FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
SIDELINES MARCH 2014 149
hazards on their own. At times,
too much interference from a rider
can actually be counterproductive.
An experienced hunt horse
can be depended upon to think
for himself and is well equipped
to carry a rider over unfamiliar
terrain at speed. Former world
champion eventer Lucinda Green
would often take her young
horses hunting. Galloping in
the hunt field as part of a young
horse’s schooling can make him
safer to ride in the cross-country
phase of eventing. Horses learn
to react quickly on their own if
they come across unexpected
situations, instead of waiting for
instructions from a rider. In the
hunt field, it is common to see a
master or whipper-in galloping
along on relatively loose reins
as they are blowing a horn
or talking on their radio to other staff members, leaving
it up to the horse to pick the safest way over the terrain.
People who foxhunt are sometimes older individuals from varied
backgrounds. Many have come into riding later in life or from other
horse sports, and they all share a physical toughness, a deep
love of the outdoors and a thirst for thrill. People in their 60’s, 70’s
and even 80’s enjoy hunting. The option of riding in second or
third field ensures a place for a rider of almost any skill level or
ability. A sense of humor helps, too, especially during those times
when mud is flying, or when one lands unexpectedly in the dirt.
With the love of nature, foxhunters tend to be conservationists.
The most obvious reason being that if they were not, there soon
wouldn’t be land upon which to hunt, but there is more than just
that. A foxhunter cares deeply about the land and the wild animals
there or they wouldn’t spend so much time out in it. It is common for
hunt masters and staff to monitor the welfare of foxes on the land
where they hunt. They sometimes put out dry pet food for them,
occasionally with wormer in it to protect the health of the foxes.
Many hunters who own land have set up conservation
easements through the Land Trust Alliance where
the land
continues as farm or ranch land permanently and cannot be
developed. This is especially helpful on tracts of land that are
under intense development pressure in the eastern part of the
U.S.
The landowner continues to own and manage the land
subject to the restrictions contained in the conservation easement.
The social aspect of the hunt is very important as it heightens
the excitement when others are also present to see the fox or
coyote, and to watch the hounds working the line of scent. The
experience is often relived during the hunt breakfast, a meal eaten
after the hunt regardless of the time of day. Hunt breakfasts can
range from elaborate affairs in manor houses with crystal, silver
and china to tailgate picnics in the field. Regardless of the setting,
even when people are fromdifferent generations and backgrounds,
sharing the thrill of the hunt and laughing together about mud
spattered faces has been the basis for many lifelong friendships.
About the writer: Doris Degner-Foster lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma
and rides with Harvard Fox Hounds when she is not interviewing
interesting individuals in the horse sport. She also enjoys writing fiction
and is working on a middle grade book series about teenagers who
ride horses and solve mysteries. Doris also writes the “Notes From
The Field” blog on the Sidelines Magazine website – don’t miss it!
Harvard Fox Hounds hunt club following hounds.
Photo by Michael Foster
