GETTING horses fit for hunting today is very different from when I was growing up in the west of Ireland in the 1950s and ‘60s. Hunting days were much longer then, and horses were mainly hacked at a walk and a trot to meets often five to 20 miles away, as the majority of hunt followers had no horseboxes. We would leave usually at 8am in the morning riding one horse and leading two more each side, and often arrive home 12 hours later in the dark after a hard day’s hunting, so hunters had to be extremely fit and able to hunt two or three days a week.

I talked with Bill Bourns who used to have responsibility for the Galway Blazers hunt horses. Their fitness regime started the week after the Dublin Horses Show so that they would be fit for the opening meet on the second week of October.

Roadwork

Their roadwork began with a couple of miles walking and jogging for six weeks, but that could also be done hound walking. Autumn hunting also started the first week in August, often four to five mornings a week, starting at 6am from the kennels.

This was a time for hunt staff and hounds, but a small number of followers were allowed to go out but only with the permission of the master, and they had to keep their distance from the hounds as the new entry were allowed plenty of space in their new environment.

People making young horses, getting them used to hounds were also welcome as long as they too stayed out of the way.

The Blazers’ master and huntsman Michael Dempsey would never use a horse walker, and he fed all his horses the same way. He would buy oats locally and roll them himself and combined with good hay, they were fit to hunt hounds often two to three days a week.

Hirelings

The Blazers’ field master Willie Leahy had no problem getting his hunter hirelings fit as they were in great condition after spending the summer on his Connemara trail.

He, like Michael Dempsey, was not a fan of horse walkers, and he too fed traditional buckets of rolled oats, rolled barley and the occasional raw mangle.

Horses always got a hot bran mash after hunting and were turned out the following morning for a roll and a pick of grass. Clipping was left until just before the opening meet.

Today roads are often too dangerous to hack out on except on the weekends. Although we are known overseas as the land of the horse, many car users don’t seem to be familiar with that well-earned term, as some show little respect for horses and riders resulting in unnecessary accidents.

Two years ago a hunt follower was hacking three horses on the road and a car ploughed into them from the rear tragically killing two of his best hunters.

In the past, secondary roads were always safe for doing road work with horses, now they are used as rat-runs for people going to work and until secondary roads are policed with spot checks, speed traps and prosecutions are made, the situation unfortunately will not change.

Recently residents in a local village got heavy goods vehicles from an adjacent quarry banned from going through their village.

So now a succession of trucks from a local quarry pass on secondary roads never designed for such vehicles, and it would not be prudent to attempt to use those roads on horses.

Some horse owners are fortunate to have beaches or forestry nearby, and they are a good substitute.

IT’S interesting to get the views of somebody like former jockey, racehorse owner and breeder Paul Kinane who has a lifetime experience of getting both racehorses and hunters fit.

He is honorary whipper-in with the South Tyrone Foxhounds hunting often three days a week, and as it is big challenging country, hunters have to be extremely fit.

His preparation starts with the steam washing of the stables and then thoroughly disinfecting them before hunters come in off grass which is just after the Dublin Horse Show.

Their feet are dressed and they are then wormed, and put on good hay, nuts and additives like copper and Vitamin E to help with bone development and their immune system. This also helps with skin and appearance, while also allowing for the absorption of iron, and acting as an anti-toxicant and anti-inflammatory.

Traditionally hunters would do six weeks of roadwork but with busy roads they do less on the roads, complimented by exercise on the horse walker for short periods over 10 days with the intention of building up conditioning without the mileage, together with walking and hacking in the fields.

Paul limits heavy feed as he only wants them three-quarter fit in the early part of the season, because it is a long season, and then they will be super fit by Christmas. He maintains that it is easier to keep condition on them to finish the season when they are in good shape.

Chiropractor

He also gets their backs done every couple of weeks with chiropractor John Roche before the hunting season, and also after every hard hunting day. Paul points out that if a horse has a back problem, the rest of the limbs will be taking the extra strain, and if a horse in not in line they will get a leg problem.

He also has a word of caution that you have to careful as hunters are like racehorses, when they are 50% fit they feel they are ready to go forward, but they are not fit enough, and that is where problems can raise their head.

Paul concludes: “Plain common sense should be practised, as like any sport there are no shortcuts to fitness whether it is in humans or horses, the daily work has to be done.

“Also hunt staff horses cover probably twice the distance or more than a hunt follower’s horse does in a day’s hunting.

“And in my experience, a horse that has had a regular and varied programme while keeping his mind healthy and their back and limbs subtle will see you hunting safely through the season.”