Got up at 5 o'clock and headed out to Kingston, GA to hunt with the Shamrock Hounds - my first fox hunt in about 25 years!
I actually was able to braid my mare's mane so that it stayed in (a task that takes a ball of yarn, two combs, hair clips, scissors, a rug hooker, and about two hours). I even dyed her tail where she rubs it on the fence (Bad Gracie!) and it came out great. Cleaned and oiled all my tack, used my white sheepskin saddle pad, and got all dressed up in my good jacket, good leather breeches, high boots and a "real" stock (finally learned how to tie it . . . I had a "pretied" one, but I had undone it to wash and starch it 25 years ago and found it, but had forgotten how to put it back together . . . )
The turnout was great - weather was threatening, chilly, with a sharp wind blowing. You cannot wear anything over your good hunting jacket - so everybody had layers of stuff UNDER their jacket - I had my silk long johns, then my polypro long johns, then my cotton hunting shirt, then my coat, which is unfortunately NOT wool - I only have one and our weather is usually hot around here.
Anyhow, off we went and a jolly good time was had by all. Grace was exemplary - she didn't get strong, she didn't buck or try to run away, and she jumped everything I put her at. The Gracie mare and I got bolder as time marched on, and wound up jumping some stone walls, a couple of coops and a large fallen tree. I didn't try the big hedge - maybe next time.
But a funny thing did happen - we had cleared a stone wall and were galloping uphill, when Gracie's feet slipped out from under her and she went down like a bag of wet cement. I rolled off over her right shoulder, and thanks to nice soft ground with deep grass and my aikido training I just did a lovely forward roll and came up on my feet. Gracie was still on the ground and I think she had the wind knocked out of her. Her eyes were as big as softballs, and she stared up at me and went "WOOF!" through her nose 2-3 times as if to say "What happened? And why are you up there while I'm down here?" I just took her reins and encouraged her to get up - she struggled upright and shook herself - she was covered in leaves and grass and there were even leaves stuck in the rivets on the pommel of my saddle. I led her around and she wasn't limping at all, so I climbed back aboard (she is a TALL girl so I have to let out my stirrup leather, climb on, and then raise it up again).
I trotted her out and she was completely sound, so we just took off again. She cantered fine and jumped another couple of jumps, but the day was almost over - we'd been out for two and a half hours and we were BEAT (I'm sure that's one of the reasons she lost her footing - when she gets tired she gets heavy on the forehand.) But one of the hunt staff said that Gracie deserved the "Heart and Soul" award for taking such a tumble in stride!
One of the great customs of hunting is the Hunt Breakfast (which is always called breakfast even if served at 2 in the afternoon). Lots and lots of delicious food - and everyone was VERY hungry after all that galloping around in a sharp wind. They had an award ceremony for the Junior riders, Santa and his Assistant Elf handed out apples and carrots for the horses, and the Official Photographer displayed her digital photos she had taken during the hunt. There is a "Wall of Pain" in the clubhouse where all photos of falls are posted, but fortunately the photographer did NOT memorialize the wreck of Gracie and AAM . . . :-)
And best of all, it didn't start spitting a little rain until we were loading the horses back in the trailer to go home! Then the bottom fell out, but the horses were all in their nice blankies in a dry warm trailer with their hay and grain, and we were all in our trucks heading home!
And just to add to the fun, TOMORROW Shelley-the-Dog is entering her first agility trial. (I bet I call her Gracie all day - I must have said "Good Gracie!" about a thousand times today.)