[nathanbedford]

I hunted for years with Essex in New Jersey mostly on my Anglo /Arab who was the best horse I ever possessed, game and smart and he just loved to hunt.

I hunted a few times here in Germany but gave of the game as unworthy. Not only do they not hunt live fox, they do not even hunt a drag, they do not use Hounds, for that would be against the law, so they tie a tale to a designated rider' s shoulder who becomes the human fox. We merrily pursue the human fox along the pre-set course with some decent jumps and pause halfway through for a picnic washed down with gallons of schnapps. The pre-set course homeward bound can be pretty blurry.

I currently have four horses here, Holsteiner, Hanoveraner, Bayerischs Warm Blut, and a Deutches Reit Pony for the smaller kids. I do some driving too.

I hope your hunt comes back. I miss it.

[AnAmericanMother]

German foxhunting sounds like a complete bust. We do about 50/50 red fox and coyote here, the coyotes will give you a run for your money, but they're too fast for the hounds, really. The Shamrock pack (which has been parceled out among members waiting the return of the day) is mostly English lemon-and-whites, while the Shakerag pack (much older hunt) is a mix of English and Virginia hounds.

I once drove a pony in a sulky, that's the extent of my driving experience! Never ridden a Holsteiner, we have a Hanoverian in the barn, but I look like a peanut up on top of him (I have short legs). I have never seen a Bavarian Warmblood -- what are they crossed with?

My girl is a pretty Thoroughbred, just at 16 hh, she's racing bred but you'd never know it, she couldn't catch cold if you spotted her two furlongs. But she's a sweet girl, a keen jumper and dead set reliable all day long.