Fiona
Well-Known Member
After the opening meet it rained for the next fortnight, so had a few Saturdays at home. The rain finally stopped midweek, and thanks to our fab hosts Brian and his family we were able to hunt on Saturday (bloodhounds - so able to pick and choose which land to cross).
Sophie was delighted on Saturday morning when the lorry was started up and hunting preparations commenced (tail plaited up and LOTS of coatshine on her legs and tummy to HOPEFULLY stop the mud from sticking.
The meet was quite protracted, as the huntsman's horse had a whoopsie in the trailer and had to be left at home (thankfully he was able to enlist a substitute)..
Due to this, OH declined to pose for the camera (he is a pig - he knew I wanted a pic before S got covered in mud, and I missed the opening meet). This is the best I could do (as they moved off)..
End of the first run..
ENd of the second run..
just to show her lovely tail..
As can be seen from the pictures it was EXTREMELY foggy, and the runners were getting too far ahead so the scent wasn't great. This wasn't helped by the two best bitches having to be left in kennels due to being in heat
.
Needless to say my view of the exciting bits was much curtailed, but did manage to get one pic of a reasonable hedge (you'll just have to take my word for it - that is Sophie in the picture, though out of a field of a dozen I think 8 were grey horses
)
From a spectating point of view my most exciting/nervewracking experience was when we came across a large expanse of flooded road, and I was in the chairman's very snazzy (but very low to the ground) sports car. The jeeps in front got through OK, I thought we wouldn't, but he 'kicked on' anyway. My only consolation was the fact that I had my welly boots on, but in actual fact we made the far side unscathed/unsoaked
Unfortunately I missed getting any pics of the biggest fence of the day, a rather substantial hedge with a LARGE drop and sharp left turn downhill on the landing side ( I did see it though on the Sunday when we were fencing/removing tags and it certainly lived up to its billing (OH wittered on about it all Sat evening)). Also some sizeable drains which she is very good at - she slides down and pops
Inevitably Sophie was so muddy when we got back to the lorry that there was no point in starting to wash her off, so we rugged her up, and then 'attacked' her with the hosepipe back at the yard. I have suggested to OH that Flo is a much more 'suitable' hunting colour (she is bay), his reply was that her colour may be suitable, but her reluctance to stand still and propensity to jump into drains rather than over them makes her strictly 'second string' and 'for emergency use only'
So anyway - Sophie is very much enjoying her 'winter' career as a hunt horse (no dressage
), and any plans of mine to turn her into a dressage diva have been put on hold/buried in the muck heap
for the next four months.
Fiona
Sophie was delighted on Saturday morning when the lorry was started up and hunting preparations commenced (tail plaited up and LOTS of coatshine on her legs and tummy to HOPEFULLY stop the mud from sticking.
The meet was quite protracted, as the huntsman's horse had a whoopsie in the trailer and had to be left at home (thankfully he was able to enlist a substitute)..
Due to this, OH declined to pose for the camera (he is a pig - he knew I wanted a pic before S got covered in mud, and I missed the opening meet). This is the best I could do (as they moved off)..
End of the first run..
ENd of the second run..
just to show her lovely tail..
As can be seen from the pictures it was EXTREMELY foggy, and the runners were getting too far ahead so the scent wasn't great. This wasn't helped by the two best bitches having to be left in kennels due to being in heat
Needless to say my view of the exciting bits was much curtailed, but did manage to get one pic of a reasonable hedge (you'll just have to take my word for it - that is Sophie in the picture, though out of a field of a dozen I think 8 were grey horses
From a spectating point of view my most exciting/nervewracking experience was when we came across a large expanse of flooded road, and I was in the chairman's very snazzy (but very low to the ground) sports car. The jeeps in front got through OK, I thought we wouldn't, but he 'kicked on' anyway. My only consolation was the fact that I had my welly boots on, but in actual fact we made the far side unscathed/unsoaked
Unfortunately I missed getting any pics of the biggest fence of the day, a rather substantial hedge with a LARGE drop and sharp left turn downhill on the landing side ( I did see it though on the Sunday when we were fencing/removing tags and it certainly lived up to its billing (OH wittered on about it all Sat evening)). Also some sizeable drains which she is very good at - she slides down and pops
Inevitably Sophie was so muddy when we got back to the lorry that there was no point in starting to wash her off, so we rugged her up, and then 'attacked' her with the hosepipe back at the yard. I have suggested to OH that Flo is a much more 'suitable' hunting colour (she is bay), his reply was that her colour may be suitable, but her reluctance to stand still and propensity to jump into drains rather than over them makes her strictly 'second string' and 'for emergency use only'
So anyway - Sophie is very much enjoying her 'winter' career as a hunt horse (no dressage
Fiona
