Hunt Etiquette
The focus of the riders in the field should be on the progress and conduct of the hunt while the hounds are
hunting. There are proper conventions and etiquette that participants are expected to follow, most of
which are for the safety as well as the pleasure of all involved.Arrive at the meet on time. Meet one-half
hour before the scheduled time so that you are tacked and mounted before the hunt moves off. If you
hack to the meet, do not ride through any coverts or across any country that is going to be hunted that
day. Park your van or trailer in a spot so as not to damage fields, lawns, trees, plantings, etc. If in doubt,
ask a Master or member of the Staff. Always greet your host landowner, his or her family or farm
manager and thank them for their generosity. Do not muck out your vehicle or leave any other trash on
anyone's fields or the at the kennels.
Greet your Masters with "Good morning, Master," regardless of the time of day. Introduce any
guests, and locate the Field Secretary to sign waivers and pay capping fees. You must obtain
permission from a Master to bring guests no later than the day before the meet. It is your
responsibility to inform your guests of proper etiquette and to ride with them. A person may
cap a maximum of 3 times in a hunting season.
Once you move off, be quiet. Listen for instructions and pass them on to the person behind you - don't try
to yell it to the rear of the field. Generally, if you are warning of a danger, say "Ware hole" or "Ware wire,"
but, if you are requesting a courtesy such as allowing staff or hounds to pass, say "Staff, please" or
"Hounds, please". When the Huntsman or another staff member passes you or especially a hound turn
your horse's head to on coming traffic. If you are on a trail, move off to the side and allow them to pass.
The same holds true if the field reverses.
If you see a fox, don't say "Tally-ho" - that fox might not be the hunted fox, and even if it is you might scare
him and turn him. Get word to your Field Master - quietly - and, after making sure the fox is safely on his
way, the Field Master will signal a Whip or the Huntsman by pointing their horse's head and cap at the
spot the fox was last seen and, if necessary, calling "Tally-ho." Watch the hounds work. - that is the fun
part. Some are best in a covert; some are best when running a line in the open field; some are good with
a cold line and others are great with a hot one; some go on their own and others need the
encouragement of the Huntsman.
Never speak to a hound. Never use your whip on a hound in any manner - dropping your lash to
discourage a hound from going near or underneath your horse is acceptable. Keep your horse's head
pointed toward passing hounds. Let the hounds proceed over coops before you jump - do not ride or
jump into hounds. Never let your horse kick a hound. It is a sure way to draw the ire of the Huntsman and
Masters.
Watch the horse in front of you. Do not crowd other horses. If you cannot see the heels of the horse in
front, you are too close. Be particularly careful at jumps - give the rider in front "room to fall." At a check,
stand still. Horses pawing or walking about make it very difficult for the Huntsman to hear his hounds. If
your horse is green, ride to the rear of the field. If you suspect that your horse might kick, put a red ribbon
in his tail. If he is a confirmed kicker, find another horse. Keep up! If your horse is unfit or too green, you
may want to join the second field. It is unfair to the people behind you to allow large gaps to occur and
eventually become detached from the main field. If you do, there is an excellent chance that you will find
yourself interfering with the hounds and possibly turning the fox. If your horse refuses a jump, go to the
back of the line and try again - do not continue to school your horse at the jump and do not prevent oth
ers from taking the jump and following the hunt. If you need a lead, ask a friend to stay back to give you
one.
If a field is seeded, freshly plowed, or very wet, ride on the edge. When in doubt, never cross a field,
always stay on the edge. Never gallop through livestock. Slow down, go around and ride carefully and
quietly. Always close a gate if you found it that way and listen carefully if you are at the back of the field so
as not to close one that has been left open. o out of your way to greet and generally be courteous to any
farmers, landowners, stgaff and hounds. Remember that landowners today, unlike years ago, often do
not ride to hounds, so their generosity in allowing us to ride over their land is really quite extraordinary
and not to be taken for granted .Avoid confrontations with landowners. Refer questions and issues to one
of the Masters. Report any damage the hunt may have caused to a Master, and report any problems or
landowner complaints to a Master immediately - get the name of the person to whom you are speaking
and tell them that a Master will call them. If a jump, gate, or fence is broken and no longer stock-proof,
make what repairs you can and report it to a Master as quickly as possible. Never trail ride without
personal permission from that landowner of the property over which we hunt.
Do not block roads. Allow traffic to get past as quickly as possible. Thank all drivers that wait or slow
down, giving them a smile and perhaps a tip of the cap as you do so.
Never smoke while hunting. Not only might it be objectionable to other riders, but it can be very
dangerous given the often dry conditions we encounter in the autumn and winter. Keep telephones on
vibrate and use as limited as possible.
If you must leave the field, ask permission of the Field Master. You will be given directions so as not to
interfere in the direction the hounds are drawing or hunting. Avoid jumps where possible - larking can be
dangerous on a tired horse.
At the end of the day, thank your Masters, Huntsman and Staff. Remember that the Staff has duties
from well before the hunt until all hounds and horses are safely returned to the kennels, so please
understand if they are unable to socialize at times. It is unacceptable to become your own field or field
master. Stay with your field until you are given permission to do otherwise.
Your horse should be well groomed and trimmed with his mane pulled neatly. In the winter, it is a good
idea to clip him. If you plan to do anything more than quietly hilltop, you should have him shod either with
borium or have his shoes drilled for studs. The paved roads can be extremely slippery, as is the ground
when very dry or frozen.
Keep tack clean, simple, and in good repair. Use only what you need.Snaffle, pelham, and double bridles
with a simple caveson are traditional, but use whatever it takes to control your horse - figure 8 or drop
nosebands, gags, etc. Braided, laced or rubber reins give you a better grip when your horse sweats or it
rains. Colored or ornamental brow bands are not acceptable. Use a martingale, breast plate or breast
collar if necessary.
Jumping, all-purpose and cross-country saddles are well suited for the type of country over which we ride.
Dressage saddles are too constrictive. Make sure the saddle fits the horse. Several hours of hunting in
an ill-fitting saddle are certain to produce a sore back. Saddle pads may be contour or square and
should be conservative in color - white (preferable) or black. Please, no bright colors, jungle motifs, etc. If
you need extra leg protection, use leather or neoprene boots with either buckles or Velcro closings. If you
use bell boots, use the ribbed pull-on boots. The ones with Velcro closings don't stay on very well for
hunting. No polo wraps! They are extremely dangerous if they come loose while galloping across country.
Fly hoods and ear and muzzle covers are not appropriate in the hunt field.For the best and most
complete simplified does and don'ts of fox chasing please refer to "Riding to the Hounds."
Glossary:
