Persist or Call it a day?

[ApolloStorm]

A bit of a WWYD

So took my lad out on a bit of a pre hunting tune up event one of our packs runs locally. He’s never hunted before but has done pleasure rides and was sensible. For the first half, while he was really keen I was able to have a say in direction and speed even into some of the fences we did. He was excited as they tend to get, we stopped halfway for a drink break, and it was after this he turned into a complete pain, tossing his head, lurching forward, took off at speed to the front of the group a couple of times. Stopped when he got there but still it’s unpleasant and rude! We didn’t end up jumping anything in the second half as it felt unsafe to do so with him not actually listening!

Would you persist? I had a great time at the start, and from the pictures he was having a blast, I wonder if a bit change may help but also don’t want to keep at it if it’s going to totally blow his brains every time we do anything! Has anyone had a horse that eventually learned to calm down?

 

[Orangehorse]

Maybe he was tired and adrenaline took over. I would do shorter days and leave while he is still calm.

Yes, most do calm down.

I have heard a couple of cases of complete and utter lunatics that seemed to want to kill their riders and all about them by lunging, leaping and virtually bolting.

In both cases the cure was to be taken out 6 days running! Although it might be difficult to find enough hunts on enough days to do that now. At the end of the week the horse realised that hunting was work and learned to conserve their energy. (In one case the rider had home bred the horse from her hunter mare, and was well known at the kennels so got the whipper-in to take him out to neighouring packs during the week).

However, I have also known people to give up before they got to that stage and didn't try hunting at all.

A calm companion and short days to start with.

 

[emilylou]

Yes I'd persist. Some horses get like this when they are tired and uncomfortable. I'd take him for a few quiet days, planning only to be out for short periods (an hour or two) and don't let it be too exciting, if you go out jumping and galloping every time then it will blow his mind.
They have to learn to do the slow bits and boring bits too.

If I have a horse I want to become a hunter I will take him on hound exercises first, arrive very early, take the horse for a quiet hack down the lane on his own for 20 minutes, arrive to the meet and have plenty of space to keep him walking away from the action if I need to, and go along quietly at the back. I may stay for the duration or if the horse is very unsettled, I will leave early with a nanny and hack back to the boxes quietly, allowing the horse to settle before dismounting. I'll repeat this a few times until the horse is at ease, some are quicker than others.
Then as the season picks up we will do quiet autumn hunting. As the horse settles and gets used to the hounds and hunting, I may jump, but only on a quiet, relaxed, listening horse.

Then if all is well, you slowly build from there. If the horse is not very fit and becomes tired, you go home. If the horse becomes unreasonable I either work with it quietly, if its possible to do so staying with the field, or I leave with a nanny and hack a long route back until it settles

Usually by opening meet, you'll have a settled, happy horse that will jump in a mannerly way. Some are quick, some take longer. And of course they become keen as they learn the job and enjoy it, but there is a difference between riding a keen horse and one that has had its mind blown and is out of control.

If you go out the first time and all you do is gallop and jump at speed- yes, it will blow his mind

 

[ApolloStorm]

Thank you both!
I am aiming to go out with my local bloodhound pack which is a quieter day than the local foxhounds!
Hopefully he realises it’s hard work and calms down as he is a talented jumper and looks super smart in the field!

 

[paddy555]

I had a very experienced friend who broke horses and when she took them hunting to prevent this after a certain time (when all was going well) she turned them round and walked (ridden) home. Then gradually built up the time.

 

[Tiddlypom]

You ought to have started with very short days and built up vey gradually.

You’ll have your work cut out now to get him to settle again. It depends on whether if you’re risking just your own neck when he prats around or whether he’s a danger to others as well.

 

[dapple_grey]

I am aiming to go out with my local bloodhound pack which is a quieter day than the local foxhounds!

Just a pre-warning if you've never been out with bloodhounds but they are rarely quieter than foxhound packs. They're renowned for being fast with not much hanging around, even this time of year.

I go out regularly with my local bloodhounds and their idea of steady is quite different to most peoples and have seen people get caught out! Great fun on an experienced horse but definitely not the place I'd want to take something that gets wound up.

 

[leflynn]

Agree with Dapple_grey!

I would go mid week with a normal pack when its quieter if you can and follow advice above about building up (emilylou)

Mine is an over excited idiot for the first couple of meets and in his 9th season (he's also 18yrs old) so I tend to go out for a couple of hours during Autumn hunting to settle him in and that works

 

[silv]

I had a very experienced friend who broke horses and when she took them hunting to prevent this after a certain time (when all was going well) she turned them round and walked (ridden) home. Then gradually built up the time.

This, I have a friend who has hunted all her life, she is now in her 70's she takes the first few hunts very easy, stays at the back, walking and trotting with a babysitter horse, doesn't jump anything and doesn't stay out too long. They learn that it is not that exciting after all, by the end of the season she will still take it quietly but do a few small jumps and a couple of gallops. She has produced many great hunters this way. I also think that temperament has a lot to do with it. Some horses would never be suitable.

 

[Birker2020]

Bailey was the same on fun rides, constantly pulling to catch up with the horse in front and then when she caught up with it would walk past it without even noticing and then see the next horse in front and try to catch up with that.
It took about six fun rides for her to calm down and then she never pulled again, was an absolute saint and even had groups of horses trotting past without a care.
I did always do fun rides on my own until towards the end when I started going with a friend, but I don't think it was a lack of confidence thing, just her.

I certainly never thought about giving up as I enjoyed them so much.