Tack & Horsemanship
Tack & Horsemanship
Your presentation of yourself and your mount at each hunt or event is a reflection on us all. It is out of respect to your Hunt and the Landowners, as well as for your safety and enjoyment. Time has tested our tack and attire. The goal is always to blend into the natural setting, not to stand out. We appreciate that some of the best foxhunters start out in western and other tack and encourage you to come in what is comfortable.
Tack
This is a list of traditional English foxhunting tack, which is not mandatory.
Bridle and breastplate should be of English style, dark brown, clean leather, and in good repair.
Heavy English style flat cavesson, browband, and breast plate without superfluous stitching is most proper.
Breast plates are highly recommended for stability of saddle.
Saddles should ideally be of English type, plain brown leather without superfluous adornments. Sandwich case rings should be on the right side or offside behind your leg.
Saddle pads, bit guards, etc should be of white, black, brown, or dark grey to best coordinate with your horse’s natural color.
Boots on your horse are not acceptable for a variety of reasons including cactus, burrs, stones and foreign debris that may lodge in the boot and significantly damage your horses’ legs. We understand that sometimes previous injuries require additional support. If boots must be used they should be taped over the top with black duct or electrical tape to avoid slipping or loss.
Draw reins are strictly prohibited.
It is highly recommended to not to have snaps of any kind on bridles or reins as they will break under pressure while hunting.
Horsemanship
Horses should be clean and well-groomed for each hunt.
Long manes can interfere in a variety of ways which is why they are not traditional. It is recommended that manes be pulled, or long manes be braided up.
Braiding is appreciated on Opening Day.
Always have a wool or polar fleece sheet for your horse on hand for afterward.
Horses should be up to date on all vaccinations with a negative coggins. Do not bring a horse that seems ill or has a wound to hunt.
Shoes with studs or barefoot are preferable. Flat shod can be slick.
Horses should be specifically conditioned to hunt.
Riding a tired or unfit horse is a danger to yourself and those around you, not to mention cruel. A tired horse should be taken in early.
Bring supplies to dress any wounds that may occur while hunting.
Bring plenty of water and hay to offer your horse for afterward. Water will not be available at hunting fixtures.
For the safety of yourself, the hounds, and other participants we expect that you and your horse are proficient with ground manners, trailering, and riding in close proximity and at speed with other horses on similar terrain.
We strongly recommend a stronger bit or martingale than what you typically need.
Acclimate your horse to difficult footing and to dogs. It cannot be emphasized enough that a horse who is comfortable with dogs at home may be surprisingly unnerved by a pack of unknown hounds. Desensitize him to things around his feet and legs.
Expect to keep your new hunter in the second field for the first few hunts or even the entire first season. What starts off seemingly well can quickly snowball into dangerous habits and an unsafe situation for everyone around you if you advance too quickly.
We encourage you to reach out to the Secretary and Directors if you are new to training hunt horses prior to the first outing.