Umm, he was cantering at my horses flank. I didn’t mean he was standing at my horses flank during checks. Also, I’m hard of hearing and wasn’t sure what was going on up until the kick. I just knew that something sounded different behind me for much of the hunt until then. It was only after contact was made that I realized what he had been doing.
A fellow rider at my barn, who is new to hunting, asked me prior to the hunt if she could stick her horse on my horse’s butt basically because she knew she can’t keep a safe distance from other horses, especially at speed, and she knows my horse won’t kick. I flat out told this person no, and if you can’t control your horse at speed and keep him off other’s hind ends you should be in hilltoppers so you can work on keeping a safe distance at a slower speed. This person chose to ignore that advice and went 1st flight anyway.
I made a point on several occasions to move my horse away from hers but that was a short term solution. Every time I turned around she was on my tail or coming up right beside me very closely to the point it became a real issue when jumps were involved.
I have a feeling if this person continues to hunt this is going to be an on going problem. She is taking advantage of my geldings good nature and I find it rude and selfish since the horse could easily be trained properly if he had the opportunity to work on these skills in hilltoppers for awhile. This person is more concerned about being able to canter and jump and is putting safety of the horse and others to the wayside. It also made hunting not as pleasurable for me because I don’t have to worry about this problem with other members of the hunt.
Suggestions?
To me it is all about communicating clearly in the style the person understands what needs to change. Some people are sensitive to a “look” that means “please allow more space” while other people may need to be politely told “please do not run up on my horse because that is a problem.” and others might require something considered more blunt. As a member, if these methods don’t work and someone is riding in a way that is dangerous or problematic then I would visit with the Field Master or Master and let them help the person find a solution.
Treasured, if the new rider is from your barn can you find someone at the hunt who will allow her to follow them or get her to ride back in hilltoppers? I have a lot of understanding for someone who is new to hunting and if they show they are working hard to get it right I will go out of my way to help them. If someone is close enough to clip my horses heels then I would loose my cool. If they are thick headed and just.don’t.get.it about how to be safe then let the bosses take over.
At our Opening Hunt this weekend I had several guest from out of town joining us. One of my guest horse’s had a meltdown right at the start and within minutes one of my good friends on her veteran hunt horse sided up to the distressed horse and said “let me ride beside you and see if that helps”. Two things were happening here- my hunt friend wanted my guest to have a good day and second, my mare is not suitable for assisting an angst horse and my hunt friend knows that. I rode behind my out of town guest to provide a safe bubble for her horse and keep someone from coming up on him. The result, within 30 minutes the out of town horse was hacking nicely, safely and behaving. It took teamwork to get it done. FTR, my hunt changed the way we offered Opening Hunt this year and greenies were welcomed with open arms. The result was beyond our expectations!
This person was riding close enough to clip my horses heels for sure, she almost landed on me upon going over a jump because she didn’t wait for me to clear the line. At no point did she apologize or admit she was being problematic. There is no one else at the barn that wants a horse right on their tail either, or, has a suitable horse to deal with that.
It just wasn’t safe and this person is in no way working hard trying to get it right. She is basically ignoring all hunt protocal, etiquette and just taking a horse that isn’t ready to be out hunting safely out anyway.
I completely understand being helpful to newcomers and green horses and I have no problem helping out people that are just starting out that are having problems if they are polite and gracious. Unfortunately this is not the case here.
You report it to the Master and let the Master deal with it. Protocols and etiquette evolved for safety reasons. The rider either needs to either get with the program or find another hobby - before she or someone else gets hurt or killed. So that’s why you report serious breaches to the Master - it’s the Masters job to deal with such people.
For the record - second field and hilltoppers aren’t there to put up with out of control people or horses - the same rules apply to slower fields. Period. It’s ok to be new, it’s ok to be green, it’s ok to make mistakes. We’re all human. It’s not ok to be a jerk who endangers other people and horses.
JSwan, thank you for the note about second field. Second field riders (like me) are sometimes less skilled, or just less experienced than those in first field and even more in need of the protections afforded to us by the etiquette of the hunt field. As my friend said to me at the start of my first hunt on my own pony (more on that elsewhere) the goal is to be invited back 
I used to love taking the hilltoppers. None of the “thruster drama” and a much more relaxed atmosphere. You can also make it very interesting for followers by explaining what’s going on, and get the best view of hounds, huntsman, whips and field. Also, the jerks tend not to want to be seen hilltopping.
