# Why jump the hedge when the gate is open?



## cptrayes (27 November 2009)

In the discussions between hunt-to-ride people and ride-to-hunt people recently someone posed this question, quite obviously totally baffled. Why jump the hedge when the gate is open?

I thought it might be a question worth answering. For me the answer is -

I did not grow up in a hunting or even a riding family. There is no feeling of "security of continuity" to my hunting, as there should be with someone who was born into it. Every day I get and every hedge I jump, is a bonus. I have only one hunter, and tomorrow he might break a leg in the field. I haven't enough cash to buy a made one, and I have no idea how long it will take me to find another youngster and make it. So I have no idea when I will next be able to jump a hedge. That's why, if the hedge is a good one, and my horse is up for it, I jump the hedge though the gate is open.

Why do you?


----------



## marmalade76 (28 November 2009)

It would depend on the hedge and the horse I was on.


You are quite right to make the most of your horse while you can. I bought my horse 3 years ago as a fab hunter/jumper who had open team chased and done RC open teams sj. At 14, he was a total bargain at £1800 and is a lovely boy, his only faults being that he was strong and had a dislike of dressage. I had six months of competeing on him and got out hunting just the once. I then had another baby and he has done very little since until I found a sharer on here.

I had someone to help get him fit for hunting/bloodhounding and competing again, as I found this impossible with two little ones and no babysitters. We did a few hunter trials and my sharer took him cubbing, but although he was fitter, his stamina was not improving atall. Had the vet out and he was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation. So now, he is little more than a hack. I was looking forward to a couple of days bloodhounding and making the most of the local fox hunt meets, as well as hunter trailing, but thats all over for us now. His legs are in perfect nick, they could go on carrying him for years, but sadly, his heart won't keep up.

Like you, I am only allowed one horse, I cannot sell my horse and I cannot justify having him PTS as long as he is happy and comfortable and there in no money about ATM to buy another  anyway!

So, do make the most of your horse while you can, my boy and I will never hunt or jump hedges together again.


----------



## spacefaer (28 November 2009)

If you hunt to ride, you jump the hedge for the thrill and the opportunity.

If you ride to hunt, you go through the gate - you are on the horse to follow hounds and not just for the thrills.

Gate: if it's quicker than jumping the hedge ie in a straight line and you don't have to detour to the far end of the field. It's safer - less likely to fall off and less risk to the horse's legs. Fewer take off and landings = less wear and tear and you both live to jump another day.

So far as I see it, (treading carefully, not wishing to cause offence but only IMHO) it's the difference between draghunting and pre ban fox hunting - jumping made lines on a man made scent vs following hounds across country on an unpredictable course.  Each to their own. 

I would go through the gate every time!


----------



## Dogstar (28 November 2009)

Another point is it can be dangerous jumping a hedge if it is next to an open gate, because the horse has an eye on the gap and can swerve for it.


----------



## Simsar (28 November 2009)

The hedge is for jumpers the gate is for none jumpers.  I would jump the hedge!


----------



## marmalade76 (28 November 2009)

Another point is it can be dangerous jumping a hedge if it is next to an open gate, because the horse has an eye on the gap and can swerve for it.
		
Click to expand...

Yes, that happened to my Dad, it was a hunt jump, not a hedge though. His horse nipped through the gate and ripped the top or her leg open on the gate catch, nothing serious, just a stitch up job. I told him not to jump it as it was not a very nice or easy fence, but you know how these men like to show off!


----------



## Rowreach (28 November 2009)

QR  Out of respect for the landowner, I would go for the gap rather than jumping the jump, as it makes less mess.  If hounds are running and the route over the jump is quicker than an actual detour for the gate, I would go for the jump.

I have seen many a nasty accident where people jump a jump next to an open gate or gap and the horse goes for the gap.

It was drilled into me from an early age that you only jump when you have to - your horse may break his leg in the field tomorrow, certainly, but he may also break his leg or do himself another injury when you jump unnecessarily out hunting.


----------



## cptrayes (28 November 2009)

Marmalade you are living one of my nightmares! I do so respect your decision to stick with your horse even though he can't do what you'd like him to do. I have to confess that I probably wouldn't be able to be that selfless.

