Taking a baby hunting?

[Fattie_Hattie]

Hi i have never posted on here but i was wondering what your views are on taking youngsters hunting. My mare is really nervous and doesnt like jumping anything that isnt simply a pole, but someone has said that they think taking her hunting will make her braver and more confident. But she is quite highly strung and i dont know if it would blow her mind??
Please I would like everyones opinions :grin: :grin:

 

[Starbucks]

Hi!

I have hunted lots of horses and only one has "blown it's mind" but he was a TB.

It's hard to say if it will improve her, but it certainly won't do any harm and you'll find she jumps a lot more than when you are on your own.

Just go for it. I'm sure you will have fun!

 

[Weezy]

I would have to ask "are you confident and a good rider" - because if she DOES have a total fit you need to sit tight and carry on and ride her through it!

 

[magic104]

Make sure you go with someone whose horse stays calm. A horse at our yard never took to it, he always mishaved & cant even be taken on sponsored rides. On the otherhand a TB mare from the yard took to it really well & she is a skits. If you explaine to them it is your first time they will look after you & if she is not going to settle you can take her back. The start of drag hunting is usually set over a smaller course & is less hairy then towards the end of the season.

 

[jumpthemoon]

I'm sure you'd be fine if you found someone to stay at the back with you and took your time. If you take it easy and keep to the back it isn't so manic and by the time you get to the jump most of it has been ploughed down by the horses in front There are usually gates you can go through as well, if the hedges are big.

 

[noonoo]

I think you should take your baby 'hunting', after all if it doesn't settle you can always go home, just be prepared for anything!!! Bit harsh there skidaw, at least if the horse goes a few times with hunting as it is, they will have a head start when this daft act is thrown out !!!!! :grin:

 

[DingDongScabiousOnHi]

Taking children hunting is bad enough. But taking BABIES hunting is disgusting. What chance do they have to learn that cruelty to animals is evil and wrong?

 

[noonoo]

sorry must be having a blonde moment cos i can't see where it says novice horse and novice rider. I agree if they are both novice its not a good idea, but if only the horse is a novice then as long as there is someone willing to stay with her and hattie is a confident and capable rider there shouldn't be too many problems. Everyone has to start somewhere and if this season ever gets going it might be a good idea to contact the master/s and explain the sittuation and see if they are agreeable to hattie taking her baby out. Or failing that ask if you can go out hound exercise, less people and not so much pressure and you can get out of the way qicker if you need to!!! :grin:

 

[jumpthemoon]

novice rider as in NEVER hunted .

I'm sorry but just because someone has NEVER hunted it doesn't mean they are a novice rider/wouldn't be able to control a young horse. You don't know the horse or the rider so I think to make that assumption is quite rude. F_H was merely asking for advice/opinions as to whether people felt her horse was old enough/would it help her courage not asking people to judge her riding ability.

 

[horsegirl]

Does she say she has never hunted?

 

[jumpthemoon]

Well spotted horsegirl - for all s_l knows she has hunted twice a week for the last 10 seasons! s_l obviously knows nothing about youngsters as he/she is assuming they are all poorly schooled and cannot be taken hunting by anyone except an experienced 'hunter'. There are plenty of older horses who are a pain in the *rse out hunting and plenty of youngsters with impeccable manners.

I fail to see how F_H would 'kill her horse' or 'ruin the day for the entire hunt' by pootling along at the back with an experienced person/horse accompanying her, taking her time and choosing an appropriate occasion. Anyway, rant over.... *takesbreath*

 

[Chestnut_filly14]

Taking children hunting is bad enough. But taking BABIES hunting is disgusting. What chance do they have to learn that cruelty to animals is evil and wrong?

Um - methinks the original post-ee meant "babies" as in an affectionate term for a young horses- as opposed to young humans.

Correct me if I'm wrong?

 

[Chestnut_filly14]

SL - no the reason is because people want to stick it to the government (and rightly so) and go hunting - especially now they have banned it.

You call it a problem - I see it as quite the opposite. I suspect you are pro-hunting yourself, I'm confused as do why you name it as problematic.

Surely growing support of hunting - and growing "hate" (in wont of a better word) of the ban is a positive move?

 

[noonoo]

so how are these novice hunters ever going to be anything else but novice if people like you are so very against them going out? Surely we should be encouraging people to go hunting not making them feel unwelcome. Also its a bit rude of you to make assumptions about jumpthemoon and how much experience she has had out hunting. Oh and by the way are you an expert?

 

[Chestnut_filly14]

I agree with Flotsam

 

[DingDongScabiousOnHi]

It seems to me that if they ever do repeal the ban they will have to put something in place to stop the very young from hunting.

They have it for pubs so why not the field too?

I believe some sort of licensing system was what the Middle Way group were on about.

Also somthing along the lines of the smoking ban might be in order allowing no hunting in confined public spaces but permitting it in the privacy of people's homes.

 

[Chestnut_filly14]

Wha?

Did you not GET it DBS? We are talking about young HORSES not CHILDREN!!!

