When hunt season ends?!
We only have 6 days left and I’m already wondering what I will do with my weekends! I might aim for a horse trial at the end of April and perhaps some non-horsey/normal people activities after that!
Last year I gave my mare the summer months, July/August, off and she seemed to come back really strong so will probably do that again.
Is it too soon to say roll on September?! :lol:
No kidding Connamarafan-we only have two meets left, and I already miss it! It’s been a great year.
Our hunt is active year round, trail rides, hound walks, hound shows give us lots to do in the off season. Would your hunt be open to that?
Hunter paces, lessons, trail rides, puppy show, hound shows, hound walking, mounted hound walking, more lessons and more lessons…firm believer that a better trained and exercised horse makes a better foxhunter.
Clean my house (finally).:sadsmile:
I compete in our local mini-trial series, trail ride, and take plenty of lessons to keep my young horse moving in the direction I want him to go. I agree with KateDB that a better trained and exercised horse makes for a better foxhunter. With that said, he does get down time too. When the temps soar in the summer, I give him a break and only engage with him to bathe, groom, and apply flyspray.
Well in MD we go right into Hunter Pace and Steeplechase season, so that’s where most of the hunters (and me) go.
Fall down in an exhausted puddle?
Tons of work to be done with the hounds and puppies. Trails to clear, jumps to build. And there is so much work I want to do with the horses–you tend to get really lax when all you’re doing is hunting.
For the first decade of my hunting life, I showed my hunter in the summer. For the second and third decades, I watched my children show in the summer (still my hunt horses for the most part, although youngest now has her own event horse she’s brought along nicely.) For the fourth decade, I’ve watched and helped my granddaughter at horse shows with her wonderful show horse (who retires this year --his last year). Now in my fifth decade of hunting, I’m doing mounted archery in the summer. Just started in January, but it is fun (beats the heck out of riding dressage exercises and schooling o/f --which I can’t do w/o a ground person to lift poles these days). Don’t know where my mounted archery will take me --but seems like no reason even someone in her 60s, 70, or 80s can’t enjoy it. Currently, I’m shooting off my horse at a walk --I’ve shot off him at a canter a few times, but until I move out to the large dressage ring (we’re working in the small dressage ring), I can’t seem to get my arrow into my bow and shoot before he’s come to the end of the ring --will need to build a few targets in the large dressage ring --using just one in the small ring (set at E, fyi). I have my first Mounted Archery clinic Memorial Day --can’t wait. I asked other hunt folks your question at the dinner last week: there are: Baloonists, ropers, event riders, trail riders, horse campers, dressage riders among us . . .and others like me who showed with their kids in the summer.
Shows, lessons, clinics and hunter paces generally mean a very full calendar after hunting season ends. Still, I know what you mean. There’s nothing quite like hunting and it is a let down when the season ends. I’m impressed by Foxglove’s mounted archery!
The unseasonably cold spurt in the south has kept us still hunting, this Sunday is technically closing hunt but we may keep hunting for the next week if the weather stays cold and wet… yay? 
Once our hunt is done I’ll hunt with a neighboring hunt until they are done (March 29). Then the horse gets a few weeks/month off to just chill.
I have a 4yo that I need to really get going so my first few months will be spent on her and getting her fit. Then I’ll trail ride and camp, hunter paces, hound walks, etc… My main hunt horse is still pretty green so I’ll work on continuing his education. We also kayak (not the COTH version), spend time on the lake, in the pool, basically anywhere near water when it’s hot.
And I second getting the house and farm back in order… It’s starting to look a little raged around the edges…
Of course we are doing the usual slate of lessons and shows, but I just planned a horse camping trip!
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