No hedges today, play was cancelled due to waterlogged ground   :crazy:


----------



## Irishcobs (28 November 2009)

QR  Out of respect for the landowner, I would go for the gap rather than jumping the jump, as it makes less mess.  If hounds are running and the route over the jump is quicker than an actual detour for the gate, I would go for the jump.

I have seen many a nasty accident where people jump a jump next to an open gate or gap and the horse goes for the gap.

It was drilled into me from an early age that you only jump when you have to - your horse may break his leg in the field tomorrow, certainly, but he may also break his leg or do himself another injury when you jump unnecessarily out hunting.
		
Click to expand...

What she said ^^.
When I was hunting my own horse last week, everyone went for the hedge when a gateway was less then 20 metres up from it. I was through the gateway before everyone was over the hedge. 
Though if I'm out on my bosses horse I have to jump what he jumps as I have to stay with him.


----------



## MrWoof (28 November 2009)

It was drilled into me from an early age that you only jump when you have to - your horse may break his leg in the field tomorrow, certainly, but he may also break his leg or do himself another injury when you jump unnecessarily out hunting.

Never a truer word ..... .....
Do not go looking for trouble - and keep the petrol in the tank for when hounds are running.
Always better to go home with a half tank than on empty after jollying about all day for no reason.
How many people really have the knowledge these days to feel the difference between a horse running on an empty tank and one still going - but on pure adrenaline?


----------



## cptrayes (28 November 2009)

I have that experience Mr Woof.  But I hunt to gallop and jump, not to follow hounds or be "seen" to be out in the "right" company (as a couple of friends of mine used to!). For me, the point is the jumping, so jumping "unnecessarily" is not a situation that I would ever be in.  But then, that's one big reason why I choose to drag hunt, the jumping is guaranteed.


----------



## Patches (28 November 2009)

I'm a wimp, riding a little cob who doesn't have the biggest scope.

I would go through an open gateway before I'd jump the hedge. I enjoy the essence of hunting, but I get my thrill out of following the hounds. I don't feel I have anything to prove in trying to jump everything. My horse gets a bit flat and fast at times (we keep trying new bits) so I prefer to not jump fences unless we're in complete control. Not worth the risk.....I'd like us both to live to see another day. 

That said, if I owned an out and out hunter, who had scope to burn and would jump anything it was pointed at I am pretty sure I'd jump the hedge!


----------



## rosie fronfelen (28 November 2009)

you certainly wouldn't want to hunt around here then, well, there's no drag hunting anyway- but we dont have jumps as its all open hill country, and no, people dont follow here to be seen with the right company as we are all on the same level playing field, also watching the hounds work as they do is a delight and a priviledge. good luck to you and your vast jumps, i just hope your horse(s) stand up to it all.


----------



## Grey_Showjumper (29 November 2009)

I only ever jump when you are "chasing" thats what i have been taught and i will stay by that. The only day i break this is on christmas eve when i jump all the hedges.... Our hunt only ever jumps when we are "chasing" anyway.. so i jump plenty of hedges... But its the same as walking home from a days hunting... save the horse for another day  Having said that, jumping out hunting has done wanders to my horses confidence. he is a beast at XC now.. when i got him he just didn't understand it... 
I agree with MrWoof.. you see so many horses knackered.. heads down.. running on adrenaline. my horse would go all day on adrenaline, but as soon as his head drops i know hes tired and thats when we go home


----------



## MrWoof (29 November 2009)

I have that experience Mr Woof.  But I hunt to gallop and jump, not to follow hounds or be "seen" to be out in the "right" company (as a couple of friends of mine used to!). For me, the point is the jumping, so jumping "unnecessarily" is not a situation that I would ever be in.  But then, that's one big reason why I choose to drag hunt, the jumping is guaranteed.
		
Click to expand...

Yes, sorry, I forgot to differentiate. The Lurex Brigade do it differently to us as you can have a rest between lines. Agree also with your comment re: "the posers" but they don't last long anyway as appear to have very little stamina. As for "the right company" - we all look after each other with The R&amp;WH.


----------



## boneo (29 November 2009)

It used to be considered bad manners to jump a fence unless hounds were running, it was called 'sky larking', and I have seen people 'sent home' for this,  how times have changed!


