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Hunting
With the Woodford Hounds
There are a
number of books and pamphlets that lay out the correct dress,
customs, language, and conduct expected of one who would follow
hounds, and all of them are interesting and informative.
Unfortunately, many were written long ago and are somewhat out
of date, while others might be correct for hunting in England,
but not necessarily reflect current usage in the United States.
Whatever source one uses as an authority, it must be born in
mind that all are general guidelines and subject to numerous
exceptions among various Hunts. While I hope to accurately
relate what is generally considered correct and acceptable in
the hunting field, these notes are primarily for those
interested in fitting-in among followers of the Woodford Hounds.
Dress
You will never be “incorrect” hunting, whether man or woman, if
you wear a black hunt cap or velvet-covered helmet, black
leather (dress, not field) boots, beige or other neutral color
breeches, white shirt, white stock tie, plain gold stock pin,
canary vest, and black hunt coat (three-button). This will get
you by anywhere in the world where foxhunting takes place.
Gloves “should” be either white string or natural pigskin, but
almost anything is acceptable as long as it is some conservative
color (brown, black, white, tan, etc.) A hunt whip, complete
with thong and lash, “should” be carried as well. The lady’s is
slightly smaller than the gentleman’s. In practice, while a hunt
whip looks very dashing, any whip or bat, or none at all, is
fine. Ladies should wear hairnets and dangling jewelry is
unacceptable.
From the end of August to the Opening Meet of the formal season,
usually sometime in November, is the “cub-hunting” season. At
this time, the huntsman is getting the hounds born the previous
year (new entry), introduced to hunting alongside the
experienced hounds. Traditionally, this season belonged to the
huntsman and the hounds, and hunt subscribers did not
automatically have the right to go out with them. Nowadays this
is generally not the case. Subscribers are welcome to come out
just as in the formal season. They should bear in mind, however,
that these are training hunts for young hounds, and their
expectation of sport should be adjusted accordingly. During the
cub-hunting (or “cubbing”) season, informal “ratcatcher” attire
is worn. This is traditionally hunt cap or velvet-covered helmet
(or hunting bowler – seldom seen nowadays), shirt and tie (or
stock for ladies), tweed hacking jacket, neutral shade or
rust-colored breeches, and brown or black boots (dress or
field). In practice, if it is hot, we hunt in shirtsleeves,
sometimes even polo shirts. Half-chaps are also often
substituted for tall boots.
Once the formal season begins with the Opening Meet, formal
hunting attire is worn. For both gentlemen and lady subscribers,
this is the same as I outlined in the first paragraph in this
section. There are many acceptable variations. Ladies may wear
navy blue coats instead of black and either ladies or gentlemen
may substitute a frock coat or “shadbelly” tailcoat for the
standard hunt coat. Hunting bowlers may also be worn instead of
hunt caps. If a gentleman wears a black frock coat or shadbelly,
he should wear white breeches and tan- or brown-topped boots,
and he may substitute a hunting top hat for his hunt cap (top
hat is the only correct headgear with shadbelly). Although not
“correct,” many lady subscribers now wear black field boots
during the formal season.
Subscribers who have been awarded their “colors” by the Masters
(the right to wear the hunt button and collar) are known as
“members.” Gentlemen members wear a scarlet frock coat or
shadbelly, white breeches, tan- or brown-topped black boots,
canary vest, white shirt and stock, plain gold stock pin, and
hunt cap or velvet-covered helmet. A hunting top hat may also be
worn, but they are seldom seen these days and are impractical in
our wooded country. Plain knob-end or Prince-of-Wales spurs may
be worn as well with any appropriate dress. To be absolutely
correct, members’ scarlet frock coats should have rounded skirts
and three brass buttons on the front. Masters should have square
skirts and four brass buttons, and Masters who hunt their own
hounds, as well as all staff, should have square skirts and five
brass buttons. In practice, these conventions are not strictly
observed, particularly in the USA. In the Woodford Hounds, most
scarlet frock coats have four buttons and square skirts.
Lady members wear the same dress as other lady subscribers who
haven’t been awarded their colors, except that they wear the
black hunt button with the design engraved in white, and they
may wear patent-leather tops on their black boots.
Members of the Woodford Hounds, whether ladies or gentlemen,
wear the hunt colors on their collars. Collars are hunter green
with red piping. As a matter of personal preference, and for
wear when a guest with another Hunt, some of our gentlemen
members wear the black frock coat with colors and buttons as on
the ladies’, with the same breeches and boot combination as
would be worn with the scarlet coat. Both lady and gentlemen
members may wear a Black Watch tartan vest with the brass hunt
button if they wish. Tattersall vests may be worn instead of the
canary or Black Watch vests in any of the above combinations.
