Horse still unsettled 2 weeks after hunting

[Passtheshampoo]

We took mine and my daughters horses to a newcomers meet 28 December it was our first time hunting although my daughters horse has hunted in Ireland My daughters horse got wound up as soon as the horn was blown at the meet. Five minutes after we set offi she had to retire as her horse was simply not listening to her. Fast forward to present and the horse is still on high alert in the field at times and much spookier out hacking. Does this happen to some horses and if so how long before she's back to her normal self? Thankfully my mare loved hunting and I went out again on the New Year Meet

 

[MissTyc]

Happened to my experience 12yo hunter this year. He's hunted for 6 season without any problems, but the opening meet this year blew his brain. Went over the breastbar on the way home, but uncatchable for 3 days, unrideable for another week, untravelable for a bit longer (seemed to think it was time to get out and go hunting anytime we slowed down) ... Took about 3-4 weeks ...

I put it down to better than normal grazing (I felt I had to put it down to something!) so he was grass high and then I made the mistake of pulling him off the last line as he was blowing a gasket and I was worried he'd hurt himself over the hedges. He didn't appreciate being removed from the pack (with about 10 other horses, mind, but he could hear the hounds in the distance so he knew things were still happening) ...

anyway the good news is once he returned to normal he went back to normal and is now fine to ride, hunt and travel again!

 

[AmyMay]

I suspect that the Irish horses experience of hunting in Ireland was not an entirely happy experience - hence his upset.

 

[Shay]

Our ISH stayed racked up and on high alert for almost a week after the first time he went hunting here (as with many he had hunted in Ireland.) He still comes back in a state and remains vigilant for a day or so an that is 4 seasons later. I keep hoping he'll settle....

 

[honetpot]

Many years ago I used to look after a drag hunt horse. When you gave him the last feed the night before and took down his hay net( it was over forty years ago), he would start to tremble and continued to do this until he came back. When ever we have hunted its been is been nice time for the horses, and once they are off they are happy to be out with the pack, but for some it must be a lot more stressful.

 

[Passtheshampoo]

She is a sensative mare anyway and was quite spooky to ride when we got her last May. With routine and settling in she had become a lot more relaxed out hacking. Guess we will just have to work through it for now. Thanks for comments so far

 

[Goldenstar]

I suspect that the Irish horses experience of hunting in Ireland was not an entirely happy experience - hence his upset.

Me too ,they are often hunted half broken and they are more suited to the charge of light brigade than a pleasant ride for a lady to take to hounds .
They get through it on a mix of adrenaline and herd instinct not nice it can take seasons to fix them .

 

[smja]

Mine hasn't hunted regularly, for he is incompetent in deep ground. However, he gets very wound up when hacking in the following week or two, particularly if he sees someone innocently walking their dog (he adores hounds, loves to watch them. I think he would make a great whips horse, if not for the aforementioned ground issues).

I just ignore it, he settles back down within a couple of weeks.

 

[Fiagai]

Me too ,they are often hunted half broken and they are more suited to the charge of light brigade than a pleasant ride for a lady to take to hounds .
They get through it on a mix of adrenaline and herd instinct not nice it can take seasons to fix them .

^^ It is this type of stereotype malarkey that's really makes my blood boil!

I roundly refute such absolute rubbish on the basis that I have hunted in Ireland and have bought Irish hunters with no such problems.

It should be remembered that purchasing a young hunter will mean that their schooling is most likley incomplete.

Certainly youngsters in Ireland are taken out for half days or shorter to gain experience - as would be expected. In general the Irish landscape is made up of small fields with few jumpable hedges - many fields are divided by huge banks and wide drains meaning that going flat (aka the light brigade comment above) out is nigh on impossible unlike many hunts in the UK.

Never in all my years could anyone make a such ridicolus sterotypical assumptions as above that Irish hunters are ridden as youngsters and flaked to death! A bit of latent anti Irishism I fear.

Horses that have hunted will nearly always get excited and know what to expect - so if they do get a bit excited - then don't be surprised. Hunting is the ultimate adrelian thrill that most horses will experience.

If you are unprepared to go hunting with an experienced hunter don't expect it to be a day in the park...

If the horse is inexperienced ditto.

 

[irishdraft]

I have been trying for 5 seasons to get my horse to settle started with a little autumn hunting then was trying meets here and there then tried continuous weeks on the trot but nothing worked he gets in a stew.He is now my main hunter & is marginally better but he stays on high alert almost continually but keeping him up front when hunting does mean he bowls along quite sensibly.

