Strong Horse or is it me??

[emmah1979]

My TB has been hunting quite a few times at various locations but always with big gaps between each meet. He would always be very calm at the start and at the end of each line but would be terribly strong as soon as we set off running. We never embarrassed ourselves by overtaking anyone who shouldn't have been overtaking, but it was always a fairly fraught experience - hence the big gaps between meets!

Have tried mild bits (snaffle), strong bits (pelham, american gag, dutch gag), pulling, relaxing, but he just gets the bit between his teeth and is off. The start stopping during a line didn't used to help either.

He is now retired but I want to do more regular hunting on the next horse that I get and so just want people's views on why he was like this and what I could have done to improve him or myself. I felt that I caused him to be so strong by holding him too tightly but when I tried to relax my reins he used to get faster and faster!

Would more regular hunting have helped?
Should I have tried something other than 'proper' drag hunting so he could get into a rhythm a bit more?
Do some horses never take to hunting?
How do you relax a horse when all it wants to do is go full pelt?

I've done a fair amount of hunting in the past on different horses but wouldn't decribe myself as an experienced hunter. I would like to get some advice prior to getting my new horse so I don't make any of the same mistakes again.

Any thoughts or advice gratefully received.

 

[Bernster]

So, first the caveat (I am a lawyer after all!) - I'm not an experienced hunter so hopefully people more knowledeable than me can help. But I do have a new horse that is quite TB in build and also just came back from a hunt course with the lovely, patient, brilliant teacher Harry Meade.

One of his tips to me was to check and release as he thought my horse was getting strong becuase I was holding on to her. He got me to give each rein in turn (push the rein forward and away from me). I can take a check each time but I had to give each time too. He thought that if I did that a few times, she'd come round. It is something to get used to as I felt like she was going faster when I did that but actually after a while I realised I could get better control and she wasn't tanking off at all.

Part of my problem is also that she is fast and has a real ground covering stride, so I think she's blasting off when actually she's just galloping nicely.

Like you, I *think* we've behaved ourselves by not overtaking unless we're out in the open, but we do seem to start at the back and end up in front pretty soon !

 

[wench]

Might be a good idea to start off by just cubbing first, nice a slowly, letting him get used to it.

Can you hack out in large group with plenty of cantering?

Get an experienced rider from the hunt to take him out for you first?

 

[emmah1979]

Thank you for your replies. I did take him cubbing a couple of times and he was pretty well behaved. Not so well behaved on the children's meet when the kids were galloping up and down past him though!!
I think part of the problem was lack of regular hunting but I also think part of the problem was me getting too pully on him when he got strong.