FAQs

I want to come hunting, what should I do?

Call and speak with one of our Secretaries. Their details are on our contacts page and they will help regardless of whether you’re new to hunting or hunt regularly and want to visit with us.

For newcomers our main advice is to try it! And if it’s high summer why not join us for one of our small group fun rides? It’s a great way to meet hunting regulars, to hack out in new country and get your horse used to hacking with others.

I’m starting out. What should I wear?

You don’t need to buy special clothes to try hunting. Safe, warm and neatly presented clothing and tack is the focus. And in summary, a tweed coat, shirt and tie and beige jodhpurs or breeches will always be suitable. But for more information here is a brief guide to hunting attire in the Autumn ‘pre-season’ and in the main season.

In the Autumn, before Opening Meet, we all wear what is called ‘ratcatcher’. This is (for men, women and children) a tweed hacking jacket with either a collared shirt and tie, or a stock shirt with a coloured or patterned stock, beige breeches or jodhpurs and brown or black boots (or chaps), and a safety hat.

Anyone who hunts infrequently, and also children, simply continue to wear ratcatcher at Opening Meet and beyond. It is always suitable and ‘correct’ for any traditionalists.

Women who hunt regularly typically switch to wearing a black or navy coat at Opening Meet and from then until March. This is worn with beige breeches and plain black boots. Long hair must be neatly tied up and placed under a hairnet. Men also switch typically into black coats (but occasionally navy too) with beige breeches and plain black boots (without brown tops). If you see a rider wearing a coat with a coloured collar, or a gentleman wearing a red coat, it is because they have been awarded their Hunt ‘button’ for having subscribed or helped the Hunt as a volunteer over several years. Red coats are worn with white breeches and mahogany top boots.

In the main season both men and women wear a stock shirt with a plain white, off-white or cream-coloured stock (or hunting tie, to give it its traditional name) with a stock pin worn horizontally.

If you look at the photos on this website you’ll get a good idea of what we wear.

What should my horse wear?

Opt for plain black or brown tack, and a dark-coloured saddle cloth or numnah. Some people use a slightly stronger bit or a running martingale when hunting if their horse tends to get strong in company. A neck strap in the form of a spare stirrup leather around the horse’s neck is very popular too to help with balance if jumping or crossing undulating terrain. We recommend travelling your horse already tacked up (with a head collar over his bridle of course) as it’s difficult to saddle an excited horse in a small area with lots of others. Bring a fleece for him afterwards. Whatever your horse is wearing he and your tack should be clean and well-presented.

Do I have to plait?

We don’t plait our horses in Autumn. But at our Opening Meet and for the rest of the season we plait our horses unless specifically told otherwise. This is as a mark of respect to the owners across whose land we hunt and to uphold the pride of our Hunt in the community. No matter when or where we are hunting we present ourselves and our horses to a high standard for the same reason.

What are the rules or etiquette?

Trail hunting isn’t competitive but there is important etiquette - informal rules, if you like, to keep everyone safe. You will learn them as you go but here are a few of the main ones to know before you come out:

1. Arrive early. Unlike many other horse events we are scrupulous about timing. We are being hosted by incredibly generous Meet hosts and landowners so being late isn’t acceptable. We also may need to hack from our parking area to the Meet which can take 20-30 minutes. Please do consult our Secretaries before the day and plan to be early.

2. Upon arrival at parking or the Meet seek out a Secretary to pay your ‘cap’ to and introduce yourself. Your ‘cap’ is your money for the day’s hunting. You may have paid it already via bank transfer but do introduce yourself so we know you’ve arrived and can provide any assistance needed. Please ask who the Meet host is and thank them for it is they who are hosting you at the Meet and probably also on their land.

3. Listen to instructions from the Field Master and secretaries. This may include information such as how to ride in a particular area so as not to damage fields and crops, whether gates need to be left open or closed, and information about jumps or other obstacles/hazards. If you break anything you MUST inform the Field Master or Secretary straight away. This might include water pipes, a hunt jump, gates or fences. You won’t be in trouble but we will if it isn’t fixed. We need to know immediately so we can assess whether it needs to be fixed ‘on the spot’ or later that day.

4. Always stay behind the Field Master and keep up with the rest of the Field (the other riders). It is the Field Master who knows the best route to take across the country we are trail hunting on, and who is ultimately responsible to the landowner.

5. Display good manners at all times. Smile and say ‘thank you’ to anyone holding open a gate (it is very often the landowner who has generously given his or her land for us to hunt across) and to anyone else you see out and about on the day. Always smile and thank waiting or passing traffic and ensure you listen to the Master and Secretaries if they ask you to move aside for traffic (you will hear them say ‘Car, please!).

6. Make sure you tie a red ribbon in your horses’s tail if he is susceptible to kicking, and a green ribbon in your horse’s tail if he is young or new to hunting (no matter his age). Always point his back legs away from Hounds, the Huntsman, Whipper-in or other people and horses. Take special care not to ride near children if you are unsure about your horse’s safety among others.

7. Let a Secretary or someone responsible know when you are leaving for the day if it’s not at the very end. This is so we don’t send out any search parties to look for you.

Common instructions on the hunting field

You will hear a few regular commands when out hunting and it’s useful to know them before your first day. Usually our commands are a single word shout with ‘please’ at the end. Here are the main ones:

‘Field, please’ is the common instruction from the Field Master which simply means ‘Follow me’. They might also say ‘Forrard on’ which essentially means ‘Hurry up!’ The ‘Field’ is the name of the group of riders and horses who follow the Master.

‘Huntsman, Please!’ means the Huntsman is about to ride back through the Field. Make sure you get out of his way quickly, and turn your horse’s head to face him so that your horse is unable to kick him as he rides by.

‘Whip, please!’ means that one of the whippers-in (who are the Huntsman’s assistants) are doing the same thing. Turn your horse to face them and move aside promptly. ‘Whip on the right/left!’ tells you which side of you they are coming so you move the opposite way, and if you possibly can turn and face toward him or her.

‘Gate, please!’ means the last person through the gate MUST close it. A few people will wait and help you do this to ensure there is assistance for the gate closer.

‘Hold hard!’ means simply to stop immediately, and wait further instruction.

‘‘Ware hole or ‘Ware wire’ means ‘Beware! There is a hole, or wire or other danger that must be heeded’. For example a rider ahead may shout ‘‘ware wire on the right’ meaning there is loose or dangerous wire to the right of you. You should repeat the warning back to riders behind you.

There are many other things to learn in the hunting field just as with any other sport but the above are the key ones and knowing them will help keep you safe and help you have a great day out.

When we finish for the day, no matter what time it is, we say thank you and ‘Goodnight’.