Getting Ready for Hunting...
Friday Night
1) Get horse in as usual, and wash legs and other muddy bits off.
I use hot water and a sponge with a bit of hibiscrub on. It cleans everything up without too much fuss, and if you don’t use too much you don’t have too much water left on the legs afterwards and they dry quickly.
If I need to wash other bits off I use hot damp sponge with soapy water and follow it around the horse with a sweat scraper, and make sure I put a fleece on under other rugs to help them dry off and stay warm.
Don’t worry about getting socks white at this stage – I always do that in the morning, otherwise they’re only green again in 2 minutes!
2) Put into stable, groom thoroughly and plait up.
Giving the horse a good brush now means there’s not too much to do in the morning, and makes sure you catch any little cuts or grazes that need covering in cream before you go hunting.
I stitch plaits in because they look neater and stay in for longer. It only takes me an extra few minutes for stitching as opposed to using bands, but it does take a bit of practice. I also plait the tail up and stitch that in – it saves washing it all the time.
Start off by brushing the tail out thoroughly. Then start plaiting the tail as normal with a ‘french plait’ and continue all the way to about 2 inches above the bottom of the dock. Then start to add bigger pieces of tail in as you plait until all the tail is included. Plait down to the bottom of the tail and use 3 or 4 bands to hold it in. Fold the tail up against the dock and stitch in. It’s a kinder way of doing it than using tape as it doesn’t pull on the hair or skin in the same way. It’s also more secure.
3) Feed, Hay and water as usual.
Feed should be as slow release as possible. Sugar beet was not traditionally fed to hunters as it was thought to sit in their stomachs and give them colic when they were galloping, but that’s a myth. It’s actually ideal because it is slow release and helps keep the horse hydrated throughout the day. I feed the sugar beet in a second bucket (a full tub-trug) and leave it in overnight.
Add as much fibre as your horse will eat as it also helps to hold moisture in the digestive system and also to keep the gut working whilst the horse is working hard. Both mine get alfa oil and at least 2 scoops in the feed.
The mix i use is baileys number 6 for one horse, and the other one who can’t have barley gets full fat soya and alfalfa&oil with baileys lo-cal (or stud balancer if he’s really hunting hard). The high oil content of both feeds adds more slow release energy, and also is very calorie dense – gram for gram you get nearly 3 times as much energy in fats and oils as you do in starches and sugars. This means you are less likely to overload the stomach with feed whilst trying to keep enough food going in to keep the weight on!
I always add a measure of electrolytes to feed the night before hunting, and make sure thy have extra water. The idea is to get the horse to drink plenty before they start working hard, and it’s best to do this over a number of hours, rather than give them salts only a couple of hours before, which can have the opposite effect (dehydration) as the horse doesn’t have enough time to take in enough water.
Unless the horse is overweight I never restrict hay (or haylage) intake – ours always get slightly more than we think they will eat in one night, and the spare rolls over into the next night’s supply. Again, Fibre is the priority!
4) Sort out feed, rugs and bandages for tomorrow.
At this point I always make sure that haynets are ready for the journey, and if you use haynets in the stable make up tomorrow night’s now so you don’t have to do it when you’re tired, cold and hungry! I also prepare sugar beet for the morning and (in a separate bucket) for tomorrow night if I’m not using speedibeet.
Make sure any rugs you’ll need are to hand, and that travel boots or bandages are ready too – you don’t want to be hunting around for them at sparrow-fart tomorrow morning!
I also put out grooming kit, blue rinse (for white bits), and spare plaiting kit for tomorrow morning and spare buckets, sponges and electrolytes ready for our return tomorrow night.
5) Set fair for the night.
I then make sure the horse is comfortable and that hay and water are topped up. If the horse’s legs are still wet then I will put fleece bandages on to prevent mud fever getting into damp skin. If not, then I put plenty of coat conditioner onto the lower legs (I use alva dazzle, though it isn’t the cheapest available, it does last ages, and its natural so doesn’t strip the skin of its natural oils. It also is antibacterial because of the essential oils in it)
6) Sort out your kit.
If you haven’t already done it earlier in the week clean tack, boots, jacket and numnah etc. I try to do it earlier in the week, but it doesn’t always work out that way!
If you have a wool hunting jacket, a stiff brush is brilliant for taking the mud stains out! The same goes for your hat silk/velvet. Though if it doesn’t work, then try holding your velvet hat cover (not the hat!) over a steaming kettle and rubbing with a sponge.
Make sure the soles of your boots are clean – they last longer then, and it looks smarter. If you wear spurs, make sure they are cleaned up too.
A white numnah is technically correct, but most people use a black or brown numnah these days. A numnah rather than a square is preferred; it’s also less to clean afterwards!
7) Early night!
Saturday Morning
1) Feed up.
Try to feed at least an hour and a half before you plan to travel, this not only gives the horse chance to digest breakfast before you travel, but it also gives you plenty of time to do the other bits and pieces.
2) Muck out.
I know this might sound stupid and obvious, but do it now because you won’t want to do it later. It means you will be able to leave your horse in peace once he’s cleaned up too! If the bed is really wet I might leave the floor clear to dry, but normally I just leave it down as a job for Sunday!
