First time foxhunting!

Published on by Amanda C

WE FINALLY GOT TO GO FOXHUNTING! Or in this scenario, bobcat chasing. Whatever you call it, we galloped around for like 2 hours and it was freaking awesome.

very interested in the trailer containing the hounds

This started as many of our adventures do, with Trainer saying “Hey Chance, you wanna ________?”. To which my answer is almost always yes, because duh. My friend Kathy was kind enough to invite some of her eventer friends out hunting with Independence Foxhounds, and a whole bunch of us showed up to see what this thing was all about. Independence is a small hunt, and they were very kind about letting us newbs have a lot of leeway with attire and tack. So if you’re used to very formal hunting, prepare to be offended by my appearance in these pictures. I, however, am very appreciative of not having to run around last minute and try to pull together something very formal for a first-time, lets-see-what-this-is-all-about kind of thing. Especially since the only really hunting appropriate thing I own is tan breeches. They even sent out an email mid-week saying we could wear raincoats, since rain was in the forecast.

Might look ghetto, but whatever, I was PUMPED

Since the place where they were hunting is about 2 hours away from me (isn’t literally everything?) I left Friday afternoon after work and hauled to Trainer’s place. We set to work with the important tasks on Friday night, like preparing the flasks.

Then Saturday morning we were off bright and early to load the boys and head out. It’s been a long time since Henry’s been in a slant load, he kept trying to walk straight in and chested the divider. Derp. And since he was in the last spot, he also had to back out on kind of a slant, and step down at the same time. Double derp all over the place. Bless him. But we made it, got tacked up, and he immediately took up the role of Uncle to Trainer’s 3yo OTTB, Jack.

Mr. Jack and Uncle Henny

Everyone got mounted up with little drama, flasks in one pocket of the rain jacket, phone in the other (bc I gotta get pics of THIS!). We got a mini-briefing on rules and etiquette, sorted ourselves in second flight behind Kathy (poor Kathy, being responsible for all us idiots), and away we went.

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Henny doesn’t look pumped yet because he didn’t realize what was coming.

We started out at a very civilized walk/trot, with periods of stopping and waiting as the hounds struck off looking for scent. We hung way back just kind of waiting and staying out of the way, while also being VERY ENTHUSIASTIC to be out hunting.

Or taking hits from the flask, if you’re Trainer.

Then the hounds kind of went rogue after some deer and things hit pause while the staff went off to round them up. That’s when David, poor David he had no idea what he was getting into with us, came back and asked if any of us wanted to go for a gallop. Um. Yas. Yas we would. At that point we split off into two groups… the ones that wanted to run around and be idiots went with David, and the ones that wanted a more relaxed w/t experience stayed with Kathy.

There’s poor David at the front of our group. Amy’s face when he asked if we were ready to go kind of sums up how the next 2.5 hours went.

And that’s how we ended up first flight. I think all of us thought that David was going to take us for a loop and bring us back, but basically we spent the next two hours galloping around. First for fun, then catching up to and following the hounds. We’d gallop for a while, then take a few minutes for “refreshments” (ie drinking and chatting).

It’s not hard to make eventers happy
Amy’s souvenir tree

Most of the trails were pretty open and flat with a few creek crossings, but it got a little wild a few times when we weaved through the woods. I took a tree branch to the knee that turned into a pretty bruise, and at one point while galloping behind Highlander (the draft/paint X) he tossed up a poop/dirt clod out of one hoof that got me right in the chest. And that’s how I got horse poop all over my saddle. Lesson learned – don’t gallop behind Highlander.

As with many things he does, Henry took this quite seriously. He listened intently to the hounds and horn, always very very interested in them but not scared. I think he caught on that we were following them, and the longer we were out there, the more into it he got. The hounds ended up finding a bobcat and chased it for a while before it climbed a tree. This led to more galloping around on our part.

Henry started out a little slow but by the end he was finding a whole new gear and was still full of run by the time were done, after almost 3 hours total of being out. He basically pranced back to the trailers.

If he looks quite impressed with himself, it’s because he was

And for the data geeks among us, the GPS map from the master’s horse and the hounds is pretty cool. Her horse covered almost 11 miles. No clue how far we went, but we went there fast. I should turn on my GPS next time.

Yeah that’s right, I said next time. Because holy shit that was fun, I totally want to go back. Galloping and/or giggling for 3 hours was basically all of my childhood dreams come true, and it’s some seriously awesome conditioning for the horses, especially with the different terrain and footing.

Except I want to be a little less ghetto next time, so I’m gonna try to pick up a plain navy or black coat for cheap. Luckily they’re all over eBay for like $25, since nobody wears the wool coats anymore. Henry also thinks he’s earned a hunt bridle, but I’m not convinced yet.

Maybe after a few more hunts, kiddo.

I can’t thank Kathy enough for inviting us, or Independence enough for letting us come see what it’s all about. Foxhunting has been on my bucket list forever and it was just as fun as I thought it would be. We will definitely be back!

39 thoughts on “First time foxhunting!”

  6. ughhhh i’m so jealous. i bought charlie a classy breastplate with brass buckles and everything for his eventual fox hunting debut…. that kinda counts, right? sorta? maybe? ugh…

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  10. O-M-G I am so jealous!!! That looks like a BLAST!!! I really wish I could do that but I would have to borrow a horse since neither of my boys are field horses. Lol. P.S. Highlander needs to be brought to my barn cause I need him in my life. He is gorgeous!!!

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  13. Yay bobcats! The local hunt starts from Bast’s pasture on many weekends, which makes for quite an exciting day for many of the more dramatic dressage horses. Hilariously, neither of my “wild” thoroughbreds has ever given more than a casual watching eye to the galloping horses, baying hounds, yelling drunkards (er, riders), and fleeing foxe/deer/raccoons. Maybe in a couple of years Bast would like to join the fun!

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      1. Hahahahaha. Ahem. Yeah. He’s gonna have to get some more responsive brakes and be a bit less terrified of other horses doing the unexpected around him before I attempt such a thing. Lol. I am not that brave.

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  14. Glad you had such a blast. It’s something I would NEVER have the guts to do, being a devout chicken. Now, here’s something that I have picked up from reading teddibly Brrritish books about foxhunting. And that is, that one never speaks of “*the* hounds” – they are simply “hounds”, as in “Hounds found the scent”, or “We followed hounds through the woods”, etc., etc. If this point of etiquette is followed in Texas, speaking of “hounds” rather than “the hounds” might impress the Hunt Master or the Whipper In. Tally Ho! ;o)

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  21. Man, I don’t even think hunting exists down here in SoCal. Someday, I’d love to be up on an experienced hunting horse and go through it. Someday. Bucket list!

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