JenHunt
Well-Known Member
our childrens meet was last weekend. a beautiful day, at a meet that usually provides plenty of jumping for adults and children, and an entertaining day even for those who choose not to jump... this year the ground was so wet that there was only one little fence, and instead we were largely confined to tracks and field margins. It was the sort of day where you all go so far, about turn, go back again, about turn etc etc... you get the picture.
In these situations the field all get mixed up and those trying to stay at the back end up at the front and so on. At one point, after this had happened for the umpteenth time, OH and I ended up coming (on our 2x 16hh+ horses) onto a farm track as the field shot off in gallop, behind a mother and daughter on ponies. Mother's pony was maybe 14hh, and 8yo (approx) daughter on a pony that was perhaps 12hh at a push. Daughter was cantering along, with one hand holding both her reins, and one hand hanging onto the leadrope attached to the pony's noseband, with the biggest grin on her face.
Mother then allowed her pony to gallop on and catch up the field, leaving daughter to catch up when her pony's little legs got it there.
OH and I held back for a while, making sure child was ok, and when the pony moved to one side, and appeared to be content to stay there, OH and I went past (at a fair lick admittedly) and allowed our two to canter on. Our canter was maybe 3-400 yards before the field all came to a halt. Small child joined us a moment or two later, still grinning, and her mother asked if she'd enjoyed that to which she nodded vigorously.
A few moments later an older chap, leading two small ponies off his hunter, and another 2 nearby, said pointedly to us "can't you control your horses? You pushed past that child, you'll have scared her half to death, would have thought you'd have put her off ever coming hunting again, you really should know better"
OH was fuming and I almost had to restrain him, instead I said to the chap that we'd made our way past carefully, ensuring not to trample the pony or child. And I left it at that, and we moved our horses towards the front of the field again.
to my mind, there was no harm done. The child hunts a couple of times a month with us, and she and her family have grown massively in confidence this season. To me her little face said it all!
so - the question (after this little rant) is - did we do the right thing? should/could we have done it better? or was the guy just being a bit funny with us?
In these situations the field all get mixed up and those trying to stay at the back end up at the front and so on. At one point, after this had happened for the umpteenth time, OH and I ended up coming (on our 2x 16hh+ horses) onto a farm track as the field shot off in gallop, behind a mother and daughter on ponies. Mother's pony was maybe 14hh, and 8yo (approx) daughter on a pony that was perhaps 12hh at a push. Daughter was cantering along, with one hand holding both her reins, and one hand hanging onto the leadrope attached to the pony's noseband, with the biggest grin on her face.
Mother then allowed her pony to gallop on and catch up the field, leaving daughter to catch up when her pony's little legs got it there.
OH and I held back for a while, making sure child was ok, and when the pony moved to one side, and appeared to be content to stay there, OH and I went past (at a fair lick admittedly) and allowed our two to canter on. Our canter was maybe 3-400 yards before the field all came to a halt. Small child joined us a moment or two later, still grinning, and her mother asked if she'd enjoyed that to which she nodded vigorously.
A few moments later an older chap, leading two small ponies off his hunter, and another 2 nearby, said pointedly to us "can't you control your horses? You pushed past that child, you'll have scared her half to death, would have thought you'd have put her off ever coming hunting again, you really should know better"
OH was fuming and I almost had to restrain him, instead I said to the chap that we'd made our way past carefully, ensuring not to trample the pony or child. And I left it at that, and we moved our horses towards the front of the field again.
to my mind, there was no harm done. The child hunts a couple of times a month with us, and she and her family have grown massively in confidence this season. To me her little face said it all!
so - the question (after this little rant) is - did we do the right thing? should/could we have done it better? or was the guy just being a bit funny with us?
