JenHunt
Well-Known Member
Having come to the conclusion that the humans were intent on depriving us of any hunting this season, Tom and I had resigned ourselves to some sort of retirement despite the amount of work we seemed to be doing (mainly on the roads).... But then 4 weeks ago mother clipped us (I got a proper job, and Tom got a baby clip but he is a fairy when he gets cold). We were still out most of the time, and only getting pathetic portions in our buckets!!
Mother and granddad were seen in the barn/field shelter, heard making noises that suggested they were uncertain about something - it turns out the ridgepole of the barn had snapped in the gales, which explained it's noisiness.... Then two weeks ago some sort of climbing frame went up against the barn, in the human field on the other side of the fence, and three strange humans have been climbing up and down it, taking the other side of my field shelter apart!! This last week they started putting it back together again, and we have had to be in the stables during the day. They also left a big pile of green crinkly stuff next to the water trough. Tom tried to eat it but said it was metal. I'm avoiding the trough now in case there's monsters hiding under the metal.
On Friday, Granddad brought us in early, and the weather was revolting, so even though the climbers didn't arrive we stayed in. Then mother arrived at tea time, and spent ages brushing us both. She shut us, one at a time, in the top of the yard. It was raining, and I was hungry so I stood and pulled grumpy faces at her over the gate (she was in the stables so I don't think she saw). Then Tom was desperate for a roll, and mother got very cross with him when he threatened to roll on the quadbike that lives up there.... He then tried to eat the feed shed door, and got shouted at for that.... In the end mother gave up and had to muck out around him, whilst he leaned on the wheelbarrow.
Saturday morning arrived (Tom had talked all night, I'd eaten all 5 slices of hay cos I couldn't sleep through that racket next door), and Mother turned up at some unearthly hour, and started plaiting Tom up. I decided that it only meant he was going to go jump some silly coloured poles or something, so I had a nap. Then I heard Tom say that mum was putting his tail up for hunting!! Then Mother started on me. Sure enough the tail was put up.... this was looking much more like hunting - but I'd read the meet card, and was sure the Hurworth's last meet was last weekend.....
Mother gave us some breakfast and left us in peace for a bit. Next thing, Tom spotted mother's car, followed by Grandmother's car going down the drive.... then they both came walking back up the road, with our Aunty Lynn.... totally confused now, but mother and Lynn both had cream legs on, and Lynn had what appeared to be a hunting coat on!! I said to Tom that they must be meeting on our drive, but he said he didn't believe me.
Shortly after that, Mother and Aunty Lynn arrived with tack and both with hunting coats on. We were tacked up and mounted up, and then the humans took us out - we walked down the road, and Tom was busy gloating that he was right, we must be meeting in the village. Just then we were turned round, and walked back to our house. We stood at the top of the drive, and could hear other horses trotting up the village.... looked like I was right. We stood there for what felt like ages, Tom got cold and started fidgeting and biting me. Aunty Lynn told him off and he had a tantrum. There were only 5 other horses there and some hounds when we set off. We trotted up the hill behind our winter field, and then turned off on one of our usual hacks. Halfway up the hill though, we turned off the track, into the forest, and went up a very steep hill. Tom found an imaginary jump and nearly unseated Aunty Lynn.
From the top of the hill we dropped back down into the woods, and went backwards and forwards along a very boggy track for most of the morning. Tom hates boggy ground and was getting quite cross. I'm not bothered, but it was getting a bit boring trotting back and forth, so I started doing really exaggerated jumps over the tiny fallen logs, and then threatened to buck a few times, until mother smacked me with the end of the reins. We stood for while, mother and Lynn chatting to the two other ladies in the field, one on a silly TB type, and one on a nice sensible highland type (who had even more mane than Tom, which I didn't think was possible, and Tom was jealous of). I was listening to the hounds, and there were a few who'd run on the trail and a few who were trying to tell the hunstman something, and one who was obviously lost and was howling from behind us. The Huntsman called them all back and we waited a bit more. I could hear the trail layers on their quadbike below us, but we couldn't see them. We stood about a bit longer, and Tom was getting cold... actually, who am I kidding, we were all getting cold, because the wind was cold and blowing straight up the hill at us.
We eventually moved off, and I heard mother tell Lynn that if we were heading towards the bottom track we would head for home as mother didn't think any of us would enjoy hock deep clay.... She was right, that's where they headed, so we turned for home, followed by the other two ladies in the field. The four (eight) of us hacked home, picking up the route of our usual hack that we'd turned off. At the bottom of the track where it turns back into a road, Mother spotted a friend who owns a beautiful mare (TB, single mother, to a nice 2yo lad). I didn't really want to wait, and mother laughed at me when I stamped my feet about waiting. We didn't stay long, and were soon strolling on down the road. A bit further on the road is really slippery, and mother had told Lynn this, and she and Tom were on the verge. I was still cross with mother about the waiting earlier, and didn't want to walk on the verge with Tom. So, not surprisingly she was quite cross with me when I slipped on the road and we fell over.... My legs just slid out in different directions and I couldn't stop them. Mother managed to almost stay on, but did end up on the road, and I was up before she'd really hit the ground (which I think didn't help her mood).
