Festive_Felicitations
Well-Known Member
It is officially spring here 
Aug 26th - B was a bit sore after a physio visit so I was very kindly lent Boris for the day. I had a lovely time on him apart from a few close calls with gate posts as he didn't move off my leg the same way B does! I also managed to get sunburt!
Small field of 4 plus 2 (brave) mountain bikers, and 5 1/2 couple out.
Found nothing in the first coverts (drawing up gullies), we then moved on to a thicket of brambles where they found and caught a fox. Hounds distrubed the fox who tried to escape/ make it to cover by jumping over a hound and was caught mid-air.
After this moved on and didn't find anything for a bit before they found and hunted at top speed into a very large, rather inaccesible gully...
Short while later we had everyone back and acounted for and moved on. Nothing in the next covert, then drew a hill with large rocky outcrops. The field placed so as to discourgage the fox from breaking towards the gully again, up the top the hounds found and after a short circular run round some rocks caught another fox!
We then headed for home drawing two more coverts on the way but didn't find anything.
Sept 2nd - Back on B Was a bit worried about how the day would go as he was cantering next to me when I got him out of the field! But brakes were intact thankfully, possibly helped by the day starting with a stiff climb!
Field of 6, standard 5 1/2 couple out and a gloriously sunny day after a very cool, frosty morning.
First covert was drawing up the gully to the top of the ridge, found nothing. Then drew another couple of creeks/gullys along the tops. Found at one point but checked/were checked as it was thought they might have been after a Wallaby, though very possible fox & wallaby just happened to use the same route out of cover.
We then had a short hack up the road to the next bit of country - however to get onto the road we had to negotiate the bob cat & tractor thoroughly bogged in the gateway
Involved sidling past the bobcat then a 90o turn over the chain connecting them.
Hacked up the road and just as we entered the next property hounds put up a fox and hunted straight back down the road, swung left handed across it and straight back down the hill we'd just come up.
Huntsman followed over the wire fences and the rest of us stood on the road debating whether to go back round to the gate & follow or as we were meant to be moving onto the next property waiting for the huntsman to come back...
Anyway having stood on the side of the road looking silly for a bit we made our way back through the gate (easier said than done) and down the hill, met up with the huntsman and moved on.
Missed a fair bit of the next part of the day by getting stuck on the wrong side of a ravine and then B & another horse deciding they couldnt possible scramble down and across where everyone else had. They were eventually convinced by the simple solution of a 'gentle push' from percheron x to the bum
Managed to catch-up in time to briefly see the hounds hunting well till they lost the scent in amongst some stock. We then started to head for home drawing a few more coverts on the way but didn't find anything.
So another lovely day out even if it was more of a hack in the sun than a days hunting at times
I will post some photos when photobucket decideds to play ball....
Aug 26th - B was a bit sore after a physio visit so I was very kindly lent Boris for the day. I had a lovely time on him apart from a few close calls with gate posts as he didn't move off my leg the same way B does!
I also managed to get sunburt!Small field of 4 plus 2 (brave) mountain bikers, and 5 1/2 couple out.
Found nothing in the first coverts (drawing up gullies), we then moved on to a thicket of brambles where they found and caught a fox. Hounds distrubed the fox who tried to escape/ make it to cover by jumping over a hound and was caught mid-air.
After this moved on and didn't find anything for a bit before they found and hunted at top speed into a very large, rather inaccesible gully...
Short while later we had everyone back and acounted for and moved on. Nothing in the next covert, then drew a hill with large rocky outcrops. The field placed so as to discourgage the fox from breaking towards the gully again, up the top the hounds found and after a short circular run round some rocks caught another fox!
We then headed for home drawing two more coverts on the way but didn't find anything.
Sept 2nd - Back on B
Was a bit worried about how the day would go as he was cantering next to me when I got him out of the field! But brakes were intact thankfully, possibly helped by the day starting with a stiff climb!Field of 6, standard 5 1/2 couple out and a gloriously sunny day after a very cool, frosty morning.
First covert was drawing up the gully to the top of the ridge, found nothing. Then drew another couple of creeks/gullys along the tops. Found at one point but checked/were checked as it was thought they might have been after a Wallaby, though very possible fox & wallaby just happened to use the same route out of cover.
We then had a short hack up the road to the next bit of country - however to get onto the road we had to negotiate the bob cat & tractor thoroughly bogged in the gateway
Involved sidling past the bobcat then a 90o turn over the chain connecting them.
Hacked up the road and just as we entered the next property hounds put up a fox and hunted straight back down the road, swung left handed across it and straight back down the hill we'd just come up.
Huntsman followed over the wire fences and the rest of us stood on the road debating whether to go back round to the gate & follow or as we were meant to be moving onto the next property waiting for the huntsman to come back...
Anyway having stood on the side of the road looking silly for a bit
we made our way back through the gate (easier said than done) and down the hill, met up with the huntsman and moved on.Missed a fair bit of the next part of the day by getting stuck on the wrong side of a ravine and then B & another horse deciding they couldnt possible scramble down and across where everyone else had. They were eventually convinced by the simple solution of a 'gentle push' from percheron x to the bum
Managed to catch-up in time to briefly see the hounds hunting well till they lost the scent in amongst some stock. We then started to head for home drawing a few more coverts on the way but didn't find anything.
So another lovely day out even if it was more of a hack in the sun than a days hunting at times
I will post some photos when photobucket decideds to play ball....