What do you do with your Hunters in the summer?

solitairex

solitairex

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Just curious!

With Dennis I will do lots of Cross Country schooling, Hunter trials, Pony Club (usually only the XC rallys, he's really not great on the whole Gymkhanna etc. ;) aha) and fun rides, hacks and so. I did Pony Club Camp on him this Summer and it went well but he's finished his intense SJ training and I don't know whether I can be prepared to pay for the 3 times a week lessons and lots of boring gridwork etc. to get him half decent as he is always gonna be best as a hunter. So I'll probably just have fun on him going to the beach and the gallops etc. My friends can hack out on him with me too with me on my pony so that's fun. Does anyone turn theirs away?
 
Mine are turned away, we both need time out for those little niggles to right themselves.

Edited to add - I suppose it depends how much you hunt them, my mare did (when not being a mum) 3 days a fortnight and was skinny and tired by the end of the season. She earned her break.
 
some go out, some stay in work - depends on the individual, how hard they hunted - I don't like turning the big boys out to lose all the muscle they built up over the winter - they might get an easy month off, then start ticking over again - no rest for the wicked!!
 
Mine get a couple of weeks off then back up into work ready for eventing. After a summer eventing, hunter trialling, and the la-de-dah stuff they get a couple of weeks off again before they start to get up together for hunting.
 
oakash said:
Summer? SUMMER?? What's that then??
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That's so how I am feeling atm aha!

As I am at school mine only gets hunted once a fortnight apart from holidays and the odd day scived off of school, well until my Dad starts hunting him. So he's not really getting too much hard work and I think turning him away would do more harm and good, and as I said I'd like to do all the above things on him!

And aha about the wellies! ;)
 
With my old pony we used to hunt once a week (full day, none of this 2pm stuff) and dressage in the summer. A bit of an odd mix, but it worked!

I tried to do some riding club this summer, but lost all motivation to keep him fit. I only seem to have the motivation for hunting. So ended up just hacking a bit really.
 
It really depends my OH turns his out for about 6 months. Last year I did the same with Taylor only because he had a tie back operation and I wanted to give him as much time off as possible!

If he isn't sold he will do some eventing in the spring then get a 4 week break then some eventing again and I will try and give him another break before hunting starts!
 
As I only hunt my a couple of times a month at the most, he is worked all year round. He is also a very good doer and prone to Laminitis so I need to keep him fit and in work all year round to keep his weight down. In the summer, we do lots of long hacks, a couple of local shows and maybe go cross country schooling. :)
 
The smaller cob isn't hunted much so he'll carry on hacking and doing fun events. The bigger boy has done quiet a lot (until the weather turned) and as he's only 5 he'll have a good few weeks off then come back to work and do hacking and fun stuff. Not 100% sure either will be hunting at all next year as this winter has put me off!! So much preparation and money spent getting them fit and for only a few days out...not worth it! :(
 
mine goes competing, dressage,sj,xc ,eventing, hunter trials gymkhana shows!! everything after 2 weeks off at end of hunt season just to sweeten her up! then in the summer shes has a time of lighter work!! and she hunt 2-4times a month for full days (from meet until the very end)
 
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