And there's nothing wrong with children hunting - where do you think top eventers learnt?

 

[Chestnut_filly14]

allowing no hunting in confined public spaces but permitting it in the privacy of people's homes.

See, I wouldn't mind the hunt on my land - but in my living room? I'm not THAT pro-hunting... not yet anyway ;-)

 

[Chestnut_filly14]

Well the ORIGINAL post wasn't about her hunting experience - was it?

Couldn't someone have just said

"Well, actually only if you feel you are an experienced hunter should you think about taking a skittish youngster. If not - maybe get someone experienced to take her?"

Hunting might make her more bold? Not sure - having never been out myself *sob*

 

[noonoo]

But then we don't hunt in confined public spaces anyway so that is one problem solved with no need for yet more legislation!!!!!! :grin:

 

[noonoo]

Well S-L would be interested to know who you have hunted with for the 20+ years when you were picking up all these dead horses! In the 30+ years I have been involved with hunting there were very few horse casualties out hunting and we picked up more from off the roads having been involved in traffic accidents.

 

[DingDongScabiousOnHi]

But then we don't hunt in confined public spaces anyway so that is one problem solved with no need for yet more legislation!!!!!! :grin:

Well I still think some sort of law is required on the subject.

I mean how would you feel if a bunch of toffs on horses ran amok down your local drinking establishment with a pack of hounds?

 

[RLF]

Wha?

Did you not GET it DBS? We are talking about young HORSES not CHILDREN!!!

And there's nothing wrong with children hunting - where do you think top eventers learnt?

LOL do you not get it when someone is taking the 'P'

 

[noonoo]

DBS it would be great :grin: :grin:

 

[jumpthemoon]

"Also its a bit rude of you to make assumptions about jumpthemoon and how much experience she has had out hunting. Oh and by the way are you an expert? "

because of
"hehe! Yes I must say that's how Ive always viewed it, I used to go out with the Quorn occasionally "

Re: Would hunting help my horse? 12/09/07

as I spent 20+years picking up horses killed out hunting or that have had to be shot with bad injuries caused out hunting and 40 years hunting altogether (never mounted as there was no point as I have no interest in horses only HOUNDS AND TERRIERS)

Er..actually s_l I used to work for the Chairman - my hunting experience was on his son's horses when I was priveleged enough to take them. I have also (not that it is any of your business) been out many times with the Cranwell.

If you have no interest in horses then what are you doing responding to this post? I find you downright rude and arrogant and if the Hunting fraternity is made up of people like you then God help it! Fortunately in my 'limited' experience the people have always been very helpful and I see no reason why a young horse shouldn't be safe out hunting with a capable rider.

I just wonder how, with people like you involved in the sport, we are ever going to get this ban lifted and lose the stigma of 'arrogant old gits' that hunting is associated with.

 

[noonoo]

excuse me s-l but how dare you make assumptions about both myself and jtm and how we enjoy our hunting. i worked in hunt kennels for a very long time with both the horses and the hounds and enjoyed both equally. before the ban i didn't hunt to jolly about but did 2nd horses and when we were cubbing i was able to take one of the spare horses to give it it's excercise. on the contrary its far from being the horse people that gave hunting a bad name. you seem to forget that if there was no field there would be very limited hunting as the subs are needed to pay wages, running costs etc. i wonder why you bother to hunt at all if that is your attitude surely you would be better off with a couple of terriers and a spade? also i notice you didn't answer earlier post about who you hunted with where you had to collect all the dead horses? people like you make my blood boil!!!!

 

[Chestnut_filly14]

it was the "horse" people that got hunting into the state it was in before the ban and what we have now .the primary aim of hunting was to kill foxes not to give horse riders jolly gallops .
the arrogance of the mounted field was the main complaint from non hunting people , they couldn't give a toss about the fox being killed . yes i am rude and arrogant and that is only because of people like yourself and flotsam who look upon hunting as a horse thing

WHAT? I AM UTTERLY SPEECHLESS...... Oh my god! Cannot think of a reply to such arrogance - and in my opinion - inaccuracy.

OF course it was "horse" people that got it into the "state" it was in - its a horse riding sport!

Goodness me!

 

[magic104]

Where do you go hunting that you are picking up all these dead horses??? Our YO has been hunting for years as has his father before him & refutes this as being normal. Cubbing has been used for yrs to train riders & horses to go XC. Where else are horses/riders to get experience of hunting if not to attend them. They are advised to stay at the back & are made welcome at most hunts early in the season. As for hunting on horse back it has been happening ever since man sat on a horse. I have never had anyone be so rude when I have taken a youngster & though there are arrogant people hunting none more so then yourself S_L, but you find them in all walks of life!

 

[Eagle_day]

"Cubbing has been used for yrs to train riders & horses to go XC."

That is certainly true, but, a gentle reminder if I may, that autumn hunting is first and foremost about training the new entry of hounds.

But surely the beauty of hunting is that it offers so many different things to different people, whether you ride to hunt, hunt to ride, or don't ride at all.

 

[noonoo]

well said