hunting - can EVERY horse really hunt??

[TwoPair]

Here are photos of me hunting the irish cob many moons ago...

and

The picture above was a horrid fence - lovely small step up off the road onto the bank, but it was a bounce down that drop over a ditch which was as deep as the drop!

By the same token, these two have both hunted Cottesmore Tuesday country - the chestnut is 14.1 and the bay mare was 13.2 ish. She hunted with both the Cottesmore and the Fitzwilliam. The bay mare hunted from Joss Hanbury's and did all his hunt jumps. I never jumped a hedge on her though. The chestnut has also hunted South Notts and Beaufort country, and Fernie with the Cambs Uni Drag...

 

[Bernster]

Yikes - that's a serious fence !! They say you never fall off a horse backwards but that may be the fence to do it

 

[Devonshire dumpling]

Fabulous photos to you both!

Whats the old saying?? Something like...

"All hunters are horses, but not all horses are hunters"! Tis very true!

 

[xTrooperx]

i swear those little horses have springs instead of hoofs.

 

[TwoPair]

Irish hunting was fantastic, really loved it.

I've just found this as well - it's sort of the ginger pony hunting, but only half of him... Can you guess when it was taken?!

ETA I apologise for the horrendous clip lines - my mother did it whilst chugging port with a friend

 

[xTrooperx]

i cant even clip a straight line. . though looks cool and def puts the point across.

 

[dunkley]

I love the pictures of the Clydie! Huge smile on the faces of both horse and rider As for the Irish ditch - positively cavernous, you were utterly mad! And, dare I say it......you looked ever so young!

 

[MontyandZoom]

Zoomy is not the type for hunting at all. She is a 14.3 ex-polo pony with one eye!

I have never hunted but decided to try it on her. She was AWESOME!!! She is such a fine delicate little thing but is tough as old boots! I'm sure we look ridiculous as she is so little and I am nearly 6ft but she absolutely loves hunting.

The only thing I would say is that she only started jumping at 11yo and with her one eye her limit is about 1m so that would stop us from hunting with certain packs. Here is us at a hunter trial (rubbish photo but shows the missing eye and I look massive!!)

I think SO much is to do with temperament. She is fizzy as hell at home/hacking but she really focuses when we're out hunting.

 

[SWTeke]

We drag hunt Akhal-Tekes, and have had comments regarding how fragile they look. No pictures of us out, but here's some of them jumping to prove that those little spindles can definitely take the pressure! (PT, last picture, has like 1 cm of bone and lasts all day jumping everything with never *touch wood* an unsound day in his life ) We also hunted everyone barefoot, never had an issue.

As an aside, the hunt we go out with seems far less formal than the ones posted here; it's not uncommon to see western riders and barrel horses, and people dressed for a trail ride rather than the traditional dress you all hunt in.

 

[EstherYoung]

We used to go quite regularly with our arab and pony - H had quite a fan club

I haven't been for years, now, and H is 25 and a bit creaky so it wouldn't be fair (he still has delusions of indestructability so I have to set his boundaries). I will have to dust my brave-pants off and take my babypony at some point as it is good education for them. I am older and more breakable now though so who knows....

Re ex-racers - any PTPers should have been as part of their racing career, in particular. I know both ours did. There are still some trainers that do it by the book and actually get them out rather than just turning up to get their card signed.

 

[Equi]

I don't hunt (i'm just a wuss and my personal views cloud me) but i think a heavier breed is better to hunt purely for the fact that the jumps are heavy and hard and i just think a more finely built horse has more chance of injury? I know its mostly finer horses that event and xc but the jumps are more regulated and "made to be as safe as possible" where as a hunt is wild a free but like i said i dont hunt so that is just my "view"..

 

[nursecroft]

I have a purebred Clydesdale who I hunt. He certainly isn't your average hunter but he did a cracking job - once he'd worked out that he isn't supposed to race the master!
Pics available to prove it: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.236849269708985.57580.100001517401983&type=1&l=35484985fa

Brilliant!!

 

[Foxhunter49]

I have hunted TB's, Arabs and many others! I have also hunted a 13.2 pony for a bet and I am 5'9" Have never hunted any draught horse other than and Irish Draught and all have coped fine over all sorts of going.

I have always heard comments about people wishing to join the hunt but to then say..

- my horse is to finely built.
- my horse is a heavy weight.
- my horse is to small.

has anyone got any examples of a fine/heavy horse out and coped well?..

 

[Daatje]

A bit late to the party and brand new to this forum, but I was over on the COTH forums when someone mentioned this thread.

Wanted to pipe in as I hunt a full Friesian. Which is not common at all and quite a challenge given how tough they are to get fit. Once she's fit though, she hunts quite well and never was there a horse with a better mind!

Here she is, hunting at the All New England last month: (You'll need to enter your name and email to see them)

http://www.photostockplus.com/home....o&photo_id=54600709&album_id=940563&pcount=44

http://www.photostockplus.com/home....o&photo_id=54600798&album_id=940563&pcount=44

http://www.photostockplus.com/home....o&photo_id=54600352&album_id=940562&pcount=44

http://www.photostockplus.com/home....o&photo_id=54600497&album_id=940562&pcount=44

And her blog: www.foxhuntingfriesian.blogspot.com

Lovely to hear of all the different sizes and shapes of horses people take hunting!

 

[TwoPair]

She's fabulous!

 

[yeeharider]

retired my eventer 3 years ago and decided to take him hunting big mistake!!!! he lost all his manners wont wait for a fence,bouncing around had us both on the floor as he could not wait to go down a track and fell in the tractor rutts. for the record he is 21 going on 4!!!!

 

[kittykatcat]

No tried to take my ex hurdling 6 yo tb to a local 'quiet' meet yesterday - it was a disaster from start to finish, absolutely blew his brains, think I managed to annoy everyone and promptly fell off after the first jump.....I can safely say he is NOT one for hunting!!!! If I were braver, and took him again and again he might get better, but it was one of the most horrendous riding experiences of my life!!!

 

[VoR]

IMO any horse can theoretically hunt, but not every horse can hunt safely

The nail whacked firmly on the head I think!

 

[Cobwanted]

Looks great fun - fab photos!!