Perfect hunter?

[Starbucks]

Has anyone got one??

I'm on my 17th season with the Rockwood and I only know 2 poss 3;

one - was called Cylde - a lovely quality hunter who would jump anything and was a complete gent - his mummy, Rosy hasn't found anything she wants to come out on since!

two - was called Marcquice (sp?) DUDE!!!!!! Is all i can say!!

Three - the possible one was my mams horse Henry, flashy, talented boy who was the bees knees with mum, but never the same when she sold him to a different rider.

So - has anyone got the perfect hunter??? :grin: If so, you have to give reasons!

 

[Ravenwood]

Yes - my mare is the perfect hunter (although we don't jump here at all - but she did come from Leics)

She always stands stock still at meets so I can drink and eat plenty - at the same time!! She also stands completely still during the day and for the last few seasons she has happily led small children and little ponies from her and couldn't care less if more irresponsble people gallop past. She is fantastic at doing gates, does all the maenouvering herself and will push one open if I ask. She is not nappy and doesn't care if her stablemate goes home earlier, she is not a plod and is as fast any any other horse. And she is a Chestnut Mare!!!

PS - No comments on my temporary hat please!

 

[Starbucks]

Aww, she looks lovely!! Lucky you!!!

Although to be the perfect hunter - to me, they have to be able to jump any country, and your mare isn't proven, even if she's from Leicestershire (although she's cool if she can jump all those HUGE hedges!! )

xx

The hunt goes on - I want proof! :grin:

 

[WishfulThinker]

Whats the criteria????

Ive never taken mine but I was informed by the person who loaned him that he is a)fast and steady and lasted the whole day (Duracell horse) b) brave and jumped everything asked but c) Far too keen to been front and so got into trouble!!

He can also do gates and standing for food!!

 

[Starbucks]

Criteria? I don't know, it's hard!!

I see a lot of horses advertised that say they will go first or last, but i do think if it is actually truthful - it takes a bloody good and talented horse to go first over big stuff and most of the horses that will do that don't want to bugger about at the back!

Hence you rarely get a perfect hunter...

 

[WishfulThinker]

Lol, yes mine doesn't like being last all the time - its deceiving on a daily basis as he usually is the coos tail and a lazy sod! But his first real ridden job was hunting so its like a switch in his head - I call it the 'Psycho Switch!'

That said if anyone is up near Scotland and wants a horse to take hunting I have one!! lol

 

[Weezy]

I think mine is - will let you know when I have done a jumping day!

 

[icklemadame]

My OH's big grey lad - we've been offered £20K+ for him as a hunter, he really will go first or last, he's so honest he'll jump anything you put him at, but so calm and gentle he'll quite happily mother the nervous people at the back without being stroppy - the rest of the field can bugger off and he'll just stand there. He gives the field master a lead over the big stuff, and my OH has a habit of jumping the drag hedges instead of the Old Surrey ones as he finds it more fun!! OH also gets sent off doing whip jobs and he's more than happy with the hounds all around him At least in my mind he's the perfect hunter!!!

 

[Loupride]

YO had one - the wonderful "Nick" 17hh typical Irish Hunter :grin:
Brave was an understatement, walls, ditches, banks, wire or gates. Just point and he took it on. NEVER put a foot wrong, absolute gent. Ridden in a snaffle and stood like stone when was required. He whipped till he was about 19 years old and then started the easy life! I remember on of the girls (5 years old at the time - he was 17hh) walking him down the beach :grin: He was such a joy!

He is now buried under a stone circle in the front field :grin: The only one to be awarded the honour, typically our hunters return to the hounds.

 

[Christmas Crumpet]

My old horse was the perfect hunter. He started off life eventing then went into hunt service and then on to us.

He stood perfectly at the meet, didn't kick hounds even if they jump up on him, he watched the hounds as they worked to see if he's going to miss anything, would jump anything and spent the last 8 seasons hunting up in Leicestershire jumping the biggest of their hedges etc. Hunted in a snaffle. Incredibly quick and very balanced so good to gallop round fields and corners.

Unfortunately he's just been retired due to unsoundness!!! And he is also a nightmare to clip, tie up, pull manes etc...!!

 

[RunToEarth]

Hey Sarah dear, I think you fogot Bertha, can safely say she is a perfect hunter.

 

[wench]

when i took mine hunting he was perfect at the meet... well he got himself drunk... drank a whole mug full of punch!

 

[Darkly_Dreaming_Dex]

HaHa thats the sort of thing my cob would do!- last season a lady brought round a big pile of fruit cake at the meet and he carefully helped himself to a slice off the top!

 

[Nickymac]

My OH would say that he has got one in William: he's 22 and I bought him at the age of 5 and got to Badminton with him. When I retired him at 16 OH took him over and he's had a new lease of life since he's been hunting. He's polite, jumps anything and makes OH look like a really good jockey. What more could a man ask for?!

 

[KatB]

My old pony was a perfect hunter in hairy cob clothing. Jumped all the derbyshire country in his sleep (big hedges, metal gates etc etc) never pulled, and is the only horse I truly knew to "hunt" in the fact he ALWAYS knew what the hounds were doing. He was amazing. If he had been a hand bigger without the feather I would still have him!!

 

[CastleMouse]

IMO Castle was a perfect hunter... Even though he was only 12.2hh, he kept up with all the larger horses, was always in front all day, jumped everything from 6-bar gates, hedges, ditches, wire, to stone walls, and was always extremely mannerly. I wish he had been a few hands bigger

 

[JenHunt]

i don't know about the perfect hunter but our Huntsmans grey mare (out of action this season and possible forever :-( ) is a saint....

she'll do anything for harry, even put up with his atrocious jumping ability (he can't help it he's from the flat bits of land with no hedges or fences) but she is rubbish if she has to stand with everybody except at the meet when harry feeds her stuff when no-ones looking.

she's ruptured a suspensory tho and is off to have a foal once she's mostly sound... ahh how cute baby josie...

 

[druid]

Mine - done hunt service, will go first last or on point. Can be left loose and will stand stock still (checking dens). Jumps anything and has hunted all over so we've done everything from hedges to massive drains to stonewalls. Infact, she's so fab I stuck my father who hadn't ridden seriously for 30+ years on her to hunt for his first ever time on boxing day of all days last season....she nursed him around even stopping mid-ditch while he untangled himself from a branch as the rest of the field galloped off.