boxing day... not a time for first timers in my opinion!

junglediva

junglediva

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just to make a discussion becasue i am bored lol, its quite irelivant but anyway... just wanted to ask if anybody agrees with me or feels the same way when i say that boxing day hunts arnt really suitable for first timers because theres so many people out and speaking from experience if one horse is stresses or fizzy then that can set other horses of. also if its the horses first time u dont really know whether it kicks because last boxing day hunt with my hunt a first timer came out and went up the front and her horse had a bucking frenzy at the other horses and kicked atleast 3 horses and dislocated a mans foot. sorry this is completely irelivant and pointless but i just wanted to know if anybody felt the same way??

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=rjnNP9YQN2w

i mean look at this hunt!!! theres young children on their ponies and people standing not even a foot away from the horses!!!

sorry about my rant :crazy:
 
I agree. We are trying to talk someone out of taking their young eventer on Boxing day, she is fizzy and jumpy enough as it is without the stress and excitement of Boxing day.
Our meet is hectic. There is hundreds of people on their feet, about 80-90 horses and lots of kids with ponies. They practically stand on top of each other as there is very little room. The crowd are fenced off but half seem to wander about with the horses.
 
Our Boxing Day meet can get quite stressful. It is a high profile meet for us and takes place in quite a cramped area. There are inevitably a lot of 'once a year' type people out hunting and an enormous foot presence at the meet.

However for the last few years I have always been on a four year old on Boxing day. I have lent my older, more sensible horse for the last couple of years to a girl who helps me occasionally (her eventer is NOT suited to hunting) and sometimes my husband hunts on Boxing Day so I give him the more experienced horse and I take the green one (he often goes home early so we swap and he takes the young horse home). All the 4yos I have had out on Boxing Day have really risen to the occasion and stood (albeit next to their friend) well at what is generally a very extended meet, then had a good day jumping and behaving. I am careful to keep them near their 'nanny' and to make extra sure they have their heads to hounds and other horses at all times. I generally keep up near the front as I know the other people and horses, am keeping out of the way of ditherers and am generally guaranteed a decent lead over most things.

I agree you get a lot of people out on Boxing Day that only come once a year but I think it's fab. As long as they keep to basic common-sense rules it's nice to see them. Who knows - you might gain a subscriber or two if they have a good Boxing Day.
 
I was actually wondering something v similar... why do people who never go out hunting any other day, go out on Boxing Day... when it is quite mad, possibly dangerous if your horse over come by the excitement, and IMHO, not realy representative of a normal days hunting becasue of the difficulties with the shear number who are out...
I'm sure this could be interpreted as some form of snobbery, but not what I intended at all, simply why people choose Boxing Day to go hunting..?
 
i know... but seriously its ridiculous! did u look at the vid i put up? theres kids on their little m n m ponies and shetlands out there.. it wont take much for a horse to spook, lift a back foot up and catch a kid in the head (godforbid)!!! and as u said boxing day is a high profile hunt and most people only come for the 'prestigue' or just to show their face.. honestly they couldnt give a monkeys on how green their horse is or who is around them!!!
 
This is a really useful thread to me, am totally new to hunting and wondered about Boxing Day meet, logically (having watched VWH youtube vids!) I thought it would be a bad idea for a green (at hunting) horse. That vid looks like it could turn into chaos!

Can the same be said for New Year's Day meets?
 
well. in my hunt about 80 people go to the boxing day hunt and new years day about 20-30 people go. it would be safer to go on new years day but its still dangerous! also because of the special occasions hunts people put up jumps on these to venues and as u can imaging with the vid i put up, all those horses going along a narrow path towrds a dozen jumps.... need i say more! but all in all if somebody is persistant on going to either one i would definetely advice them to go to newyears day hunt.
 
I am going to go on Boxing Day this year, having never been on BD before, however, I am hoping, since it will be my mares 8th time out this season, she wont make a scene!!
 
My first one was Boxing day with The Badsworth years ago, I loved it. Going this year, but kiddie is getting left at home. I agree, it can be chaotic and it's mad to take little ones out on a day like that.

First hunt for adults? Dunno, I was bitten by the bug that day, my horse (his first time too) was a little naughty but I loved it so much...
 
I think a lot of people who wouldn't otherwise hunt (scent follow, whatever) go on Boxing Day because it is a social event, very traditional and the ground is deliberately not too challenging because the masters know that there will be a large number of relatively inexperienced riders there. Locally it is the one day of the year when the hunt meet in the town centre and are seen off by hundreds of local people - and riding out with the hunt is one way of showing visible support for that.
 
