Are some hunting/horsey traditions just a bit pointless?

[Starbucks]

I'm talking about turn out, really.

So obviously we all want to look clean, smart and tidy but my two main rules that I'd rather not comply with are:
Plaiting on the right hand side, why?
Hairnets, I wear one because I'm sick of people commenting on my long blonde plait but again, why? What's wrong with human hair??

There's other stuff too, why are you meant to have brown tack for example?

I know there should be guidelines, but I do think some are a bit silly.

 

[mon]

I plait one on left side as that is the side it lays and the other only has half a mane so that is about 6/7 plaits, our hunt never complained, after all not doing silly tack and turn out competition, but some one did say a gentle mans horse should have nine plaits so if it is riderless know to look for a man.

 

[Floxie]

Traditions wouldn't be traditions if they weren't mostly silly

Some of them have pretty good reasoning somewhere back in their history. Some of them may have done but good luck working out what it was! Sometimes I find them a bit annoying and restrictive (my saddler shakes his head sadly every time I'm looking for something that isn't brown!) but I think more often they're rather nice and can create atmosphere and a sense of occasion I plait to the right out of habit, wear a hairnet because I think it's smart (and makes me feel dressed up!) and - well, use whatever tack I own

 

[Christmas Crumpet]

I've never been sure why you plait on the right hand side but I always do it and also always notice if someone has done it the wrong side. I wouldn't dream of doing it on the wrong side. I couldn't tell you why though except that it was wrong!!

 

[Clodagh]

It depends on your age! In my day I plaited to the right (always an odd number) except for on Monday's, only used brown tack, prefered to hunt in a double bridle and would never, in a million years, use a numnah other than a saddle shaped and discreet one. I always wore a hairnet and carried a spare.
The whole point of hunting is the tradition, or we could just chuck on our waterproofs and go for a hack with our dogs.
Even though I no longer hunt the horses mane has to lie on the right and I still do most things the same.

 

[spacefaer]

Brown tack because traditionally, black tack was driving harness. Also, until recently black leather tended to be dyed foreign imported rubbish.

Hairnets because they look smart and for basic practicality -you wouldn't want your plait hooked in a tree as you cantered through a wood?!

Plaits -I suspect it's to do with the Army and uniformity -most horses' 'manes fall more to the right -i shall do some research as I am intrigued

 

[HeresHoping]

I'm a stickler for tradition. I think it despicable people contemplate going out to an unaffiliated dressage competition unplaited, let alone hunting. However, we have manes to the right - the off side - and plaited to the right to keep the mane out of the way of buckles and the things we do...we do most things on the 'near' side. Which came about through the cavalry, it's the side away from your sword (across your left hip, to be drawn with your right). Don't need a mane in the way when you draw your sword, now, do you?

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

Ohhhh! I was ALWAYS taught to plait to the right/off-side anyway......... have never done it any other way TBH coz it would never have occurred to me!

Having hair nice and neat is, as someone else has said, a Health and Safety issue light-years before the phrase was ever invented. Also wearing a stock was - or so I understand - for safety, as if you fell off and injured your neck, the stock would give you the right support, also could be taken off and used as a bandage for either horse or human. This was my understanding on the function of a stock.

In my youth it was drummed into us that correct, neat & tidy turnout at a meet was a mark of respect to the MFH and other hunt servants and that sloppy turnout either horse or rider, was an insult.

 

[Sherston]

Delighted to see the responses to this, as a stickler for tradition personally, threads like this are great to bring these things back to the fore and to refresh us all on these great things that make us British! Hereshoping's response also flags up another more basic general horse riding tradition of mounting your horse from the left - for exactly the same reason, the sword, but everyone still does that! Although interestingly this also carried across to mounting side saddle from the left.

 

[Sherston]

Turning up at the meet very smartly is more in respect of the host, and supports the MFH who would want to respect the host. Which is why first horses should always plaited up (correctly), but second horses it is acceptable to not be plaited.

 

[Tiddlypom]

It depends on your age! In my day I plaited to the right (always an odd number) except for on Monday's,

I've never heard the bit about Mondays! I always plaited to the right but with more than the traditional number of plaits, as horses had thick manes and looked silly with big golf ball plaits.

