty; I’ve ridden trails for a lot of years. If someone wanted assistance working a horse in open territory and all that entails, that would be a good fit. I am honestly interested in hounds and hunting, so the ideas about hound walking is a great one.

[McGurk]

Legging up does not involve arena work, legging up means working in open territory, conditioning the horse whose been out on grass for a couple of months. So yes, that would be a good fit.

It’s not that field hunters don’t benefit from flat work in an arena, they do - but a made field hunter needs an occasional tune up in the ring and a lot of time just getting fit.

The challenge is when a purely arena trained rider wants to hunt and they find an actual good swinging, ground covering, cross country trot intimidating. Or the concept of maintaining a safe following distance while riding in a group difficult.

[BeastieSlave]

My hunt requires that horses of newbies be known hunt horses or approved (vouched for) by a respected member or staff. I took my horse on hound exercises before we went out on a ‘real’ hunt. It was a great way to get started - for both of us!

[snakeybird]

[QUOTE=McGurk;8663242]
Legging up does not involve arena work, legging up means working in open territory, conditioning the horse whose been out on grass for a couple of months. So yes, that would be a good fit.

Thanks for providing a more detailed description of the term legging up; I’ve been using it more generically to mean exercising another’s horse for years; good to know it specifically applies to riding in the open (which is I guess what I was most often doing).

Are there truly a lot of riders who have only ridden in the ring in the US? Is hacking out not emphasized over here as part of a horse and rider’s education? I know I have done my own thing horsewise for a lot of years, but I really didn’t know this.

BeastieSlave, Hound walking does indeed sound like a good first step. I’ll definitely look into that.

On a different note, I got a response to the message I sent to the local hunts facebook page and now have an e-mail address for the appropriate contact. I am kicking myself for not thinking of using social media a bit sooner.

[Kodiak]

Please don’t be put off by “invitation only”. As a trail rider, you’ve probably seen all of the things that can go wrong when a group of riders grows beyond a handful, especially when some of the people have not prepared their horses or don’t follow safe group riding etiquette. Foxhunting can be dangerous enough when done correctly–we aren’t going to unnecessarily risk our horses or ourselves just because someone thinks it would be fun to try the sport. So, yes, there is a bit of a weeding out of those who aren’t serious enough to contact someone in the hunt, arrange for assistance getting themselves and their horse prepared to try hunting, and follow through with said preparations. You are approaching this correctly. (Also, THANK YOU for being willing to pitch right in with the work. And, you are absolutely correct that you’re going to meet a lot of the die-hards there.)

Yes, riding outside is not as common a skill as you’d think, and it’s invaluable for foxhunting. It’s not unusual for our club to be approached by people who want to try hunting but have never trotted up and down a hill.

Early summer is the perfect time of year to get involved in a hunt club. You have the entire summer to attend hound exercise and let your horse get accustomed to seeing them dashing around. Many clubs are also doing informal group rides and lots of prep work for the next season, so it gives you time to get to know people, arrange to have whatever kit you’ll need to actually hunt (clothes, tack, etc), and generally be well-prepared for your first outing. After my hunt increased our summer group riding opportunities, the number of early-season involuntary dismounts and other incidents in the hunt field dropped dramatically. Prep work pays dividends.

ETA, if you haven’t seen the hunt map, here are MFHA hunts near you: http://www.mfha.com/hunts-map.html

I know of three hunts in Ohio and one near Covington, KY that are all on FB. I think most/all have websites, too.

[snakeybird]

Kodiak, thanks for the link to the map; I hadn’t seen it before (just the hunt list), and it is really helpful.

Upon learning about people not having ridden out of the arena, my new goal when introducing kids to riding is to make sure they can ride in the open. I would have given up on horses ages ago without the freedom to go out for a jaunt, at whatever pace, across beaches, mountain meadows and fallow fields. I guess for me riding in the real world is where the enjoyment is.

[ShirleyPhan]

True true… I agree!

[2foals]

[QUOTE=snakeybird;8662322]
Hi All,

I have learned a great deal reading old posts on this forum; it has been a great resource as I’ve explored my crazy idea to try fox hunting.

I have been riding off and on for a few decades, and these days I am mostly a trail rider, but my background is in dressage. I really would like to try fox hunting this fall, and would appreciate whatever thoughts and reflections you might have on the following questions.