----------



## cptrayes (29 November 2009)

Before you assume that I hunt with the Lurex brigade Mr Woof, I suggest you read pages 26-28 of this week's H&amp;H. CFDH described as the smartest turned out drag field the correspondent has ever seen. And the hunting described as almost like hunting fox. Some of us get it right!

As for safety, mentioned by people previously, anyone who jumps island fences at speed (cross country, with fences as little as 30 inches wide,  and timed SJ comps) would smile ruefully at the very idea that they did not have the skill to keep their horse to the line of twenty feet of hedge just because there was a gate open somewhere near by. 

Salimali you are right, I wouldn't hunt country with no jumps, it's just not my idea of a fun day. But I am puzzled as to why you seem to infer that our horses might not last. One of the great things about a drag hunt is that you can pace the workload and give the horse a rest when it needs it and not when the hounds lose the scent or the fox goes to ground. 

Having fox hunted in the past, I would say that the risk of injuring a horse through overwork is much greater for fox than drag hunting, whether you jump or not.  If your point is simply that more jumping creates more risk, you are correct in that, but then if we applied that principle all showjumping, eventing and jump racing would stop. 

I'm just a fairweather drag hunter myself, but reading this thread and the two others on a hunt-to-ride/ride-to-hunt theme recently, I am fascinated by the apparent level of animosity from people who hunt to follow hounds towards people who want to jump. I have no problem with anyone who hunts to watch hounds (and even a drag hunt has them!) , or to be seen out in the right company. Why a small minority has a problem with me wanting to jump big hedges on my well mannered horse is beyond my understanding.


----------



## MrWoof (29 November 2009)

Oh dear - underwear in a complete tangle.
Myself and other people I know use the phrase "The Lurex Brigade" to describe Drag Packs.
Has coin now dropped?


----------



## rosie fronfelen (29 November 2009)

having never been drag hunting i am sorry for my ignorance!


----------



## rosie fronfelen (29 November 2009)

Mr Woof, you and i are getting a battering at present, especially me on another thread- is it our age or what, or do we remember hunting from another planet?


----------



## cptrayes (29 November 2009)

Painful Mr Woof - especially if you hunt all day in them )))

Salimali I think drag and fox hunting are really two completely different sports. It just got horribly complicated by fox hunters being forced to trail hunt because of the ban. We do have fun though, and if you are ever in the area I'd love to show you our hounds work the lines that Des runs for us.


----------



## JenHunt (29 November 2009)

I was taught that to jump unnecessarily or when there's a gate open is bad form and called skylarking. It was always cause for us to get sent home.

as such I would go for the gate.... BUT if hounds are running, there's no gate or the gate is wired up then I would jump. I've got a horse who would rather jump a gate that wait for it to be opened if hounds are running, so sometimes the gate isn't always the safer option!


----------



## Dogstar (29 November 2009)

'As for safety, mentioned by people previously, anyone who jumps island fences at speed (cross country, with fences as little as 30 inches wide, and timed SJ comps) would smile ruefully at the very idea that they did not have the skill to keep their horse to the line of twenty feet of hedge just because there was a gate open somewhere near by.'

Actually, the situation hunting is very different to XC as there are other horses going through the gate which would encourage any horse- not just a nappy, ill controlled one- to try to swerve and follow them!


----------



## cptrayes (29 November 2009)

I hunt and event, I know exactly what I am writing about. The only people I see whose horses are allowed to shoot for a gateway are riders who are not in control of their horses. Of course riders who are not in control of their horses should not attempt a hedge with an open gateway nearby. But they probably shouldn't be jumping big hedges either for fear of breaking their own necks. Just because there are quite a lot of people hunting whose riding skills are rather questionnable does not make it unsafe for people who ride well on a mannered horse to jump a hedge when a gate is open nearby!


----------



## Dogstar (29 November 2009)

Hey, people can do what they like if they are risking their own necks, I am just remarking on incidents I have witnessed during 25 years of hunting!


----------



## yeeharider (29 November 2009)

as far as i am concerned this  was always the challenge of foxhunting ,following hounds jumping whatever was in front of you. taught my eventers brilliantly they never question just jump whatever is there. have to admit dont hunt at the moment as there is no joy for me in following a laid trail


----------



## cptrayes (29 November 2009)

Of course people can do what they like, that's the whole point of this thread.

