Losing the hunt !!

[pansy]

Sorry had to share this -my 12 year old daughter goes hunting enjoys herself & has been few times now - today she took an older friend with her - the friend wanted to go but did seem a bit stressed this morning - but they went off fine - then 2 1/2 hrs later we get a phone call to say thet are lost & they have lost the hunt - all I ask is HOW ??? Anyway after about half hour of directions etc we took trailer & picked them up - my daughter wants to go again but her friend has said never again - I am sure it will all come out later in the week - but I am just gob smacked as to how they lost the hunt

 

[Orangehorse]

I'm not, it is surprising how 100 odd horses can completely disappear. If one of them got off, or they went to find a way round a fence and got separated from other people, the rest of the field only have to go a couple of fields away, into a valley, or the other side of a hill and you can stand and listen and hear nothing. Also if they were inexperiened and didn't know where the next draw was likely to be, or what direction the hunt was going.
Didn't they have an adult who was supposed to be supervising them? Not that I did from the age of 12.

 

[Gucci_b]

who was they hunting with???

 

[pansy]

Someone was supposed to be looking out for them - but they don't know what happened to them - it's the 1st time she's got lost - she's normally right in the middle of things x

 

[JenHunt]

perhaps friend got a little nervous and your daughter offered to go steady with her and they've got left behind. its very easy to do!

 

[pansy]

who was they hunting with???

I'd rather not say as she is going out again soon - although I will have a word myself with the Secretary & voice my concerns she is with an adult next time
- my daughter said it added to the day - they asked passers by for directions & then gave us an idea of where they were x

 

[I*HM]

perhaps friend got a little nervous and your daughter offered to go steady with her and they've got left behind. its very easy to do!

I'd second this!
I have, on occassion o) lost a hunt, was with a friend on her hunt on a little ancient pony, she didn't want to jump a drain so a few of us took a "short cut" through some trees, came out a couple of mins later and everyone was gone

 

[pansy]

It's nice (in a way) to know that she's not the only 1 that's lost the hunt - she is very sensible for her age!! & I am sure it will make her more careful next time xx

 

[MissTyc]

I lost the hunt last time I went ... And then I had to get off twice to get a closer look at the hoofprints in the mud to try to work out where they'd gone. I did catch up in the end, but for a while there I thought my day had finished. I'm not sure how it happened either. We were making good pace, then I stopped to help a faller, then I ended up in a small group of three and then they just sort of disappeared on a long winding gallop (turned out they'd headed for home without telling me - nice!) ... so that was me all alone and confused!

 

[Herne]

Sorry had to share this -my 12 year old daughter goes hunting enjoys herself & has been few times now - today she took an older friend with her - the friend wanted to go but did seem a bit stressed this morning - but they went off fine - then 2 1/2 hrs later we get a phone call to say thet are lost & they have lost the hunt - all I ask is HOW ??? Anyway after about half hour of directions etc we took trailer & picked them up - my daughter wants to go again but her friend has said never again - I am sure it will all come out later in the week - but I am just gob smacked as to how they lost the hunt

It is very easy to lose the Hunt. Adults do it all the time. You only have to stop for the call of nature at the wrong time, or get stuck behind an obstacle you can't negotiate for a few minutes and they can be out of sight and then vanish without trace.

It sounds as if they used their initiative and coped quite well.

although I will have a word myself with the Secretary & voice my concerns she is with an adult next time

Unless you have an incredibly obliging Hunt, it is your responsibilty to find an adult prepared to look out for your child, not the Hunt Secretary's - they already have enough to do. They will, however, probably be quite happy to suggest some obliging people that you could ask.

In our Hunt, we do not allow childen under the age of 14 to come out without a riding adult who is taking responsibility for them.

Even then, I had to administer a severe *******ing to some parents a couple of seasons ago who dumped their 14 year old & pony at the meet and then b*ggered off into town to go shopping for the day, leaving the child with no phone numbers and no way of contacting them if anything went wrong - which it did, although fortunately only a mildy lame pony. Happily, our followers were sensible enough to look after the child until the parents reappeared, but they deserved every bit of the dressing-down they got.

