Whats the best plan if you meet the hunt out hacking?

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cobiau

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As title really, hacking today just turning a corner on a quiet country road and :eek: about 40 horses with hounds coming towards us, lots of trotting sideways, prancing and snorting horses in their midst, i dont think they'd been out long. All was well thankfully, we dismounted and stood to the side to allow them (and the half dozen 4x4s following them) to pass, our horses were a little excited and fidgety and unfortunately it did put them on edge for the rest of our hack, a little further along a couple of ponies in a field did the galloping up and down the fence trick as we were passing and this completely blew our horses brains! Where the 3 of them are normally ultra sensible, we had spinning, snorting, lunging beasties instead - but i think (hope) this was all a knock-on effect of the earlier excitement...anyway, just wondering peoples thoughts, would you/have you dismounted and allowed them to pass or would it have been better to try and walk calmly past as if they weren't there?
 
I absolutely would NOT have dismounted, far too easy for the horse to get away from you, especially in a herd situation like a hunt.

What would I have done? I would have tagged on with the hunt for a field or two :D
 
Definitely sensible dismounting. Only thing I could suggest would to be get off the road, which of course isnt always practical.

A friend and I left hunting early because her horse was being an idiot and decided to hack home, he had just about relaxed when they cam galloping over the horizon in full cry! Que both boys waking up thinking we had taken a short cut, a very interesting hack home followed!!
 
Sounds like you did the right thing!
I have one horse I would def dismount as he is a puppy in hand and completely mummy-focussed. My mare, however, would be over the hill and far away if I got off, probably with bits of me stuck in her hooves. Much safer to stay on board with that one and ride out the storm!
 
I would never ever get off a horse in that situation - its far too easy for the horse to pull away from you and then you have a loose horse situation.

I would stay on. And have my horses head towards them, arse preferably to the hedge and then a smart trot in the opposite direction I think!
 
I have met the hunt quite a few times out on a quiet hack!! I tend to either duck into a gateway, if we are in a field and they come flying past, or, as said before tag on behind.

They often ask if I want to join in!!! quite funny with me in my hi viz.

I would never dismount, I have more control on top.
 
I think you have to know your horse and do what you feel is sensible. If I had been in the same situation I would most definitely have got off because my mare would have launched herself into a bucking bronco due to sheer excitement. I feel in her case I would have far better control from the ground.

As it happens I usually clip a lead rope onto my saddle when I go out hacking for those ' just in case' moments!
 
MissTyc said:
Sounds like you did the right thing!
I have one horse I would def dismount as he is a puppy in hand and completely mummy-focussed. My mare, however, would be over the hill and far away if I got off, probably with bits of me stuck in her hooves. Much safer to stay on board with that one and ride out the storm!
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how is getting off the right thing!!!! 40 horses heading to you!!!! I feel getting off is the most dangerous thing you could have done tbh.

Me I would off joined them
 
I'd tag along til my po got tired... saves the row and the tense horse. It's happened to me twice once with my big chap and once with a welsh cob... The big chap went for an hour (I had limited choice... I either went with him or he went on his own) and the welsh cob (Lazy in the extreme) went for about 300 yards and then decided that was too much like hard work!

BnB
 
thatsmygirl said:
how is getting off the right thing!!!! 40 horses heading to you!!!! I feel getting off is the most dangerous thing you could have done tbh.

Me I would off joined them
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Well since it worked for the OP, one can in my opinion say that for her and her horse it was the "right thing" ... As I said, I have one I'd rather get off and another I'd rather stay. Everyone knows their horse.

In my case it's not the hunt as they don't come near us, but the racehorse gallops ... which is rather exciting as well!
 
This happened to me once when riding a friends 'kick-a-long'. He immediately changed into a lovely forward going stead- unfortunately I couldn't get away from the back of the field- luckily they were going passed 'home' so we could duck off. But rode with them for 20 minutes them all looking gorgeous and me in skinny jeans, brown riding boots, riding what looked like an over grown therwell! They were lovely and luckily found it quite funny- looking back so can i, but at the time I was mortified with embarassment.

