Spankey the hunt horse

[Tazsprout]

Some of you may remember Spankey, who started life as "Barry Be Good." He ended up with a friend of mine in PA, sort of as a condolence pony after she lost her big time competition horse AND her pasture pet pony in a short period of time. Suzanne being Suzanne, she put him in training, rode with famous eventers and competed him up to Training as an event horse. He did not have the scope to go Prelim and she wisely didn't try. He then became her hunt horse. She hunts with what is certainly one of the premier (and toughest) hunts in the counter, Mr. Stewart Chester County Hounds. These guys are tough-asses. Spanky has covered himself in glory because he keeps up with the first flight (believe me, this is an accomplishment, these horses routinely gallop for 40 minutes at a stretch) and gives lots of "leads" to less brave horses over bad places.

Suzanne called me yesterday because she was riding with the elite flight and everyone commented on how they were surprised he kept up with the "big" horses and led over a fence she was pretty sure was 4 feet high (she probably is correct, judging this kind of thing is an eventer skill). I was a bit surprised myself, because he sure is not BRED to gallop and probably puts in 1.75 strides to the TBs 1. They now want him to compete in the local hunt race (which is what hunt horses do in the spring to avoid boredom). If this happens it will be in the end of March...

So Spankers is certainly making a name for the SB in the chester county hunt crowd. Now if we could just convince someone ELSE to get one...:)

[Samigator]

that is awesome! I'd love to see him! Keep on doing what you're doing and making the breed proud!! :D

[asb_own_me]

I think our ASBs love foxhunting because it gives them a LOT of different things to think about. I love when we've pulled up to watch the hounds work a line, and seeing your horse focus so intently on the hounds is amazing. Atlas actually "Tally Ho"d FOR me one day.....we'd waited for a friend to fix a gate latch, and we're galloping to catch up with the field. Atlas, mid-gallop, craned his head to the side....a HUGE coyote had caught his attention, and thus mine...he continues on track to the field as I'm yelling "Tally Ho" and waving my hunt cap.

Another time Classy and I galloped a mile to catch a seasoned hunt horse - a runaway TB who'd dumped his rider at a coop - brought him back, held him for her to remount, and gave Mr Spooky a lad over the coop with the ditch in front of it ;)

Oh, it's a rush!

[Mona129]

That just sounds SOOOOOOOO Cool!! Could ya'll just keep regailing us with more hunt stories?? pretty please with a cherry on top? *day dreamy sigh*

(says the girl from the midwest who was hardpressed to find an english saddle in her youth)

[saddlebred-lady]

It never ceases to amaze me how surprised people are about how game and how much heart our ASBs have on the hunt field. What kind of heart and stamina do they think it took for them to go into battle after long marches? To cart a doctor from Louisville to Lexington -- and back -- in ONE day ... (true story, not urban legend), and to do a workout in the "big stake" at Louisville, looking more brilliant with each pass? Do they think this is a horse bred to be a wimp? Take a look at this awsome's horse pedigree ... all heart and get-up-and-go. So, go gettum!!!

[wstrngrl]

Suzanne called me yesterday because she was riding with the elite flight and everyone commented on how they were surprised he kept up with the "big" horses and led over a fence she was pretty sure was 4 feet high (she probably is correct, judging this kind of thing is an eventer skill). I was a bit surprised myself, because he sure is not BRED to gallop and probably puts in 1.75 strides to the TBs 1.

"It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog." - Mark Twain

I seem to remember that line being used somewhere to describe Seabiscuit, who has pretty small for a race horse, and look at what he did...

[Supreme69]

Who is Spanky's sire?

Jana
Cres-Or-Lar Stable

[rider]

Oh, we hunted our Saddlebred last fall when my regular hunter had lost a shoe. My CP mare showed all summer in saddleseat classes, doing quite well, but for fun I often pop her over a little vertical or X. Anyway, it was either miss the hunt or just load her up and go and she was a star. We had a good long gallop with a few small fences. She kept up with the first flight master, but would stand quietly at checks (looking very much the Saddlebred with her head way up and ears forward!) She really seemed to enjoy her outing and I'll definitely take her out again when the footing is better.

[ASBJumper]

Yaaay!! That's so awesome (and yet SO not surprising.. :tongue_smilie: )

I took my mare on lots of field+forest hacks last summer (when she was 3 and just started), and even though we always went out with 1-2 older, seasoned trail horses, Sasha ALWAYS had to be in front - seriously, her attitude would change dramatically if we were behind another horse - she'd try to pass, rush, ears back, flinging her head, trying to bite the horse's bum in front of her... lol.. and then we'd move up to the front again and she'd be super happy, ears forward, relaxed.. :innocent: She really enjoyed the big gallops we'd occasionally do along the side of a field and she was a total trooper for me.