 

[pansy]

Hi , I would never of sent my daughter if I did not feel that she was capable & responsible enough to go - I spoke to the Secretary before her 1st meet asking if she was old enough etc.. & they said she would be fine - she cant always get an adult to go with her - If I don't follow the hunt I am only a phonecall away x away

 

[Jerroboam]

Its always possible to lose the hounds. Totally disagree that you are only a 'phone call away' with the trailer. Hounds can move a number of miles in half an hour and you can not know the area etc... Unless your child knows the area like the back of their hand or has an ADULT looking after them they shouldn't be out. You couldn't leave a child at a football match without an adult present so why should it be acceptable out hunting?

 

[pansy]

Ok maybe I have been a bit naive originally I was surprised that they had lost the hunt - now I can understand how they could of done . But now I seem to being told that she should not go out without an adult - perhaps this is the case the hunt she goes with when I enquired after she had been on a few fun rides said that it would be ok - I don't hunt but she loves it we are on a small yard & theres not always an adult to go with her - I do not dump her & go - she is getting to know people but this was a midweek meet she's not been to one before because of school - & she didn't know many of the people there - if it's not appropriate for her to go surely the hunt would of said so - she was desperate to go hunting & i I thought that hunting would be a good experience for her x

 

[irish_only]

Ok maybe I have been a bit naive originally I was surprised that they had lost the hunt - now I can understand how they could of done . But now I seem to being told that she should not go out without an adult - perhaps this is the case the hunt she goes with when I enquired after she had been on a few fun rides said that it would be ok - I don't hunt but she loves it we are on a small yard & theres not always an adult to go with her - I do not dump her & go - she is getting to know people but this was a midweek meet she's not been to one before because of school - & she didn't know many of the people there - if it's not appropriate for her to go surely the hunt would of said so - she was desperate to go hunting & i I thought that hunting would be a good experience for her x

Don't worry. Next time they will absolutely make sure they don't get left behind having experienced it. If the powers that be are happy for them to go without a supervising adult, and you are also comfortable with this, and are at the end of a phone, then kick on.
However - if you joined the car followers you might find that you enjoy the 'crack', make new friends and also have great pride in watching your little 'un having fun.

 

[Maesfen]

Couldn't agree more with Herne.
Your child, you should be there following in the car; you can't pass responsibility to someone else not connected to her, it's just not fair let alone it might spoil their day too.

 

[pansy]

I do normally follow the hunt I like to know how she is getting on - when they got lost we went to find them 1st & then 1 of us stopped with them & the other went to get the trailer - I'm sure everybody thinks I just abandon her there x

 

[Orangehorse]

I went out from quite a young age by myself or with a friend of a similar age, and that was WAY before mobile phones and probably before we had a trailer, so we had hacked to the meet as well.

I think we just got on with it, but as we hacked we were obviously in a part of the country that we knew already and didn't venture far afield. Parents were totally non horsey so they just sort of nodded in agreement when we said we were going out hunting. Times have changed I suppose, because certainly the roads are a lot busier now.

Hope it hasn't put your daughter off, and she has many more enjoyable days.

 

[pansy]

Thanks for all your comments she is out again on boxing day with an appropriate adult & I will also have another word with secretary to see if she is welcome if she hasnt an appropriate adult with her in the future - it has certainly given me some things to think about x

 

[L&M]

The last time I 'lost' the hunt was DUE to children!!

At a recent meet 2 children could not get over a jump, so myself and another adult dismantled the jump to let the children through - I turned round to see them galloping off up the track, without even a thank you, leaving us behind to re build the jump! We then 'lost the hunt' as a consequence and missed the best run of the day.

Personally I am with Herne - if you want your child to hunt you should be there to supervise - even if in the car at a discrete distance. Although I am proud to wear my buttons, it does not mean I am always there to look after other people!

Hope she enjoys Boxing Day.

 

[BombayMix]

I lost the hunt recently (I am the wrong side of 60) we cantered up a grass margin and a woman had fallen off her horse it took her about 30 seconds to sort herself out and remount and in that time (I stopped and held her horse) the hounds had gone round the corner and it took us 10 mins to regain our original position!

 

[pansy]

The last time I 'lost' the hunt was DUE to children!!

