Where I hunt, in the south, there is a hunting culture and one is, well, HUNTING. So yes, there will be game accounted for. Be prepared for that. Not a glorified trail ride :/. But you will find yourself doing all sorts of things you thought you could never do, and have a huge smile on your face.
This doesn’t answer your questions, but I just want to say Kudos to you for being willing to try.
I took my event horse out with some other horses and he got very nutty. I am afraid that I would end up on the ground. I managed him that day, but I was with some very tame DQs, so no real open galloping. They also could see he was nutty, so they always made sure he was not the last horse in a trot/canter set.
[QUOTE=pheasantknoll;7483323]
I took my event horse out with some other horses and he got very nutty. I am afraid that I would end up on the ground. I managed him that day, but I was with some very tame DQs, so no real open galloping. They also could see he was nutty, so they always made sure he was not the last horse in a trot/canter set.[/QUOTE]
I have a saying: “It is far easier to take a field hunter eventing, than it is to take an eventer hunting.”
Now, not always true, as my husband’s current top hunt horse was a former (successful) 2* eventer, but on the whole, I have found that if they are brave enough to tackle a substantial x-c course alone they often do not take kindly to being in the field where you have to que up and wait behind others. If they were leading the field, they would probably be fine.
Yes, this is him. He wants to be in front!!
When I first started, I was riding “that horse”. As in, arrive at the breakfast…
Hi my name is Kathy, I was on the cheshnut today. Thank you so much for the chance to get out…
OOOOHHH you were on THAT horse! Glad you could make it. He should settle in after a time or two.
OR a season or two. He did finally get around to being a great hunt horse. I just didn’t realize how bad he was at just standing around. He DID NOT UNDERSTAND WHY WE WERE NOT MOVING!!
A chestnut?! I would have KILLED to have been on a chestnut! Something not very inconspicuous about a black and white pinto.
I went out with a local hunt for a foxhunting clinic. A friend picked me up, and away we went! My horse was a nut the entire ride, and I was relieved to get off her in one piece and put her on the trailer. We walked to their gorgeous club house, and just as i’m about to enter I hear someone shout “loose horse!”. I see several horses with tack sans riders galloping past me. I admit an overwhelming relief came over me–I was no longer THAT horse and rider! Moments later I hear someone say, “isn’t that YOUR horse?” I say cheerily, “nope, mine is on the trailer!” he replies again, “is your horse black and white, with purple shipping boots?”. And then I let out a 4 letter word.
In the excitement of 3 riders being thrown from their mounts, my horse decided she did not want to be on the trailer, and broke through the chest bar, and out the people door. Thankfully she was completely unscathed (and my friend’s trailer only sustained minor damage)–I attribute this to her strong will and never hesitating to think if it was a good idea. In any event, we were definitely back to being THAT horse.
She has lost all open door privileges on trailers, but is otherwise a very good hunt horse. I’ve been meaning to take her out with that hunt to redeem ourselves.
Thank you guys for the input. I may have to look into this when she is further along, it really does sound fantastic.
ISR - a horse that bold, determined and injury-proof should make a great hunter!
It is humbling how often our horses can make us feel like idiots.
While far from an avid hunter, when I was hunting the most regularly, my mounts were a pair of matching palomino ponies. They were great fun, very sure footed over some trappy country, and fast little buggers (they had ZERO problems keeping up with the thoroughbreds). I PREFER small mounts, as they make life easier if you have to get off and back on (or you come off), they tend to be very handy in tight spots, and, since I am fairly petite, I don’t feel as beaten up on a small horse after a long day (ok. One of the ponies KILLED me at the trot, but he often would just canter when everyone else was trotting, so it worked out).
I’ve hunted with a few different hunts, and been on some educational outings with a couple of others (hunt trails rides, foxhunting “camp”, etc) and have always felt warmly welcomed…even when a young horse I was on totally, and completely embarrassed me.
The thread I started regarding trying to introduce an unlikely horse to hunting is full of some awesome advice about getting any horse started, not just my little hooligan. You might find it very informational.
whoops!
I am liking my shorter horse, YB, for those very reasons.
[QUOTE=SidesaddleRider;7484015]
I have a saying: “It is far easier to take a field hunter eventing, than it is to take an eventer hunting.”
Now, not always true, as my husband’s current top hunt horse was a former (successful) 2* eventer, but on the whole, I have found that if they are brave enough to tackle a substantial x-c course alone they often do not take kindly to being in the field where you have to que up and wait behind others. If they were leading the field, they would probably be fine.[/QUOTE]
Oh, so true! My mare completely does not understand WHY she has to stay behind the horse in front of her when there is an obvious opening to the right of them! We have already had to buy the field master a bottle of 12 year old Scotch!