[QUOTE=SLW;7227250]
To me it is all about communicating clearly in the style the person understands what needs to change. Some people are sensitive to a “look” that means “please allow more space” while other people may need to be politely told “please do not run up on my horse because that is a problem.” and others might require something considered more blunt. As a member, if these methods don’t work and someone is riding in a way that is dangerous or problematic then I would visit with the Field Master or Master and let them help the person find a solution.
Treasured, if the new rider is from your barn can you find someone at the hunt who will allow her to follow them or get her to ride back in hilltoppers? I have a lot of understanding for someone who is new to hunting and if they show they are working hard to get it right I will go out of my way to help them. If someone is close enough to clip my horses heels then I would loose my cool. If they are thick headed and just.don’t.get.it about how to be safe then let the bosses take over.
At our Opening Hunt this weekend I had several guest from out of town joining us. One of my guest horse’s had a meltdown right at the start and within minutes one of my good friends on her veteran hunt horse sided up to the distressed horse and said “let me ride beside you and see if that helps”. Two things were happening here- my hunt friend wanted my guest to have a good day and second, my mare is not suitable for assisting an angst horse and my hunt friend knows that. I rode behind my out of town guest to provide a safe bubble for her horse and keep someone from coming up on him. The result, within 30 minutes the out of town horse was hacking nicely, safely and behaving. It took teamwork to get it done. FTR, my hunt changed the way we offered Opening Hunt this year and greenies were welcomed with open arms. The result was beyond our expectations![/QUOTE]
I am a greenie that was at this opening hunt and I can’t tell you how nice and helpful everyone was. That was so very sweet of you and your friend to help your guest. I mean, this is a seriously nice, warm, welcoming group who wants everyone to succeed. Opening hunt was busy. We had 78 horses! We are staying dead last and my mare needs to work on staying calm when a horse runs up on and passes her but the only way is to just do it. Newbys are a pain in every sport but I will not be one for long with such a nice group. And I know I’ve said this before but if we are doing something wrong, please say something. A look doesn’t get it for me. I did read about hunt rules prior but when you are new in the field, you are thinking about a thousand things. It will come! Thank you again for having such a nice group!
Another thing to cnsider is that if someone is too close to you at a gallop they could really cause a wreck if you bobbled, hit a hole etc. fineif you have some room but disasterous if someone is on top of you.
Usually they just do not have controle. Sure, they would like to stay back but can’t.
I am a hunt bitch and will lay into them in that case. Sorry. Not the best advice. I just have seen too many wrecks.
Yeah, following close enough to clip heels is seriously bad news. Just tell the person that! Just because a certain horse MAY tolerate that level of crowding doesn’t mean it should, and it’s up to the rider to get the point across. And if you can’t by saying something tactful, or something blunt, put your horse behind theirs for the rest of the day and have a word with the master about the problem later. I’m all for encouraging newbies, but I’d much rather be a bitch than have my horse seriously hurt because I wouldn’t assert myself in a dangerous situation.
as for asking questions in advance, sometimes you don’t know you have a question yet b/c you don’t know what all is going to put in front of you, esp if you already ride pretty well and feel ok in close company. that same close company galloping together down a hill? whole new kettle of fish.
When I first started hunting, my horse would get a smidge nervous so I tried to stay at the back (where I had read, I belonged) of second field. Another hunt member with colours always insisted on staying behind me…riding her horse that roared and she would ride up my horse flank at every check or down transition. That member’s horse FREAKED mine out something fierce- we’d never ridden with a roarer. We tried and tried to stay out of her way.
Some how this woman got very annoyed when my horse popped his hip, you know that up and down hip check thing horses will do BEFORE they kick, at her horse- not a kick but a warning none-the-less. I corrected him quickly and sternly (even though in my head I think I loved my horse even more for his actions).
After the hunt that day she had a conversation with her friend on the other side of my truck from me…loud enough where I could hear her while i was in my tack room. Complaining about my rude horse. Frankly, if I hadn’t already paid my membership I would have never come back. From then on I wore a red ribbon in his tail and when she’d run up behind me I politely say, “Please mind the ribbon.” and plaster the sweetest smile I could muster. I didn’t know what else to do…I was a new member, didn’t know anyone very well and I wasn’t going to complain about a coloured member!
Moral of the story for me, Colours don’t give you manners and I never want to own a roarer.
BB, that surely is a tough situation. Now I have a bit of a roarer and try to keep the big boy back. He’s green and eager but would never want him to get a (deserved) kick. Sorry that happened to you. Have been there too.