For rain, you may wear a waxed or oilcloth raincoat or a
traditional fawn riding mac, a clear plastic rain jacket, or no
raingear whatever. Black rubber boots or black rubber boots with
brown tops may be substituted for their leather counterparts. In
cold weather, ladies may wear black ear warmers (no earmuffs or
bright colors).
Some hunting folk wear an extra stirrup leather for a belt when
hunting, in the event of one breaking in the field. It can save
the day!
As a final note on dress, at the Woodford Hounds, guests and
visitors are welcome and ratcatcher is always fine if you’re not
a regular hunting person. We value a nicely turned out field as
much as anyone, but please don’t let not having all of the
correct items of apparel keep you from coming hunting!
Tack
Whatever saddle your horse goes well in is fine, providing it is
an “English” saddle. Bridles should be plain without colored
brow bands or colored piping. Either standing or running
martingale is fine and hunting or polo breastplates are
advisable. Saddle pads should be either white, black or brown,
though one sees other dark colors such as hunter green and navy.
Protective boots and bell boots are fine, but not colored. A
leather case with wire-cutters may be worn on the off side of
the saddle attached to the dees in front of the rider’s knee. A
leather flask case with “bayonet” flask may similarly be carried
on the near side of the saddle. A leather case with sandwich box
inside may be carried by gentlemen on the off-rear dees of the
saddle. A “hunting canteen” consisting of a leather case
containing a rectangular flask and sandwich box may be carried
by ladies in the same position. Many Kentucky hunting folk carry
plastic hip flasks in locally available leather cases on the
off-rear dees. Any of these are acceptable and all can be seen
in the Woodford field. Staff carry radios and sometimes
revolvers on their saddles as well. All tack should be clean.
Etiquette
This isn’t nearly as intimidating as you may have heard, at
least not with the Woodford Hounds. One should always be at the
meet early enough to be mounted and ready to move off at the
meet’s scheduled time. Arriving 20-minutes or so early if you
are already tacked-up is a good rule. If you are meeting your
horse at the meet and don’t know whether he will arrive
tacked-up or not, arrive early enough to give yourself time to
get ready. The Master and hounds may arrive late, but no member
of the field should ever do so.
At the meet, guests and visitors should locate the Hunt
Secretary and promptly pay the cap fee (currently $50.00 at the
Woodford Hounds) and sign a waiver releasing the Hunt from any
liability. When the Master arrives, gentlemen tip their hats to
him and say “good morning,” regardless of the time of day. Care
should be taken while waiting to move off to keep your horse
clear of hounds, as stepping on or kicking a hound is the worst
offense a member of the field can commit. It might be forgiven,
but it will not be forgotten! When the huntsman moves off with
hounds, the Field Master will follow and the field will follow
him. The Field Master is in absolute control of the field while
hunting. His word is law and he should never be passed or
pressed too closely. His responsibility is great, and it is the
duty of every member of the field to assist him at all times.
Guests and visitors should stay toward the rear of the field
unless invited to ride up with their host or permission is given
by the Field Master. During the hunt, if your horse refuses a
fence, do not hold up those behind you. Circle around to the end
of the line and let the others jump. If hounds are coming up
behind you as the field is moving along on a trail, or if a
member of the staff does so, give way and say “hound on the left
(or right),” or “staff please,” to alert those in front of you.
If the huntsman or a whipper-in is coming your way when you are
on a trail, turn your horse’s head toward him and back off of
the trail until he is past. When passing through a gate that was
closed, pass the word back, “Gate please,” as you go through. If
someone has dismounted to open a gate for the field, someone
should remain with them as they close the gate and re-mount.
