Hunting On The Lead-Rein - How To Make It Work

“IT’S one of my passions, getting small children hunting,” says Sarah Austen, teacher of Latin and all-things-hunting at The Elms School near Ledbury.

“It gives them something to look forward to, and, if it’s handled well and is a positive experience, it gives children a lot of confidence.”

‘Mrs A’, as she is affectionately known at school, is notorious for her ability to nurture talent on the hunting field. Anyone from the age of five to 13 is welcome to tag along on a Ledbury Monday at second horses so long as their school report is up to scratch, and they have mastered the rising trot — a vital prerequisite.

“Having the rising trot is important before I can lead them off a horse because it is very tiring bumping around otherwise,” says Sarah. “They have a few lessons in the arena first, and once they can do rising trot, I’ll take them out. They’re put in groups of similar age and ability, so they’ve always got a friend to make it fun.”

Sarah took no fewer than 60 children hunting last season.

“It’s very useful at school because children who don’t behave don’t get to go hunting,” she says. “We get boys learning to ride simply to go hunting, and from there, they’ll go on to do tetrathlon or eventing. Many of them are now fl ying Ledbury hedges, but they all started being led off my cobs a few years ago. They learn more in one afternoon’s hunting than they do in weeks of going round an arena.”

RECYCLED PONIES

WHEN considering taking a small child hunting on the lead-rein, it’s vital that the horse from which you intend to lead your child is 110% reliable.

“I have two lovely cobs who I know are not going to do anything stupid, leaving me to concentrate on the children,” says Sarah. “You’ve got to be able to lead little ponies without your horse biting or kicking them. And just as importantly, the pony that the child rides has to be incredibly reliable with little people.”