I feel like I should reply to this because I’m seriously new to hunting (though I’ve evented for 20 odd years), so definitely can talk about being new.
Big questions first: I could not have felt more welcome when I started. I knew a bunch of people in the club from eventing and old barns, so when I had a friend’s seasoned hunt horse (mine was rehabbing from a tendon tweak) for a few months, I just called the secretary and appeared one day during cubbing. I went with second field that day because my friend was leading it, and had a blast (um, turns out she got some complaints for going too fast because she wanted me to have fun - did I ever!). The next time I went in first field and pretty much had to pick bugs out of my teeth from grinning. The next season, I brought my eventer - a guy off the track who needs to get bolder on XC and had never hacked in a big group. He was plenty bold, thanks, and pretty fizzy, but we also went in the back of first field. A longtime member invited me to ride behind her sainted draft cross with a big butt, and we got through just fine - and had a blast. It helps that I love to gallop and learned to ride tagging along with an upper level eventer and just dealing with whatever appeared, and that I’ve ridden green fizzy horses pretty much forever. 
So on to your other questions.
How high do you jump on average? Rarely over 2’6"-2’9". Pretty sure 2d field doesn’t jump (but I only went in it once).
Are their hunt groups that keep jumps low? Yup - see above.
Do you really kill animals or does it depend on the hunt? Depends: ours is a drag (in only the hunting sense of the word!) so no killing.
Are there ways to go around jumps until you are ready or is it a “don’t show up til you are brave enough.” Pretty sure you can go around most if not all of them, but it’ll depend on the fixture and the hunt.
Do hunts allow people to practice on their (tracks?) paths?? We have occasional hunter paces, trail rides and hunter trials, so in that sense yes. But if you’re thinking of schooling like XC schooling, I haven’t heard of that.
Hope you do it - it’s a lot of fun and a great group of people, and horses love it.
To quote from Saskatoonian:
“A longtime member invited me to ride behind her sainted draft cross with a big butt”
Every hunt I have ever been out with has one of these horses- and they are truly saints! And their riders are usually just as amazingly wonderful!
Have to agree even over here in NZ. Our hunting community are mainly showjumpers/eventers as it’s there off season. Everyone is very welcoming and my wee fizzy ottb loved it even with some questionable brakes on my behalf. Not sure how we compare height wise but we do have a group who gate hunt so don’t jump and follow at a leisurely pace behind. I’ve done both had a mate who had an amazing clydie x who like many others have said you could bounce off if need be, and regardless of how fizzy my girl got she was an absolute rock to ride with (helped she was her hacking buddy back home too). After one season my girl become a happy camper to be in the field providing she wasn’t last in a group. Have to agree regardless of how terrible you think your horse is behaving everyone always is happy and welcoming.
You are in Washington State. but don’t say which part. The Fraser Valley Hunt goes over to Ferndale a few times a year from Canada and you would be welcome there. We are not particularly formal. Rather casual, in fact. We could meet each other! I don’t ride in it any more but have been involved since before its inception. My daughter rode in it on her Shetland - in a minimal way.
I think that even though it will be awhile before I can join a hunt, I will try to meet some members of a hunt club and go from there.
It is so great reading all these experiences. Thank you guys.
I’m near Vancouver, WA.
All the hunt clubs I’ve found are in the very North of Washington.
There is a website called “Lake Oswego Hunt Club” in Portland but on their calendar they seem to just do horse shows.
You are in Vancouver? The Woodbrook hounds are only a couple of hours from you.
[QUOTE=Beverley;7473456]
You live in Washington state, so I assume you would want to go with Woodbrook Hunt, only pack in the state. Their web site is very helpful for background information- they are a drag pack and all jumps are optional. I’ve hunted with them several times down at Red Rock in Nevada (where they hunted live). They’re a very friendly and welcoming group and I would highly recommend that you get in touch with them now, and get involved in activities over the summer, even go out and car follow to have a look at a day of sport. Over the summer, the opportunity to trail ride with members is a good way to get your horse’s feet wet with the group, as it were. I also highly recommend that looking ahead, you see whether you might rent or borrow a seasoned horse for your first outing, or more outings if possible- that will give you an excellent idea of how ‘ready’ your horse might be, and/or what you need to work on with your horse.[/QUOTE]
I do believe there is a hunt up in Ferndale as well but I think it’s more of a casual group and not a formal hunt. I always wanted to go too; I think it would be a blast. I know Woodbrook uses the Joint Base Lewis-McChord property for their hunts when there are no training exercises going on.
