what to expect on a newcomers meet?

[handbagsandhay]

I am going ona newcomers meet.... I have never hunted before in any way shape or form. I contacted the secretary who basically just said its a shorter day with optional jumps....I would like to jump but don't want to be hedge flying haha. So if there is a "jumping" field and "non jumping" field what one do I go with if I want to pick and choose (ie only jump anything that looks remotely sensible to me) or given that it is a newcomers day will the jumps likely be more manageable anyway??? i suppose this will be different per pacfk…. anyone got any pictures/advice/stories from their first newcomers - also the only stock I have is white - and for some reason i think I read something about not wearing a white stock??? is that correct?

 

[Kat]

With the jumping it depends on your hunt. On a regular day with the pack I hunt with regularly all jumping is optional and you can jump what you fancy. If you go non-jumping but spot a nice little jump you can give it a go, likewise if you go jumping but don't like the look of it you don't need to jump it. On the rare occasion there is a line where once you have jumped in you have to keep jumping the field master warns everyone.

However I once did a children and newcomers meet with another pack and there were three jumps that were not optional and were not small either. Put me off going with them again.

Perhaps post which pack it is so someone can advise, you might even be able to find someone to buddy up with.

Re stocks, it depends whether you are autumn hunting or after opening meet. For opening meet you should wear tweed with a tie or coloured stock. After opening meet black or navy jackets with a white/cream stock.

 

[handbagsandhay]

With the jumping it depends on your hunt. On a regular day with the pack I hunt with regularly all jumping is optional and you can jump what you fancy. If you go non-jumping but spot a nice little jump you can give it a go, likewise if you go jumping but don't like the look of it you don't need to jump it. On the rare occasion there is a line where once you have jumped in you have to keep jumping the field master warns everyone.

However I once did a children and newcomers meet with another pack and there were three jumps that were not optional and were not small either. Put me off going with them again.

Perhaps post which pack it is so someone can advise, you might even be able to find someone to buddy up with.

Re stocks, it depends whether you are autumn hunting or after opening meet. For opening meet you should wear tweed with a tie or coloured stock. After opening meet black or navy jackets with a white/cream stock.

Thank you for your helpful response. It is the Lauderdale newcomers in the Scottish Borders. It is this weekend so (I think) still classed as Autumn hunting. I think I will struggle to get another stock in time for the weekend.

How strange you would think that a children and newcomers would especially ensure that all jumping was optional! Eek! I currently only jump up to about 75cm at home so while I am under no illusion that the adrenaline on the day may make me feel a little more willing to try something bigger I am not going to be stupid and ruin it for myself. I would like to try some smaller jumps but be able to bypass those which are a bit scary!!

 

[handbagsandhay]

Re stocks - For autumn hunting a shirt & tie should be fine anyway.
It's a newcomers meet - if they get sniffy about the "wrong" stock, they need to get over themselves. But i doubt very much that anyone would have any issue. Be safe and tidy and have tons of fun!
Re: jumping - i would just ask when you get there which group to go with. The hunt want you to enjoy yourself and come back. There'll be people to help out/ give a lead / give advice, I'm sure.
I've only ever hunted in Wales, but uniformly the people I've met have been friendly, encouraging & welcoming. I'm from a non-horsey, non-hunting background so knew *nothing* to start with.
Have an absolute blast.

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Thank you. I did think a tie would be fine but my thermal shirt is a stock shirt so thought it wouldn't look right with a tie. I could wear a normal shirt but worried about getting cold. Thank you for your help - I am already nervous without the worry of being called out for not dressing correctly

 

[Kat]

Normal shirt with a thermal vest or long sleeved t-shirt then wear your tie 😊

Then you look bang on and feel snug and warm.

If you are ok at 75cm jumping I bet you will be fine. The jumps on the one I went on were probably 80/85cm so not enormous but I was on a youngish inexperienced horse in a very straight cut saddle. We survived but I thought it was poor planning on the part of the hunt.

Not all packs are like this though, the one I go with always have the option to do absolutely no jumping whatsoever. I believe they aren't the only ones either.

Hope you have a fab time!

 

[ycbm]

The one I used to go with, the jumps were all tiny for beginners days. But because they were beginners, and the day was cheap compared to normal so the field was big, it was often a complete chaos of out of control horses and falling off riders.

I ended up avoiding them.

 

[palo1]

Newcomer's days vary enormously and much will depend on what the country is generally like and how much thought the organisers have put in to the day! We are lucky that jumping is always optional in our country and the committee do not spend time putting out hunt jumps in open country (lots of hunts do that so that people who like jumping will have fun) as that feels rather 'artificial' to us. Local drag hound pack spend ages putting out portable jumps though!! Any hunt that minds what you wear (other than to be clean, tidy and safe which covers a huge wardrobe) on any occasion other than perhaps a significant lawn meet really don't deserve your money too!! We regularly have folk turn up in all sorts of clothing - including pink riding boots on a couple of occasions and that absolutely doesn't matter. So you shouldn't worry about the dress code but make sure you are warm, safe and comfortable. Ask the organisers what is best with regard to the jumping and if they are worth their salt they should be able to explain clearly and give you good advice. I hope you have a good day - you should be made to feel welcome and encouraged. The whole point is for you to enjoy the experience and NOT to be made to feel in any way that you have got anything 'wrong'!! Look forward to hearing how you get on

 

[Gamebird]

I think there's a vast difference these days between things like some of the bloodhound/drag packs that build jumps and put out eventing-type portables for the day (so often a wide variety of heights to suit everyone), and traditional hunting, where you jump to cross the country - so a jumpable rail in a line of fencing, or a hedge, or a hunt jump. These tend to be of a sensible size to keep stock in so will never be tiny, but are not often huge. They can be in quite trappy places too, depending on the country, so you won't always get a nice run up. I've not been for a bit, but from experience hunting in the Borders would fall into the second category. When I've been up there there were quite a lot of stone walls and hunt rails - a lot of it is sheep country, so they're big enough to keep sheep in - maybe 2'9 or so. A lot of hunts are building tiger traps rather than just upright rails now, which are a lot more welcoming/forgiving (and a lot less likely to get smashed). There will often be a group of people heading for a gate to open, so follow them if you see something you don't fancy.

 

[handbagsandhay]

Thank you all so much for your friendly, helpful responses. I have everything washed and hung up ready. I am half mega excited and half terrified. but I am going to have a jumping lesson on the hireling I will be taking tomorrow evening so looking forward to that!

 

[handbagsandhay]

Well! What a wonderful day!!! Thanks so much for everyone's replies. i had a great time. Friendly, relaxed, reasonable paced - there ended up being no jumping but I think it was due to ground conditions (very boggy and wet) I couldn't really hear the speech at the start due to the wind so it may have been mentioned then! But I really enjoyed myself and I am glad I went!

 

[palo1]

That is great to hear!! Hope you have more lovely days out now