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A Kid's Guide to FoxhuntingPublished by the MFHA Foundation
(Click on the picture to read) |
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Introduction to FoxhuntingWritten by Lt. Col. Dennis J. Foster
Cover Photo by Richard Clay (Click on the picture to read) |
Tips for your first hunt
DRESS: Please be smartly turned out. That normally means a black coat, black helmet, beige breeches, tall boots and a stock tie.
YOUR HORSE AND TACK: You horse should be smartly turned out and your tack clean, but it is not necessary to braid. A clean white pad is the norm. Bridles should be plain, flat brown leather. Bits should be whatever it takes to control the horse.
START TIME: Be prompt. Call ahead to be sure you know the start time and starting location of the meet. Arrive in time to ensure that you and your horse are properly turned out, have time to pay your capping fee and can be introduced to the Masters and Field Master. If you are late, it's not appropriate to try to find the hunt by going across country on your own.
BEFORE THE HUNT: Please make yourself known to the field secretary, who will be collecting the capping fee and your signed release, prior to mounting your horse. If you have already signed a release form for the current season and have no fees due, a cordial good morning will suffice.
ETIQUETTE: The members of the field (the riders) will be told who is the Field Master (the person to follow) for the day. You must at all times stay behind the Field Master, unless you are told to go on.
YOUR HORSE AND TACK: You horse should be smartly turned out and your tack clean, but it is not necessary to braid. A clean white pad is the norm. Bridles should be plain, flat brown leather. Bits should be whatever it takes to control the horse.
START TIME: Be prompt. Call ahead to be sure you know the start time and starting location of the meet. Arrive in time to ensure that you and your horse are properly turned out, have time to pay your capping fee and can be introduced to the Masters and Field Master. If you are late, it's not appropriate to try to find the hunt by going across country on your own.
BEFORE THE HUNT: Please make yourself known to the field secretary, who will be collecting the capping fee and your signed release, prior to mounting your horse. If you have already signed a release form for the current season and have no fees due, a cordial good morning will suffice.
ETIQUETTE: The members of the field (the riders) will be told who is the Field Master (the person to follow) for the day. You must at all times stay behind the Field Master, unless you are told to go on.
Who's Who in the Hunt Field
Edited Excerpts from Introduction to Foxhunting by Lt. Col. Dennis J. Foster
Edited Excerpts from Introduction to Foxhunting by Lt. Col. Dennis J. Foster
The Master of the Foxhounds
It’s the Master who is responsible for the day’s sport and makes the decisions. The Master calls upon the owners over whose property the hunt rides. They supervise the hound breeding program, schedule the hunt meet locations and appoint the hunt staff members who work for them. If they do not hunt the hounds themselves, they appoint a huntsman, who is sometimes a paid professional. Most hunts have more than one Master to share these responsibilities. No matter what the arrangement, all of a hunt’s Masters are always treated with the utmost respect and courtesy. They have absolute authority over the day’s hunting.
The Huntsman
The huntsman is the key to good sport, so the actual hunting revolves around him or her. They’re responsible for the day’s hunting. Huntsmen care for, train and hunt the pack of hounds, whose names, traits and voices they know completely. The hounds respond to the
huntsman’s horn, voice and both mounted and unmounted body position.
Wippers-In
Whippers-in assist the huntsman in hunting the hounds. They’re an extension of the huntsman, usually far out on the flanks. They help assure that the hounds do the huntsman’s bidding. They act as safety valves to prevent hounds from running onto roads or on to land not open to hunting and to assist the huntsman with myriad tasks related to the hunt. Whippers-in must be bold riders, able to stay up with hounds and, if necessary, get ahead of them.
Field Masters
The Field Master is the most important person for people riding in the field. The Field Master leads the field, and no riders in the field should ever pass the Field Master during a hunt. The Field Master is usually one of the Joint-Masters, but he or she can also be a person appointed by the Master as a
permanent position or just for the day. Field Masters have absolute control of
the riders and their horses. Their job is to keep the field close enough to enjoy
watching the hounds hunt and yet not so close as to interfere with the
huntsman. A good Field Master will provide
the field with frequent views of hounds. It is the Field
Master who disciplines riders for infractions
while out hunting. They, along with the
Masters, have the authority to dismiss a
rider from the field.
The Field
The field can be any number of riders, but on rare occasions, fields of more than 100 can show up on weekends or special meets, such as Opening Day, the day after our Hunter Trials, New Year's and the Blessing of the Hounds. Many hunts have a first, second or even a third field, each of which has a Field Master.
Horses inclined to kick must ride at the back of the field and wear a red ribbon in the tail. Serious kickers should not hunt at all! Riders should stay with the field they choose. Riders who desire to change fields must secure the permission of their Field Master first. If joining another flight, make your presence known to your new Field Master. Similarly, riders should inform the Field Master if due to danger or exhaustion they feel they must leave the hunt altogether. Do not attempt to hack back to the Club alone if you do not know the Reservation. Ask a member to accompany you.
- First Flight: The first field consists of the riders who stay closest to the huntsman and hounds. They stay with hounds as they gallop over all obstacles, through water and all types of terrain. The first field should always consist of experienced riders with safe horses accustomed to hunting.
- Second Flight: The second field is usually mounted foxhunters who prefer a slower pace, or have green horses
that need to be trained to foxhunt. The
second field can go around obstacles but tries to stay up with hounds
whenever possible. The primary goal of second-flight riding is viewing the sport.
- Third Flight (Hilltoppers): The third field is often called “hilltoppers” because they’re usually positioned
on hills or places that give them
maximum viewing opportunities.
This group of mounted followers
doesn’t jump or gallop. They mostly
walk or trot from one location to
another and, unlike the second
field, they’re in no hurry to stay
with hounds. Often the group
consists of older members, very
young children on lead-line ponies,
inexperienced riders, or riders on green horses.
- Car Caravan: For some hunts we have one additional field, called the “car followers.” They try to
observe the hunt as best they can from their cars, while following on the
roads.
Horses inclined to kick must ride at the back of the field and wear a red ribbon in the tail. Serious kickers should not hunt at all! Riders should stay with the field they choose. Riders who desire to change fields must secure the permission of their Field Master first. If joining another flight, make your presence known to your new Field Master. Similarly, riders should inform the Field Master if due to danger or exhaustion they feel they must leave the hunt altogether. Do not attempt to hack back to the Club alone if you do not know the Reservation. Ask a member to accompany you.
Foxes Club
These are the individuals that lay our drag. The drag is the scent left
from a lure dragged on the ground
for hounds to follow, simulating a
live fox in a drag hunt. The drag can either be laid by horseback or a runner on foot. The hounds follow the drag. The field follows the hounds.
Field Secretary
The Field Secretary ensures that all riders have signed their Agreement for Release and Waiver of Liability form and have paid the appropriate fees, either annual membership dues or capping fees.
Video: An Introduction to Mounted Hunting with Hounds
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Hunting with Hounds
Overview Presentation Written by Lt. Col. Dennis Foster
Narrated by Brian Munn
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