Hunting Etiquette

Parking

All meets usually have a what3words location available, which is very useful for finding the parking area. Please don’t block entrances or gateways of any sort unless specifically told you can. Contact the Secretary if you are unsure of where to park.

Tip: Add 15 minutes to what your SatNav say it will take to get to the parking location. This allows time to manoeuvre and mount.

Horses

Hound Exercise and Autumn Hunting are where the education begins for both horse and rider as they are quieter days and allow time to get used to a hunting day. If you or your horse are new to hunting try to get out as early as you can in the season.

Your horse should be clean and tidy. Plaiting is popular and nice to see at a lawn meet but not essential. 

Kicking horses must have a red ribbon on their tail, be at the back of the field and not be ridden into gateways or jumps when other horses could crowd it. Place a closed fist in the small of your back if you need space at a gateway.

A novice horse should wear a green ribbon on its tail and be kept to the rear or the side of the main field.

A coughing, or otherwise unwell, horse must be kept at home.

Hounds

When you hear the shout ‘Hounds/Whip/Master please’ turn your horse’s head towards the hounds or rider trying to get past.

Kicking a hound is a cardinal sin, but accidents do happen. If a hound does get kicked make sure you let one of the Masters know, so they can make sure the hound is not injured.

Never strike a hound with your whip, you will be asked to go home if you do. You may dangle your whip beside your horse to keep hounds away from your horses’ feet.

Crossing the Land

We are only able to go draghunting with the kind permission and cooperation of our landowners, farmers and gamekeepers.

We must all take care or we won’t be invited again. Do not ride over any growing crops or young grass leys, or go quickly down a hill when it is wet. It makes much deeper hoof prints and damages the root structure.

Do not go through cattle or sheep at anything other than a walk, they may get pushed through a fence. If possible give them a wide birth.

Go round the edge of a field (the headland) if in any doubt and particularly if wet. You should ride in single file so close to the fence you can touch it with your boot.

Gates

The cry of ‘Gate Please’ should be passed back through the field. This means the gate needs to be closed once the last rider passes through. If someone is far behind you, raise your whip high to indicate from a distance that the gate must be shut and wait for them to acknowledge by the same action.

If someone has to get off to close a gate another member of the field must stay with them to ensure they are safely back on and catch up when they can.

Jumping

When riding at a fence make sure the person in front has cleared it first.

If you refuse at a fence, clear out of the way and let those who can get on their way. Do not keep trying to jump a fence, it could sour your horse, there is always a way round.

Let your next fence be an inviting small one to get him going again. If you do break a fence please report it straight away to the Master/Secretary in order that repairs can be arranged.

On the Road

It is all mounted and car followers’ responsibility to keep the roads clear at all times. Remember the car behind might be a farmer going about his business or someone about to catch a train. A smile and a hand up saying thank you should be the norm. It goes down well and costs nothing. If you hear ‘Car please’ try and move off the road as quickly as possible, this means a vehicle is behind and is trying to get past. 

General Do’s and Don’ts 

DO    Say ‘Good Morning Master’ to the Masters when you arrive at the meet

DO    Offer your Cap money to the Field Secretary; it is not their job to come to you

DO    Be sure to thank the host and hostess on leaving a lawn meet

DO    Listen carefully and make every effort to keep with the field

DO    Always put your horse's head towards a Master, Huntsman, Hounds or a Whipper-in when they pass

DO    Wait after a gate or a bridge until the next horse is through before galloping off

DO    Warn riders behind you of any danger like ‘ware hole’ or ‘ware wire’ (ware is pronounced ‘war’, and is short for beware)

DO    Stop quickly if you hear ‘Hold Hard’, this means you must wait

DO    Say ‘Good Night’ at the end of your day, even if you leave after only an hour

DO    Thank the Masters and staff for your day’s hunting before heading home

DON’T    Overtake the Master or Field Master, if you can help it

DON’T    Overindulge in port, no matter how insistent the host

DON’T   Jump an obstacle you are uncomfortable with, there is always a way round. That is how accidents happen

DON’T   Ride too close to the Huntsman and his hounds down a road or narrow lane as this can push the hounds forward