# Pictures:Advice on Hunting This horse...



## FourBurrowHunt (3 October 2012)

Sorry for all the photo's but i just wanted you to get a general idea, this beastie is my little git harvey.. With his mane and feathers etc i just wanted to know if if this would be okay to hunt with??
also what do u think of him? he may be for sale soon! x


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## AdorableAlice (3 October 2012)

Why not take him hunting.  Get him fit enough to do his job and enjoy your horse.

Keep him at the back until you know he is sound with hounds and other horses.  If the fences are on the big side, just wait until other horses take the top out and then pop over.


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## georgiaziggy (3 October 2012)

He will need clipping if hes going hunting! Otherwise if he sweats and is then stood around he will get cold. And obviously he'll need to be clean and a nice running plait and plaiting his forelock will keep him looking tidy without having to pull /hog him, and a bit of pig oil on his feathers will help them keep mudfree when you go


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## FourBurrowHunt (3 October 2012)

Does he have to be realy fit before i take him?  will all his feathers afect him?


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## FourBurrowHunt (3 October 2012)

I cant do a running plait on him as he rubs his mane at the base  does pig oil make the feathers clump together? I am going to give him a trace clip .. it's just with all the rain i dont know wether to do now or later? is any1 going hunting in the st.ives cornwall area?


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## Nugget La Poneh (3 October 2012)

Yes - he will need to be fit, you could be cantering for several minutes at a time, trotting for 10's of minutes and you need to allow the amount of energy that he will lose through adrenaline. Also, the last thing you want is him to tire and you decide to 'just do the last fence' - it will end badly.

Nothing stopping you from clipping him now providing you rug accordingly. You can still do a running plait, just go down to where it runs out and plait the other bits up. And this is personal preference, but I would clip his legs out with a set of clippers that you can put a guard on so that he still has hair cover to protect, but makes the washing off and finding of little nicks and bumps easier.


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## JenHunt (3 October 2012)

This ^^

clip him and trim his feathers - it makes them easier to keep smart, and they'll grow back in the spring anyway! 

you need him to be fit enough to do at least a couple of hours fast hacking at a time - try to get to some autumn hunting to give him a taste of it all first!


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## Stark Dismay (3 October 2012)

Didn't we have all of this last year? But with the added request that someone lend her a horse as her's was lame but she still wanted to go hunting!

He looks like a hairy horse. As far as I know, there is nothing about being hairy that will stop a horse from hunting, although it would probably make his life more comfortable if you were to trim him. His mane would almost certainly drive you round the bend if you are on him for any length of time. 

As for fitness, yes, he does need to be fit. Would you like to be taken out running through mud with soggy legwarmers on when you haven't even had a little go on a treadmill in ages? If you take him out unfit, he will likely lose condition, and possibly injure himself. Even if he just trips while tired he could tip you out of the saddle. A fit horse makes for a much better athlete and hunter.


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## Happy Hunter (4 October 2012)

I belive you already took him last year - So there is your answer.

Enjoy your day!


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## FourBurrowHunt (4 October 2012)

Nope he's never been hunting before.. the hunt i took him to was cancelled due to kennel cough .. i cant hack out atm as he is a chronic rearer :L so thats not rly an option for fittness..


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## albeg (4 October 2012)

FourBurrowHunt said:



			Nope he's never been hunting before.. the hunt i took him to was cancelled due to kennel cough .. i cant hack out atm as he is a chronic rearer :L so thats not rly an option for fittness..
		
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If he rears out hacking, why do you want to hunt? I'd suggest getting to the bottom of that before you take him out, you don't want to get hurt out hunting.


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## FourBurrowHunt (4 October 2012)

ailbheg said:



			If he rears out hacking, why do you want to hunt? I'd suggest getting to the bottom of that before you take him out, you don't want to get hurt out hunting.
		
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Because i love hunting and i think once he's there he'll rly enjoy it .. he has this weird confidence lackk :L


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## albeg (4 October 2012)

FourBurrowHunt said:



			Because i love hunting and i think once he's there he'll rly enjoy it .. he has this weird confidence lackk :L
		
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Well then hack out with others to get him fit for hunting. If he's unfit you won't be able to hunt him safely.

Also, you've just posted pictures to a thread about his first hunt.


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## FourBurrowHunt (4 October 2012)

Yeah i have just as an update on him rly ..


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## skydy (5 October 2012)

I hope you will be more honest with people when you try to sell them a chronic rearer than you are being now,with the people on this thread..