.

I am sorry about this - if I ever heard that my daughter did something like this we would have serious words - as I have said earlier I believe that although she is young she has an older head on her shoulders
I realise that everyone is there to enjoy the day & not look after incompetent & abandoned children , my daughter is neither , to be honest her friend was really looking forward to going with her but in hindsight she didnt enjoy herself & found it all a bit too much (her friend is nearly 16) Not everyone is suited to hunting my daugher although only 12 loves it & doesn'tt mind getting up & plating etc in the cold its come out today that her friend didnt like all the hassle which is probably got something to do with why they lost the hunt x

Thanks again for all your replies Happy Christmas & Happy Hunting to all of you xx

 

[VoR]

This is a really interesting reading. Yes very easy to lose the hunt have done so on more than one occasion already this year, yes younger children should have an adult riding or following and yes, children should be taught to be polite to others in the field. We're lucky in the main that children who ride with us meet all the above criteria!
Just to prod a hornets nest though, as these kids are the future, should we not ALL be taking some responsibility, encouraging them and educating them about hunting, whilst not baby-sitting them of course?
Just a thought really, as hunt secretaries OH and I both feel some responsibility and do try to help them along where we can.

 

[Herne]

Don't be discouraged, Pansy. All Hunts love to have children coming out as much as possible - they are the future, after all. If your local hunt is happy for your daughter to be unaccompanied at 12 then that is ok. We choose 14, but it's a fairly arbitrary decision as some 10 year olds are more mature than some 15 year olds.

However, for what it's worth, my personal advice to you, as a Master of Fox Hounds of 16 years, is that 12 years old is too young for you, as a parent, to feel comfortable to let her go out hunting without a named, mounted adult looking out for her.

Hopefully, she will hunt for years with nothing ever going wrong, and hopefully, there will always be enough responsible adults available to hand if something does - HOWEVER hunting is an unpredictable activity that can take place over an unpredictable area, that will contain unpredictable hazards.

You may feel that your daughter is a very responsible 12 year old, but how would she cope if she was on her own with her pony-upside down in a ditch, or tangled up in wire, in an area with no mobile reception.

There are some crises that could occur that, as a 12 year old, she would not have the physical strength to cope with alone - and it is questionable whether ANY 12 year old would have the mental strength to cope with alone without panicking.

Such incidents are blessedly few and far between, and hopefully she will not often ever be alone, but the do occasionally occur and you do need to have the eventuality in the back of your mind.

It might be all too easy in the heat of a good run for everyone to assume that someone else will look after that small child at the back – resulting in the fact that no one does.

As I said, your Hunt Secretary will probably be able to supply you with details of a few regulars who are happy to take an extra kid or two in tow every now and then. It may cost you a bottle every now and then, but it will be worth it for peace of mind.

 

[pansy]

In respone to comments made by Herne I do worry about her - The Hunt she goes out with have flat & jumping groups when she is out without a appropriate adult she is only allowed to do the flat hunt - the last lady that kept on an eye on her said that she didn't really need looking after however I think your idea

-your Hunt Secretary will probably be able to supply you with details of a few regulars who are happy to take an extra kid or two in tow every now and then. It may cost you a bottle every now and then, but it will be worth it for peace of mind

- is a good one like you said you never ever know what might happen - please dont take this as me as just dumping my child on them.
If the Secretary doesnt think this is a good idea then I will tell her she cant go anymore unless shes with an adult.

We dont know many others that go hunting, she is getting to know a few people now -there are a couple of people that would like to go more often but as a child pays less than half the price of adult - its a big expense for them to go every week x

If all else fails we have just started to bring a horse back into work that should be ready for next season - I may have to bite the bullet & go out for her -

 

[JenHunt]

I think that Pansy has the right sort of attitude really - if she feels her daughter is capable of looking after herself and the pony, and the hunt are happy for her to be out, and she has managed to make the acquaintance of people who will keep an eye out then why not!!

we hunt with a number of children, and there are none who I wouldn't consider capable little horsemen (and women). I couldn't tell you which ones are accompanied and which aren't as they're usually at the front having an absolute blast, and being made to be useful (opening gates etc).