Hunting with a "jumping pack" when you're a bit of a scaredy cat

[tootsietoo]

While I'm on a thread starting roll.....

Can anyone talk to me about their experiences keeping up with a big jumping pack when you're not much of a thrill seeker?

I moved to a new area a while back, and have just started hunting again. Problem is, round here it's ALL about the hedges, and whilst I can jump most things, it means that hunting days seem to be filling me with fear rather than anticipation like they used to.

Where I used to hunt you didn't really need to jump. There was no pressure and the hills meant that you could usually keep in touch with what was happening even if you weren't right up with the FM. Whereas here, you have to be up there with the best of them to have a sniff of a hound.

I imagine the answer is just to keep going for several seasons until I know the country, and then I can pick and choose where I go and what I jump a bit more. But I would be interested to know what other people do. Do you just keep up as best you can, or did you end up car following or giving up altogether?

 

[Doormouse]

I hunt with a 'jumping pack' atm but have noticed that pretty much every field has a gate and usually someone going for it! Often with the hedge hopping lot they are not actually going the most direct route anyway and by learning who to follow you will find that the non jumpers get to the right place quicker than the rest of the field anyway.

 

[tootsietoo]

Yes I guess that's the obvious answer. I think I'm putting too much pressure on myself as quite a few of my friends seem to be mad hedge hopping types plus I have a horse which I have been told "can operate" (bought him locally so he is known) so I feel I need to live up to him. I need to seek out the sensible people!

 

[peanut]

I've only been out with the hunt a few times and there was only one occasion when there was a compulsory ditch.

I'm rubbish/terrified at jumping but my mare loves it so when I landed on her neck she was soooo determined to keep up with everyone, that she managed to somehow to push me back into the saddle! There was no way she was going to let me ruin her day

 

[houndsplease]

every field has a gate

 

[Starbucks]

Hunt I go with has big jumping country - love it!!

If I wasn't bothered about jumping I probably travel to a different hunt that didn't jump so much/as big.

Alternatively - surely not every single day is a huge hedge day? Could you maybe pick your days?

 

[tootsietoo]

I did jump a couple of biggish hedges last season and it was magic! But had a bad fall this season and it has put the wind up me a bit, particularly because I had to go and pick the children up from pre-school with blood dripping down my face..... . Getting crocked is not really an option.

The answers you have given are obvious to me really - travel elsewhere or accept that gates it is, and will spend my day jumping on and off and risk getting left behind when they really go. I spose I just want to chat about it a bit because I am worrying!

ETA or yes Starbucks, pick my days. Although I'm a bit limited as to which days I can go out at the moment, but that will change in the future so again, it's about getting to know the country, isn't it, then picking the days.

 

[larkwood]

If your horse is capable, and you want to continue with the hunt then why not get some lessons with a trainer who hunts, there are several who do this, Harry Meade for example, not knowing where you are makes it difficult to recommend someone.

There is a trainer who comes out with us occasionally, who rides the customers horse for half the meet, then his own mount while the trainee is on their own horse for the second half seems to work really well at getting the confidence back. Good luck anyway

 

[virtual]

Like you I've moved house and area and gone from an easy going hunt where I know the country well, to a hunt with big jumping saturdays - and I can usually only do Saturdays. My horse last season wasn't scopey at all and although we jumped when we had to he couldn't manage the big hedges and locked gates etc.

I befrended the non jumpers and could spot someone with a pony on the lead rein a mile off. I did get left behind on my own doing gates sometimes, but generally it worked well. My biggest fear was jumping a smallish jump and then fiding I was on a run of jumps that got bigger and bigger and getting completely lost, but there was always a way round if I needed it.

Try not to stress too much about the jumping. You're meant to be having fun. If you want to jump it, jump it. If you don't, don't. There's always a way round, and if it means you've got to spend time catching up then so be it.

 

[tootsietoo]

Thanks Virtual, you understand! That is what got me jumping a bit last season - popping a little rail and then discovering a hedge in front of me with no time to change my mind!

That is a good idea Larkwood. There is a lady locally who I am planning to go to. Would be good to get her on my horse so she can give me an idea of what she thinks he is and isn't capable of.

 

[Ella19]

ask your hunt to introduce you to the non jumpers, every hunt has them! I used to hunt an exmoor and no way we were doing the hedges, there would be a rather large exmoor shaped hole if we had tried! I was introduced to at least 3 other non jumpers every meet and we found our way around the jumps together.

 

[tootsietoo]

Yes. Problem is, I'm not quite a non-jumper, I'm sort of inbetween in that we CAN probably do it, it just scares the hell out of me! I'd be better probably just deciding not to and joining the non-jumpers for a bit, then I will relax.

 

[turkana]

Most hunts have a website so it might be worth having a look around as some hunts also have 2 field masters, one for jumpers & one for non jumpers.
I go with the non jumping field master but that doesn't mean I don't jump at all, it just means there's no pressure, I still get to pop over some of the more inviting looking jumps.
If there isn't a non jumping field master ask if you can be introduced to the non jumpers most hunts have a few, that way you could still have a go at anything that takes your fancy but still miss out the big scarey stuff.
I used to be one of the ones at the front jumping everything, the bigger the better but those days are long gone, I now just like being out on my horse in the countryside, often on private property that I wouldn't usually have access to, with the added bonus of nice friendly people to have a chat with.

 

[larkwood]

Shouldn't do that, you'll never get your nerve back that way!

You just need to be sensible and build day by day, always finishing on a positive.

The non jumping field is where you start, not where you finish. get locals to let you know where the good lines are and avoid the frighteners for now!