Misty River Hounds - Opening Hunt

A week after I did my first foxhunt with Harvard Hounds it was time for opening hunt at Misty River Hounds, the hunt that my barn is very involved with.  We had a much larger group attending and my mom and brother decided to tag along and ride the tallyho wagon so that they could watch.

Hunt Master Dina on Moses with the hounds

After my intense experience at Harvard, I decided to ride third field at Misty River.  If Harvard was supposed to be "tame" then what did Misty River have in store?  Jabbar was wound up again, but a little stronger bit, a straighter saddle, and several more stirrup cups helped things a lot.

Unfortunately, the hounds pretty quickly took off across the river onto some land we weren't allowed on, so much of the hunt was spent looking for the hounds.  That didn't keep anyone from having a a good time though!

In third field we did a lot of hilltopping, chatting, and trotting.  It probably would have been a much better first hunt experience, but after a taste of the thrill at Harvard, I could see myself wanting to step it up to second field at Misty River.  After the hunt there was a catered meal with a live band and a silent auction where I won myself a yellow vest!

Deer Creek Farm representing at Misty River Hounds

All in all, it was another awesome hunt with this boy that I got to share with my mom and brother.  I was so excited to have them along.  They were troopers on a very cold morning and a very long day.  I think we're all hooked, though.  Tallyho!

Foxhunting

When I bought Jabbar, I knew that he was going to be very green in the arena.  His previous owner didn't take lessons or do shows - he was a foxhunter.  I've done my share of lessons, I've done some shows, and I've done plenty of trail rides, but I've never foxhunted.  Most of the adult riders at my barn participate with the barn owner Diane and her assistant trainer Sally being very involved with Misty River Hounds, one of the local hunts.  So I had plenty of opportunity to get involved if I wanted to, I just wasn't sure I wanted to.

It always sounded a little intimidating, barreling across pastures on a horse following a pack of hounds while they chase a scent.  You never know what's around the next turn and you jump coops and logs rather than navigate around them, all at a rather quick pace.  Control freaks like me prefer going in circles in the arena over a course of jumps working on form and precision, not galloping across the countryside.  But since Jabbar was a very experienced foxhunter - he was a whip horse, meaning he was even more experienced than your average - I decided to give it a shot for him.

Harvard Hounds is another local hunt that our barn is friendly with, so when a small group elected to go to their opening hunt at the end of October, I decided it would be a good place to start.  Sally assured me that this hunt was pretty slow paced so it would be a good opportunity to get my feet wet without overwhelming me.  I was game.  When we showed up and began to tack the horses, the atmosphere was amazing.  We were at a pretty homestead with a misty fog, and they even had someone playing bagpipes.  The hounds were baying and as we mounted up, a priest came out to do a blessing.  Someone handed me a cup of port wine and called it a stirrup cup.  Thank you, may I have another?

Jabbar came alive.  He couldn't stand still and I had to circle him over and over.  Typically in fox hunting, there are several "fields" or groups of riders.  First field is the fastest paced with lots of galloping and jumping.  Second field doesn't jump but does gallop.  And if there's a third field, it's mostly walking and trotting.  This hunt was small enough that there was only a first and second field.  When first field took off, I had to remind Jabbar that while he was experienced, I was totally not.  We hung back in second field.

The hounds caught scent immediately, and there went our idea of a low key hunt.  We tore up and down hills, we cantered through open fields, and we even hopped over a few logs.  Jabbar was in a really soft snaffle bit so I had a lot of trouble holding him back.  And my saddle slipped about halfway through, so I spent the entire second half of the hunt trying to straighten it out.  Thank goodness for my flask - it really eased my nerves.

I was lucky enough to have a great friend Kerstin going along with me. She's hunted a few times so she could help me understand what was going on.  A big part of the hunt is watching the hounds work  a scent and we got a firsthand view of that.  Honestly, the whole process was the most terrifying and exhilarating thing I've ever done.  Jabbar loved it and I vowed to get a little stronger bit before the next time.  But the scenery was amazing, the horses was beautiful, the hounds were impressive, and I survived.  What an experience!

