Are some horses too fragile to hunt?

[Paint it Lucky]

Just wondering! Do you think skinny legged horses are more prone to injuries, pulling muscles, tendons etc when hunting, especially in deep going than ones with more bone or is it more down to fitness?

 

[Maesfen]

Fitness coupled with being correctly built in the first place and having a sensible enough rider that doesn't expect horse to be able to plough through anything without taking care. There have been some badly built horses that have been good hunters because they have been prepared properly with an eye to their faults and the riders have ridden responsibly, not hell for leather IMO.
Sorry, didn't answer the main part but I don't think skinnies are at any more of a disadvantage as long as they are ridden correctly.

 

[Paint it Lucky]

Thanks MFH I am sure you are right. I am used to hunting on a heavily built cob (2nd in my sig) who always coped fine but now I have a much finer horse and I'm worried his legs might not stand up to it as the going is very deep around my area (lots of muddy fields etc) and sometimes when there are loads of horses cantering around you you have no choice but to plough through thick mud! But if I fitten him to be used to cantering on this sort of going will that help? I know you see a lot of thoroughbreds hunting but the huntmasters tend to rider heavier hunter types as I presume these stay sounder? Sorry I'm rambling, just really don't want him to hurt himself!

 

[severnmiles]

OH thinks TB's have too thinner legs to cope with being a hunt horse but then which breed of horse is built for the most work (ie racing)..the TB. Rhodri Jones from Bychan hunts some of his arabs and you can't get finer than an arab.

Someone once said it is the quality of bone not the amount of bone that counts.

 

[Enfys]

OH thinks TB's have too thinner legs to cope with being a hunt horse but then which breed of horse is built for the most work (ie racing)..the TB. Rhodri Jones from Bychan hunts some of his arabs and you can't get finer than an arab.

Someone once said it is the quality of bone not the amount of bone that counts.

Ah yes sm, so he does, he bought Emiratus out once and I drooled over that horse all day!

I have always hunted arabs in Wales, that means mountains and bogs as you know, never had a horse lamed or injured in about 8 years.

love your pups by the way.

I think any horse can hunt as long as it is prepared properly, the only thing that will stop them will be their own physical limitations (conformation too) and the country you hunt.

 

[RunToEarth]

Our old huntsman Andrew German (who is now with Cheshire forest) never had anything skinnier than a TB. Little slinky legged horses with hogged manes, anybody stood looking at them on a non hunt day would mistake them for polo ponies. They carried him over the worst of grounds, as SM says they are made for the fitness side and they didnt fair so badly with the seasons he did with us...

 

[Eagle_day]

"Someone once said it is the quality of bone not the amount of bone that counts."

I think you mean 'an ounce of blood is worth more than an inch of bone'.

 

[Vicki1986]

i think some horses are more 'precious' than others whether they are TB's or cobs - if they are useless with their feet co-ordination or injury prone then hunting will IMO make or break them.
my pony is quite wide up top but has diddy little legs, she manages fine even in heavy going but she is nimble and quick on her feet - i dont even stud up in the wettest weather.