On Horseback In England

Dusk had fallen by the time we hacked back to the meet, hounds trotting behind their huntsman, muddy and sated after a successful day. Shod hooves struck sparks off the road, the sound of iron on stone a triumphant drumroll.

- Octavia Pollock

We rode with loose reins, taking last swigs of the hip flask and remembering fences that grew larger in the telling. Breath misted on the cold air as we loaded up horses and hounds, before heading home to sink into a hot bath and soothe away the aches earned by seven hours in the saddle.

However stiff one might be the morning after, it is always worth it.

Such days begin with frost in the shadows and a diffident sun rising, stock pins searched for and breeches dragged on. Your boots will be buffed and your coat brushed, a luxury enjoyed by guests of Britain’s leading hunting-holiday companies.

Experienced fox-hunter and diligent host Megan Corp of Somerset-based Blackthorn & Brook will ensure you are perfectly turned out for a day with one of the great south-of-England packs, including the Portman and the Black more & Spark ford Vale with their famous hedges. At the meet, well-mannered horses stand quietly as riders sip stirrup cups, the warm flood of port and whisky quelling the nerves. In the U.K., the sustenance comes before the action, with sausage rolls, roast potatoes and fruit cake bolstering hunters’ strength. As the huntsman blows the horn and hounds move off, ears prick and reins are gathered, the 60-odd riders ready to face the glorious unpredictability and exhilaration of a day’s hunting in Britain.