More fun with Jabbar

Not long after Jabbar was officially ours, John Patrick and Nini ventured up to the Hill to meet him.  First we brought him up to the barn for some grooming.

Then I put him through his paces (aka wore him out).

After that, I let John Patrick get on him for a little ride around the arena.

After that it was time to take Jabbar up to the barn for a hose down because it was HOT - remember heat?  And he got to meet Nini face to face.  Welcome to the family, Jabbar boy!

Surprise!

So this summer, Ryan and I did something a little crazy.  It really all started early in the summer when Ryan decided to take up cycling.  He'd been thinking about it for a while and decided in May to take the plunge and buy a hybrid bike.  Then it spiraled into a family of bikes for us and a trailer for Riley and even my parents getting in on the action.  Within a few months, Ryan was full-fledged obsessed.  He and my dad planned long rides, spent hours on message boards, and reading their endless magazine subscriptions.  Ryan was happier, skinnier, and really feeling great.  That led him to encouraging me to get a hobby.  I knew immediately there was only one hobby for me.

Me on Freedom - March 2012

Pre-Riley, I started taking lessons at our barn again on sweet Freedom pony, and I was hooked.  But once we got pregnant with Riley, I made the decision to stop and that dream ended up on hold for almost two years.

Ryan was very supportive of my riding and really pushed me to get back into it.  I warned him that this time I wasn't quitting and that it would eventually lead to us owning a horse.  Riding lesson ponies is wonderful, but I put my time in when I was little.  I've owned my own horse before and I know that I prefer that over not knowing who I'm riding week to week.  Ryan nodded, completely in support of me starting back on lessons and then us horse shopping "in a few years."

I took matters into my own hands a few weeks later and emailed Alli's trainer.  I just wanted an idea of what to expect cost-wise with the purchase and upkeep of a horse "one day."  We exchanged a few emails and all along I stressed that this was a long term plan.  A week later, she approached me at the barn.  "I know you aren't ready yet, but I do know of this really great horse.  Can I just send you his info?"  Never one to turn down pictures of a horse, I agreed.   Later that day I got two emails on Jabbar filled with pictures of he and his owner, a fourteen year old boy, swimming, fox hunting, and jumping.  He was a beautiful little bay with a stripe and a sock.  I am such a sucker for a bay.

So for three weeks, I chewed on the possibility.  Ryan was understandably very hesitant - I wasn't even back in the saddle yet and I was horse shopping.  This had been a long term plan.  What was I thinking?  And though I agreed with him, I just could not get Jabbar out of my head.  Finally when we were in Destin, Ryan said "Why don't you just bring him in for a trial?"  I don't know if it was the booze or the ocean breeze talking, but I went with it and a week later Jabbar was in for a visit.

On our first meeting, he was nervous and I was even more nervous!  What was I doing?  I hadn't ridden in two years and I was just going to hop on my maybe-future horse??  Jabbar was a first field fox hunter and a whip horse - he wasn't used to the ring so he was pretty spooked the first several lessons we had.  I wasn't sure he'd ever be quiet enough for Alli or even for me, but I was totally hooked on him.  I could go for a ride whenever I wanted!

After a two week trial, I said yes.  I had to!  I was head over heels and Ryan said that if Jabbar made me this happy, he was worth it.  And slowly over the course of two and half months, we've built a partnership.  He doesn't run the opposite direction when I walk out to the pasture and he doesn't spook at everything anymore.  He's learned really quickly in the ring and he's even taught me out at the hunt country going on two foxhunts (more on that later).

And I'm happy, happy, happy.  He's a special boy that came along at the perfect time for me and my family.

Alli even gets to ride him some!

I firmly believe that I've been good for him, but I know he's been even better for me.