Casey and I survived our first day of fox hunting near Gurnee, IL
with the Mill Creek Hunt Club on Wednesday, October 29th!
We rode with the hunt for just over 2 hours and returned with a new appreciation for half halts, bridge reins, jumping ditches and hand galloping across plowed fields! The Mill Creek Hunt members were super nice and patient with me as I was the only rookie that day joining them. Casey was a good boy and really enjoyed himself - not once did I have to encourage him to move forward, he happily went on his own and minded the many hounds running past his legs! I think he likes his new job!
I also returned home and ordered up some horse shoes with Borium studs for Casey for when we had to trot/canter across/down paved roads!
We didn't see a fox or coyote, but my trusty friend Diane Frank who came along to help/watch, did see a coyote run out in front of the hunt field...
It was an experience like no other, and I can't wait to do it again!
We rode with the hunt for just over 2 hours and returned with a new appreciation for half halts, bridge reins, jumping ditches and hand galloping across plowed fields! The Mill Creek Hunt members were super nice and patient with me as I was the only rookie that day joining them. Casey was a good boy and really enjoyed himself - not once did I have to encourage him to move forward, he happily went on his own and minded the many hounds running past his legs! I think he likes his new job!
I also returned home and ordered up some horse shoes with Borium studs for Casey for when we had to trot/canter across/down paved roads!
We didn't see a fox or coyote, but my trusty friend Diane Frank who came along to help/watch, did see a coyote run out in front of the hunt field...
It was an experience like no other, and I can't wait to do it again!
Casey and Heather getting ready to depart from the club at 7:30am.
We left home at 4:15am to make it there by 6:45!! Yawn!
Here's the hunt field cantering along the edge of a field.
There were about 15 riders hunting that day.
Crossing the road
Getting settled in the plowed field
And taking off at a gallop to catch up with the rest of the hunt!!! Yee haw!!!!!
The stream crossing.... not a very happy experience for Casey.
You can ride a horse to the edge of the stream - but you can't make him swim!!!!!
You'll see in the photo below that the river was so deep
You'll see in the photo below that the river was so deep
that it came up past the belly of the gray horse in the picture
- and that horse was at least 16 hands!!!
You can see Casey boldly refusing to go in
- standing on the left side of the bank -you can see my helmet the best.
Casey and I have a new fox hunting friend who was riding on the gray, Angeline is her name. She kindly took Casey and I through the thick brush up to the road, accross a busy bridge and back to the hunt field - we are forever grateful to Angeline for "saving" us that day!
Time to go back to the clubhouse and call it a day!!!
I survived!!!
I survived!!!
They even have fox/hound wallpaper in the bathroom of the clubhouse!
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