Why jump the hedge when the gate is open?

Mr Woof I don't have a clue what you are on about, sorry.

Marmalade I was so disappointed that we aren't in any of them, because my horse is a baby and it was the first day that he had been happy to attack one hedge after another. What a thrill! I bought him unbroken in March (he's 6) and I never expected him to come on so quickly. He was pretty dangerous first time out , blew his mind and brought us both down in wire! I keep waiting for the gallery photos to go up, hoping he's in one of those.
 
I jumped whatever the fieldmaster jumped in previous years. My parents always told me that you should only jump when it is needed.
This season I find myself with a different pack, and riding my OH's horses.
if you only have one horse for a day's hunting, which most of the field do, you save your horse and go through the gate. I've been lucky enough to get two good horses a day so far and they are very willing, but my trail of thought remains that horses are there to follow hounds, if I need to jump to keep up I will.
 
i'd love to visit your drag hunt for the experience but as i'm wheelchair bound i'm knackered, but it would be interesting- whereabouts is your hunt anyway?
Click to expand...

Well that's a b*88*r and no mistake :crazy:. I hope that wasn't a riding accident. I write the copy for the fundraising letters for Spinal Research so I'm doing my best to get people with spinal injuries out of their chairs. The answer is getting so much closer. If your problem is an SI, I hope it's found in time for you.

Cheshire Farmers hunt the whole of the eastern side of Cheshire out to the border with Derbyshire, and the tip of the north east corner of Staffordshire. That country includes flat farmland (hedge country) and Peak Park hill and moorland (wall country). They are trying to breed a purely blue pack, apparently, and when they do we will be calling ourselves the Cheshire Blues. It's a great drag to hunt with because of the variety of terrain and the friendliness too. I've been out with three drag packs and three fox packs in my time and none of them compared for friendliness with CFDH.

Another thing about the predictability of drag lines is that we are always followed by the quad, often two, to close gates, refix wire and mend broken fences. I'm getting a crazy fundraising idea for Spinal Research that maybe you should come hunting pillion on the quad bike and we can get you sponsored for each mile you cover????? Daft idea probably.
 
i'd love to visit your drag hunt for the experience but as i'm wheelchair bound i'm knackered, but it would be interesting-

I'm getting a crazy fundraising idea for Spinal Research that maybe you should come hunting pillion on the quad bike and we can get you sponsored for each mile you cover?
Daft idea probably.

Not daft at all - and count me in please.
I did not realise that Salimali was wc-bound until reading her last post.
Knowing SM, she does not want sympathy - so let's kick on and do something positive which will be great fun for her too.
 
Mr Woof, read the posts on the latest news about the woman claiming compensation. i stupidly posted my opinions and have been well and truly slated for it, maybe you too will disagree with what i wrote, i dont know, i wish to hell that i didn't get involved now!! see what you think-
 
Mr Woof, read the posts on the latest news about the woman claiming compensation. i stupidly posted my opinions and have been well and truly slated for it, maybe you too will disagree with what i wrote, i dont know, i wish to hell that i didn't get involved now!! see what you think-
Click to expand...

Give me Title of Post please.
 
I'm a wimp, riding a little cob who doesn't have the biggest scope.

I would go through an open gateway before I'd jump the hedge. I enjoy the essence of hunting, but I get my thrill out of following the hounds. I don't feel I have anything to prove in trying to jump everything. My horse gets a bit flat and fast at times (we keep trying new bits) so I prefer to not jump fences unless we're in complete control. Not worth the risk.....I'd like us both to live to see another day. :-)

That said, if I owned an out and out hunter, who had scope to burn and would jump anything it was pointed at I am pretty sure I'd jump the hedge!
Click to expand...

Ditto this :p
 
cptrayes said:
Well that's a b*88*r and no mistake :crazy:. I hope that wasn't a riding accident. I write the copy for the fundraising letters for Spinal Research so I'm doing my best to get people with spinal injuries out of their chairs. The answer is getting so much closer. If your problem is an SI, I hope it's found in time for you.
Click to expand...

The key to many successful fundraising campaign is writing a good letter. In order to get people to read your letter, they must first open the envelope. Include teaser copy on the outside of the envelope. This can be as simple as a printed line saying, “We need your help.” Early in the letter, make your case quickly. Tell about your organization or project at the top of the letter and get to the point right away.
 
It used to be called Sky Larking, and jumping a hedge when hounds are not hunting was strictly frowned upon, I have seen many people 'Sent Home' for just this. Always use the open gate, rather than the adjacent hedge, much safer and less chance of a 'stop'.One memorable day with the Quorn, when a Thruster did just this, the Master held up the field, and made the person jump back over the same hedge, no easy thing, as it was a big drop, he never did it again!
 