I agree. Every year there is a certain amount of snobbery that rears its ugly head about the Boxing Day meet. The 'real' hunters seem to resent the upstarts who turn out on Boxing Day. Maybe they should look at the bigger picture; any support is better than none, particularly since hunting is, technically, illegal. Yes I know about the socks and eagles, but that is not the point. Why not just make people welcome, or if you are a regular hunter who doesn't like crowds, stay away?
 
Totally agree with you. Boxing Day was my 3rd time out 3 years ago and it was the only time I have fallen off out hunting. Have to say that my cob is very well behaved out hunting, but there were so many people who really should not have been there. The reason I fell off is that someone totally out of control raced across me and we collided with them. Horse was ok, my back wasnt though, even though I got legged up and carried on. Our hunt isnt a particularly high profile one, but the meet attracts a couple of thousand people at the meet and the field is around about the 150, among them many young children and a lot of very inexperienced riders. I remember a conversation with the Hunt Secretary that day who was very vocal (I couldnt print it here) regarding first timers on Boxing Day.

I know there are two sides to this argument, but having hunted for the past 3 seasons, I would recommend a quiet weekday meet for the first time out. If you dont know how your horse will react, or how you will feel yourself. My bad back is now a living testimony to this!

My recommendation is go and have a drink and see them off on Boxing Day and see for yourselves just how busy it is.
 
I see no problem going out on Boxing Day for first time, BUT i would go with someone else so you can be 'nanned' around (shown ropes).
So if you have problem you have help, the problem with hunting with 'large fields' is you needs eyes in back of head to stay out of trouble........ As at ours we can have nearly 200 mounted and 500plus foot followers at meet, in a tight High Street.
I have no problem with new folks coming out on boxing day so long as they understand what can happen out there....... as it's a very, very busy day
 
i had my first time on boxing day, and apart from my horse very nearly bucking me off, got hooked!

but i had 100% trust in him, and my friends had all hunted b4 so was in safe hands.

my OH hasnt hunted yet, but hes on my extra safe horsey! and the plan was to take him on the newcomers meet (which was cancelled last week) but im planning on taking him this sat for an hour or so... just to get teh drift - then i can enjoy boxing day n not worry about him - as much..... but im on the "bucking horse" lol...... (he settles after the 1st gallop or 2)

i recon for not so good riders/novicey riders its not a great idea. butrockwood has 3 field masters out so u can go with who u feel best, ie- non jumping, smalll jumping or teh "hell rasiers" lol
 
There is a good reason why people go on Boxing Day who might not normally - it's free!!! (Or at least maybe £10 instead of £70 odd) Let's not be snobby about it - hunts need all the support that they can get and why not have some new people out then?
 
As long as they phone the secretary for guidance first then there shouldn't be an issue and since it is generally a shorter day than usual then it could be the perfect introduction. If the horse is new to it, then keep it on the edge of the melee, to be honest I don't think it would be any worse than taking it to the Opening Meet or other popular day...
 
My first time out was new years day - it was SO slow. That was 3years ago and by far the slowest day i've ever had. That was my first time but was on a pro horse :)

I agree though boxing day is a bit mad!
 
There is a good reason why people go on Boxing Day who might not normally - it's free!!! (Or at least maybe £10 instead of £70 odd)
Click to expand...

Not round here it's not!!! Usually slightly more than normal cap and donation from all is expected on top of that for Hunt Staff.
 
having been out with mock, fox and drag - we go out with the Mock on boxing day. We have a hoot, very sociable - see people we know, go over ground we know and feel very welcome. Will probably keep doing this until a time i am a subscriber to a 'proper' hunt. The meet is usually very busy and the day can get quite hectic.

with what you say about people coming out and their horses kicking - although what im about to say is somewhat irrelevant i just want to vent! i have been really upset to see so many horses kicking out (quite unjustly) many times, and people dont seem to care?! my friends horse got kicked twice by the same horse despite not being too close (i.e. on roads/tracks and told by the master to keep up etc but still a safe distance). People should have ribbons on these horses and keep out of the way, and if its your first time you should have a green ribbon on. I would be mortified if my pony kicked someone. I just wish people would take a little more care.
 
I hadn't thought about the possible issues at a Boxing Day meet. It is so many years since I hunted that I definately count as a newbie. I don't think we'll be going until next season, but will note your wise words and not choose the Boxing Day meet :)
 
Our boxing day meet is actully quite dangerous I reckon, everyone is totally crammed into a tiny little pub carpark, it's mental!! I'm suprised no one has got trampled!
 
Where do The Llandeilo hunt from on Boxing Day? I went out with them on the opening meet from The Tregyb Arms 2 years ago but had to ride back about 7 - 8 miles by road as we were not allowed to travel back over the farm land that we had earlier crossed. I'm greatful to the farmers for allowing us to use their land but it was a long way back, cross country would have been about a 1/3 of the journey. Thoroughly enjoyed though, especially the jumps that had been set up for us.
 
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