Hunting and its effects on bringing on horses

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I was just wondering what your experiences have been with hunting and the way it helps/hinders your horse in other disciplines??

My horse does lots of hunting, and hasn't really had much in the way of schooling etc. but i find it quite amazing how much better he was generally after his first season and then better again after his 2nd.

Obviously it will improve jumping, especially has we hunt in quite big/tricky country - makes little SJ and XC seem easier anyhoo! But even his flat work has really improved. Maybe to do with him being more developed/older but the hunting does seem to have helped him to be much more balanced.

Anyway - I'll stop rambling - what do you guys think?
 
I think it can bring out boldness in a horse, encouraging them to move freely and gallop, as well as jumping.
I do think it makes them more excitable and perhaps even stronger when in similar circumstances - but every horse is different
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I think it probably does help them BUT it turned my friends very quiet horse into a bit of a nutter, bless her did not see much of life before she went hunting and now all she wants to do is go fast.

Had a similar effect on my own horse too although he has seen much more having done shows and XC etc it has done his confidenc the world of good, even tho our hunt did not jump much at all

not something I would recommend someone to do if all they wanted was to hack around country lanes tho
 
Yea possibly, Badger is a bit of a nutter if I try and show jump him in the winter but i think that is more due to the amount he is fed and because he is very fit at the time. Thankfully he has gone back into chilled summer mode now!
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not something I would recommend someone to do if all they wanted was to hack around country lanes tho

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No, certainly not!!! I feel a bit sorry for people out on a nice quite hack and then get the whole hunt come galloping past!!
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I had a little horse who i got to event and decided to take him because I'd been visiting on my hunter the day before - it totally blew his brains and I have never been so scared in my life!! needless to say I didn't take him again, although he went back to being non psycho when he got home.
 
i agree with the watcher - when a young horse is hunted regulary during a season it really can improve their maturity, balance, boldness etc - equally its very useful in sweetening them up if they have perhaps gone off the boil! However there are some horses out there to who just are not meant to hunt turning into total lunatics!!!!
 
my pony is all the better for hunting, before he wasnt too balanced and wasnt very bold. now he is much steadier and nimble on his feet and actually knows how to gallop now!! HOWEVER- it has made him realise that he CAN go faster in open spaces so if you ease up the contact, he's gone!! i think for my pony, if its done a couple of times a year-it allows him to let some steam out. if he did it all the time he'd get bored!
 
Hunting really helped my girlie when she was young, as even though she was horrible to ride [at the hunt] it made her bolder and more sensible everywhere else.

She was frightened of people you see, especially on a XC - couldn't see the point of them....or go near fence judges etc. Think Hunting showed her that where ever you go there are people!

No she's 14yrs old she's an excellent hunter.
 
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