I wrote what I did simply to point out how unreasonable it is to call proficient riders on good horses "unsafe" if they choose to jump a hedge when a gate is open. Because it's not.

The people jumping beyond their capabilities will continue to do so and provide great entertainment for the rest of us and good shots in H&amp;H hunt reports. There's one from my hunt on page 27 this week - the photo was taken when the horse had already been put at the fence time after time, with a lead. He went through the gate eventually.


----------



## marmalade76 (30 November 2009)

Were you in any of the pics, cp?


----------



## posie_honey (30 November 2009)

i haven't read all of this..... 

but personally i'd go through the gate - i only jump when i have to in case there's a long run later and i have to jump then - i'd rather save my horse in case... esp as i only occasionally hunt so her fittness is not on top form. also - i only have one horse and can't afford another if she goes - so i tend to be over cautious. i'm also aware that it's often considered bad manners to jump when there's an open gate - so that's also in the abck of my mind.

however - i really couldnt' care less what the other peeps in the field do = that's their choice!


----------



## MrWoof (30 November 2009)

Painful Mr Woof - especially if you hunt all day in them )))


The penny still hasn't dropped - has it ?
		
Click to expand...


----------



## cptrayes (30 November 2009)

Mr Woof I don't have a clue what you are on about, sorry.

Marmalade I was so disappointed that we aren't in any of them, because my horse is a baby and it was the first day that he had been happy to attack one hedge after another. What a thrill! I bought him unbroken in March (he's 6) and I never expected him to come on so quickly. He was pretty dangerous first time out , blew his mind and brought us both down in wire! I keep waiting for the gallery photos to go up, hoping he's in one of those.


----------



## rosie fronfelen (30 November 2009)

i'd love to visit your drag hunt for the experience but as i'm wheelchair bound i'm knackered, but it would be interesting- whereabouts is your hunt anyway?


----------



## RunToEarth (30 November 2009)

I jumped whatever the fieldmaster jumped in previous years. My parents always told me that you should only jump when it is needed. 
This season I find myself with a different pack, and riding my OH's horses. 
if you only have one horse for a day's hunting, which most of the field do, you save your horse and go through the gate. I've been lucky enough to get two good horses a day so far and they are very willing, but my trail of thought remains that horses are there to follow hounds, if I need to jump to keep up I will.


----------



## MrWoof (30 November 2009)

Mr Woof I don't have a clue what you are on about, sorry.

"Lurex and "Drag" !!


----------



## cptrayes (30 November 2009)

Mr Woof I don't have a clue what you are on about, sorry.

"Lurex and "Drag" !!
		
Click to expand...

Aw, feel stupid now! How come I didn't spot that one, I only went to see Julian Clary a couple of weeks ago!!


----------



## cptrayes (30 November 2009)

i'd love to visit your drag hunt for the experience but as i'm wheelchair bound i'm knackered, but it would be interesting- whereabouts is your hunt anyway?
		
Click to expand...

Well that's a b*88*r and no mistake :crazy:. I hope that wasn't a riding accident. I write the copy for the fundraising letters for Spinal Research so I'm doing my best to get people with spinal injuries out of their chairs. The answer is getting so much closer. If your problem is an SI, I hope it's found in time for you. 

Cheshire Farmers hunt the whole of the eastern side of Cheshire out to the border with Derbyshire, and the tip of the north east corner of Staffordshire. That country includes flat farmland (hedge country) and Peak Park hill and moorland (wall country). They are trying to breed a purely blue pack, apparently, and when they do we will be calling ourselves the Cheshire Blues. It's a great drag to hunt with because of the variety of terrain and the friendliness too. I've been out with three drag packs and three fox packs in my time and none of them compared for friendliness with CFDH.

Another thing about the predictability of drag lines is that we are always followed by the quad, often two, to close gates, refix wire and mend broken fences. I'm getting a crazy fundraising idea for Spinal Research that maybe you should come hunting pillion on the quad bike and we can get you sponsored for each mile you cover????? Daft idea probably.


----------



## MrWoof (30 November 2009)

Mr Woof, you and i are getting a battering at present, especially me on another thread- is it our age or what, or do we remember hunting from another planet?
		
