how to find out if a horse is a sensible hunter

[HoHum]

Because of all sorts of complicated circumstances I am selling my lovely hunting horse. But I really do want to get another and it will have to be a sane sensible hunter, albeit maybe older and happy to take the gates and slower routes as my age catches up with me!
Question is.. how do you know if a horse will be sensible out hunting when you go to try them, possibly just able to ride in a school and hack down a road. Is it the done thing to phone a hunt sec and ask them if they know a particular horse and could give it a reference?

 

[RunToEarth]

If you are buying a horse to hunt then go and try it with their local pack out hunting. People who sell horses to hunt are usually happy to let you take it on a days hunting, or at least they can take it out and you can follow around and watch it out hunting. Personally when I have bought horses whose main job will be hunting, I expect them to allow me to take it out for a day- I took my coloured out four times before I bought him, just to be sure :grin:

 

[posie_honey]

ditto above - i'd expect to take it out for a day...
mind you - i managed to ask aquaintences if they knew of my mare - and they did and confirmed she was good... so i only rode her in w/t/c in her field then bought her! luckily she is fabulous!

 

[spacefaer]

I would ask for references 1st.

I would be happy to show the horse hunting but the only time I let someone try my horse out hunting, he took it out for a whole day when the agreement was that he'd be back at half one. He made the horse's back so sore that it dropped away from the touch of my hand the next day and pulled his mouth raw. Then he didn't buy him.

I would be very wary of ever letting a stranger have a day's hunting on a horse of mine - what happens if they break the horse? What happens if an accident happens and the horse breaks the person?

The hunting community is such a tightknit one that if the horse is or has been hunting regularly then someone (or several people) will be able to vouch for it's manners and ability.

 

[RunToEarth]

God that is awful, I would be gutted if someone had done that to me. I have to admit, I wouldn't buy a hunter until I had hunted it though, but I have always bought hunters from people I know/hunts I am friendly with so it has never been an issue.

 

[wench]

Take it for a mad hack in company???

 

[MrWoof]

Because of all sorts of complicated circumstances I am selling my lovely hunting horse. But I really do want to get another and it will have to be a sane sensible hunter, albeit maybe older and happy to take the gates and slower routes as my age catches up with me!
Question is.. how do you know if a horse will be sensible out hunting when you go to try them, possibly just able to ride in a school and hack down a road. Is it the done thing to phone a hunt sec and ask them if they know a particular horse and could give it a reference?

Anyone selling a horse should be totally honest regarding its capabilities and quirks. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Yes, do ask if you may take it out for a day's hunting. The only stipulation I used to make was that they insure it for the day at their cost - as, sadly, accidents do happen. If they are not prepared to do so, then say NO. The best way to buy a Hunter is by word of mouth via your local pack.