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Post by barbiegirl on Aug 26, 2014 16:51:42 GMT
I've been invited to a drag hunt meet in October but have never hunted before and am concerned that it may be too much for my 4 year old sec C? My pony is quite fit and regularly hacks out including hill work and cantering. The meet comprises of 3 lines of approx 2 miles each with a 20 min rest between each line. All jumps are optional so I would probably only do a few small ones of max 2ft. Would it be too much for my pony?
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Post by honeypot on Aug 26, 2014 17:02:37 GMT
Never drag hunted but did look after a drag horse many years ago, he used to tremble from when you took the haynet down the night before. A lot of hunting now is basically a drag hunt mimicking real hunting. I would take him cubbing or hound exercise in the week, there are less people likely to be out and there are spots to take a breather so they do not have to be super fit. If it was mine I wouldn't take him out on a drag.
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Post by babybem on Aug 26, 2014 18:38:53 GMT
I'm not sure you can judge if you have never been, all horses react differently. Some become excited others don't bother. Yes, hound exercise, cubbing and autumn hunting are a good way to see how your horse reacts first. Make sure you put a green ribbon in your tail if you go and just enjoy it! 3 lines is not a huge meet
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Post by barbiegirl on Aug 26, 2014 20:18:26 GMT
There are two groups, a fast group who do the 5ft hedges etc and a slow group who mostly stay in a steady canter for most of the line and will probably have one gallop on each line, so I would go with the slow group if I were to go. My pony is of a quiet temperament and doesn't really fizz up easily so i'm not worried about her getting fizzy; i'm more worried that it's too much fast work for a 4 and a half year old pony? I'm concerned about the effect on her legs and wind. I don't want her to do too much too soon and having never hunted before I have no personal experience of how it all goes on. The friend who has invited me has said I could just do one line and see how pony is coping, and if she is tired then take her back to lorry rather than carry on.
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Post by Philippa on Aug 26, 2014 20:37:31 GMT
Hunting is a great way to educate a young horse. I used to get the flat horses which were going into their first national hunt season as four yr olds to hunt a few times before they went.
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Post by sparklepony on Aug 27, 2014 7:23:09 GMT
Drag hunting can light horses up, so be prepared for that and bit up well. Some take to it others don't, with our drag you can go as fast or slow as you like, some even trot round at the back. If you tell the secretary you are new they should take care of you, which pack are you going with?
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Post by roxy93 on Aug 27, 2014 11:51:28 GMT
Im gonna take my novice mare out over winter to get her out, you will enjoy it.
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Post by barbiegirl on Aug 27, 2014 19:52:17 GMT
It's the Sandhurst Drag Hunt.
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Post by sparklepony on Aug 28, 2014 11:19:29 GMT
Ah well I will see you there, my partner is the senior master!! Come along and try it out you dont have to do all the lines.
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Post by nici on Aug 28, 2014 12:41:06 GMT
My daughter started hunting her little 12.2 C last winter with our local Bloodhound pack - not quite the same as drag hunting as they don't use artificial scents but similar. We've just started backing our 4yo baby C at the moment, and I'm hoping he'll be ready for one or two autumn hunts before he gets turned away for winter. When my daughter takes him the first time, her riding instructor is going to accompany her on my daughter's little C as we know she's a very safe pony and is used to hunting (her riding instructor's own ponies might be a bit too wizzy to be act as nannies!) All jumps are optional on our hunts, so we're not expecting him to jump any hedges, but it'll be a good test to make sure he will settle to the job - all being well he'll do a full season's hunting next year. As long as your pony is reasonably fit and the ground is good, I would go for it and enjoy yourself! Do try to find someone who's prepared to nanny your pony for the first time though, to make sure everything is ok.
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