Click to expand...

Yes, most probably both age and fond memories.
Where are you getting battered dear girl?


----------



## MrWoof (30 November 2009)

i'd love to visit your drag hunt for the experience but as i'm wheelchair bound i'm knackered, but it would be interesting-

I'm getting a crazy fundraising idea for Spinal Research that maybe you should come hunting pillion on the quad bike and we can get you sponsored for each mile you cover? 
Daft idea probably.

Not daft at all - and count me in please. 
I did not realise that Salimali was wc-bound until reading her last post. 
Knowing SM, she does not want sympathy - so let's kick on and do something positive which will be great fun for her too.


----------



## rosie fronfelen (30 November 2009)

Mr Woof, read the posts on the latest news about the woman claiming compensation. i stupidly posted my opinions and have been well and truly slated for it, maybe you too will disagree with what i wrote, i dont know, i wish to hell that i didn't get involved now!! see what you think-


----------



## MrWoof (1 December 2009)

Mr Woof, read the posts on the latest news about the woman claiming compensation. i stupidly posted my opinions and have been well and truly slated for it, maybe you too will disagree with what i wrote, i dont know, i wish to hell that i didn't get involved now!! see what you think-
		
Click to expand...

Give me Title of Post please.


----------



## soph21 (12 December 2009)

I'm a wimp, riding a little cob who doesn't have the biggest scope.

I would go through an open gateway before I'd jump the hedge. I enjoy the essence of hunting, but I get my thrill out of following the hounds. I don't feel I have anything to prove in trying to jump everything. My horse gets a bit flat and fast at times (we keep trying new bits) so I prefer to not jump fences unless we're in complete control. Not worth the risk.....I'd like us both to live to see another day. 

That said, if I owned an out and out hunter, who had scope to burn and would jump anything it was pointed at I am pretty sure I'd jump the hedge!
		
Click to expand...

Ditto this


----------



## danneva (23 November 2010)

cptrayes said:



			Well that's a b*88*r and no mistake :crazy:. I hope that wasn't a riding accident. I write the copy for the fundraising letters for Spinal Research so I'm doing my best to get people with spinal injuries out of their chairs. The answer is getting so much closer. If your problem is an SI, I hope it's found in time for you.
		
Click to expand...

The key to many successful fundraising campaign is writing a good letter. In order to get people to read your letter, they must first open the envelope. Include teaser copy on the outside of the envelope. This can be as simple as a printed line saying, We need your help. Early in the letter, make your case quickly. Tell about your organization or project at the top of the letter and get to the point right away.


----------



## boneo (23 November 2010)

It used to be called Sky Larking, and jumping a hedge when hounds are not hunting was strictly frowned upon, I have seen many people 'Sent Home' for just this. Always use the open gate, rather than the adjacent hedge, much safer and less chance of a 'stop'.One memorable day with the Quorn, when a Thruster did just this, the Master held up the field, and made the person jump back over the same hedge, no easy thing, as it was a big drop, he never did it again!


----------



## Amymay (23 November 2010)

It was drilled into me from an early age that you only jump when you have to
		
Click to expand...

For once we agree.

Save the horse - the hedge will be there another day.


----------



## Amymay (23 November 2010)

Myself and other people I know use the phrase "The Lurex Brigade" to describe Drag Packs.
		
Click to expand...

Aren't all hunt's now drag packs???


----------



## cobgirlie (23 November 2010)

Patches said:



			I'm a wimp, riding a little cob who doesn't have the biggest scope.

I would go through an open gateway before I'd jump the hedge. I enjoy the essence of hunting, but I get my thrill out of following the hounds. I don't feel I have anything to prove in trying to jump everything. My horse gets a bit flat and fast at times (we keep trying new bits) so I prefer to not jump fences unless we're in complete control. Not worth the risk.....I'd like us both to live to see another day. 

That said, if I owned an out and out hunter, who had scope to burn and would jump anything it was pointed at I am pretty sure I'd jump the hedge!
		
Click to expand...