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## HazyXmas (5 October 2012)

I don't understand. You've posted pictures of his first hunt in January & go on to say that he was 'dripping when you got back' but now you say that he's never hunted before?

IMO you'll not have much fun on him out hunting if you really can't hack him out, I would try taking him out in a small group first. As other's have said, he will need to be fit enough to do a 2 hour hack, even to go Autumn hunting.

I would definitely give him a trace clip & trim feather's to smarten him up.

With regard to selling him, i think that you need to sort the rearing out, he doesn't look at all happy to me, have you checked his back, teeth & tack?


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## Nugget La Poneh (5 October 2012)

If he's a true reader (as in full up hi-ho silver) then don't even entertain the idea of hunting. If it's a case of lunging in excitement then you need to work through it by getting him used to being out with others and making sure he is 100% pain free.


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## Nugget La Poneh (5 October 2012)

*rearer


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## Kallibear (5 October 2012)

What an odd way to get people to look at (frankly not very good) pictures of your horse and go 'Aww' ?!

You hunted him last year so what's the problem?


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## FourBurrowHunt (5 October 2012)

I havent hunted him before as i said. He was dripping with sweat because he had never been to a hunt meet before and he hadnt been clipped and i had to hack to the hunt in the first place. Also im not trying to sell him i was just saying that he might be and i wanted some nice advice / feedback on him.
We've had his teeth done they're all fine.. his back is fine as he would be playing up 100% of the time if not. and his tack is fine to. How are they not good pictures these wer taken by a friend before i took him on a lesson and yes he is happy its just because he has blue eyes .


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## albeg (5 October 2012)

Ok so...
If you're going to hunt him you need to get him fit first. It's unfair on the horse, and could be dangerous for you and others. Ditto the rearing.


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## Kallibear (5 October 2012)

FourBurrowHunt said:



			I havent hunted him before as i said. He was dripping with sweat because he had never been to a hunt meet before and he hadnt been clipped and i had to hack to the hunt in the first place. Also im not trying to sell him i was just saying that he might be and i wanted some nice advice / feedback on him.
We've had his teeth done they're all fine.. his back is fine as he would be playing up 100% of the time if not. and his tack is fine to. How are they not good pictures these wer taken by a friend before i took him on a lesson and yes he is happy its just because he has blue eyes .
		
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You posted a thread back in january about the first time you took him out hunting. Here in fact. So either you're lying now, or lying then? Why ask again since you've already been?

As for your photos: poor quality, badly composed and so many of them?! Why do we need 10+ pictures to decide on hunting advice? He's a nice enough cob whom the photo's don't show in a particularly good light. And no idea what the 'blue eye' comment is about: my horse also has a blue eye? So?

If you just want people to say 'awwww, what a lovely pony' then put up a thread to that effect. Probably on another forum. This one if much better at giving advice, not group hugging.


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## Stark Dismay (5 October 2012)

OK, being as kind as I can here, because I think you are quite young, you need to have a good long think about hunting, full stop. Is there someone at home or who you have regular contact with that has reasonable hunting experience that you could talk to? You need to understand that your horse must be well behaved from the minute you arrive to the minute you leave. He must stand well at the meet and also at any point in the day that you are required to, walk calmly if everyone is walking, and be able to not only gallop in company but also stop again when asked to. Rearing is utterly unacceptable, as are any other bad manners. If you can't hack him out at home then you have absolutely no chance at all out hunting. 

He MUST be fit. I cannot stress this enough. It is cruel horse ownership to take a horse out hunting knowing that they are not fit enough to cope with the exhertions required. Unless you are happy to walk alone at the back for an hour or so, just to get him out. I have a feeling you wouldn't be going just for an hour's quiet outing. This goes back to your hacking out - if you are not capable of taking this horse for a quiet trot down the lane on a daily basis, you should not be going hunting on him, for safety reasons.

You should sort out the above issues before you worry about turnout. Regarding turnout, he should definitely be clipped, it will ensure he does not get so sweaty and make him easier to keep clean - he should be clean. His mane should be tidy. Whether you choose to hog him, pull and plait him in the traditional way, or do a running plait, it should be neat. His feathers will make it difficult to find any cuts and nicks, but on the other hand they may also protect against them too. It's up to you whether you clip them off, (and many here would!) but again they should be clean and brushed through. 

