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NEW MARKET-MIDDLETOWN VALLEY HOUNDS NEWSLETTER NOVEMBER 2006 K E N N E L N O T E S Master’s Report slow days that the hounds need our help the The hounds are off to a great start and I am most in order to not distract the hounds or looking forward to Opening Hunt and the alert the fox! As Dr. Brown writes: regular season. In her book, “The Hunt Ball”, Dr. “...the animal wants to chase a fox, has been Rita Mae Brown, Master of the Oak Ridge Hunt, bred, trained and loved so that it will do it’s describes opening hunt as one of “The High job. There are more less-than-perfect-weather Holy Days” of hunting. Certainly, it is a day rich days than perfect, which means the hound is in tradition. There is the traditional Stirrup Cup trying very hard to get a line, a thin enticing and the Blessing of the Hounds. It is a day of ribbon of scent. It never fails: the slow days formal attire- manes braided, horses well are the days when sooner or later,the field groomed and riders well turned out. starts talking. If ever the hounds needed quiet, We usually have a large group of riders for it’s on the difficult days. On great scenting Opening, and therefore it becomes all the more days...hounds won’t be distracted.” important to remember our foxchasing etiquette During the Blessing of the Hounds, I often for the safety and enjoyment of our fellow find myself thinking of my first Opening foxchasers. For example, with such a large Hunt, excited and nervous, riding along with group it is easy to get separated from the main my father. I think of how grateful I am to our field of riders. Try to avoid this! If you are lost landowners, who grant us permission to ride and trying to find the field you may across such beautiful countryside. I think of accidentally ride in an area where we are not those who enjoyed these same traditions in allowed or inadvertently get in front of the centuries past and I think of how proud I am hounds, cutting them off when they are on a of our juniors, the foxchasers of the future. chase- a cardinal sin! If you haven’t glanced at May we all have a safe and enjoyable “Riding to Hounds in America” in a while, foxchasing season. maybe now is a good time. It is ironic that those beautiful fall days Dr. Frank Becker, MFH which attract the most riders are often not good scenting days. When the sun is out on a warm, dry day, what scent there is rises. If you are riding along and you can smell the foliage in the air, that’s bad! The scent needs to be on the ground under the hounds’ noses. A cold, wet, cloudy day gets the true foxchaser excited. Having said that, I’ve had plenty of great The Beaglers Wish NM-MVH scenting on days that I expected to be bad and A Safe And Successful Season vice-versa. Every Huntsman and every Master has their own theory about scenting and I For 2006-07 have come to the conclusion there is a lot that we don’t know about what makes for good scent. We do know, however, that it is on those PAGE 1 NEW MARKET-MIDDLETOWN VALLEY HOUNDS NEWSLETTER NOVEMBER 2006 NEW MEMBER ORIENTATION but sweet talk on his pack and why it is im- portant to not distract the hounds with loud On September 24th, we held our first annual talking. This was followed by a quick kennel “New Member Orientation” for members who tour, which should be done first in the day- joined within the past two years. Dr. Becker light next year (maybe we can get a horn started the presentation off with a history of demonstration also). both local hunting and Copies of Wad- our hunt specifically. It sworth’s “Riding to was interesting to note Hounds in America” that we are an offshoot were handed out to of the Potomac Hunt, those that did not and that much of the already have them. (now developed) area Lest I forget, there around the hunt club were many wines was hunted regularly and cheeses before (even over to the Sta- and after! Hopefully tion Road fixture)! we will expand this We’ll have more details demonstration to the of NM-MVH history in local pony clubs. later newsletters. MM The next demonstra- tion was of some of the various forms of dress that one may encoun- ter in the hunt field. We had models Jennifer Webster, Joe Michael and Jt. Master John Carriages of the Capital Ward, Jr. demonstrating the “shadbelly”, Horse-Drawn Carriages “ratcatcher” and “pinks” forms of dress (and undress!). Much lively discussion ensued on Weddings & Special Events various topics such as boots, buttons and Tours in Washington, DC stock ties. Hopefully we will add someone for Ponies for Parties & Special Events “melton” next year. The third topic was the section on field eti- www.CarriagesoftheCapital.com quette which also could have been a whole 301/407-0007 202/841-4135 evening onto itself. That covered everything from the “order of go” through “reverses’ ” and “hark”. It was noted that if the trail per- mits to keep moving foreward on a reverse and that way you are not standing still while other horses are moving Your horse must be able to handle passing other horses and to turn his hindquarters slightly to the outside. This is actually better for most horses minds because they are moving rather than standing still watching other horses move about. The last in the lecture series was George Harne, our esteemed huntsman, with a short PAGE 2 NEW MARKET-MIDDLETOWN VALLEY HOUNDS NEWSLETTER NOVEMBER 2006 What Constitutes a Good Hunt? I know when you read the above title that you thought for a brief moment, what is a good hunt for me, or what hunt did you remember as a fun or successful hunt. My idea of a successful hunt is when my hounds run a line for at least 30-45 min- utes , check a few times and either put it to ground or run out of territory. Then I blow the hounds in and I hear my whipper-in’s say “all on”. Since this is not a perfect world this doesn’t al- ways happen. So, I look for other things that are positive in my hunting day. If it is slow going, I watch to see if my hounds are working well and with enthusiasm. On these days, I also look to see Leo, George, Amy and the hounds at the PA Na- how they react when deer pop up. It is extremely tional Horse Show Foxhound demonstration in satisfying to see them not even pay any attention Harrisburg to them. I also watch to see how they respond to me when they draw a covert. Am I one of them? Do they trust me? zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Last but not least, a good day is if I bring all my hounds home, myself, my staff, and the field Champions and Reserves from the September 15th have not gotten hurt and all horses come in sound. horse show at Plantation Valley Stables in Mid- All of these things make for a successful hunt for dletown as follows: me. The other day, while I was out looking for one Tailgate: C-Larry Isaacson, R-Byron Ayala/ Carolyn of my hounds, I got a call from Mike Bailey. He Nordberg was calling to thank me for the days hunting. I Leadline: C-Zachary Austensen R- Paxton Kerstetter responded that I didn’t think it had been that good Short Stirrup: C- Heather Johnson, R- Kaytlin Corsiatto of a day. He replied that the day was great because Hopeful Hunter: C-That Girl (Shelley's horse) ridden the weather and scenery was beautiful, the by Kristin Nesbitt, R- Domino ridden by Nancy Isaac- hounds had worked all morning, and he and his son horse had ridden in the first flight and had done Green Hunter: C- Boston (Heather McCarthy), R- very well over several fences. I was quiet for a Seven Up (Laura Martin) Dollar Bareback: C- Dickcy Gibson R- Mary Jane short moment and then I said,” Yes Mike, it was a McGinnis good day.” Junior Hunter: C- Sierra Mist (Shelby Kepner), R- Luck Thank you Mike Bailey, and all of you who of the Irish(Mackenzie Taylor) enjoy our hunting days for different reasons. Low Hunter: C- Boston (Heather McCarthy) R- Orion Sometimes we all need to look at things from a (M.J. McGinnis) different perspective. Schooling Hunter: C- Luck of the Irish (Mackenzie Tay- lor), R- Madison's Flash (Katie Wherley) Field Hunter: C- Heather McCarthy , R- Mackenzie Happy Hunting, Taylor George Harne zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz PAGE 3 NEW MARKET-MIDDLETOWN VALLEY HOUNDS NEWSLETTER NOVEMBER 2006 Our Presence in the Maryland Horse Council terly and the meetings are open to individual As some of you know, one of my responsibilities members of the member-organizations. One of the as a member of the club is to represent NM-MVH meetings always coincides with Horse World Expo at the Maryland Horse Council (MHC). Estab- in Timonium, another one is usually at a govern- lished in 1983, the MHC seeks to unify, inform, ment building in Annapolis and the others could and represent Maryland's diverse horse commu- be at a local College or one of the race tracks.

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