First time hunting- not a troll

[SLW]

Ya know, go figure, that on the very day my 19 year old daughter trys her first foxhunt and I wander in here to share the news, I find that darn troll thread running. Grrrrr.

What follows is a true report, we are not landowners nor related to Lewis & Clark or any Virginia gentry though I do believe in respectful turnout so we were turned out correctly. :) And the kennels are only 15 minutes from our home so we didn't get out of bed until 7:00 a.m.

Perfect day- right at freezing, sunshine, no wind and a field of about 10 fabulous members who took her under their wings. The hounds were cast and the pace was brisk which allowed for a nice warmup for horse and rider. She was grinning from ear to ear listening to the huntsman and hounds in front of us as they worked hard. Her background is western/rodeo with a dabbling of hunt seat and today it (hunt seat) all came back to her. As we trotted and cantered across the fields she kept saying "this is so much fun!". Our gelding is a game little horse and he took care of her during several runs the hounds gave us across the beautiful hunt property.

After two hours we excused ourselves which turned out to be only 20 minutes before the rest of the field. Walking back through the fields to the kennels she kept grinning and reliving everything. She was even thinking "how can I rearrange my classes this semester to make Weds hunting work??". :)

She had a perfect first hunt and will be back. :)

[twofatponies]

Whew! That's more like it! :D

I had a great first experience, too!

[strawberry roan]

Hooray! A genuine first time out! :):)

[Badger]

I see th apple does not fall far from the tree! The bug has bitten. :)

[SLW]

Badger- kiddo kept saying "this is sooo much fun" and I couldn't help but think of one of the current Masters up in your neck of the woods. Back in 1999, when I had a membership up there and her girls were very young, during one hunt she told me how she had barrel raced as a young person and ended up trying hunting when fate landed her smack up there. She found hunting just as much fun as barrel racing.

It was pretty cool and she will be back out. She liked it when the field reduced at the hour and half mark so we were closer to the action. Little speed devil. ;)

[Painted Wings]

TIC.

Glad she had a great time.

[asanders]

Wateryglen wrote on the other thread:
Trying to stir things up.....altho' many of us do have humiliating stories to tell about our first times but they are usually FUNNY!!! :winkgrin:

and I thought, "Do Tell!" but that thread had already taken some perverse turns...

maybe you can share your "first hunt cheers and shockers" here...

ETA: oh, WG, you did mean hunting right?

[SLW]

Unfortuantely, the only "shocker" happend while dressing at home when I told her "ditch the canary vest, go for a sweater to wear under your coat". :) She was sad because she thinks the canary vest look so nice and scream "foxhunting".

It was probably unfortunate that I, her Mum, was her caddy for the first outting because I kept her in a tight rein, ya know, the Mum "Keep 'Em Safe" mode is damn near impossible to turn off. Had I turned her over to a good friend she might have gotten into more devilment. Our Huntsman checked in on her a few times to see how she was enjoying herself. :)

She didn't even dip into her flask to mark the first outting. In hindsight probably a good thing because with that darn grin plastered over her face she would have dribbled the sauce down her front. ;)

[wateryglen]

Yup! Foxhunting....funny....all the same to me!!! :winkgrin:

I took a 5 yr old to her first really big meet 2 weeks ago. I've raised her from a weanling and was soooooo proud to be there as a guest with a fabulous local hunt having a fabulous meet/breakfast at a fabulous location. Wow....I was choked up, thrilled, excited. Hit early and nice pace & fun all day. Hilltoppers, very back of the group and she was nearly perfect. I've gotta keeper for sure! Only one teeny, tiny, eensy, teensy problem.....when she got scared=she went backwards.....so..........Hilltoppers in single file in thicket following along and hounds hit out in the open of nearby field. Somehow first flight had gotten behind us and now needed to push on quickly from behind us on this narrow trail. So they came cantering by as we backed off the trail....and some of us kept on backing & backing & backing....until I was entangled in branches and my horse had backed into/over a 6 yr.old child on a shetland pony (picture 16.1 draft cross plowing over shetland...:eek:) who just happens to be the huntsmans nephew while his mom screams angrily....."William! GET AWAY FROM THAT WOMAN!!!" and promptly takes him forward at a run to get away from the crazy lady with the green horse trying to harm him and currently hung up in vines and is flailing her arms trying to free herself from her misery!! :uhoh::uhoh::uhoh::uhoh: Man, talk about embarassed...could I have had this with anybody else out there?!!! 70 riders and I get the only small kid out!!?? AND he's hunt family!!! What luck!!! I was mortified. Waited awhile before I rode forward at a check to apologize for my green mounts behavior. (I HAD told her earlier it was her first hunt and that she was green and in fact told her I'd keep my distance as we were both in the very back etc.) Thank gawd she was gracious and laughed & said what I'd heard was her "protective mother " instinct kick in and to ignore it!! I apologized over & over and still can't help wondering if I'm banned for life!
So see? A fabulous day for my green horse with a definite snag!!! Next time I'll go for say.....staff? wives of staff?!!! Fieldmaster maybe?!!:D:D:D:D Ya gotta shrug & laugh!

