Do I get a cookie???

[SLW]

I snagged another COTH'er to come hunt on Sunday and she did, her and her horse's first ever hunt!! Her turnout was spit-shine clean (yes, she admits she has been lurking and reading this board!!) and she handled her horse masterfully as he absorbed "there are 50 horses in front of me, why is this???!!" and then rejected "I do not want to be in the back!!" imputs. :) She was awesome!!! The weather was perfect for riding but not so much for scenting and we pulled out at 2.5 hours on a very good note.

I'm so proud of her but will leave it to her to spill her ID.

So, do I get a cookie for trying to get a neat gal hooked???

[Beverley]

Specifically, a 'Petit Ecolier,' but now that it's out of the box, well, it just wouldn't be fresh if I mailed it so...there, I enjoyed it in your honor.:D

[J Swan]

You get a bottle of single malt Scotch.

Oops, I drank it all.

Good for you for hooking another one!

[Ravencrest_Camp]

How about getting two kids hooked?

My wife and I hadn't hunted, other than guesting once or twice, since we moved to this area.
This year we decided to get back into it an I became a member of our local hunt.
Since my kids are 13 & 14, they have been taking turns coming out with me. Now there is a fight over who gets the extra spot on the trailer, andI have been told that next year we HAVE to get a 4 horse. My son spends hours pouring oiver Horse & Hound. When they come home from school, all they want to do is tack up the ponies and go to the neighbours corn field and GALLOP.

[KSAQHA]

LOL! Just now finding this post.

Yes, SLW was gracious enough to invite a couple of foxhunting neophytes. It was absolutely a blast...despite my gelding's controlled lunacy! The first 1 1/2 hours were punctuated with several buck kicks, a few jig jogs, and a couple of equine karate moves. Leisurely canters were nonexistent; rather, thundering gallops that would have made Top Deck, this QH's great-great grandsire, quite proud. In fact, I know I heard someone say "now, there's a sprinter" (and let me tell you, my hamstrings were definitely feeling all that two-point the next day!). A couple of spooks from hounds breaking brush were inevitable and any pauses during the hunt were cause for dramatic pawing, snorting, and head tossing. Of course, copious quantities of sweat and lather were produced, which turned to mud - regardless of the fact this horse had been bathed and blanketed the entire previous week. Subsequently, I spent a good hour cleaning tack upon arrival home - there was NO way I could leave THAT mess in the trailer like SLW. :winkgrin:
Anyway, what an experience! I have now christened foxhunting "trailing ride on crack" and I can't wait to do it again! :yes: Thanks, again, SLW!!


Here's a pic before starting, with another friend of SLW's, SLW on her cute Acorn, and me on Tucker.
http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa243/caburke/InvitationalHunt07015.jpg

[SteeleRdr]

You brave soul! Is that an eggbutt snaffle in your horses mouth???

[KSAQHA]

Nah, I replaced my D with an O-ring twist I school him in, just for an extra bit of security. I thought about trying something even heavier duty, knowing how forward he can be, but he can get a little fussy in the mouth. I didn't want to over bit and add extra angst to his first outing.

[SteeleRdr]

Ahh ok. I was going to say!

He does look pleasant just standing there, however! Oh how they lull us into a false sense of security!

[crosscreeksh]

We took our first convert...a "Show Hunter" junior, to opening hunt a few weeks ago. now she's HOOKED!! Got a few others hearing the descriptions of hours of running and jumping and NO PRESSURE ... other than to survive, wanting to join the fun!!! We're starting a new wave!!!

[TBlitz]

I did the same this weekend! I brought a friend out who had been interested for a while on her adorable welsh cob gelding. Before we left, she had signed up and paid for a membership.

GO ME! Now I have someone who can trailer 1/2 the time to make it cheaper for me :D


So, what do I get? Can't exactly legally have the alcohol, so I'll take a carrot instead!

[KSAQHA]

He does look pleasant just standing there, however! Oh how they lull us into a false sense of security!
Amen to that! Funny thing is, this guy really is pretty quiet - he's the one I put my non-riding hubby and occasional novice visitors on to just toodle around. My daughter has even won a few ribbons in walk/trot western classes with him. But, put him in a mob and his competitive (and obviously fractious) side comes out. :lol:

[J Swan]

That's a lovely photo - all of you look very happy.

