10/30/2024
Yesterday, I took SRF Chilli Sunrise (Chilli Morning x Jetting West, bred by Setters Run Farm) up to Thornton Hill Hounds for her second time out with hounds. We left from the kennels just down the road from Sperryville. Chilli’s first time out was two years ago, and then she had a foal by BSF Golden Snitch (MS Chilli Tryst), so here we are! We decided to go slow and take her in 3rd flight, which is generally walk/trot. She has a busy mind, and I didn’t want to over stimulate her.
[Young and/or green horses should always start out in the slow groups because hunting will just about always pump up a horse (which is sometimes something I count on with a lazy one 😉).]
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Chilli started out very high headed and staring around at all the horses far away. She wouldn’t stand at the checks, and was getting more and more jiggy in 3rd flight. Ultimately, our plan is to turn her into a staff or first flight leading horse, so bravery and forwardness is encouraged. I’m not particularly worried about her being comfortable behind a group of horses, especially since she won’t really need to be when all is said and done.
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After about 15-20 minutes, just as I was thinking maybe I should move along up to 2nd flight to have a canter and go up a big hill, Rosie (who was leading 3rd flight) suggested maybe I go up as well — So we did.
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We trotted up Little Mason and around, and finally she started to settle at the checks, but was spooking at hounds coming up behind her on the trails. Not ever threatening them, just genuinely spooky. Ok, that’s something we can work on — no big deal.
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About an hour into the hunt, we had trotted and cantered a decent amount. She got completely over the hounds, and was totally chilling at the checks, just watching everything go on around her. She spent far more time listening to and watching the hounds than worrying about the horses just on the other side of that hill.
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Nearing the end of the hunt, we had jumped a couple logs on the trail, and Kat (2nd flight leader) asked if we wanted to jump a coop! Uh YES!! So we did! No problemo!!!
As we neared the trailers, Kat excused herself from the hunt to get to a meeting, and we joined the back of 1st flight!! We didn’t jump anything else, but we did some more mountain climbing following the hounds, and she was absolutely perfect. WTC with bridged reins in one hand, neck strap in the other. Plus she’s careful about rocks, roots, and holes!
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It’s safe to say that Chilli needed that stimulation to keep occupied, and it just settled her more and more. She completely stepped up to the plate. Feels so great to be out on the ones you love to ride so much. 🥰🥰 Wahoo! New hunt horse!
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📸 : Denny Bomar
Tamarack Hill Farm
