Question: When participating in English fox hunting (with a pack of hounds) does the horse generally have to be brave already to accept the hounds or can he be taught slowly to join a hunt?
So I have no clue about hunting or how it works at all. I've never been, never even seen a hunt except for on TV. But I'm told my horse flips his lid when the local hunt comes past. Luckily for him, it's only once a year on boxing day/new years, but I would really like to train him out of being so nervous. If he could actually join a hunt, that would be an ideal end goal.
Background:
I'm learning that he's generally quite a nervous horse the more I do with him. He was bitten by a dog once and spooks now when he sees a dog. I most often ride him in the field and when the neighbour brings her dog to her horses he wants to be watching it constantly, spooking every time it runs. I work him through it and I'm hoping he'll learn that it's not a threat eventually. I'm also starting to hack him out, which he is also incredibly nervous about as he's not been out the field in 8 years. I don't feel unsettled or unbalanced with him when he spooks but I'd still like him to get more confident around dogs.
He has no problem with other horses, although I've never ridden him in such a large group. He loves to canter (we've not worked up to gallop on a hack yet) and loves to jump. Once he's happy enough just hacking out I plan to take him to some different places like XC and showjumping arenas, maybe even my riding school. The hunting goal is a very long way off for us but I wanted to ask you guys what you thought.
Do other hunting horses start out this way or is it a completely unrealistic to aim to join a hunt with him? I wondered about contacting the local hunt to see if I could go and meet one or two hounds with him, and maybe find someone to hack out with us with a dog once he's a bit more comfortable.
So I have no clue about hunting or how it works at all. I've never been, never even seen a hunt except for on TV. But I'm told my horse flips his lid when the local hunt comes past. Luckily for him, it's only once a year on boxing day/new years, but I would really like to train him out of being so nervous. If he could actually join a hunt, that would be an ideal end goal.
Background:
I'm learning that he's generally quite a nervous horse the more I do with him. He was bitten by a dog once and spooks now when he sees a dog. I most often ride him in the field and when the neighbour brings her dog to her horses he wants to be watching it constantly, spooking every time it runs. I work him through it and I'm hoping he'll learn that it's not a threat eventually. I'm also starting to hack him out, which he is also incredibly nervous about as he's not been out the field in 8 years. I don't feel unsettled or unbalanced with him when he spooks but I'd still like him to get more confident around dogs.
He has no problem with other horses, although I've never ridden him in such a large group. He loves to canter (we've not worked up to gallop on a hack yet) and loves to jump. Once he's happy enough just hacking out I plan to take him to some different places like XC and showjumping arenas, maybe even my riding school. The hunting goal is a very long way off for us but I wanted to ask you guys what you thought.
Do other hunting horses start out this way or is it a completely unrealistic to aim to join a hunt with him? I wondered about contacting the local hunt to see if I could go and meet one or two hounds with him, and maybe find someone to hack out with us with a dog once he's a bit more comfortable.