Draghunting

[cesca]

Hi y'all, some guys on my yard are going draghunting tomorrow, they did ask me along but my lad had his EMRT treatment today we can't go, however if they enjoy it they'll be going again and no doubt I will get the opportunity again, which is wonderful!

So, can anyone relay their experiences of it for me please? I've never actually been "normal" hunting, though I feel I know more about it. I've heard draghunting's very fast as, of course, there's no waiting about and the route can be preplanned. Also, do you have to jump everything, or can you go along and take it easy??

Any information gratefully received, many thanks in advance guys

[sharon]

I have never been myself on horseback, but did take someone once who was keen to go.

I don't remember which draghunt it was but it they set off from Huntley Equestrian Centre, Gloucestershire.

It scared her s***less and me too just watching, they jumped everything in sight mostly at a gallop, gates, hedges, fences etc, eventually she bottled it and we managed to find a gate to open in the field she had jumped into and get her back in tears and the pony calmed down and we headed home!

I am sure they are not all like this, but it put me off, they were complete nutters!

[zannado]

I went on a draghunt last year. It was very different to normal hunting and I don't think I would go again. We split into 3 groups, the first group was the fast jumpers, the second the slow jumpers and the last group was the non-jumpers. basically we just charged about like lunatics along roads, over gats, hedges etc for ages, then stood for a few minutes and then started the next line, of which there were three. much more tiring for the horses than normal hunting and really what was the point of galloping along the tarmac like that? I went in the front group and yes the jumping was good but i felt there was a great risk to my horse. I have to say there was also much less of the friendliness and the ettiquette at a normal hunt. Some people had extremely bad manners and swore constantly, but then again that was only my personal experience of one draghunt and its not to say they are all like that.

[miggy]

Our local draghunt has novice days, usually weekends where all jumps can be missed if so required. There is always a planned route- thats what draghunting is, someone runs dragging a trail line so the hounds can follow shortly after and the route is divided into " lines" which means after a certain distance and line of jumps you stop for a break, then continue to the next line. It depends on where the hunt is taking place as to the distances. Its best to speak to the hunt secretary for advice and make sure you wear a red ribbon in your horses tail if you think he will kick out at other horses( green ribbon for a novice or both if needed

[cesca]

Interesting, thanks. Rosanna and Sharon, those experiences do sound just nasty, and I'd hate them. Galloping over tarmac is just stupid.

So what is the history of draghunting, has it been around for a while (and therefore is completely different to the hunting set)? I wouldn't like to go if everyone were going to be rude and hostile, as you say Rosanna (though I do fully appreciate, as you say, that your experience/particular hunt may have been an exception).

Do they operate as normal hunts do, i.e. meet on regular days every week, have members, a master, whippers in etc.? (Sorry for being soo naive, I also can't seem to find much info. on the net about this.)

Miggy thanks for that, I do like the idea of a novice day so you can dip your toe in to the water, so to speak. Have you ever been on one?

[jinks]

did this years ago, its fast and can be a bit scary, but the ones I went to were ok. Some have so many people in the field it can be a bit manic> I have never done real hunting, so cannot compare it. I think you have to be quite brave, my horse loved it though

[cesca]

Gosh, have just managed to find some stuff. From the H&H website "Drag hunting is all about jumping, so if you are a novice, you will be out of your depth" and "Horses – and riders – must be comfortable jumping fences of up to around 4ft. Although the field master will warn you about compulsory fences before each line, and give you the opportunity to sit them out, it defeats the object of the hunt to go through a full day without jumping anything." Blimey, a bit hardcore for us (haven't done loads of jumping with my lad and the highest we've ever jumped was a 3' 3" upright in the school!)

[sulasmum]

Think I prefer real hunting to drag, heard it can be really fast and scary

[Trouble]

I only went once...in my younger brave days and even then it scared the crap out of me! I swore I'd never go again, yet I hunted regularly 'normally' for years afterwards with no trouble.

[jor]

I cant believe some of the experiences some of you have had drag hunting!!!!
I have drag hunted with the NE cheshire drag hunt under the old master and the new one on 'childs' hunts and normal hunts.
There are some hunts which are notoriously more difficult with bigger fences and faster going, those who find out which ones they are (usually named after a pub!!) and dont fancy it avoid them.
When drag hunting I have NEVER had to canter or gallop on and form of tarmac/concrete or stony ground.
i have NEVER HAD to jump a fence of more than 2'9'', I have always felt that there was enough walking and slower work inbetween legs, it wasnt all gallop about as fast as you can jumping anything.

