my youngsters first (and most probably last!) hunting experience

georgiegirl

georgiegirl

Well-Known Member
Joined
4 August 2004
Messages
2,455
Visit site
oh god im aching so much!

Autumn my 5yo is everyones idea of a perfect youngster. so willing to learn and never fazed by anything. this year has been great doing some bsja, byeh classes at ajor busy shows as well as xc and ode's. shes the sort who will happily canter out with others with no high jinks or silliness and takes everything in her stride. hence, we thought the natural progression would be to take her cubbing and we thought being the way she is she would take to it like a duck to water.

so, got up at some hellish hour and got everything ready - check. got loaded up in the pitch black no problems - check.

arrived at the meet, got on board and walked around just like we were at any other show - so chilled out and relaxed.

Then the pack set off. I thought my xc gear which works a treat would be fine - neue schule universal on bottom ring and mexican grackle - i was wrong. I may as well have had a piece of cotton wool in there, head stuck down and carted across the first field.

onto the first cover she stood pretty well. did a bit of walking as we were there a while and also saw the hounds - so far so good.

The pack then went across two very large stubble fields at which point she stuck her head down and pissed off past the whole field (luckily i managed a very large circle before we reached the hounds and master)

at this point when everyone caught up she had a complete mental breakdown. rearing (which she has NEVER done) and then plunging forward into broncs and taking off. kept circling but couldnt get her to chill. at this point my reins were white lathered and impossible to hold and the rearing/plunging/broncing thing continued with me desperately trying to hold onto the buckle end. how i didnt come off i dont know.

found a quiet nanny to try and walk with but by this stage she could only plant herself rock solid with her shivering and quaking in the boots or leap forward into more rears and broncs, i think at one point she even got on her knees! eventually the rears were getting so uncontrolled and high i decided to get off (which i hate doing as i feel safer on top but not this time!) and a saint of a girl walked us home - i owe her a drink!

as we got nearer home she chilled out and so travelled home safely and shes now in the field looking very tired and sorry for herself (not suprising)

needless to say she wont be going again. its just so suprising she reacted this way, we didnt expect it at all. the way everything has gone we thought she would be a fab hunter.

i just hope blowing her brains out wont affect her next time we go out competing or how strong she is for xc - were hoping to event properly next year

totally gutted she was like this, i know most are well behaved first time out as they are taking it all in then its usually the second or third time the problems start.

Think i may be writing an apology note to the secretary!
 
Sounds like she was a bit of a madam! But please don't write her off just yet! Hunting is so totally different from anything she'll have done before and it sounds like you had a reasonably brisk morning compared to some.

What I would do is give her a couple of weeks to settle, doing all that you would normally do and then speak to the sec to see if they can recommend a nice quiet morning, or failing that then ask if you can go out on hound exercise with huntstaff one morning. She needs to learn that it just isn't that exciting.

It's very easy to get into an argument with them about not standing still or something (not saying that you did, just illustrating a point) and you get tense and they pick up on that and escalate it all until you find yourself leaping about like a loon! I know, I've been there! Can you go with a freind on an experienced horse (or speak to the sec and ask to be introduced to someone who's only having a steady morning) who can stay at the back with you, a little distance (100m ish) away from the main field, just going really steady, almost more like a pleasure ride?

Other things to consider... Is it possible that she's maybe a bit too fit at the moment, or that her feed has changed and lit her up a bit?
 
Don't give up! My horse was EXACTLY the same the first few times I took him, and he's now in his 11th season, having whipped in, field mastered and been a saint in the field.

I won't lie and say he's a quiet ride, but he is safe and fun :-D

I had the broncing (still get it occasionally), the rearing, and the naffing off with - towards a main road to dd to the terror!

As Jenhunt has said above, you have to make it "boring" - try going out with hounds every morning for a few weeks, or go out as much as you can. Hunting is a skill that has to be taught just as we practice dressage, showing etc. Find a nanny, ask permission to ride further back from hounds, or even ask if you could take her up with one of the whips - autumn hunting is generally a bit less strict than hunting proper, so if you want to hunt on her then now is the best chance to settle her.

One other valuable piece of advice I was given was not to overface a baby is his/her first season - I hunted mine up to Christmas in his first season, then went eventing/showjumping until the following season. He came out that second season like a pro!

Good luck, keep us updated!
 
georgiegirl - was that you on the coloured? If so how on earth did you manage to stay on :eek:
I think a large drink and a hot bath are called for

ETS - They were a bit quicker off the mark than I expected, luckily my boy settled after the first field and he was like a rocking horse compared to yours
 
Last edited:
oh god terrierliz i've been spotted!!! (hangs head in shame) yes that was me and ive no idea how i stayed on her! my reins were like grease too! after the pack went down away from where the driving stuff was we carried on for a good while afterwards like that up at the top!
 
I saw the vertical rear as we all moved away from you - Holly (on the grey) is a lovely girl who made me feel welcome last year and is always ready to lend a hand, as are most if able.

Glad you made it back safely
 
thanks terrierliz.

yes holly is a saint, i dont know what would have happened if it had carried on much longer, there could have been a nasty accident.

I'm going to pass on an apology note to the sec and please pass on any apologies to anyone I wound up/got carted past, it was very embarassing and totally unexpected!

As for taking her again I dont know if i can put us both through it again! she really did freak out big time to the point of being dangerous to her, me and other people. I enjoy going hunting but at the same time its not something I can/want to do full time due to work/money/time and the fact she competes in other disciplines. Part of me thinks its just not worth it :(
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top