end of season chucking out.

[hunteress]

My boy hunts twice a week I was having a discussion with my sister who says he should have a total rest now till hound ex I have kept him up to just hack a little then give him a month off before I start again what do you guys do with your hunters from now on,he is used purely as a hunter.

 

[rosie fronfelen]

ours have had their shoes off and turned out, if the weather turns they are in at night as it is still quite early, especially here.

 

[Simsar]

Agree with Rosie HOLIDAY time. All the hunt horses well apart from the horses that do parades etc go out for the summer.

 

[JenHunt]

Ron has an easy month, then does a few ODE's, has another easy month or so over july then we start to get him fit again.

He's best kept ticking over otherwise it would take me until Jan to get him in shape again!

 

[JanetGeorge]

Agree with Rosie HOLIDAY time. All the hunt horses well apart from the horses that do parades etc go out for the summer.

That may be the case with your hunt! The Duke of Beaufort's have never turned their horses right away - as I understand it, they come in by day to get away from the flies and to walk out, then go out by night.

I think it really depends on individual horses - and owners - what is 'best'! If a horse has had a HARD season, hunting 3 full days a fortnight, then he may certainly benefit from a couple of months off. But many people hunt one day a week (or less - and it has been a 'short' season for most) and go home by 3pm. These horses are unlikely to need a complete break and can well do some work during the summer.

My husband's best old chap never gets turned away - he's arthritic and has Sweet Itch - so he is kept ticking over all year, hacking out quietly for 45-60 minutes at least 5 times a week, and having a couple of hours in the field. It suits him - he's still enjoying his hunting at 23 years of age - and while on point-to-point duty at the week-end, had great fun emulating the racehorses!

There's not much point in turning out for the summer if a horse is going to get pig fat and totally unfit, and then have to be 'hammered' for 10-12 weeks to get it fit for Opening Meet.

 

[Judgemental]

That may be the case with your hunt! The Duke of Beaufort's have never turned their horses right away - as I understand it, they come in by day to get away from the flies and to walk out, then go out by night.

I think it really depends on individual horses - and owners - what is 'best'! If a horse has had a HARD season, hunting 3 full days a fortnight, then he may certainly benefit from a couple of months off. But many people hunt one day a week (or less - and it has been a 'short' season for most) and go home by 3pm. These horses are unlikely to need a complete break and can well do some work during the summer.

My husband's best old chap never gets turned away - he's arthritic and has Sweet Itch - so he is kept ticking over all year, hacking out quietly for 45-60 minutes at least 5 times a week, and having a couple of hours in the field. It suits him - he's still enjoying his hunting at 23 years of age - and while on point-to-point duty at the week-end, had great fun emulating the racehorses!

There's not much point in turning out for the summer if a horse is going to get pig fat and totally unfit, and then have to be 'hammered' for 10-12 weeks to get it fit for Opening Meet.

His Grace held the view all his horses should be kept to a routine to a greater or lesser extent.

We never turn away, simply reduce the work load during the summer.

Horses that remain in a routine are far easier to manage and I agree Janet, turning away to put on a great deal of unwanted weight, is not good.

All horses in military service are never turned away, simply rested.

Personally I am of the opinion turning away to become fat and unfit, then having to be brought up from grass generates too many problems.

 

[doodleberry]

i used to turn all hunters away during the summer but this year i have one that has hunted twice a week not particularly hard but kept going i am now riding her once twice maybe three times a week as she is a tad porky!! put it this way she finished the season looking like i wanted her to look for opening meet!! i think for the younger horses who have done a full season its important that mentally they have time off to be a horse but this doesnt mean they have to be completely turned away coming in from the flies and heat is great if you can do it but just having a bit of human contact is good so they dont go completely feral!! older fatter horses benefit more when plodded around a few times a month or when ever you have the time or energy it doesn't mean they have to hammer round or canter or anything strenuous its also good for making sure all is still well rather getting to middle of july to find your horse is not quite right and you end up spending time trying to figure out whats wrong!! as hunters have done more seasons their legs tend to be pretty hard and take less time to get leg fit. so in short i personally think its important for them to have a rest but not completely !!

 

[Maesfen]

I think a lot has changed now and hunters, barring hunt staff horses, don't do anywhere near as much work as they used to and also a lot of the people that hunt have changed too with many more wanting to do other things through the summer which would have been unheard of even 20 years ago. Even how hunters are kept in summer has changed in many instances with 24/7 turnout only being available for a few.
Also, with hunts not being as long or hard now, the horses aren't doing half as much work, little more than a strongish two hour hack once or twice a week won't equate at all to what used to be a normal three days a fortnight of proper hunting so they won't need anywhere near as much recovery time which the summer lay off used to give them with a chance for limbs to have a good break. Now, because I wouldn't compete or anything, I'd be happy to rough them off for a month or two with shoes off at season's end then ride a couple of times a week just to keep them - and me - ticking over ready to start hound exercise again.
We all need a break no matter how few hours a week we work so I do still think it's good for the horses to have a complete break as well from the restrictions we place on them; they deserve out time too.

 

[Darkly_Dreaming_Dex]

mine will all have a set of shoes off- so 6 weeks but then quietly hack out with minimal shows etc until the autumn

 

[AML]

Economics can also pay a part, if the horse isn't kept at home.
Keeping a horse at grass is much cheaper than keeping one at grass, but still being worked.

At the moment, the horses are doing sponsored rides etc to wind down and after giving everything an MOT, it will be decided what form their summer will take.
Some will have their back shoes off and have about six weeks off, whilst others will walk quietly from the field for about 45 mins each day. Others will be continuing their education with doing pointy-toed stuff - which I enjoy - and the painted pole bit - which I hate.

My great sadness this spring is that I have turned away my partner in crime for the past 13 seasons and won't be bringing him back into work again. I'm actually at a loss as to how to replace him. How do you find a brain?

I hope whatever your horses do over the summer, they come back healthy and sound and ready to have fun next season.

 

[hunteress]

oh AML you brought a tear to my eye 13 seasons is good going things have changed over the years I will feel the same with my boy as he has a very switched on hunting brain looks after me over good terain drains dyke and hunt jumps will I ever replace him it would cost a lot of money but then ive had him since he was 4 and he's now 11 they say it takes a good 3 years to make a hunt horse but my boy was very easy good luck.

 

[Ditchjumper2]

Ours are just kept hacking out and ticking over in summer. Shoes stay on as we are on clay and in summer rock hard and I don't want to start the season with no foot. One does hound parades, one may do a bit of SJ/HT or whatever. But my lovely old boy who is 19 yrs and needs to be kept going so he doesn't seize up has had a hooley in field and is lame. Have had him 16 yrs and everytime he damages himself I worry that he may not come right.

 

[JenHunt]

My great sadness this spring is that I have turned away my partner in crime for the past 13 seasons and won't be bringing him back into work again. I'm actually at a loss as to how to replace him. How do you find a brain?

that makes me sad. I know what you mean though, they are difficult to replace once they get under your skin! I've only had Ron 6 years (7 by the time we start cubbing again) and I Know he'll be a hard act to follow.

 

[immoralorchid]

well i have turned mono away for a month maby two to get a little fat i think horses benifit from having a break and just being a horse she is still comming into her stable at night as she stresses if left out

 

[AML]

Ditchjumper I hope your boy comes right after his shenanigans. I swear the oldies are worse at playing the fool than the youngsters at times.

Jen and Huntress, cherish the days you have, these extra special horses come along rarely, but when they do, boy aren't we privileged.
My big dilemma, is that if I had seen the horse advertised I would have skipped right over it. On paper he is not what I like - correction, liked.

Ho hum, the joys of horse hunting, but I'm sure when I sit on the young pretender, I'll know it.

 

[Indigo Moose]

I have two, a cob and a Paint/TB/cob (looks like an Irish Draught/Irish Sport Horse). The cob just hacks, and if she's had a hard season (once or twice a week, every week, often doing gates, so staying out all day), I give her six weeks off once the season ends. This year, she sliced her pastern open in January, so has just had three months off and is coming back into work now. She'll hack and do fun rides over the summer.

The Paint/TB/cob (Indi) does much better when she's in work constantly, so we now do endurance/competitive long distance up to 40k during the summer, as well as hacking and fun rides. She loves it, the season is perfect (March to September) and the people who do it are lovely. I'd recommend it to anyone looking for something to do with their hunter over the summer.