1. I have e-mailed the local Indiana hunt and not received a response; is it acceptable to call the MFH to obtain more information? I am somewhat hesitant, as it is made clear on the website that the hunt is “by invitation only,” and I’ve gotten discouraging feedback in years past from the local eventing community that it isn’t a welcoming group (which I don’t wish to believe and hope is not so).

2. I assume that it would be wisest to hire, or if very fortunate, borrow, an experienced horse the first time or 2 I go out, if I jump (no pun intended) right into “real” hunting. Thoughts on this?

3. Are there hunts in Kentucky, Michigan or Ohio that are known for having experienced hunt horses for hire, and provide a good intro to the sport?

4. If I don’t go with option 2, I have 3 different mounts available, two of them very experienced with trail riding over rough terrain (I am known to trot and canter a lot on trails), and a re-purposed show jumper who adores hacking. What are some gentle ways to introduce a horse to hunting to see if they take to it?

5. Are well mannered mules generally permitted?

Thanks![/QUOTE]

1. I’d try calling, please don’t be put off by the “invitation only” thing. Kodiak summed that up perfectly in her post!
2. If you can hire an experienced horse, I think that would be optimal. Having the right horse for the job (or patiently bringing along the future right horse for the job) is a huge part of the equation. Certain horses are born foxhunters, some are fine, and some were just really never meant to hunt. I think it might make the experience a little more fun if you could try it first, then decide whether or not your horse is up for it. OTOH, if you can’t find a hireling, I’d bet one of your current horses would be fine.
3. I hunt in KY, and yes, there are people who will rent/loan out horses, the master of whatever hunt you are hunting with might be able to best direct you to someone with an appropriate horse for hire.
4. The best way–I think–is to do group trail rides at those speeds. Hound exercise is also a great way to introduce a hunt horse to its job.
5. I can’t speak for other hunts, but I’d venture to say that any mount that does it’s job in a mannerly, non-distracting fashion would be welcome at just about any hunt.

Foxhunting is sheer fun. Yes, it does take a bit of effort to get started, but totally worth it!

[xeroxchick]

I would not take a mule hunting. Most horses are unfamiliar with mules and it can freak them out. You do not want to show up and freak out the members’ horses. Ask me how I know this.

[rainpants]

The hunt I ride with welcomes mules. We’ve had a few out in the time I’ve been hunting… A lot of horses are unfamiliar with small ponies and freak out about them, but we allow those too. :winkgrin:

[jawa]

we have one lady who brings her mule out hunting. He is an absolute gentleman. No issues with anyone in the field.

[2foals]

I have hunted with mules, no issues. IME, hunt horses are supposed to be well acclimated to all kinds of livestock. Xeroxchick, what would those hunt members have done if the hunt had to pass a braying donkey? Or a llama? Or weird poultry?

[Equibrit]

If you want to hunt you acclimatise your horse to the things he’ll see out there. These may include; llamas, herds of cows, emus, mules, barking curs, pheasant, chickens, and deer crashing out of the covert. You should not turn up unless you have a suitable ride.

[xeroxchick]

[QUOTE=2foals;8682771]
I have hunted with mules, no issues. IME, hunt horses are supposed to be well acclimated to all kinds of livestock. Xeroxchick, what would those hunt members have done if the hunt had to pass a braying donkey? Or a llama? Or weird poultry?[/QUOTE]

Of course that has happened more than once. We survived (except the attack donkey almost unseated a rider)"

Riding by is different than hunting with. Just have observed a mule really upsetting the field. Few members have the opportunity to familiarize their horses to a mule. If one is new I would not try to be too out of the ordinary. But that is just me.

[snakeybird]

Hi All,

Thanks for the great advice, and encouragement.

I personally prefer mules for trail riding, and have a lovely one that I believe would make a mannerly fox hunter and love it; however, I would not want to frighten the field. To be fair, in the last six years, I have come across only one horse that was terrified of mules; lamas and peacocks, on the other hand, seem to be the downfall of plenty of otherwise sensible equines…

In terms of trail riding at speed in a group, that is a wonderful suggestion, but no one wants to join in the fun, even if I promise only to walk. The mud splattered English tack seems to turn a lot of folks off.

[SuckerForHorses]

[QUOTE=snakeybird;8690066]

In terms of trail riding at speed in a group, that is a wonderful suggestion, but no one wants to join in the fun, even if I promise only to walk. The mud splattered English tack seems to turn a lot of folks off. :)[/QUOTE]

Too bad you don’t live closer to me, we could go together! We routinely come home from a trail ride splattered in mud, and that’s not even traveling at faster speeds :lol: