10 things to achieve this season

[olderthanshelooks]

I found the article in horse and hound about 10 things to achieve this hunting season. Reading it again I have realised the one I have left to do is read a famous hunting book.
I was just wondering has anyone managed to achieve all 10 yet? Or how many have you done?

 

[JenHunt]

I certainly haven't managed that one... and I can't remember what else was on the list!

 

[sweet_essence]

I remember reading this article!! I must mention I took on 'visit'.

After being with one yorkshire pack for most of my childhood/ early twenties and now coming back into the horsey world (career break/ losing best horse/ investing in new) and relocating 'down south', I'm in 'new country and network' territory already and a good challenge.

... so I went 'visiting' with my 'I broke him in last season' youngster ...to some new packs

Of course, jumping some testing things (some scary) and admittely, some I have taken a tumble at (and thankfully bounced!) - well, if you have a young one, you've got to try, I say! (blame that on my stone wall attitude).

Overall stayed out all day every time, often to darkness, to see some great packs work. It's also been fulfilling furthering the youngsters education and him lovin' his new job. What gets me about hunting though, is how generations have come through over the years, the kindness and the variety of people involved - wherever they are.

Though, I do think the homemade sloegin in my hipflask may have been considerably favoured as a great welcome approach - a great tip for anyone visiting!

Visiting: Highly recommended for next season.....

 

[Addicted to Hunting]

Can anyone list what the things were?
I've def done some, haves stayed out with hounds, well quite a few times that's basically normal for me, and is one of my face parts of hunting, you learn so much IMO them last few hours!!
Have visited 2 different packs mounted and one as a door follower, just did half a day with the VWH today, had covered a lot of ground!
Have jumped a fence(well fences) that have scared me, on a new 'baby' horse this season and he has been brilliant tho!!
Have made a homemade drink, partly as I was bored after my collar bone operation but te blackberry whiskey then blackberry rum went down rather well and more will be made!!
Have read classic books, memoirs of a fox hunting man.

What else was on the list??

 

[Herne]

Have visited 2 different packs mounted and one as a door follower,

Did the doors do anything interesting whilst you followed them?

Out with the South Door Set, were you?

 

[Addicted to Hunting]

Lol, stupid iPhone self correcting... Been out FOOT following with another pack, was rather tired when I wrote that to be fair

 

[TwoPair]

We have a really old Baily's hunting book with all the country maps in it. That's a very interesting read!

 

[olderthanshelooks]

1. JUMP SOMETHING THAT FRIGHTENS YOU - I jumped 2ft 9 and also jumped 2 hedges (albeit small ones but still a hedge!)
2. GET OFF AND OPEN A GATE - I do that regularly anyway
3. LEARN THE NAMES OF SOME HOUNDS AND COVERTS - When you have a couple of black & tans amoungst a pack of harriers their name are quite easy to remember
4. READ A FAMOUS HUNTING BOOK - Still to achieve this one
5. INTRODUCE SOMEONE TO HUNTING - An 11 & 9 year old have each had a day on my 18 1/2 year old Sec D
6. FILL YOUR HIP FLASK WITH SOMETHING YOU'VE MADE YOURSELF - Raspberry gin, blackberry gin & blackberry brandy.
7. HOLD THE HUNTSMANS HORSE - something I have done on occasion for the last 3 seasons
8. STAY OUT TIL THE END OF THE DAY - Someparts of our country I don't know very well, so have to stay til the end of the day so I can hack back to box with others else I would get lost!!!
9. DO YOUR BIT - Recently we have held a grand dra for the Devon Air Ambulance
10. HUNT SOMEWHERE ELSE.. - Always like to do a bit of visiting during the season. This season ventured out of Devon to the South Dorset.

Now just to get hold of a famous hunting book

 

[Happy Hunter]

Oh goodie - I have done more than I thought!

1. JUMP SOMETHING THAT FRIGHTENS YOU - I jumped a downhill step (thought baby horse would flummox it!) cant wait to find a hedge!
2. GET OFF AND OPEN A GATE - I do that regularly
3. LEARN THE NAMES OF SOME HOUNDS AND COVERTS - know the covers very well, hounds, well I 'THINK' i know who 'trooper' is now!
4. READ A FAMOUS HUNTING BOOK - Still to achieve this one
5. INTRODUCE SOMEONE TO HUNTING - 2 friends ao far!
6. FILL YOUR HIP FLASK WITH SOMETHING YOU'VE MADE YOURSELF - sloe gin and pumb brandy!
7. HOLD THE HUNTSMANS HORSE - something I have done on occasion for the odd time, shame when they start playing up and it becomes hard work!!!
8. STAY OUT TIL THE END OF THE DAY - very nearly almost! Trouble is working full time and only having one horse its tricky!
9. DO YOUR BIT - I did volunteer to help with the team chase, then it was cancelled, so in stead next year ill try birch cutting for the p2p course or cooking something nice for a meet!
10. HUNT SOMEWHERE ELSE.. - something to save up for!

 

[olderthanshelooks]

It feels quite good when you have managed more than you first thought

 

[JenHunt]

Oh good, think I've achieved 6 this season then... The hip flask I've done on the past but only right at the start of this season, and the gates I've done, but without getting off . And have sort of introduced someone to hunting though she's still frightened of horses so don't think she'll be riding anytime soon! The only two I can honestly say I haven't done this season at all is staying out to the end of the day and reading a hunting book.

 

[HuntingB]

1. JUMP SOMETHING THAT FRIGHTENS YOU - I jumped a dirty great ditch this season that always seems to get someone in the bottom of it.
2. GET OFF AND OPEN A GATE - Check, and managed to get back on from the grounds
3. LEARN THE NAMES OF SOME HOUNDS AND COVERTS - I learnt the whole pack at the start of the season on hound exercise and somehow remember them all.
4. READ A FAMOUS HUNTING BOOK - A super old book belonging to our huntsman, I can't think what it's called
5. INTRODUCE SOMEONE TO HUNTING - Haven't actually introduced anyone but have babysat newbies this season
6. FILL YOUR HIP FLASK WITH SOMETHING YOU'VE MADE YOURSELF - Afraid not, didn't manage to make anything this time.
7. HOLD THE HUNTSMANS HORSE- Will always do this
8. STAY OUT TIL THE END OF THE DAY - Have only gone home early once this season. Going home in the dusk with hounds is lovely.
9. DO YOUR BIT - I go in and do kennels and ride out whenever I'm not at work
10. HUNT SOMEWHERE ELSE.. - Had a day with EFUH this season.

I like looking back, makes me feel good! I'm a bit sad it's all over for a while.

 

[Herne]

Done all except fill the flask - I don't carry one...

 

[Grey_Eventer]

1. JUMP SOMETHING THAT FRIGHTENS YOU - I jumped 2 really ridiculously large hedges this season (most of ours about 3.6ft). One had a huge ditch infront, I was hauling for my horse to stop, he was having none of it and pinged over it, despite not being able to see over! The other was relatively small on take off- the drop was so big, you couldn't see me the other side once I had landed! Both times only me and the fieldmaster took them on!
2. GET OFF AND OPEN A GATE - I always do this
3. LEARN THE NAMES OF SOME HOUNDS AND COVERTS - Having hunted the country for about 13 years now, I know them pretty well!
4. READ A FAMOUS HUNTING BOOK - Dad has given me one to read, can't remember the name!
5. INTRODUCE SOMEONE TO HUNTING - Yes0 a few girls from the yard.
6. FILL YOUR HIP FLASK WITH SOMETHING YOU'VE MADE YOURSELF - GIN!
7. HOLD THE HUNTSMANS HORSE - Yes
8. STAY OUT TIL THE END OF THE DAY - I did that once this season- he hunts twice a week so rarely do it as its just too much for him!
9. DO YOUR BIT - Worked at the hunt ball if that counts!
10. HUNT SOMEWHERE ELSE.. - Cheshire. Awesome day hedge hopping!


The season has finished early for me this year, however with a new horse added to the junior team of hunters (a friend and I have our two older hunters (the "pro" team, and the amateur team which are two youngster we have just bought! lol) we should have a cracking season, what with me being on a gap year and having arranged my work to have Weds and Sats off.... rather convenient!

 

[spotty_pony]

1. JUMP SOMETHING THAT FRIGHTENS YOU - Jumped my first hedges this season and jumped some pretty big solid fences too!
2. GET OFF AND OPEN A GATE - Didn't do this as I rarely went through a gate as we jumped pretty much everything!
3. LEARN THE NAMES OF SOME HOUNDS AND COVERTS - Yep, I now know the names of quite a few of the coverts around us and I've learnt some of the hounds names
4. READ A FAMOUS HUNTING BOOK - Yes, read 'Fox hunting in Paradise' by Michael Clayton and loved it.
5. INTRODUCE SOMEONE TO HUNTING - Yep, introduced another livery at the yard to it and now he loves it!
6. FILL YOUR HIP FLASK WITH SOMETHING YOU'VE MADE YOURSELF - I don't carry a hip flask so didn't do this!
7. HOLD THE HUNTSMANS HORSE - Didn't do this
8. STAY OUT TIL THE END OF THE DAY - Not until the end, no as our county is pretty tough and we are on the move almost constantly so would be too much for him.
9. DO YOUR BIT - I pass on any important information I receive which I think might be useful - such as notifying the other liveries at my yard when we are hunting close by so that they can avoid hacking out!
10. HUNT SOMEWHERE ELSE.. - I went cubbing with Quorn this season if that counts?!

 

[FRaNKjaCk]

It's also been fulfilling furthering the youngsters education and him lovin' his new job. What gets me about hunting though, is how generations have come through over the years.

 

[thomasmite996]

I feel really happy to after reading this thread. It contain many useful information for the horse riders. I appreciate to all the forum members who share it with us..
Thanks...!!!

 

[Kittykat100]

1. JUMP SOMETHING THAT FRIGHTENS YOU - I jumped my first hedge after 2 years having fallen off badly which had frightened me. This time round, I felt so happy!
2. GET OFF AND OPEN A GATE - I always do this, it seems second nature now.
3. LEARN THE NAMES OF SOME HOUNDS AND COVERTS - I've tried to learn some of the coverts and now know a few hounds names.
4. READ A FAMOUS HUNTING BOOK - Rory Knight Bruce's RED LETTER DAYS. And currently reading Jump by Jilly Cooper which I guess doesn't count!
5. INTRODUCE SOMEONE TO HUNTING - I introduced my friends when they came to the point to point...
6. FILL YOUR HIP FLASK WITH SOMETHING YOU'VE MADE YOURSELF - I tried a friend's homemade brew!
7. HOLD THE HUNTSMANS HORSE - Yup. My pony also led the huntsman's horse when I was not out but someone else was on her.
8. STAY OUT TIL THE END OF THE DAY - Yes, always wonderful!
9. DO YOUR BIT - Advertised for the hunt show, part of the newsletter team, and have ridden out on the hunt horses before a day
10. HUNT SOMEWHERE ELSE.. - Have been out on foot with the Chid and Lec when we had a joint meet with them last season.

 

[combat_claire]

Done all except fill the flask - I don't carry one...

You just sample everything the rest of us more prepared followers have brought!

 

[combat_claire]

1. JUMP SOMETHING THAT FRIGHTENS YOU - Something will have gone horribly wrong if I jump anything on my bicycle. I accidentally fell into a ditch on my bike a few years ago and that was messy!

2. GET OFF AND OPEN A GATE - Gallantly ran for the gate to let some mounted followers through who were struggling with the catch

3. LEARN THE NAMES OF SOME HOUNDS AND COVERTS - Added a few more coverts to my mental map.

4. READ A FAMOUS HUNTING BOOK - Robards - Foxhunting how to watch and listen

5. INTRODUCE SOMEONE TO HUNTING - welcomed newcomers to our pack with a huge smile and some friendly words.

6. FILL YOUR HIP FLASK WITH SOMETHING YOU'VE MADE YOURSELF - I just brought the bottle of damson vodka along, you can't fit enough in a flask! Sloe port next season...

7. HOLD THE HUNTSMANS HORSE - Tick done (and served as scratching post for aforementioned horse)

8. STAY OUT TIL THE END OF THE DAY - Tick Done

9. DO YOUR BIT - performed in the hunt pantomime, organised fund raising events for the hunt & countryside alliance, helped edit hunt magazine, tried to keep the young hunt supporters on track and general hunt minion activities!

10. HUNT SOMEWHERE ELSE.. - Devon & Somerset Staghounds

 

[mirage]

OOh,I've done 5 and I don't even ride.

 

[VoR]

1. JUMP SOMETHING THAT FRIGHTENS YOU - Hmm, a particularly trappy looking, half-fallen gate would do the trick there!
2. GET OFF AND OPEN A GATE - Case of having to mid-week, darn schools making the kids attend!
3. LEARN THE NAMES OF SOME HOUNDS AND COVERTS - Sponsor one hound so that's easy, trying hard with the others and have a map of most coverts, so tick!
4. READ A FAMOUS HUNTING BOOK - Robards and Memoirs of a Fox Hunting Man, tick!
5. INTRODUCE SOMEONE TO HUNTING - have encouraged and been successful in 'snaring' a few new people this year!!
6. FILL YOUR HIP FLASK WITH SOMETHING YOU'VE MADE YOURSELF - Well, technically it was OH's mum that made the sloe gin but......
7. HOLD THE HUNTSMANS HORSE - After a fashion yep, can't say the lad was too keen but tick!
8. STAY OUT TIL THE END OF THE DAY - Oh Yes!
9. DO YOUR BIT - Does being joint secretary, arranging a quiz night and 'acting' in a hunt comedy review thingy count???
10. HUNT SOMEWHERE ELSE.. - Well, technically yes as we covered quite a bit of our own country we've not been to before, but alas, had to miss the away days work beckoned!