I'm a wimp but my big cob does have scope and that's why I don't jump while hunting!! He'll clear almost anything (okay not with style but he'll try!!) but I don't always stay with him because he jumps so big so while hunting we stick to the sensible but safe option and just enjoy the run and believe me we get plenty of excitement without risking me or him!!   I'll happily (well I say happily..I mean with a sheer look of terror on my face) jump XC or Jump cross but in the lesser controlled or expected enviornment (sp) of hunting I'll stay earth bound. 

I do look on with envy at those who are able to do the jumps but I doubt I'll ever see the day I'll join them, even if I rode the best hunter in the world I know my limits.


----------



## joe_carby (23 November 2010)

only jump if i have to if hounds are hunting then you jump what has to be jumped in order to get on with hounds but unless i have to i dont. i like my horse to have some fuel left in its engine for the 3 o'clock f..... trail


----------



## R2R (23 November 2010)

My most recent answer to that question would be becasue I followed the master over it. He jumped what looked like a meaty hedge on one side, turned out to have a MASSIVE drop on the other, and only three of us survived.

Everyone else went through the gate!


----------



## pipsqueek (23 November 2010)

Not so long ago would have jumped anything & everything but my horse is 19 now & have had 15 seasons on her.  Trying to take things a bit easier now although she has other ideas


----------



## Alec Swan (23 November 2010)

Why face a hedge.......?  Well I suppose that the answer,  for some,  could be the same as that given by a mountaineer,  when he was asked why he climbed,  and he said,  "Because it's there"!

Alec.


----------



## 3DE (23 November 2010)

I open gates when hacking - hunting is for jumping. Or what's the point?


----------



## steadyeddy (23 November 2010)

Totally agree with MrWoof- well written!!


----------



## mon (23 November 2010)

I don't jump bought horse as happy hacker after recovering from cancer, then inherited farm they regularly go over- been over today- thought I would go when they go that way, so mare takes me but not wanting to hurt her or myself - seen enough of hospitals- wouldn't risk ourselves, new horse also had hock problems so if she goes there would be little jumping as think too much of them both, go as a social.


----------



## Ditchjumper2 (23 November 2010)

MrWoof said:



			It was drilled into me from an early age that you only jump when you have to - your horse may break his leg in the field tomorrow, certainly, but he may also break his leg or do himself another injury when you jump unnecessarily out hunting.

Never a truer word ..... .....
Do not go looking for trouble - and keep the petrol in the tank for when hounds are running.
Always better to go home with a half tank than on empty after jollying about all day for no reason.
How many people really have the knowledge these days to feel the difference between a horse running on an empty tank and one still going - but on pure adrenaline?
		
Click to expand...

Quite agree........and welcome back


----------



## Mike007 (23 November 2010)

mon said:



			I don't jump bought horse as happy hacker after recovering from cancer, then inherited farm they regularly go over- been over today- thought I would go when they go that way, so mare takes me but not wanting to hurt her or myself - seen enough of hospitals- wouldn't risk ourselves, new horse also had hock problems so if she goes there would be little jumping as think too much of them both, go as a social.
		
Click to expand...

To be honest, you sound exactly like the typical stalwart that all hunts depend on so much. Good for you!


----------



## lauraandjack (23 November 2010)

I only have one horse.  If he gets broken that's not only the end of my hunting season but the end of all my riding until he is fixed.  Therefore, I tend to look after him.  So, if that means going through a gate rather than jumping, often I'll take the gate.  I know he jumps, he's got nothing to prove.  But I'd rather save the petrol for the times you have to jump.  I love my jumping and I love my hunting but I want to be able to hunt another day.

Mind you, we don't jump many hedges in our neck of the woods.  Trappy rails are more abundant.


----------



## Starbucks (23 November 2010)

Depends how much you hunt and what kind of day you're having. If I was out for one of only a few days i could afford all season and we were having a lousy day, I might have a pop if it wasn't entirely necessary. If, on the other hand, I was planning on hunting twice a week all season and hounds were hunting well, it would be a different story.

Never jump small jumps or XC fences etc. if there's a gate but sometimes tempted by a nice hedge.


----------



## Eagle_day (23 November 2010)

The Ten Commandmendments of Fox-hunting (H/T 10th Duke):
Article V - He who ... leaps unnecessarily is an abomination.

And, besides, nothing to prove ...