 

[Goldenstar]

^^ It is this type of stereotype malarkey that's really makes my blood boil!

I roundly refute such absolute rubbish on the basis that I have hunted in Ireland and have bought Irish hunters with no such problems.

It should be remembered that purchasing a young hunter will mean that their schooling is most likley incomplete.

Certainly youngsters in Ireland are taken out for half days or shorter to gain experience - as would be expected. In general the Irish landscape is made up of small fields with few jumpable hedges - many fields are divided by huge banks and wide drains meaning that going flat (aka the light brigade comment above) out is nigh on impossible unlike many hunts in the UK.

Never in all my years could anyone make a such ridicolus sterotypical assumptions as above that Irish hunters are ridden as youngsters and flaked to death! A bit of latent anti Irishism I fear.

Horses that have hunted will nearly always get excited and know what to expect - so if they do get a bit excited - then don't be surprised. Hunting is the ultimate adrelian thrill that most horses will experience.

If you are unprepared to go hunting with an experienced hunter don't expect it to be a day in the park...

If the horse is inexperienced ditto.

I am sorry but I am married to an Irish man and have been hunting for fifty years .
I don't need anyone to tell me what some Irish horses have been through as I have rebroken and retrained many of them .
I am laughing out loud at the description of me as inexperianced .

 

[Goldenstar]

I have been trying for 5 seasons to get my horse to settle started with a little autumn hunting then was trying meets here and there then tried continuous weeks on the trot but nothing worked he gets in a stew.He is now my main hunter & is marginally better but he stays on high alert almost continually but keeping him up front when hunting does mean he bowls along quite sensibly.

Did you start him hunting your self .
Unless I know where the horse has come from that's what I prefer to do now .
I like a horse who behaves anywhere in the field the back the middle the front on its own .

 

[Fiagai]

I am sorry but I am married to an Irish man and have been hunting for fifty years .
I don't need anyone to tell me what some Irish horses have been through as I have rebroken and retrained many of them .
I am laughing out loud at the description of me as inexperianced .

Considerstion should allow that gross generalisation of an entire countries horse industry is plainly ridiculous. Obviously there will be some idiots stupid with horses but then there are plenty of idiots in the UK by that measure.

On a side note ref. hunting for 50 years etc and the horses were really so bad - why did you buy them!

My previous comment on experience was of a general nature and you will note that it referred to inexperienced "horses" and not to any particular person.

If you are unprepared to go hunting with an experienced hunter don't expect it to be a day in the park...

If the horse is inexperienced ditto

 

[Goldenstar]

Considerstion should allow that gross generalisation of an entire countries horse industry is plainly ridiculous. Obviously there will be some idiots stupid with horses but then there are plenty of idiots in the UK by that measure.

On a side note ref. hunting for 50 years etc and the horses were really so bad - why did you buy them!

My previous comment on experience was of a general nature and you will note that it referred to inexperienced "horses" and not to any particular person.

I don't buy them my horses are lovely I considerable experiance of others unruly horses .

 

[Hoof_Prints]

I took my 6yo who had hunted in ireland out with our local foxhounds, he stood like a dream at the meet but as soon as the horn went and we set off, he turned himself inside out! He was so upset, I took him home after 10 mins in the field and for the next week he was on high alert and pacing his stable all worried. I got on two days later, and he freaked and legged it (resulting in me getting knocked out!) . He has now had a couple of weeks off to relax in the field and be fed treats, he is back to his happy self it seems and I am having him checked over to ensure no damage was done when he skidded about. Safe to say he had a very bad time hunting in Ireland no hunting for him again! I should add that he was hacking in company like a dream and behaving very well before this.

 

[Ditchjumper2]

I bought an Irish cob from a dealer. I had hunted her once when my boy had an abscess. Bought her on the Thursday and took her to the opening meet on the Saturday. She will go front, back and middle as will all our horses as this is what we insist all ours do.

 

[millikins]

We have a very sensitive Irish bred Connie. After trying him drag hunting he remained on high alert or at least 2 weeks and proceeded to drop weight so fast I was expecting a visit from the RSPCA. We did try the next winter but he is so wired and gets so strong that he is verging on dangerous so no, it's not for all of them.

 

[Passtheshampoo]

Thank you to everyone who has replied. My daighter's mare will not be hunting again with us. She has settled down a fair bit in the field so I shall hack her out again this week and see how she is.

 

[Passtheshampoo]

Update rode daughters mare yesterday 3 weeks post hunt and thankfully she was almost back to her usual self so we are going the right way.