Hunt coming past/through the yard

[poiuytrewq]

Anyone else’s horse get really upset by this?
I do keep mine in. The older cob and Shetland have run off the turnout pen and yard as they are not really bothered. Last time the hounds were actually milling round their legs.
I just use it as a good photo opportunity for them and particularly think the old boy loves it. He loved hunting when he was young and stood all day rooted to the spot on Saturday listening (and dreaming he was there ?)
Other little pony I shut in as he gets a bit mad and I just worry he may do himself some damage, he’s ancient. He calms down quickly and Is fine by dinner time.
My horse on the other hand! I was told when I bought him make sure to get him in if they are likely to be around, he is an escapee so I always do.
It takes days, longer to calm down. In fact the first time they were really close was about 2 months ago, more maybe and he’s not finished a feed since that day!
His stable needs gutting after and the following day, he won’t touch hay. Spends the day spinning round the box and dashing from back window to the door. The next few days when turned out he races up and down standing listening and looking.
It’s extreme! (And annoying!)

Anyone else have the pleasure?… no I’m not taking him ???

 

[Bobthecob15]

My last livery yard used to have issues on hunt days so we basically had to keep them all stabled during hunt days...and shoot days which were basically most weekends over winter! It was really annoying, couldn't ride either as we never knew what time they would be coming through! We moved yards in the end

 

[poiuytrewq]

I’m lucky that they are great at letting me know. It’s not that often they are in my area. It’s just that this one in particular takes weeks to get back to normal!
Shooting is a fairly regular thing and I was bringing in for that, now unless they are actually in my field I leave them out.

 

[paddy555]

Anyone else have the pleasure?…

yes they've spent much of today going up our road and then down our road and then back up and down again. Not sure why if they are trail hunting this happens as I thought they followed a trail but I suppose there must be a reason for it

 

[Sossigpoker]

yes they've spent much of today going up our road and then down our road and then back up and down again. Not sure why if they are trail hunting this happens as I thought they followed a trail but I suppose there must be a reason for it

Clue : they're not trail hunting. Not even pretending to.

 

[poiuytrewq]

#not meaning to start the hunting debate. My local hunt as said are great at emailing to let me know. Just a how do your horses deal with it

 

[J&S]

My current pair don't care at all but the previous small pony I had as a companion would be worked up and worried for days.

 

[FinnishLapphund]

yes they've spent much of today going up our road and then down our road and then back up and down again. Not sure why if they are trail hunting this happens as I thought they followed a trail but I suppose there must be a reason for it

In my country we've never had that much hunting with dogs, and horses the same way as you do (as far as I know), but my ex neighbour was a hunter, and when training his hunting dogs, he didn't make trails always easy to just follow straight from A to B. The dogs should work, really use their nose, and if they lose the trail, they should search back and forth, until they found the trail again.

So I don't necessarily think it has to be sign of that they're not trail hunting. It could have to do with the person making the trail.


About your original question @poiuytrewq , have you considered one of those calming equine compression hoods which have become somewhat popular in e.g. show jumping? I bought a "thunder shirt", which is also about compression, for one of my dogs who's afraid of fireworks, and though I also needed to use Adaptil (calming dog pheromones), and plenty of distracting gnaw bones, adding the "thunder shirt" made a noticeable difference. Now her hearing is so bad, she's not as bothered by fireworks, but I'm playing it safe, and is still going to use both the "shirt", going out to my Summer cabin, Adaptil etc, also this New Years Eve.

Even if an equine compression hood turns out to not be a miracle cure for your horse, perhaps it could still help somewhat?

Besides hoods, I've also seen models covering more than just the head:

 

[Velcrobum]

The yard I had my beloved retired competition horse at always kept everything in when the hunt was nearby just in case to belay the majority of the happy hacker clients angst. In reality the only horse who paid any attention was the yard owners horse that went Drag hunting everything else mostly enjoyed their duvet days the few that did not happily spent time on the horse walker

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I keep mine in they are both on high alert but Arabi is worse he gets himself in a bit of a state, has been known to start shaking and sweat up and the anxiety can last days and for a long time afterwards he can get stressed when I bring him in, if I'm riding and he hears dogs barking it can set him off and it basically really unsettles him ?