Just wait until you get the hang of it and you're galloping full tilt and instead of focusing on making sure the horse isn't going to kill you - you're looking for the hounds, the fox, you know the hounds names (or better yet - their voices), or you don't have any trouble screwing the lid back on your flask!

[Beverley]

You brave soul! Is that an eggbutt snaffle in your horses mouth???

Gee, I had two that hunted in plain eggbutt snaffles...three if you count the mare that started hunting at age 26. Surely I'm not the only one?

[SLW]

KSAQHA is too modest about her riding skills (she is awesome) and the description of Tucker's reaction made me LMAO. I did not know he had sprinting blood in him!!! The gal on the tall chestnut is from a Virginia hunt on a borrowed horse- that gelding is used by the Huntsman, can be whipped off of and loaned out to good friends who don't have a spare horse for an out of town buddy. ;)

Hey, my lil red mare is trace clipped, the sweat doesn't build up as much so I can delay tack cleaning when needed. Plus, she's small enough a lot of it gets washed going through creeks. ;)

[crosscreeksh]

Well Beverley - ALL of my horses (TB and Draft/Irish/TB crosses) hunt in snaffles - French mostly - and breastplates. I don't own a martingale. I get strange looks and comments, too.

[KSAQHA]

or you don't have any trouble screwing the lid back on your flask!
Speaking of flasks, don't they make those things any bigger?? I think I got like a total of three sips, and I KNOW that last one was nothing but backwash. :lol:

[SLW]

KSAQHA- one can always double flask! :)

[Dreamboat Annie]

LOL! Just now finding this post.

Yes, SLW was gracious enough to invite a couple of foxhunting neophytes. It was absolutely a blast...despite my gelding's controlled lunacy! The first 1 1/2 hours were punctuated with several buck kicks, a few jig jogs, and a couple of equine karate moves. Leisurely canters were nonexistent; rather, thundering gallops that would have made Top Deck, this QH's great-great grandsire, quite proud. In fact, I know I heard someone say "now, there's a sprinter" (and let me tell you, my hamstrings were definitely feeling all that two-point the next day!). A couple of spooks from hounds breaking brush were inevitable and any pauses during the hunt were cause for dramatic pawing, snorting, and head tossing. Of course, copious quantities of sweat and lather were produced, which turned to mud - regardless of the fact this horse had been bathed and blanketed the entire previous week. Subsequently, I spent a good hour cleaning tack upon arrival home - there was NO way I could leave THAT mess in the trailer like SLW. :winkgrin:
Anyway, what an experience! I have now christened foxhunting "trailing ride on crack" and I can't wait to do it again! :yes: Thanks, again, SLW!!


Here's a pic before starting, with another friend of SLW's, SLW on her cute Acorn, and me on Tucker.
http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa243/caburke/InvitationalHunt07015.jpg

Not sure which was you, I am guessing the one on the left....

Amen to that! Funny thing is, this guy really is pretty quiet - he's the one I put my non-riding hubby and occasional novice visitors on to just toodle around. My daughter has even won a few ribbons in walk/trot western classes with him. But, put him in a mob and his competitive (and obviously fractious) side comes out. :lol:

I had a horse like that any one could ride, but in the hunt field he was a complete nut case....

Speaking of flasks, don't they make those things any bigger?? I think I got like a total of three sips, and I KNOW that last one was nothing but backwash. :lol:

They need to make them flasks bigger! :winkgrin:

[Rt66Kix]

Gee, I had two that hunted in plain eggbutt snaffles...three if you count the mare that started hunting at age 26. Surely I'm not the only one?

Uh, I hunt in a Bitless Bridle!

[Ravencrest_Camp]

Gee, I had two that hunted in plain eggbutt snaffles...three if you count the mare that started hunting at age 26. Surely I'm not the only one?

One of my hunt horses is a thouroughbred that I hunt in a loose ring hollow mouth snaffle. On the buckle no less.

[TBlitz]

While Blitz was off a few weeks ago, I took a 4 yo TB out on his first 2 hunts in a rubber snaffle and never once picked up the reins past the buckle. I was in love but don't need another horse. I'm glad no one's snatched him up yet so I can still use him when I go back to TX w/o my own horse and go out hunting.