Hunters in Equestrianism

Hunting on horseback has been a tradition of many cultures, from the Greeks to the Native Americans. It was only in the late medieval or early modern period that the idea of a horse dedicated to hunting was considered in Europe. English and Irish foxhunting were particularly influential on the development of the hunter type of horse. People had hunted animals for food for centuries, and also hunted dangerous animals, such as boars, wolves and bears, for sport. From late medieval times onward, fields that had been largely open in England began to be enclosed with boundaries, such as hedges and railings, giving hunters the opportunity to jump over obstacles when they were out. Large wild animals became extinct in Britain by early modern times, though wolves may have lingered in Scotland until the eighteenth century. Foxhunting emerged in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries as a sport with its roots in traditional hunting but with its own history and culture. The fast, cross-country hunt following a pack of foxhounds is said to have been developed by John Warde (born 1752), who is known as the Father of Foxhunting. The hierarchy of the hunt included the Master of Foxhounds (M.F.H.), the huntsman and the whippers-in. Only the hunt staff could wear hunting scarlet, and still, today, wherever they are in the world, fox or drag hunts follow the traditions set down largely in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries in Britain and Ireland. English leather saddles and bridles are used, as is the traditional clothing; either tweed or black jackets with a velvet cap, jodhpurs or breeches, and a white stock (scarf) fastened smartly at the neck. Some hunts are relaxed about non-staff wearing jackets of hunting scarlet. Hunting has its own terminology and cries, such as the “View-holloa”, (pronounced “holler”) and, of course, the famous “Tally-ho!” Many people across the world enjoy keeping the traditions of hunting alive and appreciate the qualities of a good hunter, both in and out of the hunting field.