I am still confused by whether you have actually hunted this horse before. In one sentence you say you haven't, but in the next you say he was sweaty when you hacked him to a hunt. It would really (that's the correct way of spelling rly,) help if you were honest, if you want honest replies.


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## laurapru (5 October 2012)

I think you need to apply a bit of common sense here. Why would a horse that is unable to hack out due to rearing, be able to hunt without rearing? An unfit horse that is unable to keep up with a hunting field is not only unfair on the horse it is also unfair on the rest of the field. If your horse is rearing at home he will likely rear when out, you need to get to the bottom of that before you do anything.


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## PortwayPaddy (5 October 2012)

Thanks Kalli, I thought the photographs looked familliar, they are the same ones used last time.

As for taking a chronic rearer hunting - expect a stiff talking to from everyone who you incovenience or possibly injure. The posibility of a hunt servant giving it a good smack if does it near hounds.  Should a hound be injured, then expect the sky to fall in upon you and experience some otherwise rarely heard profanities.

This is not a fluffy bunny board, it gives honest, factual and helpful advice.

I believe the Majikal, rainbow farting, hugs and kisses BB Run by horse grooming supplies may be more to your liking and obvious need for ohhs ans awws.

Paddy


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## Stark Dismay (5 October 2012)

I think FourBurrowHunt is quite young, and should be given a bit of a polite nudge in the right direction. I think in light of that it's worth cutting her a tiny bit of slack (but not so much we encourage her to take a dangerous horse out  ) If she is older, than she is plenty old enough to know better, and I'd like to know what face cream she buys!


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## albeg (5 October 2012)

Going with SD here...
I'm going to suggest talking to.your instructor OP and getting some advice from them. Hopefully they'll be able to help sort out the rearing and get you and your horse ready for hunting.


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## lizziebinks (5 October 2012)

I think the OP has taken a wrong turning and found herself, in gross error, on a hunting forum.


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## Twiggy14 (5 October 2012)

I would not take Harvey hunting, you know he kicks, if he kicked out at HEC what would he be like hunting?
If you do, though, make sure he is fit, and has a red ribbon in his tail. 

I'm not going get into an argument again Leah but this isn't the first time your stories aren't straight. 

PLEASE get someone experienced on him to sort him out, and stop his bad habits, properly.


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## brighteyes (5 October 2012)

None of the pictures in the other thread show a hunt.


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## PortwayPaddy (6 October 2012)

brighteyes said:



			None of the pictures in the other thread show a hunt.
		
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Too true.

I beleive numbers 27 and 33 relate to "hunting" on both sets of pictures. The date correlates with the questions asked at that time (January).

As said before this yiung lady has taken a wrong turn into a serious Hunting forum not a fluffy bunny feast.  Time to U turn and head to HGS for ohhs and ahhs me thinks.

Clearly another member is wise to 4burrows from a previous run in.

Paddy


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## Shysmum (6 October 2012)

I think the OP's key phrase here is "he may be for sale soon"


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## Twiggy14 (6 October 2012)

shysmum said:



			I think the OP's key phrase here is "he may be for sale soon" 

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The amount of times she's told us that in the space of time she's had him...


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## Shysmum (6 October 2012)

TBH, sounds like it would be the best outcome for the horse - gypsy cobs are not known to be ill mannered.


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## Twiggy14 (6 October 2012)

shysmum said:



			TBH, sounds like it would be the best outcome for the horse - gypsy cobs are not known to be ill mannered. 

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Not trying to be ride to FBH but yes it would be


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## AprilBlossom (6 October 2012)

Oh not you again. Like clockwork, every couple of months some more 'what shall I do, can I see pictures' posts...

You told us you went hunting last season - you posted photos of you at said meet???


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## EAST KENT (7 October 2012)

No one wants their well behaved horse to witness a hiho Silver exhibition thanks,skin him ,feathers ,mane ,pull tail and without the appalling behaviour he might be acceptable.Firstly cure the little bugger of it`s acquired bad habits.Under that fluff lurks a presentable cob.


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## Goldenstar (9 October 2012)

It's madness to consider hunting until you have sorted the rearing .
It's a risk to you to your horse and to the sanity of the rest of the field who have come out for a pleasant morning.


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## milesjess (14 December 2012)

Hmm attention seeking poster maybe...?

Obviously something has gone a miss. Taking an unfit, rearer with confidence issues and an unhonest rider = disaster waiting to happen! Not to mention endangering the safety of everyone else.

Sorry but it had to be said!


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