Horse running away from the field???

[The wife]

Taken the Coblet cubbing today for the first time... Supposed to have hunted in Ireland however we did take this with a pinch of salt. 1st half an hour was fine, green, keen and fidgety but stood when asked, went when asked etc... Field moved on to next covert, cob getting increasingly strong. We progressively got worse after this, ended up with it constantly running away from the field...

Now we've had problems with horses not leaving the field but running away from it? This is a well associated animal, schooled regulary in company, hacked out, cantered in company etc. Snaffle mouth at home to do everything with. She was ridden today in a cheltenham gag as we know that she can get very strong.

Have any of you had problems with not wanting to be part of the field? After the second time of her cocking her jaw and running away it was sent to the 'naughty person 80 acre stubble' field and made to do 10 laps. Horse did not in any way look troubled, worried, in fact she looked quite pleased with herself and have a feeling it is taking the Michael.

After we left the naughty person field and proceeded home (in company), she was beautifully behaved, walked when asked, stopped when asked etc. Normally instinct is saying that it's the large group of horses around her but it was a small field and she was kept away from everything for safety reasons.

Suggestions... Next time out it will be in a cross nose band to prevent cocking of the jaw... (other than she has a lead deficieny and should have some inserted into the head)

 

[JenHunt]

sounds like over-excitement/taking the Michael to me too!

the fact that she was keen from the off sounds like she has seen hounds before, but obviously not enough to find it routine (that said, Ron is 18, only ever hunted and still behaves like that at the start of each season! )

How about hacking further to each meet, and keeping her busy when the field are standing about? make her think it's harder work to fidget/carry on than to just settle!

 

[Foxhunter49]

More than once I have had to take a horse off to 'get it settled' preferably deep plough.

I have had the dubious pleasure of hunting many a nutter and found that the more they hunted the better they became.

One horse which was totally without an ounce of self preservation, I hunted 5 days first week and four the second - staying out until well after 3 p.m. each time.
The horse did look like a toast rack but learned to settle and made a good hunter in the end.