Perhaps those which have 'converted' to drag hunting from fox hunting go faster and jump higher, or its just your hunts?!

I would reccomend giving drag hunting a go. I think novice people can hunt on a hunting schoolmaster who will jump everything nicely and is push button. I fully intend to take my youngster hunting in his 4yr old winter at least 2/3 times, absolutely fabulous education for a young horse and for any rider.

I would say to give it a go the once, you can always turn back and not go again if you hate it.

[cubic]

JoR, I've found the change from fox to drag hunting has made it faster, but not anything like what some people above describe. I can only speak for our hunt, but there are always jumpers and non-jumprs and you don't have to stay with one 'crowd' or the other all day - most of the time the whole field stay together. Jumps can be up to 4ft6 but most are about 3ft and none are compulsary, you can always go round and catch up.

I haven't really got used to the drag hunting, it feels like if I wanted to go over a predecided route over jumps I'd go team chasing or racing, it feels like hounds are totally irrelavent, when in fox hunting they were the main part of it.

[natalia]

Hi,.
I drag hunt fairly regulary (mid sussex bloodhounds) and have also been out with the mid surrey farmers drag. I completly love it and am completly hooked! I much prefer it to normal hunting, its much more entertaining and IMO the people from round here that go are a much friendlier type than the normal foxhunters. Yes it is faster, your horse MUST be super fit, its simply cruel taking something unfit out the pace is quite fast. Our hunt avoids roads and its mostly over private farm land, xc course and MOD land. In that respect you can gaurentee that the fences will be a bit better maintained than some of the tiger traps out hunting. The fneces are larger than normal hunting, if your not in to your jumping theres not much point going as you will be afced with large hedges, gates and walls, although if they are going over a particulary large line of hedges theres normally a way round and they tell you in advance. The hounds are deff not totally irrelavent! our pack has a team of three runners per line, they ofetn split and so its quite easy for hounds to lose the line. I prefer the country you go over also, its more varied, many of the hunts here just go over the downland which is fast but open and i think a bit dull with not many fences.
So go, but only if your horse is fit and your quite happy to have a crack at some of the fences. I am more than happy to jump a 4ft hedge but point me in front of a 4ft SJ jump and I wobble! There are sometimes children who attend our meets but I wouldn't reccomend it unless its a novice day or childrens meet as they tend to either get terrified or fall off, of course there are exceptions! I do all my draghunting on a 14.2hh also and he has no probs keeping up, I have also taken a 13.3, in a way they have the advantage over the larger horses as they think more on their feet and get out of some sticky situations.

[pip]

Some hunts have websites. Farmers Bloodhounds are one, and they have a long disclaimer notice to read!

I went to watch one meet and thought it was the most frightening thing I had ever seen and when I phoned the secretary she said I could take a horse if I liked "but not your novice 4 year old" and I could see what she meant. However, this hunt always met on a Sunday with the permission and over the country of the foxhunt, and it did seem to be a matter of galloping and jumping as much as possible.

I think that now some foxhunts have converted to drag hunts they are more into making it like fox hunting, with the line laid through woods, etc. so it isn't so helter skelter.

A proper "draghunt" complies to certain rules, like stopping at once if a live animal pops up in front of them, but apart from that they are exactly the same as a fox hunt - Master. Huntsman, Whipper-In, same rules as to dress and behaviour and taking a subscription and cap to pay for the upkeep of the hounds and staff.

[cubic]

pip said:

I think that now some foxhunts have converted to drag hunts they are more into making it like fox hunting, with the line laid through woods, etc. so it isn't so helter skelter.

Exactly, traditionally draghunting has been 'fast and furious' but foxhunts that have converted have to please the older/younger and nervous people that have always been part of their followers before, so they try to do it more in the style of foxhunting than draghunts do.

[cesca]

Thank you very much for all your replies, very interesting. I thought I would update you with my friends' experiences (two went in the end and neither had ever been draghunting before).

They had an absolutely marvellous time, came back on a total high. They had done a lot of jumping but all around the 3ft mark, and they were on two very reliable jumpers. They did say that most jumps were optional or there were smaller ones.

Everyone was apparently extremely friendly, and children were present too. I don't know whether this was an introductory/novice type day or something.

The only downside was it cost them £90 each (they had been told £50), however they both had such an amazing day I don't believe they considered it a downside at all, in fact I think they would have paid more quite happily!

So all in all, should I get the chance to go again, I will jump at it (no pun intended).