Is there a market for people wanting their horses hunted?

[spotty_pony]

Question in title.

I am currently very lucky to be able to be hunting once or twice per week on a lovely stocky pony who is a little quirky for his current jockey. Cap is paid and they pay me to ride him - they found me through a word of mouth recommendation.

I had forgotten how much I have missed my hunting since my boy stopped regular hunting and I am really happy to have it back part of my life again and desperate not to lose it again! Is there such a thing as people wanting people to take their horses hunting for them either to gain experience or to school them? I will ride most horses within reason - sharp is fine, as long as not dangerous.

Just a bit of a musing really, feel free to ignore. I am loving it though and my inner childhood has been realised again galloping across open fields on a 13.2hh!

 

[Nudibranch]

I would if you were local!
I've a 6yo who is still green due to not getting out to many shows etc with Covid, and my lack of time (part time job, small child, moving house...). She's a bit backward at the moment so I'd happily pay someone to take her out a few times. Not sure how it works insurance wise though.

 

[I'm Dun]

Yup, but it would be someone I'd used for flat work schooling etc and had a relationship with. I'd want to be utterly certain I could trust them before I sent them off on my horse.

 

[windand rain]

Only if you can ride a 12hh welsh a. She could do with being a touch more forward thinking

 

[MuffettMischief]

Look in your area for local dealers. Often they’ll want young horses taking out hunting to add to their CV’s

 

[spotty_pony]

Yup, but it would be someone I'd used for flat work schooling etc and had a relationship with. I'd want to be utterly certain I could trust them before I sent them off on my horse.

I would be more than happy to do that first. The pony I am hunting currently, the owner is also out on her horse so I didn’t do that first this time.

 

[spotty_pony]

Only if you can ride a 12hh welsh a. She could do with being a touch more forward thinking

Unfortunately a little too small for me. ?

 

[spotty_pony]

I would if you were local!
I've a 6yo who is still green due to not getting out to many shows etc with Covid, and my lack of time (part time job, small child, moving house...). She's a bit backward at the moment so I'd happily pay someone to take her out a few times. Not sure how it works insurance wise though.

I’m in Lincolnshire ?

 

[poiuytrewq]

Look in your area for local dealers. Often they’ll want young horses taking out hunting to add to their CV’s

Yes, there is a dealer near me who always has horses needing hunting. I imagine he has to assess riding first but lots of my daughters friends used to take horses for him.

 

[hollyandivy123]

Yes, there is a dealer near me who always has horses needing hunting. I imagine he has to assess riding first but lots of my daughters friends used to take horses for him.

i use to do this but for "pony clubbing"...........local dealer new i didn't have a horse/pony we would pick up on the way to the rally something and find out what it did there, meant he could say its "pony clubbed"...........one had a very good reverse gear!

 

[Jellymoon]

I actually think you might get quite a good response if you advertised yourself for this job. Did you read the article about selling hunters in H&H last week? Dealers complaining that people want made hunters, not being willing to put in the work with a green horse, and the lack of said made hunters. I don’t think it’s that people are not willing to put in the work, it’s that introducing a young horse to hunting is quite a terrifying prospect! Esp these days as these days trail hunting/hound ex can be quite fast.

But introducing a young horse to hunting is not just about being brave enough to cope with the high jinks, it’s about teaching them manners too. So if I were to use this service, I’d want to know that you have successfully introduced horses to hunting many times before, and that you know the country so can therefore peel off home when the horse has had enough, and you know which jumps to avoid so you can give my precious youngster a really good experience.

 

[poiuytrewq]

I did also pay someone myself to take one of my daughters hunting for the first time, forgot that.

 

[Kat]

I think you might have to be prepared to ride horses that are more than just a bit sharp, and you might have to be willing to and have the contacts/knowledge to enable you to give horses some very boring quiet days in order to make them.

