First time hunting

[emiliaa]

Hi 👋
So I am thinking of going to my first hunt which would be a puppy hunt so a bit shorter than regular ones but I am quite nervous and not sure how my horse will act. He is a saint in the school but when i take him out hacking in an open field he will normally take off a bit and gets very excited (when he takes off he doesn’t do anything serious but just gracefully canters off with no intention to stop) has anyone found that their horse has behaved when in a group with many other horses? Also does anyone have any advice for first time hunting? Thanks X

 

[be positive]

I think you need to do some intensive preparation if he "takes off a bit" when on his own out hacking, out with a group of others the taking off may be more serious, it is not fun being carted and could well have an impact on his future as a sensible riding horse let alone his future as a useful hunter.
With a horse like this you should be out hacking regularly training him to listen to you and not canter off as and when he feels inclined to do so, it may be a graceful canter but it can so easily become a flat out gallop once his blood gets up, when he will reliably walk, trot or canter in an open field when asked, not when he decides, and will come back to you politely then you need to repeat it all in company ensuring he will go sensibly behind another horse in all paces without racing or tanking off only then would I consider it sensible to go out hunting or on a fun ride, taking him without any prep is potentially going to ruin your day, possibly ruin your horse and may also spoil someone elses enjoyment if your horse behaves really badly.
People who go hunting without doing some prep are not thinking long term of what damage it can do, if a horse learns to tank off seriously it can end up totally unruly every time it gets on grass or out in company.

 

[Bernster]

I’m not an experienced hunter and obviously what some people are happy to do can be different. I tend to be quite cautious and like to be prepared, especially for something that’s as high octane as hunting can be.

I’ve taken 3 of my horses hunting and only did it when I knew them well, had good brakes, had done fast work in company, been xc schooling and tried them on a sponsored ride. And I had them in a flash, martingale and stronger bit. The TB mare was still pretty full on and always wanted to be up front, but all 3 did well and I really enjoyed it. Looking forward to getting my boy out again this season!

 

[Orangehorse]

Agree with the above, it doesn't sound as though you are quite ready for hunting. Take your horse with a quiet companion to some pleasure rides and don't get him over excited. Start late on and concentrate on him going at your pace, not his. So only allow trot to start with so he doesn't get wound up. See advice above.

 

[emiliaa]

Thanks for the advice everyone! I think I’ll give hunting this season a miss and I’ll work on getting him controlled in company in an open field 😃

 

[spacefaer]

What's a puppy hunt?

 

[slowrider]

Yep, some horses go into a different world in the hunt field and can become uncontrollable.

 

[Clodagh]

What's a puppy hunt?

Sounds fun.