Anyway, she decided there was no harm done and we were soon on our way home. So, all in all, I'm not convinced it counted as hunting, but it was kind of nice to be out i suppose, and does make me think that Mother isn't retiring us just yet..... we'll see what next season brings I suppose.
Mother and granddad were seen in the barn/field shelter, heard making noises that suggested they were uncertain about something - it turns out the ridgepole of the barn had snapped in the gales, which explained it's noisiness.... Then two weeks ago some sort of climbing frame went up against the barn, in the human field on the other side of the fence, and three strange humans have been climbing up and down it, taking the other side of my field shelter apart!! This last week they started putting it back together again, and we have had to be in the stables during the day. They also left a big pile of green crinkly stuff next to the water trough. Tom tried to eat it but said it was metal. I'm avoiding the trough now in case there's monsters hiding under the metal.
On Friday, Granddad brought us in early, and the weather was revolting, so even though the climbers didn't arrive we stayed in. Then mother arrived at tea time, and spent ages brushing us both. She shut us, one at a time, in the top of the yard. It was raining, and I was hungry so I stood and pulled grumpy faces at her over the gate (she was in the stables so I don't think she saw). Then Tom was desperate for a roll, and mother got very cross with him when he threatened to roll on the quadbike that lives up there.... He then tried to eat the feed shed door, and got shouted at for that.... In the end mother gave up and had to muck out around him, whilst he leaned on the wheelbarrow.
Saturday morning arrived (Tom had talked all night, I'd eaten all 5 slices of hay cos I couldn't sleep through that racket next door), and Mother turned up at some unearthly hour, and started plaiting Tom up. I decided that it only meant he was going to go jump some silly coloured poles or something, so I had a nap. Then I heard Tom say that mum was putting his tail up for hunting!! Then Mother started on me. Sure enough the tail was put up.... this was looking much more like hunting - but I'd read the meet card, and was sure the Hurworth's last meet was last weekend.....
Mother gave us some breakfast and left us in peace for a bit. Next thing, Tom spotted mother's car, followed by Grandmother's car going down the drive.... then they both came walking back up the road, with our Aunty Lynn.... totally confused now, but mother and Lynn both had cream legs on, and Lynn had what appeared to be a hunting coat on!! I said to Tom that they must be meeting on our drive, but he said he didn't believe me.
Shortly after that, Mother and Aunty Lynn arrived with tack and both with hunting coats on. We were tacked up and mounted up, and then the humans took us out - we walked down the road, and Tom was busy gloating that he was right, we must be meeting in the village. Just then we were turned round, and walked back to our house. We stood at the top of the drive, and could hear other horses trotting up the village.... looked like I was right. We stood there for what felt like ages, Tom got cold and started fidgeting and biting me. Aunty Lynn told him off and he had a tantrum. There were only 5 other horses there and some hounds when we set off. We trotted up the hill behind our winter field, and then turned off on one of our usual hacks. Halfway up the hill though, we turned off the track, into the forest, and went up a very steep hill. Tom found an imaginary jump and nearly unseated Aunty Lynn.
From the top of the hill we dropped back down into the woods, and went backwards and forwards along a very boggy track for most of the morning. Tom hates boggy ground and was getting quite cross. I'm not bothered, but it was getting a bit boring trotting back and forth, so I started doing really exaggerated jumps over the tiny fallen logs, and then threatened to buck a few times, until mother smacked me with the end of the reins. We stood for while, mother and Lynn chatting to the two other ladies in the field, one on a silly TB type, and one on a nice sensible highland type (who had even more mane than Tom, which I didn't think was possible, and Tom was jealous of). I was listening to the hounds, and there were a few who'd run on the trail and a few who were trying to tell the hunstman something, and one who was obviously lost and was howling from behind us. The Huntsman called them all back and we waited a bit more. I could hear the trail layers on their quadbike below us, but we couldn't see them. We stood about a bit longer, and Tom was getting cold... actually, who am I kidding, we were all getting cold, because the wind was cold and blowing straight up the hill at us.
We eventually moved off, and I heard mother tell Lynn that if we were heading towards the bottom track we would head for home as mother didn't think any of us would enjoy hock deep clay.... She was right, that's where they headed, so we turned for home, followed by the other two ladies in the field. The four (eight) of us hacked home, picking up the route of our usual hack that we'd turned off. At the bottom of the track where it turns back into a road, Mother spotted a friend who owns a beautiful mare (TB, single mother, to a nice 2yo lad). I didn't really want to wait, and mother laughed at me when I stamped my feet about waiting. We didn't stay long, and were soon strolling on down the road. A bit further on the road is really slippery, and mother had told Lynn this, and she and Tom were on the verge. I was still cross with mother about the waiting earlier, and didn't want to walk on the verge with Tom. So, not surprisingly she was quite cross with me when I slipped on the road and we fell over.... My legs just slid out in different directions and I couldn't stop them. Mother managed to almost stay on, but did end up on the road, and I was up before she'd really hit the ground (which I think didn't help her mood).
Anyway, she decided there was no harm done and we were soon on our way home. So, all in all, I'm not convinced it counted as hunting, but it was kind of nice to be out i suppose, and does make me think that Mother isn't retiring us just yet..... we'll see what next season brings I suppose.
Hope you and your rider aren't too sore after that fall.