THH, Oronoma, August 18,2023

 

It was a lovely morning for riding.  Not so good for hunting.  The temperature was pleasant.  There was a nice breeze.  Very low humidity.  There was almost no moisture to hold any scent.  We did pass through some areas where a fox could be smelled but the scent was already head high on the riders.

We did have one spot where the hounds got really active.  It was an area of thick underbrush and tall weeds.  The hounds were in there with a strong voice but nothing popped up.  The fun thing was that Wally and I were on the trail right next to this area.  You could hear the hounds, see the underbrush moving all around but couldn't see the hounds at all.  Wally watched for a little and then just went to grazing.  Shortly after that as Beth was pulling the hounds out, we had hounds on either side of us.  At one point I think one ran into us.  Wally tucked his butt under and then stomped a foot,  That was it.

Wally was very good today.  He pretty much was on a loose rein all day which is how he was at the end of the last season.  We covered about 5.2 miles with about 2000 feet of vertical change.  A good workout.

THH, Kennels, August 8,2023

 

All hunts do things differently.  In August, some hunts do what is called roading.  That is where they take the hounds out with horses but not with the intent to hunt.  It's just about exercise.  Some hunts do staff hunts where the staff only takes the hounds out and actually hunt.  At THH, the hounds go out to hunt and all hunt members can go out.  Even guests can come out as long as they pay a cap fee.  The difference is in August how much hunting we do is limited.  Today we were out just about one hour total.

It was a good hour though.  We came east from the kennels and the hounds were in a flattish area between Mason and Little Mason Mountains.  They hit and ran up and over Little Mason and then came back over and headed across the gap to Mason Mountain.  They went up the shoulder of Mason a bit before coming back down, right in front us.

They crossed over back to Little Mason and went partway back up before losing the fox.

It was a nice day that warmed quickly.  It was abut 65 when we headed out and it was about 75 when we came back in.  Total mileage was just about three miles but we did do about 1500 feet of vertical up and down.  So it was a good workout.  wally was not as up as last Sunday but still strong at the beginning.  The run took the starch out of him but then we headed in.  Wally is careful coming down hills.  As we were coming off little Mason, he fell behind and picked up a canter.  It was a pretty good down pitch with some double digits slopes.  His canter was never on the forehand at all on that.  His balance has become pretty remarkable.  I really need to trust him more and I'm sure as the season comes along that will happen.

FHC, Indian Echo, March 11,2023

 

Coming into this weekend I had to decide which day to hunt. Both days had drawbacks. Saturday was to be high winds and Sunday had the possibility of snow/Ice during the hunt and afterwards. I decided to go yesterday. I figure not much would happen because the scenting would be poor but it would still get Wally and I out.

It was junior day as well at FHC and we had an abundance of juniors spread out through all three flights. Some of the kids I've now seen multiple times over the past few years. Its great to see them enjoying coming out to hunt.

I wasn't expecting much because of the high winds and thought maybe we could get some short runs in if we got low and stayed out of the wind. For the first 90 minutes that seemed to be the case. We came out of Indian Echo and crossed the road and started heading north behind Spring Breeze and Moriah farrm. We passed beehives and eventually crossed back over Catterton rd. Wally I were last in second flight, so after everyone else had passed through the gate I jumped Wally of the barway jump that was there. We then cut through to McNeeley's and then over to Yadkin.

We worked through Yadkin and then back across Buck Mountain Ford Rd when the hounds hit. They were off and running and followed the creek south before making a u-turn and coming back up the creek. They came back to the ford and it took a bit before they latched onto the scent again. They went around the back side of Yadkin and then up Buck Mountain. They started down and went off the north side where the fox was lost in the wind.

It was a great run. As the horse travels it covered four miles in about an hour and ten minutes. I was in second flight behind the juniors and they did great whether it was running hard on the trails or negotiating some pretty deep muck.

For the day we covered 12.24 miles with a top speed of 19.6 MPH.

THH, Mountain View, March 7,2023

 

Wally and I were out hunting this morning with THH. When I was getting him ready, the temp was a pleasant 49, it was a little cloudy and no wind. Pretty much the same when I got to the meet. By the time we headed out, the wind was howling.

Today I knew I was going to go in early so that I could get Ann at the airport. I had a plan and stuck to it. Unfortunately from the start until I went in, nothing much happened. Then when I was walking Wally down the road I heard the hounds open up.

It seemed for while that they were running parallel to us. So we could hear pretty good. Then it seemed like they were turning toward us. Wally kept stopping and would turn to the sound and listen. Then the hounds faded in the other direction. We could still hear them and he would still stop to listen.

After a little more than a mile hike back we got to the trailers. I had gotten him untacked and a cooler on him when the hounds got really loud and didn't sound like they were too far off. He just stood there real still and listened and looked.

I think he knows why we are out there. I am also pleased that he will go by himself. I think he could staff with that attitude.

