Supporting Dogged Resistance
My hunting experiences Part 2
The story continues!
New Years Day Meet:
Wet is the only way to describe this one. It starts raining at about 10:30. Suddenly the thought of an extra days work doesn't sound so unappealing. Scarlet is pulling faces the moment she steps out of the trailer. By the time it comes to start, we are very damp and, though there are some superb jumps on offer for her, she refuses to take off from the ground. She's just not going to do it.
Thankfully when we get back to the car we find Mum has thoughfully provided a flask of tea for me and a carrot for Scar.
Meet #20 12/01/08:
It's frosty and this meet is on foot so I don't bring Scarlet. Instead I bring the dachshund, Barty. He is not prepared for my erratic style of driving and keeps getting harsh bashes off the window. Managing to arrive in one piece, I talk to people, while Barty tries to chat up the leggy hound ladies.
Meet #22 19/01/08:
We get bacon rolls at this meet. I offer some to Scarlet and get what can only be described as a withering look in return. Only five horses are in attendance today, making the field a massive three horses! It still turns out to be highly enjoyable, with two foxes flushed out and plenty of good gallops. Unfortunately we have to abandon the Huntsman to get his hounds back when they take off, while we all head home before it gets dark.
Meet #24 26/01/08:
Perfect hunting weather today. It all looks like its going to be terrific when we at the back notice that those at the front are very edgy. It turns out that we are being followed by a couple of antis. Whilst they are seemingly not doing anything drastic (spraying people in the faces etc.) we still have to behave ourselves and keep the hounds under tight control. The Master proposes sending anti-jokes over the radio just to wind them up, but is (thankfully) persuaded otherwise by one of the Guns. As Mum says to me later, that sort of thing never sounds as funny when read out in court...
Meet #27 09/02/08:
The Field Master is unable to attend this meet as he is laid up with "Man-flu." As a result the field is a bit of a shambles. As most drop out early, the survivors (all four of us) join up with the Huntsman until the end of the day. We encounter a pair of wellies under a boulder - apparently all that remains of some poor soul crushed to death - and Scarlet manages to upset a pair of chestnuts living in a field we have to walk past. Of course, it's not her fault.
Meet #28 12/02/08:
Another huge field at this one. A massive three horses in total and, seeing as two of them are the Joint-Masters that makes me and Scarlet the only randoms. Even the Huntsman is on a bike. It's a very warm day which makes a nice change. Scarlet is not impressed by the Master's flashy chestnut gelding who, despite his protestations, is definitely a poser and even less so when she has to hitch a ride home with him.
Meet #29 16/02/08:
I borrow my little sister's pony, Lucky, for this meet, as Scarlet has a nasty lump on her back. Despite upwards of 3 hours of intensive grooming the night before, he's still a complete mess. But there's very little time to dwell on this because, as soon as we start off, he's jogging and jostling his way towards the front, his little iron mouth oblivious to my efforts on the reins. Everyone else finds this very amusing. I eventually turn him for home at about 2:30 because I reason that he'll probably drop dead before he admits defeat and explaining that to my little sister could prove a little tricky.
Meet #31 23/02/09:
The Hunt Breakfast. I decide not to take Lucky, as I like being able to use my arms during the week.
It's good fun and good food. We discuss cars and universities and Scarlet's back and then they all mount up to hunt. I can't say I envy them too much as there is a very bitter wind blowing. I return home to find Scarlet has pegged her rug to the fence and ripped it clean in half - if she wasn't looking so miserable I would suspect she did it on purpose.
Meet #32 26/02/08:
This meet is right next door to us and on foot because the weather is just foul. I hitch a ride on the back of the Field Master's quad bike which has an unnervingly dodgy-looking wheel. Within an hour a fox has been flushed and shot which is a great start considering the wind is so strong nobody can hear a thing. I leave them to it at 12:30 to get home in time for the farrier coming to see Scarlet.
Meet #34 06/03/08:
It's a joint meet today, and the last of the season for our hunt so I take Lucky along (having promised to keep him out for an hour maximum). He is still looking his muley self and he tries to help himself to whatever is being offered to the riders, even going so far as to stick his head in a tub full of Mars Bars.
An hour later I am relieved to pull him out as I can no longer feel my arms. He doesn't want to leave so we have a tussle all the way home and he tries to kill me at every gate we open. It makes for a memorable final meet anyway.
So there it is, an account of my first ever season of hunting. It was definitely worth doing - it sorted Scarlet out no end. It may also be my last full season's hunting for a while as university and academia beckon (and Scarlet has gone to a new home) but it's definitely something I'll be doing again!
