Crosshill Pacers
Well-Known Member
Ok so this may not be the last time ever that I go all soppy about my Big Ears, but it'll be the last time it's related to hunting (this season anyway!).
I resisted posting a couple of weeks back after a disastrous day out with my local pack. Big Ears never put a foot wrong despite some extremely testing conditions on a boggy, rocky hill, but unfortunately I had a panic attack and couldn't get down a steep bank to cross over to the next part of the hill. I just went to pieces. Luckily the guy riding in front of me said he'd ride back with me to the boxes (I felt guilty after for ruining his day but eternally grateful that he did come with me).
This weekend was my last chance to go hunting, as I'm away every weekend for the rest of the season. I was dreading it all week, but felt better when my friend who is the master's daughter said I could ride with her and she'd keep an eye on me. I am so glad I went
it was one of the best day's hunting I have ever been on. I found an extra gear in my Big Ears - we've had a few good gallops this season but nothing like what I experienced this time. I let her go completely and she stretched her neck out and went for it, it was such an amazing feeling! We also had a flat-out pace at one point, overtaking everyone who was trotting or cantering along. It's at moments like that that I remember she's a racehorse 
She was just fantastic. We've only had eight days out since October but the difference in her is unbelievable. On her first day out she was panicking every time another horse got too close and kicking out (she was attacked by a stallion last summer which I think was the cause for the anxiety). On Saturday she was stood quietly next to two other pacers at the meet, throughout the day she let other horses jostle around her and she even struck up a strong friendship with my friend's coloured gelding Joey! They were inseparable, my friend and me were practically on top of each other as they parked themselves next to each other at every opportunity she's never batted an eyelid at the hounds or the horn, she's fine with the quad bikes roaring around. We've encountered steep hills and rivers and ditches, inanimate objects dotted around the countryside, pheasants flying out from their cover and she just stays completely calm. I'm a long way from where I was confidence-wise but I've started to realise that I don't need to worry about what my horse is doing underneath me so much, because she looks after both of us pretty well
She's having her shoes taken off this week and 6-8 weeks off to rest and put some weight on before we consider what to do next. Hopefully once the ground has dried up and the sheep below the house have lambed and been moved, I can cobble together a schooling area in the flat part of the field and work on her trot and canter whilst turning. I don't want it to be all boring for her so I'll be putting our new found love of water to the test and taking her swimming in the river too for a bit of fun (she stumbled on Saturday in the river and we nearly went for a dip together!)
If you've got this far I hope the overwhelming message that is coming across is that I blimmin' love my Big Ears and I'm so glad that she's mine
I resisted posting a couple of weeks back after a disastrous day out with my local pack. Big Ears never put a foot wrong despite some extremely testing conditions on a boggy, rocky hill, but unfortunately I had a panic attack and couldn't get down a steep bank to cross over to the next part of the hill. I just went to pieces. Luckily the guy riding in front of me said he'd ride back with me to the boxes (I felt guilty after for ruining his day but eternally grateful that he did come with me).
This weekend was my last chance to go hunting, as I'm away every weekend for the rest of the season. I was dreading it all week, but felt better when my friend who is the master's daughter said I could ride with her and she'd keep an eye on me. I am so glad I went
it was one of the best day's hunting I have ever been on. I found an extra gear in my Big Ears - we've had a few good gallops this season but nothing like what I experienced this time. I let her go completely and she stretched her neck out and went for it, it was such an amazing feeling! We also had a flat-out pace at one point, overtaking everyone who was trotting or cantering along. It's at moments like that that I remember she's a racehorse She was just fantastic. We've only had eight days out since October but the difference in her is unbelievable. On her first day out she was panicking every time another horse got too close and kicking out (she was attacked by a stallion last summer which I think was the cause for the anxiety). On Saturday she was stood quietly next to two other pacers at the meet, throughout the day she let other horses jostle around her and she even struck up a strong friendship with my friend's coloured gelding Joey! They were inseparable, my friend and me were practically on top of each other as they parked themselves next to each other at every opportunity
she's never batted an eyelid at the hounds or the horn, she's fine with the quad bikes roaring around. We've encountered steep hills and rivers and ditches, inanimate objects dotted around the countryside, pheasants flying out from their cover and she just stays completely calm. I'm a long way from where I was confidence-wise but I've started to realise that I don't need to worry about what my horse is doing underneath me so much, because she looks after both of us pretty well She's having her shoes taken off this week and 6-8 weeks off to rest and put some weight on before we consider what to do next. Hopefully once the ground has dried up and the sheep below the house have lambed and been moved, I can cobble together a schooling area in the flat part of the field and work on her trot and canter whilst turning. I don't want it to be all boring for her so I'll be putting our new found love of water to the test and taking her swimming in the river too for a bit of fun
(she stumbled on Saturday in the river and we nearly went for a dip together!)If you've got this far I hope the overwhelming message that is coming across is that I blimmin' love my Big Ears and I'm so glad that she's mine
