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allyj

allyj

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Hi there, I'm pretty new to the H&H Forum, still getting to grips with it all!

Basically, I loan a Dales pony, the most reliable, sensible and kindest pony I have ever met! Not ashamed to be part of the pony squad at 21 :)
I was out with his owner on her horse yesterday, and she suggested that we go hunting next season. This sent alarm bells ringing in my head - I've never been hunting before and I don't know if my boy would survive more than two hours out on the field!
I'm really just looking for some advice on how to go about getting B up to fitness, and how to prepare him for the fences. I'm planning on doing some xc training in the summer is that enough?

I'm not as clueless as I come accross in this post but I just have no idea how to make B and myself confident enough for a days hunting. Any advice or tips are welcome :)

Thank you!
 
For confidence, get out hacking with as many different people as you can, even just one at a time. People have different ideas of fast & slow hacking, so it will give you a chance to test your brakes etc, and cover a variety of ground.

XC schooling for practice at different fences etc, going up and down things (depending on where you live, depends what sort of things you will tackle out hunting), and generally builds your partnership with pony.

Both will also help you work out how short you prefer your stirrups, what reins you prefer, breastplate preferences etc.

For fitness, I hack. LOTS. My hacking is varied terrain, up & down hill, with opportunities for long canters, and long trot stretches, I also jump out hacking over logs/ditches and the like.
 
as CM says - lots of hacking, especially up hills if you've got them. Aim to be doing 2 hours of hacking mostly in trot with some canters and some walking by the time you go (assume next season?!)

also, make sure you are happy popping relatively little fences (up to 2foot 6ish). most of the bigger fences will have a way round, but if you can pop little things you'll enjoy it more as you'll be keeping up with the main field, and you'll be able to get out of most places.

most hunts run intro days, and pleasure rides and hound exercise days in the summer and autumn to encourage new riders, and young horses to get into it. they are well worth going to. They help with fitness, allow you to meet some of the people you'll hunt with, and they let you and your horse get a feel for how it'll all be. it'll also give you an idea whether your tack is suitable (whether you'll need a breastplate, or a different bit or whatever!)
 
Fun rides can be good for hunting preparation - it helps with fitness and will give you an indication of how your how your horse will cope with other horses charging about. It will also give you a chance to adjust 'bitting' if necessary.

We have a lot of fun rides in our area, and some run by the local hunts, so allows to practice hunt jumps without any pressure.
 
I always enjoy posts such as this, then I can air my views on getting horses fit.

The first rule is that in the intial week you walk. Not even trotting.

Then in the second week you can trot but not for too long.

By the way in my world, horses go out in a) the morning for an hour and half and in the afternoon for an hour.

You slowly increase the pace, i.e. increase the trotting. Then you can have the odd little canter but preferably up hill.

Indeed all trotting and cantering should be done up hill.

Do not gallop your horse around at home. There are more horses broken down by galloping them about on exercise at home than out hunting.

You must keep up the routine of riding in the morning and in the afternoon untill your quarters are hard and you can see the clear formation of the muscles.

Then the hunting will kick in at least once a week which removes the necessity of riding twice a day.

I stress the following is personal preference. When my horses are really hard and fit, they are slightly 'run up'.

There are various schools of thought about that, the lighter the horse the less they have to carry and therefore the less pressure on their legs.

But I emphasise they are run up very fit, not run up because you have not fed them enough.

It is all very much a question of your weight the breed of horse and what suits.

I was studying various horses out with our hounds yesterday and in my opinion 60% were overweight. So were some of their jockeys who could all do with loseing a stone or too. In order to enjoy your hunting you need to have your horse/pony sufficently fit so that it will go all day and goes home when the hounds go home.
 
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You should try to go out hunting on foot for a day. Follow in the car and run around a bit after the field and you will get to see what they do and see whether you think you could manage it.

I have to say I was horrified when a friend told me the other day that she gets her horse fit for hunting by cubbing and then doesn't ride in between hunting days! I ride mine daily, with one day off a week, for 2 months in the run up to the hunting season, and also go cubbing, which is no use for getting fit in my opinion! I would start off with several weeks walking, starting with 20 minutes building up to 1.5 hours, then bring in steady trotting on roads then cantering 2-3 times a week. This would be to have horse fit for around 4 hours hunting twice a week. You can always stay out as long as your horse's and your fitness allows. If not so fit, stay out 2 hours.

Jumping lessons and xc schooling are great, although really all you need to know about jumping out hunting is KICK!
 
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