Humph

[arizonahoney]

Who else is struggling to keep their mounts fit right now? Hard ground and now snow / ice means that we are mostly just walking out hacking, with the occasional bit of trotting

Not a day goes past when I haven't received an email of cancellation from my two local hunts...and I have transport booked for a meet in a fortnight...but I do wonder if that won't get cancelled too if the cold spell doesn't let up?

Apologies for the whine! I'm just not sure what to do (and it may not be within my control anyway...)

 

[JenHunt]

not really. ours are turned out for about 12hours, and our roads are just about clear enough to get some work into them. but I'm annoyed by the lack of hunting, and Ron is quite grumpy!

 

[Addicted to Hunting]

Well mine hasn't been ridden for just over a week, but did have a bruised foot as well (good timing, lol) but to be fair I'm not that concerned about her fitness she has been out in the areana every day except for a couple, and she was ultra fit anyway!! Hopefully I'll get to ride her soon but our roads are still fairly lethal. I think once they are fit a few days doesn't make much difference, especially if you are able to walk and trot, as this will keep them ticking over, il just sit tight my first canters, we are possibly thinking of hiring an indoor school as well.

 

[JenHunt]

that's the other way to think of it of course... they've probably worked hard for us all season so far, what's a couple of weeks of little work? they'll probably benefit from the bit of a rest, and they won't lose much fitness in that time. plus, everyone else will be in the same boat once we get going again.

 

[Addicted to Hunting]

yep most people in same boat, except for the lucky ones with and indoor school, somewhere to ride. We just have too much snow at the moment, which just seems to be hanging around this area, go in another direction 5 miles and it's clear!! I'm sort off glad as my little mare did deresrve a little rest, but had enough now! In fact two seasons ago when it snowed I had my horses at my bosses were we could ride around the massive fields, so I kept my spotty one ridden. Used to ride her every other day, if every day had no brakes, think we went about 3 weeks before we hunted, compared to the others out she was fitter, but it was not to my advantage justeant she was even more wild than normal!!! The next time we had time off with snow I didnt bother and she didn't lose much fitness. Yes it helps if they keep fitness fairly well, but even last year when I had a very laid back horse he came back as fit as anything else after the snow without having done much.

 

[Foxhunter49]

It is a pain! However came at the right time for us - three of the horses have been coughing so I am not missing out of anything!

A week ago the meet was here but the ground was dangerous for horses so hunting was on foot.
I fully admit that I have never been able to run (which can make you look very brave when you have to just stand there - I know otherwise! LOL) so I decided to follow on the ATV. Now this isn't an ordinary ATV but a six wheeler with a trolley over the back four wheels. A wonderful machine and I would be lost without it. It turned into a people carrier, five or six people sat in the back and away we went. Scent wasn't as good as it was hoped but that wasn't going to stop us.
I had the worse of it, the wind was bitter and despite a tick coat, which at 40 m.p.h. down the road is not wind proof, and the tears freezing to my cheeks the passengers could turn their backs to the wind and pass a flask amongst themselves!

At one point we had picked up the whip and driving past the followers we caught up with hounds. The whip dismounted from the people carrier and went with the hunt ATV. I picked up the second whip who sat on the front of the bike giving me far more turning power, the people in the back making the front very light.

I ended up with just four passengers in the back and the whip on the front as we drove to places not normally driven to! great fun. We could hear hounds bit as on an unfriendly farmers land decided that it was best not to continue further.

Unfortunately one of my passengers had to do the school run so, at that point we went home. I fully admit that I was frozen in the face and not to warm anywhere else. The only part of me that wasn't cold were my feet.

It was a very different form of hunting for me. My passengers were new to hunting so they enjoyed the ride and learning more about it all. We had a good laugh and, as usual I learned that if I go hunting on an ATV I will wear granny bloomers, sheepskin coat and have hand guards on the ATV!

 

[jamessmith]

Thanks a lot for sharing this information.

 

[L&M]

Our lanes are clear of ice so can keep up with some road work, but sadly our season finishes in 2 weeks, so just hope we get in another couple of days before then.

This time last year it was unseasonably warm, with my lads being turned out 24/7 at the beginning of march - can't see it happening this year!

 

[Luci07]

Well as we are near you Arizona !! Our lot aren't even being turned out. Our YO has kept all the walkways clear from all the boxes so every horse ( even us part liveries!) is being walked out in hand for a leg stretch. She has even gritted the road past the church to us at her cost and time to ensure no problems getting to the yard...our neighbours must truly love her!!!

 

[arizonahoney]

Mustn't grumble...at least ours have been turned out everyday...

I'm thinking that I may just do a beachride on the day I had my transport booked for the hunt.