Any Leicestershire Hunters?

[oliver.siddons]

Just wondering if anyone here has hunted with a Leicestershire hunt (Fernie, Cottes etc) and were willing to compare notes/experiences?

 

[lizziebinks]

Have you hunted at all with any other packs?
Each hunt tends to have their 'big days' and smaller days. Caps tend to reflect this.
So Tuesday Cottesmore is a big day but Thursdays a small day.
You can try a few out by joining the Melton Hunt Club to get a taste of some of the Leics hunts.

 

[lizziebinks]

Oh and look at Nico Morgan's website. He takes photos of many of the Leics packs so you can see what goes on with each pack.

 

[TwoPair]

I've hunted Leics Cotts for a few years now....

 

[bob]

You could sum it up with few words " Chalk & Cheese", there is no where quite like the Shire packs, they are magic, some days are better than other, but 'Kick on' ,

 

[spotty_pony]

I have hunted Cottesmore Tuesday Country for three seasons now... what do you want to know?

 

[oliver.siddons]

Just wanting to know peoples opinion of it, how the people are, the difficulty of jumps ect

 

[bob]

No two days are ever the same, but usually, no hanging about. Coming from a different 'country' I found the 'ditch towards' the more daunting, but you soon get used to it. There wasn't too much timber, mostly hedges, which can be big, again the horse is the key to it all. Afterv some 20 seasons, the saying is "all days are good, some are better than others" is as true 100 years ago as it is today, Go for it!

 

[spotty_pony]

It's absolutely fantastic hunting country! (Although I am obviously very biased!) But it is actually considered to be some of the best hunting land in the whole country. I hunt on Cottesmore Tuesdays (the big days) and we rarely have a boring day. We are constantly on the move and the terrain is very varied and hilly - you need a very fit horse for our country! We have lots of jumping varying from manmade hunt fences, plenty of post and rails, ditches and hedges galore! The people are lovely. I hope this helps.

 

[TwoPair]

Echo what all the others have said really. My signature pictures were taken on Tuesdays. There's a good variety of fences, plenty of good 'lead' horses, and always (well, almost always) a way around. I've hunted Tuesdays on an exceptionally talented 13.2, a 14.2, a 16hh and 16.3's. No day has ever been the same, but as spottypony said your horse needs to be fit, especially if the ground is wet and holding as it can be quite punishing. Be prepared for ridge and furrow in some of the old turf fields (not a comfortable ride at speed). I find a ditch towards more preferable as your horse can judge it a little better. Hose Thorns with the Belvoir rode far better with the ditch toward than the ditch away (just my opinion, of course!). If you have a kicker, please please PLEASE stay at the back. Tuesdays are busy days, and require kicking on. I don't want to be holding my horse back into a fence because a red ribbon is playing up in front of me.

 

[wench]

I havent hunted in Leics (hedges are waayyy! to big for me!) but my previous horse had. He was a fantastic hunter.