Patches said:
I'm a wimp, riding a little cob who doesn't have the biggest scope.

I would go through an open gateway before I'd jump the hedge. I enjoy the essence of hunting, but I get my thrill out of following the hounds. I don't feel I have anything to prove in trying to jump everything. My horse gets a bit flat and fast at times (we keep trying new bits) so I prefer to not jump fences unless we're in complete control. Not worth the risk.....I'd like us both to live to see another day. :-)

That said, if I owned an out and out hunter, who had scope to burn and would jump anything it was pointed at I am pretty sure I'd jump the hedge!
Click to expand...

I'm a wimp but my big cob does have scope and that's why I don't jump while hunting!! He'll clear almost anything (okay not with style but he'll try!!) but I don't always stay with him because he jumps so big so while hunting we stick to the sensible but safe option and just enjoy the run and believe me we get plenty of excitement without risking me or him!! I'll happily (well I say happily..I mean with a sheer look of terror on my face) jump XC or Jump cross but in the lesser controlled or expected enviornment (sp) of hunting I'll stay earth bound.

I do look on with envy at those who are able to do the jumps but I doubt I'll ever see the day I'll join them, even if I rode the best hunter in the world I know my limits.
 
only jump if i have to if hounds are hunting then you jump what has to be jumped in order to get on with hounds but unless i have to i dont. i like my horse to have some fuel left in its engine for the 3 o'clock f..... trail :(
 
My most recent answer to that question would be becasue I followed the master over it. He jumped what looked like a meaty hedge on one side, turned out to have a MASSIVE drop on the other, and only three of us survived.

Everyone else went through the gate!
 
Not so long ago would have jumped anything & everything but my horse is 19 now & have had 15 seasons on her. Trying to take things a bit easier now although she has other ideas :p
 
Why face a hedge.......? Well I suppose that the answer, for some, could be the same as that given by a mountaineer, when he was asked why he climbed, and he said, "Because it's there"!

Alec.
 
I don't jump bought horse as happy hacker after recovering from cancer, then inherited farm they regularly go over- been over today- thought I would go when they go that way, so mare takes me but not wanting to hurt her or myself - seen enough of hospitals- wouldn't risk ourselves, new horse also had hock problems so if she goes there would be little jumping as think too much of them both, go as a social.
 
MrWoof said:
It was drilled into me from an early age that you only jump when you have to - your horse may break his leg in the field tomorrow, certainly, but he may also break his leg or do himself another injury when you jump unnecessarily out hunting.

Never a truer word ..... .....
Do not go looking for trouble - and keep the petrol in the tank for when hounds are running.
Always better to go home with a half tank than on empty after jollying about all day for no reason.
How many people really have the knowledge these days to feel the difference between a horse running on an empty tank and one still going - but on pure adrenaline?
Click to expand...

Quite agree........and welcome back :)
 
mon said:
I don't jump bought horse as happy hacker after recovering from cancer, then inherited farm they regularly go over- been over today- thought I would go when they go that way, so mare takes me but not wanting to hurt her or myself - seen enough of hospitals- wouldn't risk ourselves, new horse also had hock problems so if she goes there would be little jumping as think too much of them both, go as a social.
Click to expand...

To be honest, you sound exactly like the typical stalwart that all hunts depend on so much. Good for you!:)
 
I only have one horse. If he gets broken that's not only the end of my hunting season but the end of all my riding until he is fixed. Therefore, I tend to look after him. So, if that means going through a gate rather than jumping, often I'll take the gate. I know he jumps, he's got nothing to prove. But I'd rather save the petrol for the times you have to jump. I love my jumping and I love my hunting but I want to be able to hunt another day.

Mind you, we don't jump many hedges in our neck of the woods. Trappy rails are more abundant.
 
Depends how much you hunt and what kind of day you're having. If I was out for one of only a few days i could afford all season and we were having a lousy day, I might have a pop if it wasn't entirely necessary. If, on the other hand, I was planning on hunting twice a week all season and hounds were hunting well, it would be a different story.

Never jump small jumps or XC fences etc. if there's a gate but sometimes tempted by a nice hedge. :)
 
Sadley few people ever get the chance to blaze a trail across country after running hounds. I dont mean jumping laid fences ,but truely saying, hounds are there, i,m here, so I will jump that hedge there,that gate, that post and rail!I have done it only once ,leaving the field and field master behind. The field master was the loudest voice I heard shouting encouragement! Jumping a fence by a gate seems a bit tame now.I will probably never be that brave again in my life:o but at least I did it once.
 
Yes, if only we could actually hunt as if we were in one of those Victorian hunting prints! The field all taking their own lines after hounds running fast, not a stretch of wire or busy road in sight!

What a memory to have Mike007!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top