I went out with Guilford yesterday. My friend and I came up from central MA to enjoy a day of hunting at the farm of a highschool friend and her family. We arrived about 30 minutes before the hunt as we wanted to stretch out our horses legs (two hour trek) and say hello before we started.
I also decided I needed to bring my green horse who has been wonderful on the trails but has never hunted. The cows, equipment and the arrival of the field didn’t phase her. Nor did the “speaking”/excited hounds as they arrived to the farm.
We were greeted warmly by the MFH (GK) and staff. We took our place at the rear of the field and the fun began. It was a fast and furious hunt as “the fox” was creative but the scents were overwhelming in the cool , moist morning air. They opened immediately and in full cry darted across the field and up a long wooded trail where in the woods we stopped to watch them maneuver in the cover and around. This was my favorite part as GK knows, as I “grew up” with live hunting and it certainly had the feel (and the possibility) of live hunting :).
The hunt then continued to open fields where one could see the hounds circling in front of us. What a picture. My high school friend-a nonhunt person who comes up to ride with the hunt when they come to her farm said to me “they do make a lot of noise dont’ they?”. I laughed. Used to the deeper voices of PMD’s the American hounds were more like jazz to the deeper blues or old time rock and roll but it was still music to my ears.
We then came to a field and my green gal who had been doing SOOOO well suddenly stopped. I couldn’t imagine why until I saw her nose go to the ground. I thought I could see the EEEEEWWWWW look on her face. It was cow patties. She was not amused. No problem with the source as they and the farmer’s family watched but she wasn’t pleased with this end of things.
We completed the hunt with a few more good runs, and then suddenly, it was over. We had tea with my friend and her family and it was a wonderful way to do what I love to do. Ride/hunt/spend time with friends and meet like souls who love to hunt. I was also thrilled with my mare-she’s got a ways to go but there is definately lots of potential there. My friend who came along from MA rode in Germany hunting in her youth. She found the scenes and the ride itself exhilarating. Her mare was perfect (as usual :).
So, I could just imagine the OP’s mom hearing the sounds and then seeing the scenes of the hunt going by her home. How wonderful!! I’m sure everyone in the field had a smile on their face.
Thanks for a wonderful day GK, Amy and staff.
http://pictures.aol.com/galleries/kmfb62
) are a phenomenally nice group of folks. :yes: