First time hunting?

[barnbrookaa]

I am hoping to take my cob hunting for the first time later on this year and i ride him currently in a full cheek snaffle and was wondering weather i should change it as he can get very strong in company and with hounds and the horn i think i might have trouble holding him.

Should i change bits and if so what to?

thanks on advance x

 

[Gucci_b]

for-get the bit issue, and just hold on tight, and make sure your horse is well booted up...LOL
am sure your be fine xx

 

[RunToEarth]

Please don't cover him in boots for hunting, IMO they are far more hinderance than help, dangerous when they come lose (which they will on a full days hunting) and the amount of horses that get tendon strains wearing brushing boots all day in soggy ground is unbelievable.

 

[Weezy]

I never EVER boot for hunting - boots + plough is obviously a silly thing to do for a start, and boots can and do rub/fall off/etc.

 

[Gucci_b]

I got told to boot the horse up well, i'm out on my 1st hunt tomorrow...should i not then....

 

[RunToEarth]

Well for big wall days I wear knee boots and overreachers. The think is G_B most XC/brush/tendon boots are built with competition in mind, and given that XC rounds at the highest level only last 12minutes, the boots are doing a job. In the sodden wet muddy hunting country they can get mud and ming inside them- alsorts in fact, and like Weezy says, if you are in deep going then there will be tendons pulled and boots lost, god knows how many times I have had to tramp up and down looking for people's expensive XC boots.
I also was unlucky enough to whitness someone jumping a hunt fence with a strand of wire peeping out. Now I know not many of us intend to jump wire out hunting but sometimes you just cannot be certain what is on top of things- a horse without boots on is likely to be cut my the wire, this horse had brushing boots on and the wire caught on, pulled the leg backwards the horse did a somersault and hasn't jumped since. I know hunting is alot more pre planned since the ban and there a lot of reasons why people do wear boots, I just feel much better without brushing boots.

 

[barnbrookaa]

Thanks G_B will definatly hold on tight i think i may just need to cling around his neck lol