 

[Starbucks]

I'm a stickler for tradition. I think it despicable people contemplate going out to an unaffiliated dressage competition unplaited, let alone hunting. However, we have manes to the right - the off side - and plaited to the right to keep the mane out of the way of buckles and the things we do...we do most things on the 'near' side. Which came about through the cavalry, it's the side away from your sword (across your left hip, to be drawn with your right). Don't need a mane in the way when you draw your sword, now, do you?

Of course, my sword! Why didn't I think of that! ;-)

 

[RunToEarth]

I look back on photos of me when I was a teenager out hunting with no hairnet on it looks so scruffy, I don't have any of the photos up anymore.

I now stick to tradition like glue - it takes just as long to plait on the right as it does on the left, and hairnets are 99p for two so there isn't any excuse not to really?

Not plaiting up at all is just lazy and scruffy when you think all the time and efforts your hosts will have gone to to put on a lawn meet for you to enjoy.

I think little turnout things make such a huge difference to the overall look of someone.

 

[Starbucks]

I look back on photos of me when I was a teenager out hunting with no hairnet on it looks so scruffy, I don't have any of the photos up anymore.

I now stick to tradition like glue - it takes just as long to plait on the right as it does on the left, and hairnets are 99p for two so there isn't any excuse not to really?

Not plaiting up at all is just lazy and scruffy when you think all the time and efforts your hosts will have gone to to put on a lawn meet for you to enjoy.

I think little turnout things make such a huge difference to the overall look of someone.

I just think they are such a strange item, I want to look smart for corporate meetings at work but I don’t put a net on my head!

I’ll continue to behave, regretfully!

 

[Goldenstar]

Brown tack because traditionally, black tack was driving harness. Also, until recently black leather tended to be dyed foreign imported rubbish. )

Except the riens black riens are not the thing for driving they must be brown unless it's a funeral.
Driving has some mega traditions too.
The hairnet one is practical and is safe keeping long hair out of the way means it can never be caught .
However I must confess advancing age and injuries has left me unable to cope with getting wet so I do wear waterproof leggings in bad weather now.

 

[skint1]

I think a lot of traditions have practical roots it's just that we've forgotten what the original reasons were. The hairnet one is pretty obvious, not wanting ladies' hair tangled in undergrowth and tree branches!
I'm a scruffy scruff scruff hacker but it is kind of fun isn't it to get all prissed up to go somewhere special?

Also, I guess if you're hunting you're up against a lot of anti-feelings and you owe it to the hunt and tha farmers who are letting you use their land to follow the accepted convention for turnout and behaviour.

Though my horse (who goes hunting) does have black tack. I can't afford to replace it!

 

[Sherston]

Wow, do you go to business meetings on a horse?? As I don't think anyone has a tradition of hairnets when on foot, probably a different forum!! But very glad to hear you will continue to behave!!

 

[PolarSkye]

Haven't read whole thread, so please forgive any repetition, but I understand (and I could be wrong) that many of our traditions come from the days of the (mounted) light infantry and cavalry . . . you mount from the left so that your sword (worn on your left leg) doesn't get in the way, therefore you plait/encourage mane to fall to the right so that it doesn't get taffled up as you draw your sword.

Hairnets for ladies are just practical . . . long hair is out of the way so doesn't get caught on overhanging branches, etc. . . . it also isn't flapping about so that a) you can see where you are going (sort of important); and b) if your horse unseats you, it isn't inviting another horse (or yours for that matter) to step on and scalp you!

Stock - useful as tourniquet .

Black tack - for funerals (although my boy hunts in black tack b/c I am not buying him a whole new set just for hunting - he also events and black just looks smarter on a flea-bitten grey).

I'm all for tradition for tradition's sake, but it is fascinating finding out what's behind those traditions .

P

 

[Maesfen]

Brown tack because traditionally, black tack was driving harness. Also, until recently black leather tended to be dyed foreign imported rubbish.

Hairnets because they look smart and for basic practicality -you wouldn't want your plait hooked in a tree as you cantered through a wood?!

Plaits -I suspect it's to do with the Army and uniformity -most horses' 'manes fall more to the right -i shall do some research as I am intrigued

I still think black tack should be confined to the cavalry and gypsies, it looks so cheap however good the quality.

Hairnets as you say an elf & safety issue from long before H&S reared an ugly head. Nothing looks more cheap (even worse than black tack!) than seeing hair streaming down the back, ; wouldn't matter if horse was spotless, plaited and in brown tack, that would spoil the overall picture of smartness completely as if the rider couldn't be bothered to turn themselves out properly.