3) Groom, check plaits and clean white bits.
I start by checking the plaits, and re-stitching any that need it. Then give the horse a thorough grooming, and spot treat any stable stains. Put on fleece/day rug/ sheet as appropriate. I tend to use a fleece as it helps dry them off on the way home, and if it’s really cold I’ll put a sheet over the top.
Once this is done I then do a final wash of white bits, including blue rinse. I then scrub out the feet, giving a good check of the shoes too.
Squeegee out the hair thoroughly and then put on fleece bandages again (partly to help dry off and partly to help keep clean!).
Finish off with a coat of hoof oil just for smartness sake! I tend to take the hoof oil with me to apply just before I get on as well.
4) Put kit into wagon/car.
A check list is always useful, no matter how often you do it! Saddle, bridle, boots for horse if any, jacket, hat, boots, spurs if worn, stock and pin (or tie). Cap money, mobile phone. Map. Hipflask! Flask of tea/coffee and a sandwich.
I don’t travel with tack on – just a preference, I find it’s just as easy to put a bridle on in the trailer and then saddle on when I get him out. Doesn’t suit everyone though.
5) Load up and get going!
Aim to park up a couple of miles from the meet, and allow yourself 20 minutes to hack down the road to get there. It gives you and the horse chance to relax after your hectic morning! Remember not to park in villages or gateways, and only use farm yards if directed by the hunt, or with the land owners express permission.
Saturday Evening
1) Back at the box.
First off, loosen your horse’s girth as you walk the last couple of hundred yard back. Once there hop off, loosen the girth again and put headcollar on over the bridle. Tie up your horse, and unlock the vehicle.
Fish out the rug(s) and put them over your horse’s quarters whilst you take the saddle off. Once the saddle is off put the rugs on properly. The idea is to keep the horse as warm as possible when he is tired and potentially dehydrated.
Then take off the bridle, and any boots the horse has on. Replace with travel boots if used. I don’t use travel boots on the way home because their legs are always very muddy!
Load up and give the horse a haynet. Most will tuck in happily, but don’t worry if they don’t, some need a drink first, and others need to settle down first.
Take a few minutes to have a cup of tea/coffee from your flask, and eat your sandwich. You need to get some energy back too!
2) Back home again, washing off.
I try to make the next bit as quick as possible, partly because I’m tired, but mostly for the horse’s sake. I don’t turn out when I get them home unless they are very unsettled, as I feel they are better off being monitored and kept warm. If they are still wound up then a gallop round the field and a roll can make all the difference! Use the time they are in the field to make up some warm sugarbeet (see below) and take your tack in from the vehicle.
First I put electrolytes in a bucket and put a little hot water on them and then fill up the bucket with cold water. The hot water just takes the chill off and makes it a bit more palatable for the horse. My big lad will drink 3 buckets like this after a hard day! The Other one won’t drink electrolyte but will take plain water, so I just offer him 1 bucket at this stage.
Then I make up 2 buckets of warm water, just slightly hotter than hand hot (it cools off quickly). Keep one for rinsing off, use the other one with hibiscrub to wash sweat out of the coat. Check legs and belly for nicks, grazes and thorns. Work as quickly as you can. Wash his face and round his ears too, and check his mouth for cuts or splits.
Rinse thoroughly and squeegee off thoroughly. Put fleece rug back on and check legs and belly again (you’ll surprised how often you miss things when you’re washing off!) and check shoes.
3) Make the horse comfortable.
Put the horse back in the stable with hay and plenty of water. Leave him for 5 minutes to have a wee in peace, or a roll if he wants.
The next thing I do if I’m using speedibeet is to make up the sugar beet with hot water. If I’m using long soak sugar beet then I drain some and add hot water. This is equivalent to the traditional bran mash, but much better for the horse as he can make better use of it than he can of bran. Bran can actually make them more constipated, or cause colic.
I then leave the horse for an hour or so with just hay and water. It is important to let him relax, and to get his stomach/gut working properly before you feed him. I take the opportunity to take the tack out of the vehicle, take my kit inside and have a cup of tea!
4) Feed up.
Once the horse has had an hour or so to munch on the hay, check he is warm enough but not too hot (some will sweat up again after you wash them off).
Prepare the feed. Remember to add electrolyte to the feed to help the horse’s muscle recover, help him rehydrate, and to help prevent cramps (tying up) and colic.
Add more hay if necessary, and top up the water again. My big lad will eat 2 slices of hay in an hour, and 3 water buckets will be dried out, licked clean and turned over!
5) Have your dinner, a hot bath etc.
6) Last thing before you go to bed.
Go out, check he is the right temperature, check hay and water again and top up if you need to. Skip out the bed and then leave him for the night.
Sunday Morning
Take off stable bandages, check legs over, good thorough grooming, and feed as normal.
I ride from the stable on Sunday morning. Just a gentle stroll out to check he isn’t stiff, sore or lame.
Then I turn him out for the day, and go and clean his tack!. He gets Mondays off.
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