Letting someone else hunt your horse

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poiuytrewq

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Would you?
Interested as wondering if maybe im a bit odd here but have been asked so many times recently by several different people if id let them take one of my horses hunting. At first I thought it quite a bizarre huge ask but some have made it sound like its a favour "would you like me to hunt your horse?"
Then I noticed on Facebook several posts recently "does anyone have a horse I can hunt this weekend/boxing day/regularly"
Is this normal?

umm, no!
Apart from he's no where near fit and hasn't hunted in years due to injury he's also far to special to just hand over for someone to disappear off into the distance on.
 
I'd let someone else hunt my horse if it was something I particularly wanted them to do and wasn't in a position to do so myself. However if I wasn't bothered about it then no, too much injury risk.

I have 3 friends who I have hunted for on their horses
 
I did ask my instructor to take my old boy out first time as I didn't know how he would behave! BUT I wanted to take him afterwards! If I didn't want him hunting (fitness/ injury/ whatever the specifics) then yes to me it's a huge ask and quite rude.

Perhaps ask if you could take theirs on a sponsored ride or maybe if you could take their car on a track day!!!!
 
As someone else has said....I'd let an instructor or much more experienced friend take mine hunting if I didn't know how they would react. I don't fancy breaking my back for the second time ;) I wouldn't let just anyone though....I could name maybe 2 people I'd trust.
 
If someone who I knew was a decent rider asked me then I'd say yes. I can't really see a reason not too as long as they'd someone I trust.
 
Depends on the Hunt - but yes I have let others ride mine, and I have ridden others in the past (usually if they want someone a little more experienced to take them out first time, or have had a problem in the past) Well past doing the latter now.....but if someone wants to take my 5 year old for the first time on Boxing Day - I may let them, as long as they sign a discalimer first!!
 
I let my friend hunt my pony, as her little mare was not suitable at the time, and he is an utter star, and knows how to look after himself. I think her bf may have hunted him too! However, wouldn't let anyone near any of my other full stop, so it depends on the horse.
 
I can see the experienced rider and novice horse combo if the owner wasn't wanting to try it first yes, In my case though I think id expect to pay for that- unless I had a good experienced hunting friend which I don't really!
In my case my horse is the very experienced and very good hunter and I don't really know these people, they are in my horsey circle so to speak but not friends at all.
I just found it really weird Id never dream of asking to take someone elses horse.
 
I've allowed someone else to hunt my horse. However they were very experienced and I trusted them implicitly. My then small little horse was used several times by them for gate shutting days. They also offered me several of their hoses to hunt, which I did - and was eternally grateful for.

We were very good friends, and they were the only person I would have trusted my horse with.

I have also asked someone to hunt a horse for me (too big and strong for me).

However if it was a 'random' ask, the answer would be no.
 
My husband gets asked a lot if he can take a horse hunting or if he would like to hunt such and such. I guess if you are too frightened to go hunting yourself, or unsure of how a horse will react the first time, then yes you are doing someone a favour by taking their horse, hunting is fantastic education for horses, it teaches them manners, patience and most of all that galloping around the countryside isn't exciting, but its hard work.

But if you are minding your own business and someone asks you, I guess that is a bit cheeky, it's fairly high risk sport, and certainly not doing you a favour if you don't want your horses to go!:D
 
Never! I'm a bit protective and it kind of feels like someone sleeping with my husband! :P

I lapsed once and my mum took him to the opening meet - she came back looking worse than if she had done 12 rounds with Mike Tyson!!

He's good for me, but would probably be rubbish and dangerous for anyone else so we are sticking together!

On the other hand, my mums horse is a diamond and gave my novice, best friend the best day of her life when she took him!!

Depends on the horse I think, but why take the risk?
 
Yes that's exactly my theory! Like I say mines a brilliant EX hunter and that's for a reason. He's got an injury which I'm managing but in a semi retired way, quite sure he'd not hold up to heavy work and no one is going to wreck my currently sound horse!
 
My friend gave me her hunter/ex-racer- cos he was a little quirky and unreliable but I fell in love with him. I only accepted on the condition that she hunted him when she wanted and they also Team Chased-the point being that I'm a more pootle around the back and she's an up front allday person and the smile on his face at being allowed to gallop and jump all day kept him sweet. For over 15 years I kept him fit and let her hunt him but I would trust her with my life as well as my horse.
 
Definitely not, I like to break my own horses.

Hirelings are £200 so they are not doing you a favour, unless you suspect they might go loopy out hunting, in which case they might be doing you a favour
 
I have hunted 3 horses which did not belong to me.

However I did once get asked by someone I barely know if they could use my horse for opening meet if I wasn't going. I did decline that offer.
 
I wouldn't lend my mare to anyone, they wouldn't come home alive. I wouldn't take her myself either!

I seriously considered swopping my friend's recovering mare for my husband's gelding while I was injured and couldn't ride. So she could hunt him and do things with him. He was a 7yr old that wasn't doing enough, and my friend did her AI with me and worked on a yard with me, so I know how she rides/works and trust her.
 
Honey08 said:
I wouldn't lend my mare to anyone, they wouldn't come home alive. I wouldn't take her myself either!

I seriously considered swopping my friend's recovering mare for my husband's gelding while I was injured and couldn't ride. So she could hunt him and do things with him. He was a 7yr old that wasn't doing enough, and my friend did her AI with me and worked on a yard with me, so I know how she rides/works and trust her.
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Lol, Yes I just snigger if anyone else asks to ride my other. In a million years id never hunt or probably even take him on a fun ride tbh. Its tempting to let some know it all have a try but he'd very definitely injure himself quite seriously in the process of trying to keep mind and soul together!
 
In the first few years of having Benson, I had someone take him hunting, and on a few fun rides. I knew Benson enjoyed hunting etc but I just wasnt brave enough. After a few years, I had built my confidence up, and enjoyed a few hunting days with him, which I absolutely loved!
 
Only people I knew very well and trusted.

I work hard to make my horse a well mannered, safe hunter and its still her first season so every time out is still educating her so I wouldn't want someone to mess things up.
 
I let a friend hunt mine, but she is a far better rider (particularly hunting) than me, and her pony was lame so I let her take the old rolls royce out for a spin ;) I think she quite enjoyed him as she's accepted my offer to take him again in a few days!!
 
My sister takes horses out for their first goes, and hunts someone else's horse whilst looking after their children out. She's grown up with the hunt though, and is pretty well known as being sensible and a decent rider. But she wouldn't ask- she's asked to do it (and paid for it).
 
I think that horses are far too expensive and far too much part of the family to just hand out to random people to ride...

My theory has always been that you wait to be offered - even at riding schools I was hesitant about asking to be put on a particular horse.

The only person I have considered letting take my lad out hunting was my best friend at the time, who is much more experienced. I chickened out last season though as I was worried that he would remember how much fun it was and be too much for me out hacking... I was also concerned that she would get a bit too into it and forget that she was riding him for me, not for fun if that makes sense? I would let her take him as a 'schooling' session, but I know she would have likely gotten carried away and done more/faster than I wanted and it's one thing if I injure him, but if someone else does, you always wonder if it would have happened with you... :confused:
 
No i wouldnt, i'll be too worried about the rider! Ive been asked a couple of times if they could take my cob hunting as they seem under the impression - cob is a plod... - they would have one nasty shock taking her :D shes hasnt got a nasty bone in her body. Just can be a sharp little witch!
 
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