August 26, 2016 
So, you have been seduced by the misty allure of sporting scenes from Downton Abbey and aspire to follow hounds this fall? Perhaps you’re a literary type, and the romance of galloping the moors with Heathcliff or helping Sister Jane Arnold solve her latest murder mystery has piqued your interest? Maybe you’re just beguiled by the siren song of your crazy foxhunting friends at the barn, returning filthy, bleeding, and possibly slightly intoxicated, but grinning and raving about “the run” or “the pack” or “the charging bull.”
I mean, who could resist all that? You’ve set goals and ridden an extra trail ride or two, but now the start of hunt season is around the corner, and you don’t quite feel ready. No need to panic, the Anonymous Foxhunter is here to help!
Step 1: There Is No Tinder App for Foxhunting (Tragically)
(Modified from flickr.com/Mike Young; flickr.com/Ian Lee)
You have to make the first move! If you don’t have a hunting friend, or a brochure or Facebook post with contact details, go to the Masters of Foxhounds Association & Foundation and zoom in on your area. Some hunts have a link to their website right on the map. If not, get online and snoop around.
Address your inquiry to the Honorary Secretary or one of the Masters. A written note is great, but a phone call, email, or—gasp—even a Facebook message might suffice, depending on whom you’re trying to reach. The key part is to say, “Hello, Club Secretary or Master, my name is Wanda Wannabe, I keep my horse at the same barn as Marsha McMember, and I would like to try hunting with your club this fall. Please let me know what I need to do to join you. I may be reached at the contact information below. Thank you kindly, Wanda.”
Any hunt Secretary receiving such a polite inquiry will probably faint straight away from heart failure. However, most are pretty resilient, and will quickly be revived by the searing odor of old dog urine or spilled vodka in their carpet, and they’ll get back to you.
Step 2: So You’ve Got a Ring and a Date, Now Educate Yourself
Great, you actually heard back from the Secretary and (after she politely, but shrewdly, inquired about your riding ability and your horse’s experience) she’s encouraged you to come out for an early season or cubhunting meet. That means the onus is now on you to become acquainted with all the etiquette and conventions of the hunt field. Ideally, you’ll have already read Wadsworth’s Riding to Hounds in America, or the MFHA’s Introduction to Foxhunting, or taken some nice long trail rides with a knowledgeable buddy who can explain the basics. There’s no excuse not to be reasonably familiar with hunting terminology and organization—there are plenty of guide books (ahem…and videos) available for free!
Step 3: Is Your Horse Ready?
(flickr.com/Joe Loong)
I’m not particularly talking about fitness-ready. That’s very important, to prevent injuries, but if you’re Nervous Nellie Newcomer, I assume you’ll be riding in a slower group, like the hilltoppers, and frankly, your horse getting a little tired will probably have a positive correlation with your overall lifespan.
I mean is your horse ready to trot out with a large group of other horses, cross water, cope with livestock, tolerate standing still, manage not to explode when other horses gallop by, and—by all that is anonymous and holy—refrain from kicking a hound running directly behind his heels? Failing those first few scenarios will cause you to make an ass out of yourself, end up in the hospital, inconvenience hunt members who stop to help you, or make for a long, cold, wet Walk of Shame back to the trailers. But kicking a hound earns you foxhunting’s equivalent of a red card in soccer: The Ignominy of Never Being Invited Back Out. The horror!
If you get a-crackin’ and follow Step 1 immediately, and plan for a hunt debut in September, then here’s your homework. Get out on a trail ride with friends and practice trotting along, then standing still for a while. See if a friend can trot back and forth without your horse completely losing his manure (keep a buddy with you—he doesn’t need to be able to be left alone at this stage). Practice any of the obstacles you might encounter in that particular hunt’s territory. Hopefully, the Secretary will have steered you toward a friendly fixture, not Copperhead Road or, say, Mordor Manor.
If you can, get the number for the huntsman or kennels, and ask, very politely, if there’s a time you could bring your horse to see or walk out with the hounds. Hunt staff are very busy this time of year, so the answer may be no. But if you think about it, the huntsman, more than anyone, wants horses to be accustomed to the pack, so he or she may give you an opportunity to walk or ride around the kennels, and maybe, just maybe, will bring a few hounds out. The Anonymous Foxhunter recommends bringing some type of convivial beverage, and I mean like at least a six-pack or more, as a tip for this courtesy from the huntsman.
What if you don’t own a horse? Or even if you do, but you’ve been reading the suggestions above with a sinking feeling in your stomach? Look, there’s no shame in leasing an experienced, trustworthy horse when you start hunting. Ask the Secretary to recommend someone who might have a good one available. It will be money well spent to begin the day feeling like your mount knows what’s what.
In conclusion, consider yourself invited! Most hunts are eager to welcome newcomers, provided you are reasonably competent, polite, and have made the effort to prepare yourself ahead of time. There are still a few weeks before the season gets underway, so make that phone call or send that email or swipe right! Let’s make a date to get you out to enjoy our precious open spaces.
About the Author
The Anonymous Foxhunter’s (AFH) goal is to encourage more people to get out and enjoy mounted fox hunting, providing tips and advice to help riders from other disciplines bridge the gap between ring riding and following the hounds. The AFH lives and hunts (anonymously, of course) somewhere in the beautiful Virginia countryside, and would like to remind you to, “Get out there and enjoy our precious open spaces!” Follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (both at @afoxhunter).