 

[Flowerofthefen]

I keep mine in. One hunt let's me know the other will not, I've asked many times. Both are illegal hunting so they don't know if they will be on land close by or not, depends where thr fox goes. Before anyone defends them by saying they must be trail hunting, one hunt is a well known bad egg ( the one that won't get back to me). The other has a slightly better reputation but still hunts fox's. Ban it all properly I say.

 

[DabDab]

Have you tried ear plugs? As long as your horse can't see the hunt and is in then I would assume that ear plugs should help.

 

[Tiddlypom]

I've had horses which are not at all bothered by the hunt coming past, and others which get completely overwrought and upset by it. It's not necessarily the ones which have hunted which get upset. I always keep in, though, it's just not worth the risk.

One of the RSPCA foster fillies was the worst for getting frantic ?, and she would go on guard to be prepared to defend 'her' property against any unwanted incursions.

Interestingly, since local pack changed from illegal fox hunting to trail a few seasons ago (though goodness knows what is happening with them this season ?), even the senior mare who used to get frantic is much calmer. There is much less shouting, revving of quad bikes and horses pounding up and down the lane at a fast butchers boy trot. It's all much calmer and less intrusive than it used to be. So she's still very interested, but not nearly as upset as she was in the past.

 

[dogatemysalad]

At a former yard, the hunt would let us know and the horses stayed in. In practice, it was only a couple of times a year. It was also useful to know whereabouts they were if you were hacking. Sabs don't care whether you're hacking or hunting. Riding a horse means you're a toff.

 

[TGM]

Riding a horse means you're a toff.

Sadly, in a lot of cases you are right. I help with the social media for our local bloodhound pack (who have hunted humans since 1976 and have all their meet dates publicly listed online, so nothing to hide) and have found a lot of online antis don't care whether you are hunting live animals or not, they just just want to vent their rage at people they perceive to be 'tories', 'the rich', 'toffs', etc.

 

[poiuytrewq]

In my country we've never had that much hunting with dogs, and horses the same way as you do (as far as I know), but my ex neighbour was a hunter, and when training his hunting dogs, he didn't make trails always easy to just follow straight from A to B. The dogs should work, really use their nose, and if they lose the trail, they should search back and forth, until they found the trail again.

So I don't necessarily think it has to be sign of that they're not trail hunting. It could have to do with the person making the trail.


About your original question @poiuytrewq , have you considered one of those calming equine compression hoods which have become somewhat popular in e.g. show jumping? I bought a "thunder shirt", which is also about compression, for one of my dogs who's afraid of fireworks, and though I also needed to use Adaptil (calming dog pheromones), and plenty of distracting gnaw bones, adding the "thunder shirt" made a noticeable difference. Now her hearing is so bad, she's not as bothered by fireworks, but I'm playing it safe, and is still going to use both the "shirt", going out to my Summer cabin, Adaptil etc, also this New Years Eve.

Even if an equine compression hood turns out to not be a miracle cure for your horse, perhaps it could still help somewhat?

Besides hoods, I've also seen models covering more than just the head:

That is actually a good idea to try. I’d not thought of it no.
He’s funny about anything on his head, won’t wear fly masks in summer but I think perhaps as they don’t cover his eyes it might be worth a try.

 

[poiuytrewq]

I keep mine in they are both on high alert but Arabi is worse he gets himself in a bit of a state, has been known to start shaking and sweat up and the anxiety can last days and for a long time afterwards he can get stressed when I bring him in, if I'm riding and he hears dogs barking it can set him off and it basically really unsettles him ?

Same, this one doesn’t like hearing a few dogs bark. Also gets very antsy at the sound of quad bikes.

 

[poiuytrewq]

Have you tried ear plugs? As long as your horse can't see the hunt and is in then I would assume that ear plugs should help.

No again never thought of it but it’s a great idea and one I’ll definitely try. It’s not often they are actually visible so that may well help. Thanks

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Same, this one doesn’t like hearing a few dogs bark. Also gets very antsy at the sound of quad bikes.

We get loads of dog walkers in the woods opposite and they often have multiple noisy dogs which he doesn't like I'm sure because it's like the hunt.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Have you tried ear plugs? As long as your horse can't see the hunt and is in then I would assume that ear plugs should help.