Despite not a lot of action while we were out Wally got some good check marks. There was one young lady riding near us. Her horse had been good but then kind of lost its senses. It was in that mode of bouncing around and not wanting to go forward. So we just walked along with her. wally's thought process seems to be "I don't what that horses problem is but its not mine."

Later got to a downed tree that was blocking the trail. The way around was negotiating the top brush of the tree. That elicited a lot of funky and abrupt jumps from members of the field. Wally just picked his way through and then hopped his butt a little at the end. Very quiet and calm.

We've got a couple of more hunts this season but Wall has it figured out.

THH, Mountain View, February 14,2023

 

Wally and I had a great morning out with THH. It was a beautiful day that warmed up quickly but not before the hounds were able to get on a red fox. They ran the fox for an hour or so. I'm pretty sure they ran a lot more than we did because we were well in their rear view mirror. Eventually they came back around and we got to watch them work pretty well and then run along with them. Eventually they got back around to about where they started. They were some pretty worn and tired hounds. I think by that time the temp was about 60, so the day was called.

Wally was excellent. He is very fit and ready to run down in Aiken next week. The sand footing will be different but running the mountains will certainly help his fitness overcome the sand.

For the day he covered 7.25 miles and topped out at 19.1 MPH. He is handling the speed over terrain very well. When we finally checked up on the run, we had a moving average of 6.6 MPH. That's pretty good considering most of the time we are around 4.6 or so.

FHC, Red Gate, February 9,2023

 

Today has become Munchkin's retirement day. We were out hunting with Farmington Hunt. We were on a run when he coughed a couple of times and then had bright red blood coming out of his nose and mouth. I got hi back to the trailer (thank god he is so independent) and got him over to the Blue Ridge Equine. By the time we got there the blood had slowed to a trickle. They examined him and scoped him and the vet called it Exercise Induced Cardio Pulmonary event. They didn't find the source of the bleed but it was probably way down the system. They also said he had an irregular heart beat.

So rather than taking the chance of this happening again and losing him in the middle of the hunt field, I retired him.

Munchkin is 20 years old and has been hunting almost exclusively first flight for 16 years. He is still really fast and could really jump. Just a week or so ago he did a hunt where he covered 10 miles, did 3500 feet of elevation and hit 26 MPH. So he was still in great condition and form.

Today he had two runs. The first came after we got to a funky bridge. Munchkin and another horse were across when the field decided to go around a different way. We were then tucked in behind the huntsman. The hounds hit and away we went. I had to really rate him back because I think he would have passed Mathew and just run with the hounds on his on. As far as Munch was concerned all was right in the world because he was first, in charge and on the run.

After that the hunt all got together again and it wasn't longer when the hounds hit again. We were running hard up a hill when the Munchkin and I took him in.

In a way, his retirement reminded me of Boomer's. Boomer had an arthritic knee we were treating and it was always on my mind that he could break down. So one day we had a great hunt and he had been spectacular. I was eating afterwards and someone asked about B. I just said he was retired.

So Like B, Munchkin got good runs in and retired.

He has done everything asked of him. He hunted for 16 years. He lead the fields and he whipped in. He hunted with the biggest and fastest hunts in VA. He hunted in NC, SC and GA.

I evented him. We crossed paths with Phillip Dutton a couple of times and Dutton always commented on what a nice horse he was. He had some great compliments from other 5* level riders. We won at 3' 6" jumpers. I did a trot puissance one time and he did 4'. Our miss at 4' 3" was my fault. He did dressage and was twice called by two different trainers "the most efficient moving horse".

He's still sound and we'll see how he does at retirement. He'll still do things like trail rides and keeping Wally or KC company when they need a buddy. My guess he will still jump the fence lines when he feels like it.

THH, Thornton Hay Field, February 8,2023

 

Wally and I had a fun morning with THH. It was a joint meet with Blue Ridge today and we were running their hounds.

We started off pretty strenuously by pretty much climbing Turkey Mountain straight to the top. I really mean straight to the top. No switchbacks or gently curving trailers. Just a straight climb. We looped around through The shade and then came up the backside of Turkey.

We came off the backside of Turkey and the hounds hit. I'm pretty sure it was a coyote. It headed a little back up the mountain and then turned east. It pretty much followed the line of Rock Mills Road and then made a left up Hunters Lane. It was a pretty good run.

Meanwhile, back in the second flight we headed down a trail only to come to a solid wall f fallen trees. We looped around and met up with the rest of the hunt and then were off and running again. It took us a long run to come around and we were back the Shade. we also heard at that point that the hounds had lost on Hunters Lane.

Wally was pretty good. He had a lot of climbing (2892 feet) and covered 11.1 miles. He topped out at about 20.6 MPH. I think that is the first time he has topped 20 MPH since he did a run away with me two years ago. He has learned that he doesn't have to go full throttle which is good since he was a racehorse. He is pretty fit and I think he is going to appreciate the flat terrain of Aiken in a couple of weeks.

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