If guests turned up at a meet in casual gear...

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

A few years ago at the opening meet of my local hunt a couple of people turned up on really mucky cobs - obviously just hauled them out the field and chucked a saddle on top, and off they went to the meet! They weren't just muddy, they were covered in it!!!

It raised a few eyebrows - in the long lost days years ago when I was in Pony Club we'd not only have been sent home but also given a mega-bollicking by the DC for letting down the Pony Club branch to boot!

Whilst I appreciate the problems of keeping a hairy cob at grass, I was surprised to see it happen TBH. But in these days when hunts are struggling to get numbers, then hey, mebbe we all need to be a bit broader-minded and not be putting people off???

 

[Kat]

Thanks Kat, it's nice to know we have a good reputation. I hope you get to come out with us again soon. Ground is so deep and wet we have had to cancel some meets and re-arrange venues for others. Hope you get your horse sound soon.

Paddy

Thanks, she's sound for schooling and hacking now, but not yet up to hunting and she's lost fitness so I think it will be hound exercise next autumn before I get out again.

 

[arizonahoney]

the problems of keeping a hairy cob at grass

It's tough...of course we'd love to show up looking as shiny and smart as everyone else, with their clipped, stable-kept horses. But we do our best to scrub up and are always plaited and with clean, well-oiled tack

While looking through my local pack's photos from a couple of weekends ago at a meet I didn't get to...I was surprised to see someone in the field with a well turned-out horse but wearing a green t-shirt and jeans and trainers Was wondering if he was out hacking and met the hunt or something.

 

[Luci07]

It's tough...of course we'd love to show up looking as shiny and smart as everyone else, with their clipped, stable-kept horses. But we do our best to scrub up and are always plaited and with clean, well-oiled tack

While looking through my local pack's photos from a couple of weekends ago at a meet I didn't get to...I was surprised to see someone in the field with a well turned-out horse but wearing a green t-shirt and jeans and trainers Was wondering if he was out hacking and met the hunt or something.

!! No excuses AH! a previous staff member evented her mare from the field and while not a cob, said pony was a coloured, veering on white mare. I am sure you look very smart when you are out, if I remember the photos you have posted previously.

 

[flump]

Is a White saddlecloth on the hunting field a big no no? I always wonder!

And also dare I say If my gelding happens to have a pink sparkly browband would I need to change it?

 

[Serenity087]

I spent a lot of time with my hunt before daring to ride out and after I mentioned wanting to ride, I was deluged with kit to borrow.

It really isn't hard to make an effort. Just be polite and talk to people!

That said, I am all for hunts letting smart but not proper go out, it's only going to help with the image and I imagine not every hunt has a neverending supply of spare kit!

 

[Hunters]

Hunts should try and dress correctly as apart from anything else they are borrowing land from a land owner & it would appear very disrespectful to just rock up in any old gear.

That said, newcomers are to be excused. No one starts with all the gear.

 

[Kat]

Is a White saddlecloth on the hunting field a big no no? I always wonder!

And also dare I say If my gelding happens to have a pink sparkly browband would I need to change it?

I think you should use a numnah or half pad rather than a saddlecloth really as it is less obtrustive. You are aiming for smart and traditional/workmanlike so white would be better than coloured but really unless your horse is a light grey then brown (or black if your saddle is black) would be better. Or the cheapest option if your saddle fits well would be to take the saddle cloth off completely.

Likewise ideally ditch the sparkles in favour of a plain brownband, but for a first time if they are fairly subtle I doubt anyone would mind.

 

[Stark Dismay]

Some people are enthusiastic but clueless newcomers - a quiet polite word with them should point them in the right direction. But it is rare that a newcomer is turning up for the first time without ever having spoken to anyone else who hunts or having ever seen a copy of Horse and Hound.

I've taken both an adult and a child out for their first days out this season. The adult was correctly dressed in my gear (on my own reasonably distinctive horse, so I had a vested interest in making sure she was well turned out!) The child is not fully correct in her clothing, but is fairly close (she wears a navy polyester jacket - a no-no on an adult but she will be grown out of it before long and her parents are on a tight budget.) She is only 8 and everything is spick and span - her boots are well polished and the pony (a light grey very hairy field kept thing) is always immaculate. They both asked for, and took, advice.

Newcomers should always be made welcome, and it's partly the responsibility of the more experienced to help point them in the right direction!

