What do you expect from your day's hunting?

R

RunToEarth

Well-Known Member
Joined
30 November 2005
Messages
18,549
Location
Lincs
Visit site
Since being with OH I have been hunting with a different hunt this season, I am loving it, as my OH whips in I have made some lovely friends in the field, one particular is a member on here.
On adjusting, I have realised that in my short lived hunting days so far, I have gone from bein g a small child whose main objective on a day out was to stay beind my field master, keep up with my mum on Super Bertha and razz about as fast as possible.
At the rockwood I liked the amount of hedges and walls and was in it for the jumping, and getting them fit for team chasing.
Now I am less about the jumping (still not convinced about the dyke/drain situation, it's not natural to me!!) but more about keeping up to hounds to watch them work and to recieve a certain amount of courtesy from the field masters and how they address people.
 
Never been that much about the hounds for me. Don't get me wrong I think they are great, but in a "aww aren't they cute" kind of way!

I like days when there aren't too many people out over good country (i.e. good ground and nice fences), I'm more into quality over quantity with the jumping.

Then I guess a bit of chatting and some hip flask action is always good!!

Know what you mean about field masters!! Some are just really not that nice at all!! Same goes for hunt staff - think they can get on a bit of a power trip! :p It just creates a bad atmosphere.

dikes scare the sh*t out of me!!! :shocked:
 
Its always been more about hounds than horses in our houses! That comes with being married to the huntsman! Glad you have seen the other side thanks to your OH the amateur whip. The riding is great but without the hounds and there work there is no riding!
You will get used to the ditches and dykes- however that my home ground anything else seems weird!
 
Never been that much about the hounds for me. Don't get me wrong I think they are great, but in a "aww aren't they cute" kind of way!

I like days when there aren't too many people out over good country (i.e. good ground and nice fences), I'm more into quality over quantity with the jumping.

Then I guess a bit of chatting and some hip flask action is always good!!

Know what you mean about field masters!! Some are just really not that nice at all!! Same goes for hunt staff - think they can get on a bit of a power trip! :p It just creates a bad atmosphere.

dikes scare the sh*t out of me!!! :shocked:
Click to expand...


Totally agree with everything there Starbucks, and this is why I much prefer Bloodhounding. There is always plenty of quality jumping, its cheaper than foxhunting, and I have only come across one field master who made me feel like a school child again. I find you are treated as a paying customer with the Bloodhound pack that I hunted with (even when gate shutting where I didn't pay a penny!), and after all, that is what we are.

Sadly, no bloodhounding for me for yet another season as my horse is no longer up to it. :(
 
I do like blood hounds - my mum and dad are pretty old skool Rockwood people but my dad ended up leaving the Rockwood (on a Saturday) to go with the Readyfield, so I went quite a bit - but we are probably talking 10 years ago!!

Can I just add that Rockwood FM's (and hunt staff) are FAB at the mo and totally lovely. :)......... not that they have always been!
 
There are no "bad" days hunting - notwithstanding what the weather, scent and going provide.
What I expect is the usual camaraderie, sitting on a quality horse, riding over good country - and, above all else, watching and listening to hounds enjoying themselves.
We all look after each other with the R&WH.
What else does one need?
 
Never been that much about the hounds for me.

Sorry?
Hounds are the whole point of hunting - just watching and listening to them is a joy.
Hunting is not just having a jolly about, even if hounds are having a blank day.
So, exactly why do you go hunting and for how many years??
Click to expand...
 
watching hounds hunting a true line rather than a trail seeing hounds cast and working cover all hunting as one and listening to them crying over miles of gorgeous yorkshire countryside. but we cant do that cos thats illegal :S
 
all about the hounds for me...that's why i used to follow on foot a lot when i was horseless and why i went out with the beagles at college etc
 
There are no "bad" days hunting - notwithstanding what the weather, scent and going provide.
What I expect is the usual camaraderie, sitting on a quality horse, riding over good country - and, above all else, watching and listening to hounds enjoying themselves.
We all look after each other with the R&WH.
What else does one need?
Click to expand...

Totally agree. If you do not want to watch hounds then why are you hunting? That is what it is all about. Hunting is not an upmarket pleasure ride, although I have to admit there are some out who seem to think that it is.....but that is another story.
 
