Ribbons in Tails - Newbie Hunter

MrsMozart

MrsMozart

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Help please :D

D1 has been offered the ride on Friend's daughter's Little Lass (New Forest pony), for the four of them's first hunting outing :D. This is very kind of Friend as D1's Little Cob is currently broken (off to the Animal Health Trust on Wednesday for lameness work up). I would lend her my horse, but I would like to be the first one to take her hunting (mean Mum that I am!).

Anyhoo, sorry, I digress :rolleyes:

Little Lass is a star. Five years old. Jumps like a stag. Can go all day. Only she is a bit feisty.... No issues about bombing off (at least, we're not expecting any), but she can be a bit mare-ish and might boot somebody (she has only had a couple of goes, and hasn't actually made contact); to be on the safe side we're thinking ribbons in her tail. Obviously D1 knows her well and will keep her out of the way as much as possible, but we're aware we should provide some warning!

Therefore, ribbon colours....:

Red - possibly kick
Green - 'we're new to this!'

Anything else??

Hot chocolates with all the trimmings :D
 
QR!

Red ribbon is for a horse that kicks out.

Green ribbon is for a horse's first few times out hunting. Green means inexperienced. No-one knos how it will react, may kick, may not. May buck, may not!.

Have fun!
 
Just ask her to keep at the back and when stopped bum parked in the verge/trees so nobody goes behind her and ask her to be aware of hounds behind. Have a great day. x
 
Thank you for the replies :)

I'll tell her re. bum and verge/hedge v. hounds/horses/people.

I'm sure they'll have a whale of a time :D. D1 is well mannered and a good rider, so should be fine. Just wish I hadn't broken my back and that I was going as well. I'm not even thinking of 'next year' - I did that last year :rolleyes:
 
Blue also means for sale :D

A few words of advice MrsM :)

1. Please make sure you use a substantial red ribbon in her tail!!
People need to notice, acknowledge and react to it and a nice big ribbon (1"+) will give them the best opportunity to see it and make some space through gates etc :) ...On my last horse I used to put a couple of turns of red pvc electrical tape around his dock and it worked well.

2. It is polite for anybody riding a kicker to stay out the way of crowds and gate crushes
It shouldn't be everyone else's job to stay out of your way

3. Some people riding a kicker through tight spaces will put an arm behind their back
This is normally when they have kicked for the first time that day (so they don't have tape with them), when their tape has fallen out during the hunt, or some people do it as an extra warning incase anyone failed to notice the ribbon they are also wearing

When is she going? Please take and add photos on here ASAP :D
 
What Climco said! I would recommend using electrical tape. The first time I went out I had a green ribbon and it lasted all of five minutes. My horse did kick out a few times to begin with and although she doesn't really do it now I still put red electical tape in her tail and it is always stays in until the end of the day.

Another word of warning to your daugther if the horse is a possible kicker, watch out for small children. In my experience very few of them have been taught what a red ribbon means and seem to appear out of no-where behind you and use your bottom as breaks! I normally just turn around and shout "she kicks" or something along those lines.

Wish her luck I bet she will really enjoy herself.
 
Okay! Large amounts of red ribbon it will be, and tape as well. Have considered putting some at the front end as well, just to be sure.

D1 will automatically keep her out of the way of others in gateways, etc., she's ridden her a number of times in hacks with others so knows her well, though as I said above, Little Lady hasn't actually made contact, just threatens. Still, better safe than sorry!!

Thank you for all your help :D

We will get pictures :D :D
 
MrsMozart said:
Okay! Large amounts of red ribbon it will be, and tape as well. Have considered putting some at the front end as well, just to be sure.

D1 will automatically keep her out of the way of others in gateways, etc., she's ridden her a number of times in hacks with others so knows her well, though as I said above, Little Lady hasn't actually made contact, just threatens. Still, better safe than sorry!!

Thank you for all your help :D

We will get pictures :D :D
Click to expand...

HOUNDS - there is a slight mention of hounds but not with sufficent warning or emphasis. Hounds do not understand or recogniose ribbons or tape.

If the horse/pony kicks 99 times out of a 100 it will kick a hound, not another person or horse.

Hounds move in and out of the field. Tell your daughter what ever she does to keep her horses head facing hounds where ever possible and to give them as wide a berth as possible.

If you are bunched up in a ride and the master/huntsman comes through in the opposite direction or from behind do everything she can to keep that ponies heels away from hounds.

If you kick a hound it is the ultimate cardinal sin.

Seldom are you are given a second chance and will be sent home with a severe rollicking, that is highly traumatic for everybody concerned, especially if the kick is fatal or needing fatal administration.

I have seen it happen too many times.
 
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Judgemental said:
HOUNDS - there is a slight mention of hounds but not with sufficent warning or emphasis. Hounds do not understand or recogniose ribbons or tape.

If the horse/pony kicks 99 times out of a 100 it will kick a hound, not another person or horse.

Hounds move in and out of the field. Tell your daughter what ever she does to keep her horses head facing hounds where ever possible and to give them as wide a berth as possible.

If you are bunched up in a ride and the master/huntsman comes through in the opposite direction or from behind do everything she can to keep that ponies heels away from hounds.

If you kick a hound it is the ultimate cardinal sin.

Seldom are you are given a second chance and will be sent home with a severe rollicking, that is highly traumatic for everybody concerned, especially if the kick is fatal or needing fatal administration.

I have seen it happen too many times.
Click to expand...

Just one other point, personally I was never allowed out on a new/untried pony at the beginning of the season that had been shod behind.

However, have not had to consider this one for years and useful to remind oneself of the procedures.

The theory being one is only pottering about autumn hunting so there is no particular road work.

I say theory because doubtless the pony has to be exercised and presumably roads are involved. Of course things are very different.

However, as I say, until they were 'tried and tested' they were not shod and that was primarily in the interests of the hounds.
 
Thank you for all your replies.

The meet is the begining of October. The Hunt are fully aware that they are completely new to hunting. Daughter is a good rider and will do her damndest to make sure that no hound, horse, or person gets kicked. As stated above, the pony threatens, but has not made contact, even when she could easily have done so. The question re. the ribbons is to do all we can to minimise any chance at all that something drastic would happen.

I will let you know how they get on.
 
Defo use electrical tape rather than ribbon, ribbon if difficult to keep in and I've seen problems with it being too tight.
Tape is dead easy, doesn't have to be tight to stay in and can just be cut off at the end of the day.

Hope they enjoy their selves. :-)
 
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