[asb_own_me]

I took my mare on lots of field+forest hacks last summer (when she was 3 and just started), and even though we always went out with 1-2 older, seasoned trail horses, Sasha ALWAYS had to be in front - seriously, her attitude would change dramatically if we were behind another horse - she'd try to pass, rush, ears back, flinging her head, trying to bite the horse's bum in front of her... lol.. and then we'd move up to the front again and she'd be super happy, ears forward, relaxed..

While it's great that she enjoyed your trail rides, an important requirement for a foxhunter is that the horse MUST be willing to go wherever placed. Including behind a LOT of other horses....and not nagging/worrying other horses with inappropriate behaviors like those you described.

[Samigator]

While it's great that she enjoyed your trail rides, an important requirement for a foxhunter is that the horse MUST be willing to go wherever placed. Including behind a LOT of other horses....and not nagging/worrying other horses with inappropriate behaviors like those you described.

while not exactly pertinent to Spanky, I do agree with this bit of info about placement within a trail ride. If you plan to do any sort of trail riding in a group, it's very important that the horse is comfortable anywhere in the herd. This is probably one of the biggest challenges we face when preparing horses for field trialing as most horses have some sort of opinion on their place in the group (and usually a group situation is very anxiety provoking for a horse) and those that like the front are probably the most difficult to work with in a group trail riding sitution. I was VERY pleased to discover last spring at Louie's first field trial (and his first ever trail ride), that he was happy as a clam at the back of the herd, even several hundred yards behind the herd. lol It's much easier, at least for what we do, for a horse to be useful in the middle or back of the herd than one that has to be in the front.

[ASBJumper]

Well luckily for me I have no desire to do any foxhunting! And I've already done a big, organized group trail ride off-property and she was a star, so I am not the least bit concerned! I also think you both assumed way too much about my post - Sasha had no issues being far back behind the others, she just didn't want to be directly behind another horse's butt! She also has no problem leaving the other horses and continuing on after the others have returned to the barn. :)
Yours is an interesting perspective, for sure, but for us sporthorse peeps who don't do "field trials" (I've never even heard of that..! what is it? is it a Hunter Pace??) or foxhunting, as long as our horses are manageable and rideable on a hack, that's all that matters! If one horse is happier in front, then they go in front - simple as that! My previous ASB mare much preferred being in back, and I never insisted that she lead - why would I?

By the way, we want more Spanky pics! :thumbup:

[asb_own_me]

As usual, you've also made assumptions, and posted an unnecessarily defensive reply. This thread is about an ASB who foxhunts. You shared a story about your mare's behavior on a trail ride. I addressed legitimate concerns regarding behavior for foxhunting....the original topic.

[ASBJumper]

I interpreted the OP as an indication of the Saddlebred's versatility and incredible brain - hence my post, as my mare is extremely bold and willing and eager out on the trail, contrary to what most people think about ASBs - so there was no need for you to tell me what the rules and requirements of foxhunting are, please and thank you! :001_tt2:

[TrotAdmin]

Um, let's not trash Spankey's thread please...

Unless you are talking about him, let's just zip it :)

Please and thank you :blink:

[Mona129]

I thought that was a good bit of information. I've never gotten to foxhunt, being from dairy cow land, and I've always wanted to. I think its just too cool. I like it that those who've been there done that are nice enough to share their perspective in relation to the topic at hand. Sometimes bold is called for sometimes it isn't. Just depends on the rodeo that day.

Thank you ladies, I appreciate the knowledge you are sharing.

[wstrngrl]

If one horse is happier in front, then they go in front - simple as that! My previous ASB mare much preferred being in back, and I never insisted that she lead - why would I?

What happens if 2 or more horses want to be in front? :p

Just food for thought....

[vlayne]

Figuratively speaking, the RIDER is the one who must always be "in front" of the horse. As in, in charge.

I wish I had the guts to foxhut. It sounds like so much fun.

[D_BaldStockings]

"They now want him to compete in the local hunt race (which is what hunt horses do in the spring to avoid boredom). If this happens it will be in the end of March... "
WOW!!

Oh, and she needs to make a bet that if he places: somebody else gets another SB to ride in their hunt. That is just awesome!!

On to the question of Field trialing;what is it: basically it is competitive bird finding with pointers or setters. The dogs range out widely and very fast to find the birds by scenting and it is just about impossible to keep up and watch the dogs work without a horse, they are out of sight in a flash.

To the question of horses going where they need to be in a group: Really a very important lesson, especially for those leader-type mares I am so fond of. Group rides can deteriorate to chaos if horses start barging, bolting, or worse. Not everyone in a group may be the most secure or confident rider, and on some trails or hunts ther is only one way through or around and everyone MUST wait their turn.

