Scary or embarrassing hunt stories?

BeBopTalulah

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I have never hunted, but I would love [LOVE] to in the future once my mare is ready. I've done a lot of reading and asking questions so I can make sure I'm ready too! When I imagine the hunt, I think of well-behaved, under control horses, is this always the case? How terrible would it be if I were to get galloped-off with and ruin a days hunting?! Hunting folks, make me feel better by telling me your horses are not all well-behaved :D
 

combat_claire

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My second ever day mounted I shot past the field master when my hireling decided he didn't want to wait, which was distinctly embarrassing. I did remark that at least I am consistent as I had narrowly avoided a collision with the same master on my bike a few months previously...

I failed to duck far enough and rode into a tree whilst hunting on Exmoor, then everyone thought I had fallen off as I had got covered in bits of vegetation!

Whilst out with the mink hounds I am always falling into and over things. My first opening meet in uniform I eagerly volunteered to cross the river to the other side, slipped and landed in the deepest part of the river in a total submersion. While the terrier men rolled around on the bank, wetting themselves with laughter.

I can assure you that you will not be the first or the last follower to make a fool of themselves - the tales of toilet breaks going all wrong, acrobatic falls and dramatic recoveries are legion.

Whilst reasonable equine manners are expected at the meet and in the hunting field, don't be scared, seize the moment and don't forget to let us know how you get on.
 

JenHunt

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ditto what CC said - you wouldn't be the first and I doubt you'd be the last to get into a scrape or two!

I have (on a number of occasions) over taken the field master whilst apologising profusely! OH has broken one of the field masters post and rail fences when my horse got a little carried away with him and failed to make a proper jump! I once was deposited in a bog by my pony when he decided he'd rather roll in it!

the best thing is to get your mare going on hound exercise so she gets used to the hounds, you can learn more about hunting and your mare learns that it's exciting but only if you behave!

don't forget to let us know how you get on!
 

Starbucks

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I have a pretty good one!!!

When I was a rebellious teenager, me and my friend decided it would be a good idea to have our you-know-what pierced... this coincided with my taking my dads huge, naughty, difficult to ride warmblood hunting for the first time. He had a massive jump that I wasn't really used to at the time. You know when you get jumped out of the saddle and land on the pommel (is that what it's called??), anyway, OOOUUUCCCHHHH!!!! This said piercing was partially ripped out, hence some bleeding... well you can imagine what that looked like!!!

But I was having quite a good time, and my mother assured me you couldn't see... so carried on anyway! :)

Trust someone to lower the tone! ;)
 

BeBopTalulah

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I have a pretty good one!!!

When I was a rebellious teenager, me and my friend decided it would be a good idea to have our you-know-what pierced... this coincided with my taking my dads huge, naughty, difficult to ride warmblood hunting for the first time. He had a massive jump that I wasn't really used to at the time. You know when you get jumped out of the saddle and land on the pommel (is that what it's called??), anyway, OOOUUUCCCHHHH!!!! This said piercing was partially ripped out, hence some bleeding... well you can imagine what that looked like!!!

But I was having quite a good time, and my mother assured me you couldn't see... so carried on anyway! :)

Trust someone to lower the tone! ;)

Landing on the pommel is still one of the most painful things I associate with riding, and I DON'T have my 'you know what' pierced! Good heavens! Tally ho!
 

Grey_Eventer

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the 09/10 season my horse was still a little wild and out of control, the huntsmen invited me to follow behind him and the hounds- i keenly accepted and off we went. We were standing by a wood and the hounds shot straight under horses nose having caught the scent, followed by huntsmen at full gallop blowing the horn- cue my wild horse charging off after them... we shot across this field, with the rest of the hunt to the right of us... my horse was getting a little ahead of himself, so me thinking "*****", i turned a circle....in front of the whole hunt... didnt slow horse down at all and he shot after the huntsmen again. After a few hedges he finally began to tire and the hounds lost the scent and I was able to pull up. Was very embarassing but thankfull a childrens meet and I just said my horse was young... he was 15 :p :D

Hes better behaved now if hes best friend is out (shes a saint) but we have to be right up at the front and have jumped past the fieldmaster when her horse refuses! :p
Were out every Saturday now and so I am excused for such incidents :D
 

Starbucks

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Landing on the pommel is still one of the most painful things I associate with riding, and I DON'T have my 'you know what' pierced! Good heavens! Tally ho!

