hunting advice

[murphy moo]

hi i am thinking about doing hunting with my 14.1 connemara murphy could any one please give me some advise on what stage he shoud be up to ande preparing me and him to get to that stage?

[dixieniki]

hey!
most hunts have alternatives to jumping so you can go through gates so no need to jump all day, some hunts you may have to jump,so ideally you want to be jumping 2ft6 comfortably and be quite well belanced n be able to control yopur horse at a fast canter.
Its gr8 fun and worth working to if your not already capable of this.
Hope this helps.lolxxxxxxxxxxxxxx:)

[Glider]

One of the most important 'stages' is his fitness. He should be fit enough to go for several hours happily, which usually means being hacked out 3-4 times a week for 1-2hrs at walk, trot and canter.

As the previous poster said you should also be able to control him in company with regards to steering and brakes.

If it's his first time out, put a green ribbon on his tail, and if he's known to kick, put a red ribbon on and keep as out of the way of other horses and hounds as you can.

[Herbie's mummy]

Yes the green ribbon is important as peope know the pony has never been.
You could be out for 2 hours to all day, so fitness is very important.

The most important part and the bottom line, is you need a VERY well mannered and trustworthy pony.

Also don't forget to say good morning to the master before you set off, and say good night and thank you when you come back from the hunt:)

x x x

[Wally]

Fitness is the biggest part, mind you you can go home any time you want if you feel he is not coping with the pace.

You might find yourself trotting hell for leather for 40 minutes, turning around and going back at the same speed in the opposite direction, turning a corner and galloping for 3 miles.....then standing around for an hour. Then off again.

Most reasonalby fit horses can cope with this.

If you are able to pop small fences then you'll be fine over some of the smaller obstacles, you won't need to jump hedges and gates, unless you want to, as there is usually a way around with small kids and folk who don't want to jump.

[murphy moo]

thankyou for your comments my pony hasnt quite got the best brakes in the world so think i will have to do a little more schooling first!

[Herbie's mummy]

Good thinking :) x x x