As the crisp air of autumn sets in, signaling the arrival of the hunt season in New Zealand, equestrians eagerly anticipate the thrill of chasing hounds across picturesque landscapes. Whether you're a seasoned rider or a newcomer to the sport, preparing your horse for the rigors of the hunt is essential for a safe and enjoyable experience. In this guide, we'll explore the steps to ensure your equine partner is ready to tackle the challenges of the hunt season.
Assessing Your Horse's Fitness
Before diving into hunt preparations, it's crucial to evaluate your horse's fitness level. Engage in regular riding sessions to build stamina and strength gradually. Incorporate a variety of exercises such as trotting, cantering, and hill work to improve cardiovascular health and muscle tone. Remember to monitor your horse's condition closely and adjust the intensity of workouts accordingly.
Fine-Tuning Skills
Hunting demands a high level of obedience and responsiveness from your horse. Dedicate time to fine-tune essential skills such as halting, turning, and standing quietly. Practice riding in groups to accustom your horse to the proximity of other horses and develop reliable herd behavior, as it can be very stressful for horses not used to having other horses moving around them at speed.
Desensitization Training
Hunting environments can be bustling with unfamiliar sights and sounds, from baying hounds to rustling foliage. Prepare your horse for these sensory stimuli through desensitization training. Introduce them gradually to potential distractions, such as plastic bags, flapping tarps, and noisy equipment. Gradually increase the complexity of scenarios to build your horse's confidence and resilience.
Familiarise your horse with jumping a wire fence
Horses spend their lives being contained by wire fences and can be very worried when asked to jump over something they have always believed to be impossible to cross. Make sure that the wire fence is low to begin with and has a well attached spar on top.
Your local hunt probably offers Hunt School classes, and these are the perfect place to school your horse to safely and calmly approach and jump a sparred wire fence.
Familiarization with Hunt Etiquette
Familiarize yourself and your horse with the rules and etiquette of the hunt. Understand the protocols for joining a hunt, including attire, horse tack requirements, and expected behavior. Respect the hierarchy within the hunting field, and adhere to the guidance of hunt masters and field masters during the hunt. And those canines you are following are always 'Hounds'.
Here is a great guide to Hunt Etiquette from Waimate Hunt.
Tack and Equipment Check
Ensure your horse's tack and equipment are in optimal condition before the hunt season commences. Regularly inspect saddles, bridles, reins, and girths and girth straps for signs of wear and tear, replacing or repairing any damaged components promptly. Verify that stirrups are adjusted to the correct length and that all fastenings are secure. You may want to consider safety stirrups.
Nutrition and Hydration
A well-balanced diet is essential to support your horse's performance during the hunt season. Provide a nutritionally balanced feed regimen tailored to your horse's individual needs, considering factors such as age, workload, and metabolic rate. We like VetPro Muscle Max (muscle and recovery support) and Poseidon Animal Health's Digestive RP (enhanced prebiotic gut support, pH buffering, dual digestive enzymes, magnesium, and 5 amino acids) in Hunting Horses.
Adequate hydration is equally vital, especially during prolonged hunting excursions. Ensure access to fresh, clean water at all times, and consider electrolyte supplementation for horses engaged in rigorous activity.
A highlight on Stress Paste
We believe that every horse who hunts will benefit from a dose of Poseidon Animal Health's Stress Paste before setting out.
Stress Paste is designed to support horses in times of stress (mental or physical), and especially to protect their gut microbiome from disruption. A horse's gut health underpins many aspects of their health from coat and hoof health to condition and calmness, and once the gut microbiome is disrupted it can take a long time to get back to a good balance.
But Stress Paste is also designed to support calm, hydration and to minimise acid splash. Here's how:
- Prebiotics and Post biotics for gut microbiome support
- Magnesium and B Vitamins for normal 'nerve function' (what you might call mental calm), appetite, and muscle support
- Betaine is included with the aim of supporting the horse's cells to retain water. In theory this means that the horse's muscles stay hydrated longer, recover faster, and your horse will drink well as they feel thirstier
- Pectin, a natural gel derived from apples, is included with the aim of lining the horse's stomach to help prevent acid splash - making them comfier but also reducing the likelihood of ulceration
- Amino Acids to support muscle repair and recovery
- Vitamin C & E for antioxidant support under stress.
Veterinary Care and Health Maintenance
Schedule a thorough veterinary examination to assess your horse's overall health and address any underlying issues that may impact performance. Keep vaccinations, deworming, and dental care up to date to safeguard your horse's well-being throughout the hunt season. Implement preventive measures against common ailments such as lameness, respiratory infections, and skin irritations.
Safety Precautions
Prioritize safety for both you and your horse during the hunt. Wear appropriate protective gear, including helmets and body protectors, to mitigate the risk of injury in the event of a fall or collision. Carry a well-equipped first-aid kit containing essentials such as bandages, antiseptics, and wound dressings to address minor injuries promptly.
Conclusion
Preparing your horse for the hunt season in New Zealand requires dedication, patience, and attention to detail. By focusing on fitness training, skill development, desensitization, and proper care, you can ensure that your equine partner is primed for success in the field. Embrace the camaraderie and excitement of the hunt, and cherish the bond forged between rider and horse amidst the beauty of the New Zealand countryside.