New Years Day Meet:
Wet is the only way to describe this one. It starts raining at about 10:30. Suddenly the thought of an extra days work doesn't sound so unappealing. Scarlet is pulling faces the moment she steps out of the trailer. By the time it comes to start, we are very damp and, though there are some superb jumps on offer for her, she refuses to take off from the ground. She's just not going to do it.
Thankfully when we get back to the car we find Mum has thoughfully provided a flask of tea for me and a carrot for Scar.
Meet #20 12/01/08:
It's frosty and this meet is on foot so I don't bring Scarlet. Instead I bring the dachshund, Barty. He is not prepared for my erratic style of driving and keeps getting harsh bashes off the window. Managing to arrive in one piece, I talk to people, while Barty tries to chat up the leggy hound ladies.
Meet #22 19/01/08:
We get bacon rolls at this meet. I offer some to Scarlet and get what can only be described as a withering look in return. Only five horses are in attendance today, making the field a massive three horses! It still turns out to be highly enjoyable, with two foxes flushed out and plenty of good gallops. Unfortunately we have to abandon the Huntsman to get his hounds back when they take off, while we all head home before it gets dark.
Meet #24 26/01/08:
Perfect hunting weather today. It all looks like its going to be terrific when we at the back notice that those at the front are very edgy. It turns out that we are being followed by a couple of antis. Whilst they are seemingly not doing anything drastic (spraying people in the faces etc.) we still have to behave ourselves and keep the hounds under tight control. The Master proposes sending anti-jokes over the radio just to wind them up, but is (thankfully) persuaded otherwise by one of the Guns. As Mum says to me later, that sort of thing never sounds as funny when read out in court...
Meet #27 09/02/08:
The Field Master is unable to attend this meet as he is laid up with "Man-flu." As a result the field is a bit of a shambles. As most drop out early, the survivors (all four of us) join up with the Huntsman until the end of the day. We encounter a pair of wellies under a boulder - apparently all that remains of some poor soul crushed to death - and Scarlet manages to upset a pair of chestnuts living in a field we have to walk past. Of course, it's not her fault.
Meet #28 12/02/08:
Another huge field at this one. A massive three horses in total and, seeing as two of them are the Joint-Masters that makes me and Scarlet the only randoms. Even the Huntsman is on a bike. It's a very warm day which makes a nice change. Scarlet is not impressed by the Master's flashy chestnut gelding who, despite his protestations, is definitely a poser and even less so when she has to hitch a ride home with him.
Meet #29 16/02/08:
I borrow my little sister's pony, Lucky, for this meet, as Scarlet has a nasty lump on her back. Despite upwards of 3 hours of intensive grooming the night before, he's still a complete mess. But there's very little time to dwell on this because, as soon as we start off, he's jogging and jostling his way towards the front, his little iron mouth oblivious to my efforts on the reins. Everyone else finds this very amusing. I eventually turn him for home at about 2:30 because I reason that he'll probably drop dead before he admits defeat and explaining that to my little sister could prove a little tricky.
Meet #31 23/02/09:
The Hunt Breakfast. I decide not to take Lucky, as I like being able to use my arms during the week.
It's good fun and good food. We discuss cars and universities and Scarlet's back and then they all mount up to hunt. I can't say I envy them too much as there is a very bitter wind blowing. I return home to find Scarlet has pegged her rug to the fence and ripped it clean in half - if she wasn't looking so miserable I would suspect she did it on purpose.
Meet #32 26/02/08:
This meet is right next door to us and on foot because the weather is just foul. I hitch a ride on the back of the Field Master's quad bike which has an unnervingly dodgy-looking wheel. Within an hour a fox has been flushed and shot which is a great start considering the wind is so strong nobody can hear a thing. I leave them to it at 12:30 to get home in time for the farrier coming to see Scarlet.
Meet #34 06/03/08:
It's a joint meet today, and the last of the season for our hunt so I take Lucky along (having promised to keep him out for an hour maximum). He is still looking his muley self and he tries to help himself to whatever is being offered to the riders, even going so far as to stick his head in a tub full of Mars Bars.
An hour later I am relieved to pull him out as I can no longer feel my arms. He doesn't want to leave so we have a tussle all the way home and he tries to kill me at every gate we open. It makes for a memorable final meet anyway.
So there it is, an account of my first ever season of hunting. It was definitely worth doing - it sorted Scarlet out no end. It may also be my last full season's hunting for a while as university and academia beckon (and Scarlet has gone to a new home) but it's definitely something I'll be doing again!
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