Today’s Blogtober challenge is to talk about a discipline you would like to try. Now despite Scottie being my first horse, I have been extremely lucky to have a go at several different things. I compete in dressage and show jumping with Scottie and school cross country with the aims of getting out eventing. We have dabbled in showing and in the past I have tried mounted games, polo and even a touch of driving. Now while there are plenty of other equestrian disciplines out there, when trying to think of one I would like to try for more than just a one off, I would have to say drag hunting.
What is drag hunting?
Since Fox Hunting was banned in the UK, hunting has adapted to create the new sport Drag Hunting. In drag hunting the hounds follow a scent trail laid down by the hunt in advance. This means the route can be planned, allowing for more non jumping routes for beginners, but more importantly, it means no fox is killed.
Why would I like to go?
There are several reasons I would love to give drag hunting a try, but the main reason is I think I would really enjoy it! It’s such an adrenalin sport and something you don’t get to do very often.
I also think that hunting can make you a better rider. Travelling at speed to jumps, you need to be able to be quick thinking and act accordingly. You need to be able to read the fence and think about how your horse is reading the fence and have a reasonable idea of what stride they are going on. This would help your cross country riding and possibly even your dressage riding if you can bring that quick thinking to schooling in general.
No plans to go!
Despite loving the idea of having a go, I currently have no plans to go. This is largely due to the fact that I don’t think I would enjoy it on Scottie. I don’t know how well he would cope with it and I think I would spend so much time worrying about him that I would stop enjoying it pretty quickly! Also, with his recent mystery lameness, I am even more aware of how fragile horses can be. And I would much rather save him for something else.
What is a new equestrian discipline you would like to try?
Last Updated on 29/10/2018