A good exercise to help a horse understand this is leapfrog taking 3-4 riders single file: first rider halts and rest of the file goes on by, each new front rider halting as they get about 30' in front of the leader. When all are halted, the group moves on again and leapfrog is called again. This can get quite interesting if you have a caller in the middle changing the gaits and throwing in a reverse from time to time after the riders gete accomplished at it. The horses really find out that they don't get to take charge whenever they feel like it and riders learn passing safely and greater control of their mounts.

The excitement of the great outdoors and fast pace goes to horses' and riders' heads, some horses are not able to go hunting, though they may be great jumpers.

[Samigator]

On to the question of Field trialing;what is it: basically it is competitive bird finding with pointers or setters. The dogs range out widely and very fast to find the birds by scenting and it is just about impossible to keep up and watch the dogs work without a horse, they are out of sight in a flash.

To the question of horses going where they need to be in a group: Really a very important lesson, especially for those leader-type mares I am so fond of. Group rides can deteriorate to chaos if horses start barging, bolting, or worse. Not everyone in a group may be the most secure or confident rider, and on some trails or hunts ther is only one way through or around and everyone MUST wait their turn.

A good exercise to help a horse understand this is leapfrog taking 3-4 riders single file: first rider halts and rest of the file goes on by, each new front rider halting as they get about 30' in front of the leader. When all are halted, the group moves on again and leapfrog is called again. This can get quite interesting if you have a caller in the middle changing the gaits and throwing in a reverse from time to time after the riders gete accomplished at it. The horses really find out that they don't get to take charge whenever they feel like it and riders learn passing safely and greater control of their mounts.

The excitement of the great outdoors and fast pace goes to horses' and riders' heads, some horses are not able to go hunting, though they may be great jumpers.

I'm very impressed that there are a few others out there who know what field trialing is! You are right, it's basically like a historic form of competitive, exaggerated hunting with dogs (pointing dogs in our case) on horseback. Except, we want the dogs to range far out in front of us (to the extreme where we don't see them for several minutes at a time, then they just reappear in the front of the group, on point ideally), and we don't shoot/kill on course. The horses have to ride out at a reasonable pace for a long period of time (often 8-10 hours a day), in a pre-defined area of the herd- handlers in front, then judges, then the gallery (which is where you are most of the time if you like to watch other peoples' dogs beyond your own). The horses also have to be able to handle the terrain (can be prairie, dessert, forest, rocks and hills, etc), ride quietly without disturbing others, halt and stand quietly, ground tie when handlers get off to flush a bird, handle gunshots and whistles blown at close range, dogs running and birds flushing and flying up near them, etc. Then there's the whole camping aspect of it that can be challenging. Anyhow, it's a challenge, much more than it seems.

I love that leapfrog idea. I'm going to try that with our new walker, hopefully before we get out to his first trial.

[D_BaldStockings]

I am a fount of obscure trivia.

The leapfrog idea I first came across in an old 1960's Margaret Cabell Self book I read when it was new, now $4 at Alibris:
http://www.alibris.com/booksearch?qwork=2991665&matches=14&author=margaret+cabell+self&cm_sp=works*listing*title

I've always loved dogs: they are amazing in their abilities that humans have bred for.

[asb_own_me]

D_Bald. I love the "leapfrog" exercise. Thanks for bringing that up. It works really, really well. I don't think there's a horse out there that wouldn't benefit from it :D

[lisacota]

We hope to take apache dawn to the hunter pace in Buck's county Pa this spring. We'll be going around the jumps for now cause she is too young.:yinyang: I hope we see spanky there !

[Supreme69]

This horse is a full brother to my horse. The one shown in my avatar. I thought he was!

Jana
Cres-Or-Lar Stable

[Jackandmo]

Slightly off topic but the other day while cantering on the trail, I noticed how my QH's ears flickered around but Moe's were perked as forward as they could go. Even at the canter/gallop, he was all about looking and listening to everything around him.

After going up into Virginia and Maryland I too wish I had the guts (and means) to foxhunt. I think Moe would do well. Who knows...I rode in a hunt saddle for the first time ever the other day and I'm getting more adventerous in what I like.

Spankey sounds really cool!!!

[Tazsprout]

Spankey (Barry Be Good) competed in the Chester County hunt races today. For those of you who have never seen this, it is a cross between a steeplechase and the charge of the light brigade. While he did not win (he decided he would let the TB’s gallop their brains out and he covered the countryside in a more rational hunt-horse manner), the announcer made a big deal about his “alternate” breeding and he finished to an ovation from the crowd.

[D_BaldStockings]

Good for Spanky!

Kept his head like a good warhorse should!

Were those solid fences or knockdowns?

I'll bet you had fun!!

[Tazsprout]

oh, they are solid.. hunt fences... This was an adventure he had with his owner (Suzanne), not me! She loves her SB! I wish I could get her to take on another one.