----------



## Mike007 (23 November 2010)

Sadley few people ever get the chance to blaze a trail across country after running hounds. I dont mean jumping laid fences ,but truely saying, hounds are there, i,m here, so I will jump that hedge there,that gate, that post and rail!I have done it only once ,leaving the field and field master behind. The field master was the loudest voice I heard shouting encouragement! Jumping a fence by a gate  seems a bit tame now.I will probably never be that brave again in my life but at least I did it once.


----------



## tootsietoo (24 November 2010)

Yes, if only we could actually hunt as if we were in one of those Victorian hunting prints!  The field all taking their own lines after hounds running fast, not a stretch of wire or busy road in sight!

What a memory to have Mike007!


----------



## gunnergundog (24 November 2010)

I jump whatever I need to!  My horse is 20 years old (owned him since he was a just backed 4 year old); he's evented to a very high standard but now we only go in straight lines!   There's nothing wrong with his jump or enthuisiasm but at 20 he will have a limited number of jumps left in him and I doubt very much if I will ever find another like him, so I choose to preserve him for as long as I can.

Sooooo..............if the field master takes everyone on a circular 'jolly' I will pick my spot and stand and watch.  If there's a rail that for whatever reason is jumping badly but the hedge next door is jumping fine, albeit a bigger jump, then I go for that.  If a gate is open right next to the jumping spot - be it hedge, rail or wall - then I go for that.   If there's a line of six or seven hedges we go for that and have a very large grin on our face at the end!


----------



## Mike007 (24 November 2010)

gunnergundog said:



			I jump whatever I need to!  My horse is 20 years old (owned him since he was a just backed 4 year old); he's evented to a very high standard but now we only go in straight lines!   There's nothing wrong with his jump or enthuisiasm but at 20 he will have a limited number of jumps left in him and I doubt very much if I will ever find another like him, so I choose to preserve him for as long as I can.

Sooooo..............if the field master takes everyone on a circular 'jolly' I will pick my spot and stand and watch.  If there's a rail that for whatever reason is jumping badly but the hedge next door is jumping fine, albeit a bigger jump, then I go for that.  If a gate is open right next to the jumping spot - be it hedge, rail or wall - then I go for that.   If there's a line of six or seven hedges we go for that and have a very large grin on our face at the end! 

Click to expand...

Picture of horse please !He sounds fantastic.


----------



## Tharg (25 November 2010)

cptrayes said:



			not make it unsafe for people who ride well on a mannered horse to jump a hedge when a gate is open nearby!
		
Click to expand...

  Do you not get that this can annoy a landowner who may have deliberately left the gate open?  Horses do poach ground (ground doesn't have to be overly wet)


----------



## natalia (25 November 2010)

Agree with Mike, difficult now to actually have a good run, as too many restrictions on where you can go. For the most part hunting is like a hack with a few bits of fast work and jumps thrown in and a pack of hounds somewhere in the distance. I jump to educate my horse (as only really take out youngsters) over natural fences, I hunt for a bit of a jolly, I enjoy watching the hounds work but sadly due to the nature of hunting now and the fact we are plagued by uneducated anti's thats very rarely possible.


----------



## Bug2007 (25 November 2010)

The gate is open for those who don't wish to jump so they are not putting off people from going hunting.

I'd jump the hedge if it was nice, much more fun for me then going through the gate!!


----------



## cptrayes (25 November 2010)

Tharg said:



			Do you not get that this can annoy a landowner who may have deliberately left the gate open?  Horses do poach ground (ground doesn't have to be overly wet)
		
Click to expand...

I drag hunt Tharg, the hedges we are allowed to jump are agreed with the landowner in advance. In any case, anyone who hunts knows that you don't jump where the field master has not jumped unless told that you are allowed.


----------



## Kenzo (25 November 2010)

MrWoof said:



			only jump when you have to
		
Click to expand...

Ditto above.

A hedge or ditch is merely an obstacle, not a 'jump'.

Of course I won't take away from the fact it can be more fun.


----------



## RunToEarth (25 November 2010)

I came from a pack that jumped anything and everything and are well known for annoying landowners in doing such. 
Now I try to only jump when I need to, I'm not on my horses and I'm always concious that OH is likely to lose a shoe and need to swap with me so I try to save the horse.


----------

