Settling In: Hunt Recap

No hunt photos today, so you get pictures of my shiny shiny pony with his fall clip! 

Thank goodness, Dino was much more Reliable Hunt Pony than Wild Fire-Breathing Dragon this week!

We were at a new fixture for me, and even though we planned to only be out for an hour so I could get home to work in a timely fashion, I had a blast seeing some new territory. A unique feature of this particular fixture is that there aren't really any foxes there. But there ARE coyotes, which can result in a very fast hunt.

This hunt, however, wasn't very fast. It was a lot of stop-and-go riding, trotting briskly off for a few strides and then waiting while the hounds worked, then another brisk trot, then stop. While the inconsistent pace and short checks didn't allow me to take any photos that morning, the slower speed did afford me the opportunity to enjoy the scenery.

And boy, was there some scenery to be enjoyed!

We kept mostly to trails through the woods, which is my very favorite type of riding when out hunting. I love navigating around the trees, rocks, streams, ditches, and other technical terrain. Plus, the necessity to stay in a single-file line keeps Dino from getting any ideas about passing his fellow field members. The trees here are just starting to show a little color, and on a cloudy autumn morning, what blushes of orange and gold there were shone even brighter. AND we passed a field full of Highland Cows which was the highlight of the morning!

Dino Himself was an absolute star.

Wonder of wonders, I had BRAKES that morning, he only bucked twice, and I didn't once have to get into a wrestling match with my pony to try and get him to slow down or pull up. I was so happy to be right that he just needed another outing or two to settle into the hunting routine.

The hounds hit twice, and we had good long runs at a brisk canter through the forest and a bit of open fields. Dino needed a couple solid tugs to remind him to stay off his forehand and behind the horse in front of him, but he was a superstar overall. No arguing, no head-flipping, just 'Sorry ma'am I'll slow down now.' I was especially relieved by his improved behavior since my gloves were also covered with show sheen from body clipping him the day before, and I didn't have a great grip on the reins.

Pro tip: maybe don't go out hunting on a horse whose neck is covered in show sheen.

But we had a great ride even so, and enjoyed our time in the field as always! I ended the morning by purchasing two stock ties out of the trunk of someone's car like some kind of black-market stock tie deal before jetting back home to get to work. It was a satisfying finish to a lovely morning hunting a new fixture, and I can't wait to wear my new ties out next week!