[asanders]

In one of my few outings, I was riding a TB out for his first go. He certainly had the look: big, solid bay, but we had had some 'issues' in his early OTTB training (he was clearly a few short of a full pack). Anyway, we were hunting adjoining land that was our usual home turf, and for the first hour he was grand. A younger-than-me-now, but older-than-me-then gentleman member rode over at one point and introduced himself, and asked about the mount. I told him it was his first outing, and he commented on how great I was doing with him (he was so together, blah blah). About 20 minutes later, we had to make one of those runs around a half tree line separating two fields. By the time the rear group (me included) were headed out the tree line, the front of the field was heading back into the woods on the other side. Well, at full canter he clearly started thinking 'must. short. cut.' We made it to the actual cut though, but he hurled himself though sideways in such a manner as to almost decapitate me on low hanging branches. As it was, I lost my helmet. So now I'm thinking great. the horse has lost his mind, no way can I get off and remount, but ...I really need that helmet. A kind soul took pity, and retreived it. Frankly, I'm amazed we managed to hold up. At the next check the gentleman returned and said, "I take it all back." and rode away. Boo Hoo.

[Im Natives Last]

My first time out, I had gotten up at the crack of dawn to braid my horse's mane. I thought he looked beautiful. When we got to the meet, one of the Master's wives greeted me, telling me how nice my horse looked, but that braiding wasn't necessary, etc. We started out, and after the first huge ditch, I was pulling braids as fast as I could to get a handful of mane! Everyone had a good natured laugh at me, and I never braided for that fixture again!

[HelloAgain]

My first hunt, I hilltopped (actually I've only ever hilltopped but later outings went better than this one!) for some reason it was junior day (although I was not, myself, a junior). Riding a borrowed leopard appaloosa pony, as wide as she was tall and 18 years old to boot.

Field took off and after a few minutes enjoying the full-tilt run, I had the realization that I was being run away with -- nothing but a snaffle between me and an Appy mare's decision to be out front. I thought to myself, "well, she's not altogether fit, surely she'll get tired at this pace...?" I tried to keep her to the back and wore out my poor arms & back on full-strength "whoa" (truly, they are aching sore the next day) to little avail.

At one point we were crossing a narrow gravel road and as the pony attained warp speed I had the sinking sensation we would pass the fieldmaster. Look the the right -- rocky ravine and my borrowed horse unshod. Look to the left -- I would be cutting off the whole field. Chose plan "C" -- pass the Fieldmaster yanking as hard as I could on the damn pony and shouting "soooorrrrryy" as I zoomed by mach 12.

How embarassing. The FM was entirely kind about it though. I'll certainly never again make assumptions about the bitting needs of overweight 18 year old ponies on a hunt!

[Foxtrot's]

Appaloosa ponies - are they all alike? One of our young members rode an appy called "Johnny Jump-Up" who also hunted at warp speed. She did three times the mileage anybody else did because she ran a zig-zag instead of straight runs so as not to get glared at by the Master.

Our daughter was on her 11 hand high Shetland Pony when she accidentaly ran into a pile of rotting brussel sprounts at the edge of the farmer's field. For the horses it would have been no problem, but he pony was up to his girth in the stuff - did she ever smell all the way home.

[ErinW]

And the kennels are only 15 minutes from our home so we didn't get out of bed until 7:00 a.m.


Wow, you are so lucky. Our hunt is 2 hours away. :(

[marta]

rehabbing my mare from a suspensory tear but it's going pretty well and i'm thinking maybe she'll be ready to do some trotting by the time cubbing starts at our local hunt (the amwell valley hounds in nj). they are right next door to us.

[Duckz]

rehabbing my mare from a suspensory tear but it's going pretty well and i'm thinking maybe she'll be ready to do some trotting by the time cubbing starts at our local hunt (the amwell valley hounds in nj). they are right next door to us.

I can relate! I'd been lurking in the hunting forum all summer and fall, ready to take my new horse hunting as soon as timing and weather worked out. And then colic surgery happened :( Maybe next year...

[marta]

just look at it that way. you rehab from the colic, start doing some work and it'll be cubbing time. perfect time to try fox hunting;) and if it all works out by the time the season is in full swing you'll be a 'seasoned' fox hunter:)
that's my plan for now. of course, it's entirely possible that my mare will behave like that appy pony mentioned above and it'll put an end to my fox hunting dreams:lol: