Seavington hunting weekend a great success

On the 9th and 10th August the Seavington Hunt held a novice hunting weekend for newcomers to hunting and those wanting to learn a bit more about it.

A total of 15 riders took part, bringing their own horses and staying overnight to participate in the two day course. 12 of the 15 participants have never hunted before and nor have their horses so it was a learning curve for all concerned.

Saturday was based around confidence building with participants introduced to what to expect whilst riding in the 'field', including being shown the different types of hunt jumps that they may come across. The Joint Masters were on hand throughout the day to answer any questions.

On Sunday riders were treated to an artificially generated 3 hour 'riding in the field' experience where trail laying and the relationship between huntsman and hounds was explained so that participants got a feel of how a day's hunting worked. Other important areas such as etiquette were touched upon so that the riders were fully informed before they emabrk on their first proper day's hunting. This was followed in the afternoon by a visit to the hunt kennels.

Joint Master of the Seavington, Annabelle Boucher said, 'We had an extremely beneficial hunting course and all of the participants absolutely loved it. We now have 15 people who can't wait for the new season which is very exciting!'

The Countryside Alliance will be holding their annual Newcomers Week from the 18th - 25th October so do let us know what your hunt is planning so that we can help publicise it. Please send all details to Henrietta Rutgers, [email protected]