Well it was more painful than having the damn thing done in the first place, that's for sure! ;)

My horses never really seem to behave that well! :p Current horse is probably the most well behaved, but still pass the FM from time to time. A good FM will laugh, if your apologetic!;)
 
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Loopypony

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My cob regularly makes it a habit of overtaking the field master! Eek! He's now known as super cob and we always get the same 'women drivers' comments ;) I still get embarassed everytime he does it.

I also decided to take my ex-racer on her first hunt.....in a loose ring snaffle and cavesson noseband.....yeah, didn't end well! She kicked three horses (tho not my fault, she had enough red tape in her tail for them to notice to stay back!), she bolted down a steep hill and launched over the fence at the bottom (whilst everyone else was going through the gate!) and then reared up bolt upright and almost backwards. At this point I decided it best to take her home. I did ring up the field master the day after to offer my hugest apologies....he simply laughed and said i'd provided the entertainment and they'd be glad to have me again!!!
 

pinklilly

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Starbucks I bet that stung a bit in the bath later!

I was doing 2nd horse and swapped onto a rather deranged p2p'er the hunt had on loan rather appropriately named Buster which we had just watched refusing a post and rail hunt jump several times.. Anyway the the field were elsewhere and the huntsman had gone on ahead so accompanied by the lady master we cantered up the hill, to my horror the horse locked onto the gate and there was no stopping him, we cleared it with the front end but the back end didn't come off the floor, all I heard was an almighty crash and the very well to do lady master saying ( with a very posh voice ) " Oh Emma, do you know how much five bar gates cost..? " The gate was completely smashed in two. The horse was known as Buster-gate after that and had apparently had similar incidents before.
 

L&M

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Over zealous shutting of a gate, resulting in whacking senior master on the knee cap and making her cry (she is a very tough lady normally)!!

What made it worse is the same Master had presented me with my hunt buttons the week prior!

Still cringe now at the memory and slinks off with shame.......
 

cptrayes

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Jeez! Is that you CPtrayes!? Well sat whoever the unfortunate jockey was...

Yes it was me :), but I was well used to him doing stupid things like that! You'd never believe his father was a GP showjumper, would you?

The problem was that he had shaken his head so violently that he threw off his curb chain. He was frantic to follow the field and I could not hold him, but the field had swung right and he swung to go after them, which would have meant him either jumping or knee-capping me on that gas pipeline marker :eek: I pulled hard, hard left to avoid it, and this was the result. I stayed on!

I now have my (different) hunter's curb attached with karabiners and this horse does something more sedate involving white boards and half the alphabet, which he is much more suited to :)

During the one season he hunted he presented me with many embarassing moments. He lay down at his first check, for example. My favourite illustration of just what an odd horse he (still) is was the time when I was half way across a largish field heading to a lovely tiger trap. He was probably at least 50 metres away from it, when the horse in front of him ran out to the left. And he promptly followed suit, in the middle of the field, and would not then approach the fence until another horse had overtaken him and shown him it was safe. He is dseperately overcautious as a jumper and dressage suits him a lot better!
 

Toffee_monster

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Hmm, i have only embarassing stories of hunting :(

My first horse tuppence decided to pee off with me,we overtook the field and the fieldmaster and careered down a track, flying a 5-bar that had yet to be opened and one of the staff came after me and managed to grab the reins to stop us - they werent angry with me thank god and they found it quite amusing.

My next horse was a fab little hunter with a great pop on her, we flew a fence once on a narrow track and i was so pleased i had survived i failed to notice that the track split and a tree was in the middle ....... Molly went one way, i went the other and hit the tree, out cold for 5 minutes to be woken up with hipflask contents splashed on my face, I was legged back on and told to get on with it. We managed to finish the day and only when i got home did i notice how badly damaged my hat was :(
 

Rose Folly

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It was the last meet of the season - a lovely, almost too-warm afternoon. Hounds were running like smoke, and I was a teenager on a cracking Connemara x TB with a crush on a newcomer to the district - very classy young man who'd been kind enough to notice me!

We were all taking our own line. I had my eye on a good spot in the hedge at the bottom of a sloping field behind a village. I did momentarily wonder why everybody else, including the young man, were keeping away to my right - and also wondered at how beautifully green the grass suddenly was.

The next moment I knew why. It was somebody's soak-away, and my gallant steed sank up to the elbows. I catapulted over his head. All I can say is that it was a very soft landing! I came up covered with every sort of thing you don't want to be covered with, and of course you can guess who it was who cantered politely back to help me in my moment of need.

I think it says a lot for him that we were an item for quite a long time - but he never let me forget it; nor did the rest of the field.
 
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