 

[Littlelegs]

About 10/11 yrs ago I went to a meet in very inappropriate attire. One of my bosses clients used to hack to any local meets, we would have the horse ready to leave when she arrived. She had some issue at home this particular day, & rang to ask me to hack horse to the meet & take her car back to the yard. I was in dark jods & a toggi puffa jacket, boots non too clean & the smell only achieved by mucking out & doing haylage for a dozen horses on straw. We did swop near the lorries, but certainly on my approach I got quite a few funny looks, & a very nice lady tried to offer some turnout advice for next time until I explained. Possibly looked stranger because horse was correctly & beautifully turned out.
I've taken my daughter out on lr without strictly correct attire, but nothing too awful. Just stuff like once with black jod boots & brown gloves, or navy show jacket & black velvet hat cover on a jockey skull. But both her & pony immaculate, & I've always checked with secretary out of courtesy beforehand. But she wasn't hunting regularly enough to justify the expense, & grew too quick to guarantee what she does have will always fit when you need it too.

 

[Alec Swan]

.......& rang to ask me to hack horse to the meet & take her car back to the yard. I was in dark jods & a toggi puffa jacket, boots non too clean & the smell only achieved by mucking out & doing haylage for a dozen horses on straw. We did swop near the lorries, but certainly on my approach I got quite a few funny looks, & a very nice lady tried to offer some turnout advice for next time until I explained.

.......

The "Very nice lady" had no business to pull you up. Presumably you were acting as a groom, and the VNL should have directed her thoughts towards the owner of the horse, in-part your employer, but not you.

Alec.

 

[Littlelegs]

Tbf Alec she did apologise as soon as she realised I was just there in grooms capacity. I actually bumped into her at a turning 10 mins from the meet, so we had been riding alongside chatting, rather than her randomly approaching at the meet. And in the course of our conversation she had asked me if I'd been out with that hunt before (answer at the time would have been no) & if I'd hunted before (yes). But at the time my thoughts were more wrapped up in how much more pleasant it was to go to a meet than work, & the prospect of driving a merc back to the yard than polite chat, so its fair to say the lady could easily have assumed I intended to hunt in that get up as I had not bothered to say otherwise. And she was polite, iirc she made a suggestion along the line that if I enjoyed the day, & had some light coloured jods or breeches it might be better to wear those next time. Sorry, didn't explain it well first time.

 

[Nancykitt]

Personally I'm not too bothered about newcomers' turnout - in my (admittedly limited) experience, if they become regulars they will adopt the dress code.
What interested me about this situation was that some riders were commenting about other hunts they'd been out with and how casual dress would not be tolerated, and it made me think about how different packs might vary in their approach.
Some of the people at a hunt I'd previously ridden with were very, very fussy about other riders' turnout to the point of coming across as really hostile. In my view, this is not the sort of image we should be putting across and I think that encouraging newcomers is very important.

 

[pansy]

I think it's a matter of respect - my daugther has only been out a few times - but I have always spoken to secretary before the meet & they were both turned out correctly
Sadly respect doesnt seem to matter that much anymore (beginning to sound old now)

 

[noobs31]

And there are those who claim that hunting is an elitist sport, and that it doesn't understand the meaning of "Catholic". I wonder why.

Alec.

Why say this, when the vast majority of responses (which I'm pretty sure would apply to my pack - the secretary would take cap and explain about next time, whilst making it clear she hoped they would return) are that the riders would not be turned away?

 

[noobs31]

Is a White saddlecloth on the hunting field a big no no? I always wonder!

And also dare I say If my gelding happens to have a pink sparkly browband would I need to change it?

I think you are having a bit of fun with the thread/posters?

If not, then yes. Both are incorrect. It's not hard to do your research beforehand, particularly with the internet available to you as a resource.

 

[noobs31]

The "Very nice lady" had no business to pull you up.

She was not "pulling her up". She was offering helpful advice. Which is why she was described as a "very nice lady".

Do you have something against foxhunters?

 

[nikCscott]

I would like to think that the 1st few time as long as they could have been seen to make some effort- everything clean, hair net, dark clothing they would be allowed- to encourage more to the sport.

As far a following- I don't tend to follow as such but I will see them off if i'm not hunting myself and I'm usually in skinnies, ariats, and warm coat- but I have also been scruffy and I have also been wearing heels and dolled up ready for a posh day out with the girls!

 

[Hunters]

Hunting has to move with the times, whilst maintaining tradition. Most new people want to 'fit in' & a friendly but helpful approach by the entire field should be encouraged.

The days of sending people home as they are not correctly turned out are gone thank goodness.

Hunting needs all the friends it can get

 

[VoR]

As joint secretary of a small hunt down yer in Zummerzet, we always tell new people that being warm and dry is more important than having the 'correct' dress, at least until they decide that hunting is 'for them', although we do ask that horses/ponies (and tack) are clean and where possible plaited, mainly out of respect for those holding the meets.
That said, we wouldn't turn someone away for not plaiting, etc and we have Point-to-Point qualifiers who turn up in 'normal' riding gear no problems.........but as I say, we are small and have to be understanding about this sort of thing or go 'out of business'

 

[Alec Swan]

VoR,

such common sense.

