Text Box: August is a month of great anticipation for foxhunters. The summer activities are coming to a close; the horses are far from fit, but they are fat and happy after several months of leisure; the hounds have been walked out regularly; and the new entry for the season has learned at the end of a couple with an older steady hound the rudiments of pack work. In short, CUBBING IS ABOUT TO BEGIN!! For many of us, this will be the start of another season in a long series of seasons. For a few, this will be the first season in what might become a lifetime obsession. Often, those new to the sport are confused, and perhaps even discouraged, by all of the “rules” of foxhunting. What do I wear? Where do I ride? What can I do or not do while I’m hunting? The new foxhunter will have these and a myriad of other questions in mind as they consider foxhunting and begin to participate. Goshen Hounds via its Board of Governors and with the leadership of Carol Engel has established an introductory program for prospective foxhunters that tries to address many of these questions. Unfortunately, Charley (hurricane, not Shaffer) intervened with heavy rain for several days before, and out of respect for our landowners, the program had to be cancelled. We will try again on August 29 to get this important activity accomplished. Foxhunting in North America and in Great Britain is a very old sport with unique traditions and heritage. Over the centuries hunting has evolved a consistent etiquette that, once understood and adopted will allow you to hunt almost anywhere with the confidence that you won’t be an embarrassment to your host and will be welcome again. To the novice hunter much of this etiquette will seem a bit rigid or old-fashioned, but actually everything has evolved for a purpose from hundreds of years of practical experience. Each hunt has its own specific “rules” for all manner of things so that the novice is well served always to ask before assuming. A Master or the hunt Secretary is always a good, accessible, and reliable source of information. Matters of dress are generally similar from hunt to hunt, but nuances are always evident whereby each hunt maintains its own traditions. The Master or the joint Masters are the final arbiters of these matters and should be consulted whenever a question arises. Before embarking on your first hunt, be certain that you can adequately control your horse in a group environment in the open and at all gaits including a gallop. If you cannot, you and your horse are a hazard to everyone as well as yourself, and you should not attempt hunting with this mount until you have established the necessary level of control. While hunting, a member of the field, novice or otherwise, should never crowd the Master and should never, ever, pass the Master. If you and your horse have the opposite problem – not being able to keep Text Box: A Few Words on Etiquette Text Box: up, perhaps you or your horse are tired and you should ask the Master if you may go in. He or she may tell you to stay close because you are almost home any way. Remember, in the hunt field you must request permission from the Master for everything from tightening your girth if you can’t do it mounted to requesting permission to take a nature break. If your horse loses a shoe or has some other problem, let the Master know and he or she will direct you. A good place to begin a review of etiquette is the morning of your first hunt. It’s very important that you arrive on time, clean and ready to hunt. It is not only embarrassing to be late, but inconsiderate of your fellow riders and the staff that has worked hard to provide everyone with a good day’s sport. Some hunts will not even let you ride if you are not mounted at the appointed hour and the least you should expect is a stern rebuke from the Master if you are late. Start preparing for the hunt early enough so that you arrive with a clean horse, tack, and clothing with ample time to greet the Masters, the field secretary and others at least fifteen minutes prior to the time set for hounds to move off. It is amazing how much quieter your horse will be with such a calm start to the day. If you are a guest, before mounting, locate the field secretary and introduce yourself. This is the time to pay your “capping fee”, the amount owed for your day’s pleasure. Once mounted you should introduce yourself to the Master if you have not already made their acquaintance. A quiet “Good morning, Master” is always appreciated from even old well-established members. Now it’s time to ride, and since you are a new member or a guest, you should ride at the back of the field and always allow enough room between you and the next horse so that when the field stops abruptly, you aren’t ramming your horse into the unsuspecting rider in front of you. You may see guests on occasion invited by the Master to “ride up.” This is a courtesy normally given a guest with whom the Master is familiar and who is known to be an accomplished foxhunter from another hunt. You don’t need permission to talk, but you should learn when and how speaking is acceptable. When hounds are drawing a covert and the slightest sound can signal the starting of a fox, talking by the field should not happen. If it does, you may hear the Master quietly ask, “hark please”. Generally, the desired result is achieved, but occasionally some one does not hear the request and continues to chatter. This may evoke a somewhat louder “HARK” from the Master. The intent should now be clear to even the most oblivious, but on rare occasion some one will continue to relate that favorite joke! At that time you might hear the Master proclaim “HARK DAMMIT.” That should do it! This might be a good time to clear up the issue of members of the field, everyone that is not staff, speaking to hounds. You
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