When hounds are working and the field is at a check, either be
quiet or talk quietly. If close to the huntsman, be quiet and
keep your horse quiet so that the huntsman can listen for his
hounds. If the huntsman or Field Master says, “Hold hard,” he
means stop RIGHT NOW! If they say, “Quiet please,” they mean
SHUT UP! If they have to repeat themselves, rest assured it will
be unpleasant for the offender. When hounds are drawing a
covert, it is a good idea for members of the field to watch the
edges of the covert and the open spaces in the vicinity. By
doing so, you may be fortunate enough to see the fox or coyote
(“quarry”) leaving the covert. If the Field Master is nearby,
tell him what you saw and exactly where it left the covert and
where it went out of sight. The Field Master can then radio the
huntsman and inform him. If the Field Master is not close by and
you view the quarry, get the attention of the huntsman or one of
the whippers-in and point your horse in the direction the quarry
was heading and stand in your stirrups with your cap held out
pointing in the same direction. Don’t let your horse rub against
another rider. You may think his boots and breeches look better
smeared with horse sweat, but he would probably disagree. At the
end of the day, back at the trailers, say “Thank you” to the
huntsman and staff and “Good night” to the Master. If you are a
visitor or guest, you will make a good impression by
following-up with a thank-you note to the Master the very next
day.
Our sport is called fox hunting because that is what our hounds
are doing. We are along to enjoy watching them hunt. The vast
majority of the time, a run after a coyote or fox ends with the
quarry escaping into a hole or running out of the country we are
permitted access to. On rare occasions, however, the prey will
be caught by hounds and killed. The death is virtually
instantaneous and usually due to a broken neck accomplished by
the first hound reaching the quarry. The huntsman may, on these
occasions, cut off the fox’s or coyote’s tail, known as a
“brush,” and present to a member of the field. He may also do
this with the animal’s head, known as the “mask.” These trophies
of the chase are greatly treasured by those fortunate enough to
receive them. Because this is hunting, all members of the field
must have a valid hunting license in their possession.
When hunting, it is absolutely essential that all members of the
field bear in mind at all times their responsibility to the
landowners over whose land they ride. Our sport is utterly
dependant on the goodwill and cooperation of our landowners.
They are doing us a great favor in granting us access to their
property. There is no gain in it for them, and it is up to us to
see that it does not cost them either. Always be aware of seeded
crops and stay off of them. Never ride through livestock and get
them running. Stay off of lawns. Leave gates as you find them.
If you cause any damage, report it to the Field Master at once
so that it can be fixed later. When on roads and cars are met,
get out of their way, smile and wave at their occupants. Again,
our sport relies entirely on the goodwill of others. Without it,
there is no hunting.
Safety
A day’s hunting will frequently involve traveling on paved roads
and traversing rocky outcrops and rocky stream crossings.
Therefore, horses in the hunting field should have either studs
or borium welds on their shoes to give a better grip on pavement
and in rocky terrain. Always watch the horse in front of you and
stay two lengths back whether preparing to negotiate a fence or
just galloping along. When approaching a jump, make sure no
hounds are on the other side or are coming into the jump with
you. If a hound appears heading into the jump at the same time
as you are, pull up and let him have the right of way. If you
pass by a hole in the ground, wire on the ground, or any other
hazard, point at it with your whip while turning your head and
saying over your shoulder to the person behind you, “Ware hole!”
or “Ware wire!” to alert them to the danger. If your horse tends
to kick, put a turn of red plastic tape around the base of its
tail or tie a bit of red yarn or ribbon in the hair at the top
of the tail to warn others. Doing so, however, DOES NOT absolve
you from responsibility for keeping his heels away from others!
Similarly, you might see a horse with green tape or a green
ribbon in its tail. This is sometimes used to alert the rest of
the field to the presence of a “green” horse not yet accustomed
to the hunt field.
On the subject of green horses, the Woodford Hounds currently
requires green horses to stay in the hilltopper field for one
season before being permitted in the jumping field. This gives
them a good foundation to carry their riders safely through the
excitements and hazards of the hunt when they graduate to the
jumping field.
A special note regarding headgear - while hunt caps, hunting
bowlers and hunting top hats are undeniably elegant and correct,
many hunts now require participants to wear approved
velvet-covered safety helmets with chinstrap and harness.
Approved helmets are not required in the Woodford Hounds, but
the Masters strongly encourage subscribers and guests to wear
them out of concern for their personal safety.
Have Fun
Finally, the whole point of foxhunting in the United States is
to enjoy oneself - to enjoy being out in all weathers, crossing
country as it comes on horseback behind a pack of well-trained,
disciplined hounds, in the company of like-minded folks. The
traditions of the sport add immeasurably to the color and
enjoyment of hunting, and they mean a lot to those of us who
participate regularly. That said however, newcomers should never
be intimidated to the point that they don’t come hunting. You
will find that foxhunters are invariably generous in their
welcome to newcomers and only too happy to make you feel at
home. We love our sport and enjoy sharing it with others.
- prepared by Evan Miller |
