Hunting Stallions

Treat them appropriately and stallions can make some of the best hunters in the field, finds Stephanie Bateman

- Stephanie Bateman

FOR those unused to handling or riding stallions, it’s easy to conjure up images of screaming, hormone-fuelled brutes ready to cause trouble at any opportunity, but is that really an accurate interpretation?

“People get a bit hysterical about stallions, but it’s unnecessary,” says Devon-based event rider and amateur whipper-in Lizzie Luxton, who hunts nine-year-old eventing stallion Hallmark DS. “You need to respect the fact they are a stallion and I do ask people riding mares not to stand or walk under his nose, but other than that, I don’t treat him any differently.

“I act as amateur whipper-in and do a bit of field mastering, so am quite busy and he’s so well behaved. He’ll look at a horse when it’s untacked but other than that, he won’t give other horses a sideways glance.”

Lizzie is more concerned about the actions of other members of the field.

“It’s like driving a car — it’s usually the idiot coming the other way that causes problems, and it’s the same when hunting a stallion,” she says. “So many people think of them as these uncontrollable monsters but when they see them out being sensible and well behaved, it not only changes their opinion but also shows the stallion off. It’s nice for people to see them out and about and being treated as normal horses.”

Lizzie believes that hunting also greatly complements “Chippy’s” eventing.

“I said to his owner Angela Hudson that I’d like to take him hunting because it’s a great way to bond with a new horse and it helps to teach him to use his eyes and work out his balance,” explains Lizzie. “Now he adores hunting and loves watching hounds.