Advice re Hunting a Youngster.

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showpony

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So confidence still growing and instructor reckons we should now go out & do a spot of hunting :) Yard are organising it , there will be kids and adults and jumps optional so shouldnt be that crazy.... hopefully!

Any tips? It will be my first time bringing her & havent hunted myself in about 15 yrs:D
 
Thanks for the advice, luckily its a 10 min hack away ... unfortunatly I will most likely be unable to keep out of kids way as loads from yard going! Luckily a very good friend of mine is coming to ride on front of me as a Lead Horse!! !
P.S a FEW Hours! reckon we will be done after an hour:)

wonkey_donkey said:
I took my 4.5 year old hunting last week and it was a good morning out for both of us :-)

He was a bit scared and hot for the first half hour then settled down really well and behaved beautifully. He found the whole experience fascinating lol!!

I would suggest getting there early and being all tacked up and ready before loads of other people turn up.
I would also suggest just keeping out the way of kids and the hounds at first in case your horse kicks out or loses the plot.
Finally, it's a good idea to call it a day after a few hours and be all untacked and loaded up before the hunt get back so again it avoids any unnecessary excitement. It also means you can have your hunt breakfast in peace while your horse is relaxed and tucking into his hay on the lorry!

I'm 46 years old and haven't hunted regularly for years and I had a brilliant time so go for it and have fun :-)
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The first thing I ever took my youngster to away from the yard was a hunt. But she was the calmest there. Maybe because she hadn't done it before. I just thought of it as an extra long hack, we had a great time have managed to go since though and that was 2 years ago. Have fun.:)
 
OP - there's lots of advice in the hunting forum, but IMO hunting is invaluable experience for young horses, teaching them manners, balance, to go forwards, to look after themselves, and about going cross country.

many eventers say hunting helps their horses find a fifth gear and a fifth leg! :)

as someone else said, allow yourself plenty of time to get there and get ready.
put a green ribbon in your horses tail so that others know he's inexperienced and therefore unpredictable (precaution, and not implying that he will be silly/naughty!)
have a good time and let us know how you get on!:)
 
funnily enough I was talking to an old master of our local hunt, infact he was master for 19 yrs!!!!! He was chuckling away when I said I will take my youngster out next yr to the meet and maybe for an hour or so then bring him home, he said now this is where most people go wrong, bring him out and hunt him until the end of the day and bring him back on his knees, he will realise hunting is work then and not prat around next time! I just love it!
 
Devonshire dumpling said:
funnily enough I was talking to an old master of our local hunt, infact he was master for 19 yrs!!!!! He was chuckling away when I said I will take my youngster out next yr to the meet and maybe for an hour or so then bring him home, he said now this is where most people go wrong, bring him out and hunt him until the end of the day and bring him back on his knees, he will realise hunting is work then and not prat around next time! I just love it!
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No don't take him out for an hour that's not the best way to do it young horses need to kept at the back away from all the main excitement until they settle and learn its not as exciting as they first think ( it is of course but at first you need to get the manners and disipline in place ) I just hunt them along at the back until they settle an hour would be worse than nothing and you would pay for that approach the next time you went out.
Some go for the gallop it until it settles approach but it's not the best way IMO.
If I get a true meltdown I will take the horse away and hack it about till it settles down then go back.
The whole of a horses first season can be spent doing this making hunters well is a special skill but you get back the time you spend at first with a hopefully well mannered hunter who does not pull , the risk with gallop then till they settle approach is that it may well produce yobs who pull.
You need a sensible companion horse with you riden by some one prepared to give up the fun of the day to assist you.
You need the horse to be cantering in field in a group sensibly at home before you go.
Ideally you need to take them twice a week or three times a fortnight they settle much quicker this way I like to start during autumn hunting when I might go three days a week the atmosphere of hunting after the opening meet is quite different and it's much harder to teach them their job then.
If I leave the hunt with horse still wound up I will hack in walk until its cool and settled even if I have hack past my lorry and go on a jaunt round unless less they are injured I never get of them till they are calm.
It's great fun making hunters properly .
 
Thanks for advice all, especially goldenstar! Its primarially a kids hunt so will try to keep her at the back for the first while! She if fine out in fields - and is exceptionally voice responsive so hopefully she will " listen to me" after inital excitment! Some friends have suggested I ride her in a stronger bit but tbh I want to keep her in a snaffle, will put martingale on her though!
 
showpony said:
Thanks for advice all, especially goldenstar! Its primarially a kids hunt so will try to keep her at the back for the first while! She if fine out in fields - and is exceptionally voice responsive so hopefully she will " listen to me" after inital excitment! Some friends have suggested I ride her in a stronger bit but tbh I want to keep her in a snaffle, will put martingale on her though!
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Have fun !
 
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