Alec.

 

[Hunters]

Alec (if I may)

This posting is all about common sense, hunting needs support. Sadly, hunting is still seen as an elitist sport (shame) & sometimes hunting attracts arrogant types.

On occasion (as I have witnessed) these 'types' manoeuvre themselves into positions of authority and thus affect the hunting field, usually with a drop in numbers and sometimes a 'clique' forming.

Fortunately, this is not the case of most hunts, but it does still go on.

If all hunts were welcoming, life would be great, but life, of course, is not always like that.

 

[VoR]

‘…hunting is still seen as an elitist sport…’ – I think this is something that comes from the media and how it is portrayed rather than any form of reality. If you look at said media, hunting to them will usually focus on the larger, more costly hunts, which of course will be different to ‘grassroots’ packs.

‘…. hunting attracts arrogant types.’ – could the same not be said for any sport or pastime, it’s not the preserve of hunting and, in fact, in my past life, I have witnessed and been subjected to far more arrogant people than I’ve EVER met in the hunting field, really, try mixing with footballers and those associated with the game in many roles!! I have hunted with a number of packs, large and small, over the last few years and have to say that I’ve never felt unwelcome, in fact, the opposite is true, I’ve always been most welcome regardless of the ‘walk of life’ or upbringing of the people I’ve met.

‘…these 'types' manoeuvre themselves into positions of authority …’ – we have the power of the vote at AGM’s, use it to prevent such people from seizing or remaining in those positions of influence! That does mean that someone will have a role ‘thrust upon them’ or be cajoled into a role without fully understanding the enormity of it……………………..does that sound like me talking from experience???

‘..and thus affect the hunting field, usually with a drop in numbers and sometimes a 'clique' forming...’- again cliques can form in any area of life, usually I feel, it is when you get a group of people who see the organisation/club, in this case the hunt, as theirs, losing sight of the fact that the hunt is bigger than any individual part and hopefully will be around when we are all gone! How do you remove the clique which can make life uncomfortable not just for new people, but also those who’ve been around a while but are outside the ‘(anti)social group’? Those who are not in the clique (usually more than are within) have to come together and form a welcoming environment for themselves and new followers, as the field grows the influence of the ‘clique’ dissipates and may fall away completely……the trick is to ensure that the clique themselves are then made part of the ‘new world’.

 

[Hunters]

You obviously haven't hunted with some of the packs I've hunted with lol!!

One pack I used to hunt with just sent an email out introducing the new senior master. That senior master had been AWOL for a few years & the committee were too afraid to speak up. That newly appointed senior master thus appointed a new master & hunt staff without telling the existing masters...,

All rosy where you hunt, not in the hunt where I used to live. The hunt that cannot be mentioned

 

[VoR]

Y
All rosy where you hunt,

Hmmm, 'rosy' might be a going a bit too far, nothing's ever perfect is it!!??

 

[Hunters]

Nope. Definitely not rosy in the hunt that cannot be mentioned

 

[wench]

And whats wrong with a polyester jacket?

As long it is smart and the wearer isnt going to freeze, I cant see the problem. After all not everybody has the £££ to spend £400 on a proper wool hunting jacket. I know I havent.

 

[sharky]

Maybe i'm in the minority but when i started hunting this year i spent a long time making sure I dressed appropriately for both cubbing and hunting.

I wouldn't dream of turning up to such a noble and traditional pastime as hunting without showing the respect and dressing accordingly.

Again. maybe its because i'm a new hunting that it feels very special to dress up and turn out my horse fantastically (alright the grooms did do the plaiting - fat man fingers do not make good plaits).

Agree that it did cost a bit to get the right gear but i got some great bargains on ebay and through the hunt itself.

However, the few times followers turned up in not so traditional turnout the hunt were fine and there were no snide comments or peering down the nose looks at the them.

Frankly after about an hour we all look pretty much the same covered in mud anyway

 

[natalia]

Arizonahoney- think your talking about one of our lot! He was trial laying for the day, didn't know he was doing it till the morning and so wasn't dressed in hunt gear to ride but was dressed to run! Just had a spare horse so he hopped on. I would like to think that everyone would be welcomed but told on the correct turnout.

 

[arizonahoney]

Arizonahoney- think your talking about one of our lot! He was trial laying for the day, didn't know he was doing it till the morning and so wasn't dressed in hunt gear to ride but was dressed to run! Just had a spare horse so he hopped on. I would like to think that everyone would be welcomed but told on the correct turnout.

Gotcha...thanks for the explanation...