I didn't actually think of ear plugs might have to get some or maybe try the acoustic ear bonnet I do have one it's a bit on the small side but worth a try.

 

[poiuytrewq]

We get loads of dog walkers in the woods opposite and they often have multiple noisy dogs which he doesn't like I'm sure because it's like the hunt.

Yes quite probably. I don’t meet a lot of dog walkers but there is a multiple dog family in the village whose gang are very barky both at home and if they see another dog. He’s certainly worried by that.
Not bothered in the slightest by ours!

 

[ycbm]

It was also useful to know whereabouts they were if you were hacking. Sabs don't care whether you're hacking or hunting. Riding a horse means you're a toff

I don't think the risk of interaction with sabs is the reason most people would choose not to hack on a day any kind of hunt is out. Personally, I wouldn't dream of hacking out near any unpredictable group of riders, it's asking for an accident.

To answer the title question, the full liveries at the yard I am on are kept in and that's also the decision I would make if the choice was mine.
.

 

[Sandstone1]

Sabs are also not stupid enough to think someone hacking is out hunting. I would be far more concerned about meeting the hunt out hacking than sabs!

 

[malwhit]

I don't know much/anything about modern trailing, but isn't the trail laid out for the hounds to follow? I would have thought the trails would be set to avoid roads and private property.
With roads as busy as they are, surely a pack of hounds and horses on a road is a disaster waiting to happen.
I used to be a fan of hunting when it was legal, but the law has now changed and hunts need to stay within the law. If they dont, the idiots in power will ban trail hunting, even that with bloodhounds.

 

[Sandstone1]

I don't know much/anything about modern trailing, but isn't the trail laid out for the hounds to follow? I would have thought the trails would be set to avoid roads and private property.
With roads as busy as they are, surely a pack of hounds and horses on a road is a disaster waiting to happen.
I used to be a fan of hunting when it was legal, but the law has now changed and hunts need to stay within the law. If they dont, the idiots in power will ban trail hunting, even that with bloodhounds.

Well you would think so would you not? However, at least near me the hunt just hunts as it would have pre ban.

 

[ycbm]

I don't know much/anything about modern trailing, but isn't the trail laid out for the hounds to follow? I would have thought the trails would be set to avoid roads and private property.
With roads as busy as they are, surely a pack of hounds and horses on a road is a disaster waiting to happen.
I used to be a fan of hunting when it was legal, but the law has now changed and hunts need to stay within the law. If they dont, the idiots in power will ban trail hunting, even that with bloodhounds.

There are two long threads on this on the Hunting section if anyone wants to follow the lengthy arguments on both sides of the hunting debate. It has been done to death!
.

 

[Sossigpoker]

I don't know much/anything about modern trailing, but isn't the trail laid out for the hounds to follow? I would have thought the trails would be set to avoid roads and private property.
With roads as busy as they are, surely a pack of hounds and horses on a road is a disaster waiting to happen.
I used to be a fan of hunting when it was legal, but the law has now changed and hunts need to stay within the law. If they dont, the idiots in power will ban trail hunting, even that with bloodhounds.

Again , they don't lay a trail. If they did ,.they could inform the police and apply for a road closure permission, if need be. The reason why none of this happens is that they make zero effort to follow the law

 

[PeterNatt]

I would suggest that if you have any concerns about your horses or other animals welfare then get in contact with the secretary of the hunt and ask them to either let you have a copy of their hunt card or give you one weeks notice if they are going to be in your area. Some hunts do not like giving out a hunt card to avoid informing the anti-hunt people of where they will be trail hunting.

 

[poiuytrewq]

Again this isn’t supposed to be a debate on the ins and outs of hunting or legalities.

Just a musing on how differently that different horses cope and any tips on making it easier

 

[NinjaPony]

I really do not miss the days of my winter turnout and riding scheduled being dictate by the local hunt.

My old yard used to keep all the horses in with the radio on. Mine were never fussed (neither had been hunting before). If you know when they are turning up, could you give a very mild sedative to yours as it sounds like he gets very distressed? Eg a dose of sedalin, or even something herbal like valerian?