Turning up at the meet very smartly is more in respect of the host, and supports the MFH who would want to respect the host. Which is why first horses should always plaited up (correctly), but second horses it is acceptable to not be plaited.

We still plait for second horses but don't need to for a bye day which is what I think the Monday comment applied to. Always plait for a lawn meet, opening meet, Boxing Day etc.

Standards count, I think a lot of hosts wouldn't be very pleased to see these traditions forsaken; it's not the same having eighty plus horses and riders in their every day gear than having them smartly turned out as per tradition; you wouldn't want pictures of the every day stuff would you?

 

[PolarSkye]

I still think black tack should be confined to the cavalry and gypsies, it looks so cheap however good the quality.

As my Irish (non gypsy) grandda was in the cavalry, I'll stick to HIS tradition and have black tack .

P

 

[Tiddlypom]

I still think black tack should be confined to the cavalry and gypsies, it looks so cheap however good the quality.

Oh dear, and here was me thinking how smart my black maxicob looks in his black tack......

 

[Maesfen]

Lol you two and, sorry, old habits drilled in from a very young age die very hard! I do have to admit to having a black saddle simply because it came with the loan horse and it fits her - and me, doesn't mean I like it though but in this case, beggars can't be choosers!

 

[PolarSkye]

Lol you two and, sorry, old habits drilled in from a very young age die very hard! I do have to admit to having a black saddle simply because it came with the loan horse and it fits her - and me, doesn't mean I like it though but in this case, beggars can't be choosers!

.

P

 

[MileAMinute]

As others have said, it's tradition. It's also respectful to the organisers.

I wouldn't dream of turning up to a dressage venue without plaiting, a show without a clean horse etc, so it's no biggie for me to ensure both me and my horse are correctly turned out. Plus, it's nice to dress up and look nice once in a while!

ETA - my boy is in black tack, he's technically a tri-coloured but his brown bits have faded so mostly blue and white, and brown tack looks awful on him! I'd prefer brown tack if it was aesthetically pleasing.

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

Ehm, sorry to go back to the plaiting thing: isn't there something about you shouldn't ever plait a mane with thirteen plaits in it, coz its unlucky??? TBH I don't plait often enough these days for it to worry me But I do seem to remember something about that from a long-distant youth.

And I was also told that - and this for those OVER a certain age who will remember velvet-covered hunting caps - that the dangly ribbon thing on the back was important (again, can't remember what exactly ) and that the ONLY people who were intitled to take the scissors to them were Masters/hunt servants and family of hunt servants. Anyone else remember/know about this???

 

[MileAMinute]

Isn't it that you can't have the ribbon down unless you are hunt staff, and if you aren't the ribbon has to be off/turned up? I remember vaguely reading something about ribbons on hats!!

 

[Girlracer]

I hate seeing horses plaited on the wrong side. I was watching a recording I had on my Sky box of HOYS the other day and there was more than one showjumper plaited on the left. Just looks WRONG!

I have brown tack so can't really comment on that, personal preference although I don't see that colour of tack should make any difference in the show ring (to results I mean).

As for hairnets, they do look tidier, I always forget mind so put it in a bun and grip all the whispy bits.

 

[Maesfen]

Isn't it that you can't have the ribbon down unless you are hunt staff, and if you aren't the ribbon has to be off/turned up? I remember vaguely reading something about ribbons on hats!!

Yes, that's right. Only down if you're HUnt Staff or Masters.

There used to be the Pony Club Diary each year which was full of snippets like that plus a verse of a poem for each week. You also used to get a list of do's and don't's when you subscribed to PC and it was always in their dress code, it was always the first thing you did when you had a new hat! Very strict then they were, I remember having to beg and borrow a hacking jacket so I could go to a rally!

 

[PolarSkye]

Ribbons up or down is so that the field can recognize hunt staff from behind when a collarr might not easily be seen.

P

 

[asset2004]

I agree with the hairnets/plaiting/ ribbons up or down, but I think the plaiting really depends on the side of the neck the mane naturally lies on. My horse's mane lies the 'wrong' way but if I plait it to the correct side it just doesn't lie right. Personally I've always felt it's better to the mane lying neatly on one side than sticking up at any random angle.

Also going back to hairnets, where do you find the best place to buy them? I have been growing my hair and now need a hairnet, but the last one I have the elastic has gone and it must be about 20 years old! I've looked in some saddlery shops and they are the silly fine material that can hardly be seen and only lasts once. All ideas welcome