People aren't going to send someone off on their horse for a jolly. They are going to want someone to do something they don't have the knowledge skills or time for.

Best case scenario lots of quiet midweek days to settle a fairly nice youngster, but could equally involve riding something that bucks, rears, won't stop, won't stand, won't walk etc

You also really need to appreciate how risky hunting is and be well covered for insurance that includes riding for hire and reward, probably personal accident cover in case you have a fall. You will need some decent T&Cs in place too that cover what happens if the horse is injured.

 

[Jellymoon]

I think you might have to be prepared to ride horses that are more than just a bit sharp, and you might have to be willing to and have the contacts/knowledge to enable you to give horses some very boring quiet days in order to make them.

People aren't going to send someone off on their horse for a jolly. They are going to want someone to do something they don't have the knowledge skills or time for.

Best case scenario lots of quiet midweek days to settle a fairly nice youngster, but could equally involve riding something that bucks, rears, won't stop, won't stand, won't walk etc

You also really need to appreciate how risky hunting is and be well covered for insurance that includes riding for hire and reward, probably personal accident cover in case you have a fall. You will need some decent T&Cs in place too that cover what happens if the horse is injured.

This is exactly what I was trying to say, but you said it much better!!

 

[spotty_pony]

I actually think you might get quite a good response if you advertised yourself for this job. Did you read the article about selling hunters in H&H last week? Dealers complaining that people want made hunters, not being willing to put in the work with a green horse, and the lack of said made hunters. I don’t think it’s that people are not willing to put in the work, it’s that introducing a young horse to hunting is quite a terrifying prospect! Esp these days as these days trail hunting/hound ex can be quite fast.

But introducing a young horse to hunting is not just about being brave enough to cope with the high jinks, it’s about teaching them manners too. So if I were to use this service, I’d want to know that you have successfully introduced horses to hunting many times before, and that you know the country so can therefore peel off home when the horse has had enough, and you know which jumps to avoid so you can give my precious youngster a really good experience.

Yes I have done loads of hunting over the years, and it depends which Hunt as to how well I know the country. If I was going with a pack I didn’t know I would want to be with someone so I didn’t get lost.

 

[spotty_pony]

I think you might have to be prepared to ride horses that are more than just a bit sharp, and you might have to be willing to and have the contacts/knowledge to enable you to give horses some very boring quiet days in order to make them.

People aren't going to send someone off on their horse for a jolly. They are going to want someone to do something they don't have the knowledge skills or time for.

Best case scenario lots of quiet midweek days to settle a fairly nice youngster, but could equally involve riding something that bucks, rears, won't stop, won't stand, won't walk etc

You also really need to appreciate how risky hunting is and be well covered for insurance that includes riding for hire and reward, probably personal accident cover in case you have a fall. You will need some decent T&Cs in place too that cover what happens if the horse is injured.

I’m not overly fussed as long as the horse has self preservation. I didn’t stand still once yesterday in three hours (quiet day out and he is a fidget and would go up if provoked) but I didn’t get cross once and just kept him settled - we will get there.

 

[Rowreach]

Yes I used to do this a lot. We had a hunter livery yard so were out 3 or 4 days a week anyway, and would happily take horses out for education or as something to be added to their CVs. It was also a good way of advertising a hunter for sale by getting a pro to take it out.

In Ireland there's a massive demand for jockeys with stickability to hunt youngsters. You do have to be a bit careful though, as a friend of mine found when a horse was pulled off a trailer for him, he was legged up, and promptly dumped back on the ground. It was a Saturday, turned out the horse was first sat on two days earlier. Needless to say, he got back on as everyone was moving off, stuck with me for a couple of hours at the back in case it happened again, and the dealer was happy that he had a "hunter" to sell to someone

 

[spotty_pony]

Yes I would want to know who know of the person I was riding for - it works both ways IMO. People want to know about the rider who will be riding their horse but equally the rider wants to know about the owner who is asking them to ride their horse.