Early starts

Dogstar

Dogstar

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Thinking about Autumn Hunting, am I the only one who really can't cope with the 6am starts? Keen as I am, I just can't do it and will only start turning out once the meets get to 8 or preferably 11am! WHY cant there be more evening meets, I know the VAHSG does them occasionally, much more civilised!
 
6am that is a lie in!

Because it is the best time of the day, up before anyone else is, even the birds somedays!
 
Last season, I took our gang out on mounted hound exercise - which was meeting at the Kennels at 6am - luckily only 15 mins away in the lorry.

then we started autumn hunting at 6.30 for the first fortnight, moving onto 7 and then later each week

I did 5 days in a row - last 4 days of MHE then 1st day AH - it was absolutely fine until I didn't go on the 6th day, when I was knackered!!

seriously looking forward to starting again - our lot are doing HE on bikes at the moment - 7.45 for an 8 o'clock move off - bring back the horses I say - can't do bikes :):)
 
*Shudders at the thought of the 4am alarm clock*
Noooooooo! Can't do it anymore!
 
Last edited:
madhossy said:
OMG!! I wanted to go on mounted exercise!

Didn't realise it was THAT early!! I'll never drag myself up!! :-)
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It has to be early because of the traffic

We're on the roads some of the time and even though they're reasonably civilised rural roads without Home Counties commuter traffic, for the safety of the hounds, the fewer cars the better!
 
But once you're up and out, isn't it the best thing? So worth it! Having said that, I haven't done it for about 6 years. But it will be a way to go hunting every weekend without feeling too guilty about abandoning hubby with the children as I will be back by mid morning!
 
The early starts are for a simple reason - the scent for trail hunting or pre-ban quarry hunting is better in the cool of the morning. Even the evenings are still quite warm in September. The autumn hunting meetcard isn't designed as an endurance test.

If you find them really deadly then why not come along on foot or bike? I roll out of bed, chuck some clothes on and stagger along to the meet with no horse to groom or tack up!
 
Good point about the evenings still being too warm. Maybe that's why the evening meets never took off.. Not a bad idea to leave the horse at home, especially as the ground is usually too hard to want to land on at that time of year!
 
Bikes truly have many advantages:

No feeding
No grooming
No plaiting
If it needs re-shoeing or the vet you can take the front leg (wheel) off and leave it for mending
If it comes back muddy stick it in the garage and wait for the mud to drop off without the RSPCA investigating.
You don't need a lorry to transport it places
The subscription is cheap as chips
If you get left behind stick it on a passing pick-up and catch up
If you get bored of riding it you can sell it on Ebay
You can leave it at the meet the evening before and nobody bats an eyelid.
You can tether it outside the pub and leave it there all evening
You can send it to the kennels when you get a new steed

On the downside:

They don't go as quick
They don't usually jump things
Plough is rather more of a challenge
You run even more of a risk of being run over by inattentive car followers
 
combat_claire in post #11 has cited the real reason for these early starts, scenting conditions. The object of autumn hunting is to get the young entry educated in the business of hunting before the season proper starts. Providing sport for the followers is simply a by-product.

Without a good scent how will the young entry ever learn? In scentless conditions they are bound to get bored & become tempted, if not actually to riot, to mooch off & do their own thing.

Taking the hounds out in the evening might be a reasonable option for the older hounds, but will provide just the wrong conditions for the young entry. Some of us have had more than enough experience of searching for wayward puppies late at night. For many packs, given the presence of crops & stock on the ground, the only option for autumn hunting is open moorland or downland where inexperienced hounds can disappear for miles with no one around to report their whereabouts.

Accordingly when arranging meets in open country I go for an evening timing only on days close to the full moon when the light makes searching for errant hounds both less difficult & potentially dangerous.
 
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