Which type of hunt is the slowest?!

[peanut]

I'd like to introduce my 5 1/2 year old to hunting this season.

Although she's well behaved whilst out hacking, heaven knows how she would behave at her first hunt as she's never been out in a large group of strange horses before and she can get excited when there is speed involved!

Please could you recommend the steadiest type of hunting for a youngster to try. She's only just started jumping so we need option jumps or at least very small ones.

 

[Darkly_Dreaming_Dex]

Post your area as hunting varies across the Uk!

 

[peanut]

Hants/Oxon/Berks

 

[RunToEarth]

If you go to www.mfha.org.uk and search for hunts in your area, call the hunt sec andf explain your situation they will advise you on best days to come out etc. I would say you have missed the best time to introduce youngsters to it for this season, horses are fit in mid season and hunting days will be long now, I would try going on hound exercise fromSeptember onwards which is the time to introduce horse and get them fit accordingly.

 

[dozzie]

You could try the Southern Shires Bloodhounds. They are quite gentle!

 

[Holloa]

I would definately say that going with the foxhounds is quite a bit slower than draghounds. I find that on certain meets ( woodland, trailing) there is alot of stop start stop start, wait, wait. But with draghunting its full on for a line then a 15min breather then off on line 2!
Probably the slowest of them all is autumn hunting, alot of waiting around! but i don't think you want to wait until august/oct 08 !!

The vale of aylesbury with garth and south berks have a huge hunting country which starts from dunstable/aylesbury way all the way down to basingstoke and everywhere in between. So you could look on their website, find a weekday hunt which is mainly woods and go from there. Saturdays do tend to be busier/ with jumps and fast!
I'm not sure of the pack around hampshire i'm afraid- but you can find it on the web.

good luck! i'm into my second season with my boy and he's still a nutcase, but he's getting better! oh and perseverance is the key!! oh, and make sure you were a green band on her tail( tells everyone she's green to hunting!) oh and up your brakes a bit, its better to have a slightly stronger bit in her mouth, than tugging at her mouth with a mild one! trust me, i've been through it all with my boy! we've still got brake issues....

 

[DawnF]

Have you thought about going out when they exercise the hounds after the season has finished? You would be best off getting in touch with your local hunt I'm sure they would be very helpful!!!! Good luck x.

 

[Hersom]

Do you really mean slowest? A good long run will take the fizz out of any horse while lots of hanging around can find you with a horse bouncing off all the others and making a nuisance of himself. The Cambridge (flat country and few jumps) is good for this but talk to the secretary first and get some advice.

Tend to agree that by this point of the season all the horses are a bit fit and can be rather keen.

Bitting is a big conversation topic. Chatted to two ladies out with snaffles bits (practically unheard of) and they explained that they were following my 17hh IDx and using his brakes... By the way double reins give you the option to be nice or nasty: I dont like seeing horses running with single reins on the bottom ring of a gag - nothing or nasty.

 

[Starbucks]

I ride in a snaffle but tend not to run into peoples behinds! :smirk:

 

[Weezy]

Old Berks on a weekday - it is the most unthrusty hunt I know but I love it!