The last time I completed a hunt was 11/11, then we had shotgun season, bad weather, shotgun season again, more bad weather, etc. My hubby and I provided the Stirrup Cup for the Joint Meet the weekend before Christmas, but as I rode Buddy down the road to the first draw he was very “off.” He finally stopped, whinnied at the other horses disappearing over the hill, and on his own, turned around and walked back to the trailers. The next day I found his right front hoof very hot, so I suspected an abscess. It never blew, so maybe it was reabsorbed? He was off for about 10 days after that.
He seemed fine this past Thursday, so we went down to hunt on Sunday. It was freakishly warm; it actually hit 70 degrees! Very strong winds from the SSE, so I knew scenting would be challenging. Buddy was so happy to be back out in the field, and actually threw a bit of a temper tantrum when the whips cantered away. The footing was very deep and slippery in spots; the trails through the woods were sloppy and over their fetlocks. Buddy trotted and cantered along just fine, and it was interesting to see how he adjusted his stride according to the ground conditions. The original all wheel drive!
We were cantering through the woods on a narrow trail, and I saw the horses ahead of me jumping a log. Right about the time I thought I should pull Buddy up, he “told” me he was going to jump it. Now, folks, I have never had a jumping lesson in my life, and the most I’ve ever done is trot over a baby crossrail. Once. I would say this log was about 2’ tall. So within 3 strides I tried to remember all of George Morris’s commentary in PH; all the things I’ve ever read about jumping; all the photographs I’ve studied about proper position, etc.
I had my whip in one hand, and the reins in the other. I just thought “keep your core stable and follow Buddy’s core” and went into a 2 point. I waited until his shoulders lifted up into my seat then stayed with him until his shoulders landed. I kept thinking “Don’t slam down on his back!!!” and waited until I felt his hind quarters land, and his hind feet strike off into a canter. Then I sat down and took a breath at that point! HA!
Not quite sure what my hands did, but I know going over the log I had slack in my reins. I didn’t hit him in the mouth on the landing, but I also didn’t grab mane or put my hands against his neck. I think I just had my hand in front of his withers? I dunno - it happened so fast but I sure had fun!
The hounds tried really hard to find a good line; we had several short bursts but nothing long and sustained. The country was very rough in spots; the trails were overgrown and I got a nice cut on my face from a rosebush. Our one whip was walking past a tree, saw a branch sticking out but was busy watching the hounds. She caught her knee on the branch, and later had to get 10 stitches at the ER room. She was more upset about destroying her good breeches!
We were out for about 2 hours; did a lot of trotting and cantering to keep up with the hounds; ended up the hunt with a great gallop across a huge hay field. I didn’t drop my whip; I stayed on Buddy; he was sound; the weather was warm and windy and didn’t rain; I jumped a 2’ log (woo-hoo!); and came back to the clubhouse with mud all over my boots; blood running down my face; and a huge smile that still hasn’t gone away yet!
I love foxhunting. Even if you don’t have a view, or have any long, fast runs, it’s still so much fun for me. My skills as a rider have improved, and I love being able to share this with my Solid Gold Buddy!
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