I must admit a couple of years ago it was a lot less about watching hounds work, and a lot more about the jumping and the hip flask. Since being with OH and being with his hunt, I have had a completely different hunting experience. Maybe its because my home hunting and going down the slippery slope and the hunting is nothing to watch anyway, but I find with OH's hunt you get a completely different experience, keeping up to hounds and the field really getting involved.
 
All about hounds for me nowadays but used to be the opposite until I started living with someone who hunts them for a living! Basically, unless you are involved with hounds and the hunt staff it is really difficult to learn what is going on and therefore as just a member of the field you end up seeing very little of the hound work and not really understanding what you see. I think it is a real shame that many people never experience the thrill of hound work up close, it is magic.
 
There are no "bad" days hunting - notwithstanding what the weather, scent and going provide.
What I expect is the usual camaraderie, sitting on a quality horse, riding over good country - and, above all else, watching and listening to hounds enjoying themselves.
We all look after each other with the R&WH.
What else does one need?
Click to expand...

Totally agree. If you do not want to watch hounds then why are you hunting? That is what it is all about. Hunting is not an upmarket pleasure ride, although I have to admit there are some out who seem to think that it is.....but that is another story.
Click to expand...

Yes, far too many half-wits out having cocktail parties in large groups, standing with their backs to hounds and just having a total jolly.
Don't get me wrong, I like a cocktail as much as the next person but I do like sitting quietly, on my own, watching and listening to hounds working.
Mozart, Puccini (much as I adore Madame BF), Chopin, Beethoven, et al could never create music such as hounds do. It makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up and brings tears to my eyes.
 
I do it because I think its fun! What difference does it make what bits of it I think are fun?

I do like watching the hounds and primarily focus on keeping up with them rather than the field master (confuses me a bit when they are going in the other direction to hounds!), but I don’t go home thinking “oh didn’t the hounds work well today” I go home thinking “Oh wasn’t my horse brill today!”

We’ve walked loads of puppies in the past and I do love them to bits, but I’m just more interested in spotting the next hedge we might be jumping.. or getting in on the next person who gets their flask out than paying attention to what the hounds are doing..

So – why does it matter if I go hunting for different reasons to you?
 
I do it because I think its fun! What difference does it make what bits of it I think are fun?
I’m just more interested in spotting the next hedge we might be jumping.. or getting in on the next person who gets their flask out than paying attention to what the hounds are doing..
So – why does it matter if I go hunting for different reasons to you?

Ditchjumper2 - over to you please.
If I replied to this post, I might just not be able to contain myself - and get "sent home"!
Words fail me - which is not the norm for me.
 
So what, exactly, are you trying to say, MrWoof? That only people who want to watch hounds work should go hunting? What about people who need to qualify point to pointers? I'll bet you any money that they won't be out purely to watch hounds work.

If you really do hunt purely to watch hounds work and for no other reason, why bother with the expense of a horse? Go out with a foot pack instead!
 
I like how you quoted bits of my post to make it sound more how you wanted it to! :p

/should I not bother going any more then (in your opinion)?
 
I love the days when my boss isn't field-mastering and we can stay with hounds. I get to see so much more and we can stand on the side of the hill watching. Some of my best days we haven't jumped a stick! Don't get me wrong I love the days in the field too.

Last season we had a few days were it was too icy to take horses out so went on quads. We had a fab time as we could all stay with hounds and apart from having to cling on for dear life occasionally (my driver was a bit crazy) we had a really good day.
 
I do it because I think its fun! What difference does it make what bits of it I think are fun?

I do like watching the hounds and primarily focus on keeping up with them rather than the field master (confuses me a bit when they are going in the other direction to hounds!), but I don’t go home thinking “oh didn’t the hounds work well today” I go home thinking “Oh wasn’t my horse brill today!”

So – why does it matter if I go hunting for different reasons to you?
Click to expand...

I think the clue is in the title ie. "hunting" after all that is why the hunts exist....to hunt. Not to merely provide people with a jolly over a few jumps and a bit of grass. I thought that those who just want to gallop and jump went with bloodhounds!!

Surely the enjoyment of hunting is watching hounds work? To cross the country as it comes to keep up with them as far as possible, not go for a 2 mile detour with the sole purpose of jumping as much as possible. Good houndwork makes for a good day in my eyes.
 
If you really do hunt purely to watch hounds work and for no other reason, why bother with the expense of a horse? Go out with a foot pack instead! [/quote]

For the simple reason that I ride to hunt - not hunt to ride.
I also go out on foot from certain Meets, knowing that I will be in a far better position to watch hounds.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top