I wouldn't get of my boy- much safer to stay on board- but each to their own.
 
I wouldn't DO anything different, I'd just carry on with my ride. why would you feel you would have to do anything different? My horse wouldn't care - sure he may get a bit alert and quicken his pace but that'd be it. He doesn't care about dogs, vehicles and he sees large numbers of horses at events so that wouldn't be anything special.

I would just continue my ride and go past them if they were coming towards me.
 
The day is definitely coming when this will happen to us! I've spoken to my daughter about it and suggested that we may need to join in on my ex racer and her Anglo Arab but she doesn't fancy that idea! It would be safer for us not to dismount despite any bucking & carry on and I would attempt to keep moving in our intended direction! We would also have galloping ponies in their fields to put up with !
 
It would depend which horse I was riding and would be a case of a) tagging along for a while or b) wondering if it's too late to convert to Christianity!
 
Personally would never ever dismount in that situation as your much more in-control atop a horse than you are on the ground, have seen peoples horses gallop off many times while they have got off to let the hunt go past (while I've been out hunting), then huntsman gets annoyed as he often has to go chasing after it to bring it back...

I would just stand on the verge side, still and let your horse watch them go past, lots of pats and reassurance as necessary... (well actually I would join in but still :p)
 
I'd personally never ever get off in that situation - I much prefer having hands and legs for control! Having said that, I can understand why someone who would be too nervous to let their horse tank off with them and follow the hunt would get off.

As for the "angry huntsman who has to catch the loose horse" well I don't have a terrible amount of sympathy - its their hurtling past a novice that made the horse run off afterall. The hunt ought to appreciate that not everyone would be in control when the hunt flew past - even if it was just in trot...
 
definately dismount on my horses, i wouldnt stay on else. others that have manners i would stay on. would hate to be in that situation though!!
 
i would have tagged along for an hour..... saves on the cap then gone home. no i personally would not have got off my horse as i have more control on board. and where he goes i go too.....
 
With mine it would either of two ways...

Either stand there snorting and try to keep beastie from exploding...

Or...

Hang on for dear life!!!

I have hunted this boy before, and a bit hairy doesn't quite describe it LOL!!!

No way I'd get off him, but that's purely because if he does bolt and throw all 4 legs in the air in different directions at the same time, at least if I'm on him I have a chance of keeping up with him...
 
I definitely wouldnt dismount. You have much less control from the ground. Other than that, you did as I probably would hve - stand aside and let them pass.
 
Well, I would (hopefully) have spotted them from a few hundred yards off, let out great cries of 'be careful she kicks, she kicks!' wheeled around, set off at a smart trot and tried to distract her in every way possible, singing and growling and generally acting like a loon. However I just know she'd nap and I'd end up in the middle of it, so I'd have to go along with it until they hit a field, and then try and circle around, persuade her we're taking a short cut, and nip out through the gate again. Would be praying all the while as I hack in a snaffle and hunt in a double bridle, would be absolute hell!
 
Solo1 said:
Well, I would (hopefully) have spotted them from a few hundred yards off, let out great cries of 'be careful she kicks, she kicks!' wheeled around, set off at a smart trot and tried to distract her in every way possible, singing and growling and generally acting like a loon. However I just know she'd nap and I'd end up in the middle of it, so I'd have to go along with it until they hit a field, and then try and circle around, persuade her we're taking a short cut, and nip out through the gate again. Would be praying all the while as I hack in a snaffle and hunt in a double bridle, would be absolute hell!
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LOL!!!

I think we should start a 'hang on for dear life' clique :D

Unless there already is one ilmao!! In which case I'm joining pronto ;)
 
You got home safely so you clearly chose the right thing for your horse and the situation.

Personally I would have had a heart attack and left someone else to pick up the pieces (mine and the horse's!).
 
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