which_chick (
which_chick) wrote2019-04-15 08:14 am
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We survived the hunter pace!
HCIB (Howard County Iron Bridge Hounds) held their spring hunter pace at a new location this year. In previous years, they'd been at Pleasant Prospect Farm, which is a gorgeous location with really wonderful features that made for a great course. This year, they were at the kennels for the hunt, which was ALSO a gorgeous location with really wonderful features that made for a great course. I sound like I'm gushing with enthusiasm, but that's only because I am.
Directions were clear and the site was easy to get to. Parking was good and not-soft despite rain the day before. They also had friendly people to do the handwaving and help you park your rig appropriately. Registration was smooth and well-organized. Start was nicely located and ran with precision, groups of riders were well-spaced. And all of that stuff is important for having a good hunter pace, but the real meat of the pace is the course.
And how was the course?
It was lovely.
The HCIB course isn't JUST extremely well-marked with signs and ribbons. I mean, it totally is and you will have zero trouble following the course or determining which of the fences or routes is for you. (Red is high, blue is low, yellow is flat. Everything is very clearly marked.)
It isn't JUST free of face-hitting branches. But it is, reliably, and it's a wonderful feature and honestly one of the most thoughtful things about the pace's course. I do not know if anyone else notices this, but I sure do.
It isn't JUST equipped with a nice variety of terrain. But it is. The course makes use of the countryside and provides a good selection of what's available. You get to go up and down hills, across creeks, through open fields, in amongst woods -- what there is, you get to see it all.
It doesn't JUST feature natural water sources and crossings. But it does, and if you have a horse who is suspicious of bucket water, sometimes a stream is Just The Thing. Also, all the creek crossings were fair and well-sited. Our horses had absolutely no trouble with them.
It does not JUST offer a variety of well-sited foxhunting-style jumps on a log/coop/rail theme. But it does. The fences are well-sited and they're reassuringly solid. They are not all "on the flat" but the ones at the tops of hills are not so huge and the ones going downhill ride way better than I thought they would and every single combination strode beautifully for my 14.3hh Arab who is NOT A FOXHUNTER and NOT REALLY A JUMPER. (We did the low optimum.) Seriously, if you are at an HCIB pace and there's a combination in front of you, just put some leg on and have at it. It'll be ABSOLUTELY FINE. Trust the course designer, who is doing their very best to make sure you have a good time out there.
It does not JUST give you several lovely canter opportunities on gently uphill terrain with good footing. But it does that and it does it reliably. Course designer is clearly aware that there may be some riders attempting the course who don't do a whole lot of outside-a-ring work. The course is designed, at every turn, to help all of the riders and their horses have a fun, safe trip.
Also, at every HCIB pace I have attended, after the last fence, the ground slopes uphill across an open field with excellent footing so that, if you want, you can canter (or gallop) to the finish with bravery. The course practically begs you to go ahead and open your horse up a little at the finish... and after a couple of miles and some twenty fences, probably you and your horse can manage a fairly brisk, nonsense-free canter on a gradual uphill slope. Everyone's a winner! You are Secretariat! (I'm only kidding a little. It is a very thoughtful course feature and one clearly included to enhance the fun factor.)
The HCIB paces do EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THESE THINGS, QUITE WELL, YEAR AFTER YEAR. All hunt clubs make a solid effort at putting their best foot forward for hunter paces and I appreciate every one we attend. I have never been to a "bad" hunter pace. All of them are great fun and I really enjoy doing them.
However, in a field of very fun outings, HCIB's effort continually stands head and shoulders above the others that I attend. There is such a thing as excellence in hunter pace course design and HCIB is totally hitting that mark, time and again. Whoever is in charge of the HCIB paces is doing a fantastic job in terms of overall organization, siting, course design, jumps, just everything. Their paces run like a finely-tuned machine designed to deliver to you a delightful outing that is confidence-building and fun for the extremely reasonable price of twenty five bucks a go.
The HCIB paces are a grand day out and I cannot say enough nice things about them. They are totally worth the drive. (We come down from Pennsylvania.)
Directions were clear and the site was easy to get to. Parking was good and not-soft despite rain the day before. They also had friendly people to do the handwaving and help you park your rig appropriately. Registration was smooth and well-organized. Start was nicely located and ran with precision, groups of riders were well-spaced. And all of that stuff is important for having a good hunter pace, but the real meat of the pace is the course.
And how was the course?
It was lovely.
The HCIB course isn't JUST extremely well-marked with signs and ribbons. I mean, it totally is and you will have zero trouble following the course or determining which of the fences or routes is for you. (Red is high, blue is low, yellow is flat. Everything is very clearly marked.)
It isn't JUST free of face-hitting branches. But it is, reliably, and it's a wonderful feature and honestly one of the most thoughtful things about the pace's course. I do not know if anyone else notices this, but I sure do.
It isn't JUST equipped with a nice variety of terrain. But it is. The course makes use of the countryside and provides a good selection of what's available. You get to go up and down hills, across creeks, through open fields, in amongst woods -- what there is, you get to see it all.
It doesn't JUST feature natural water sources and crossings. But it does, and if you have a horse who is suspicious of bucket water, sometimes a stream is Just The Thing. Also, all the creek crossings were fair and well-sited. Our horses had absolutely no trouble with them.
It does not JUST offer a variety of well-sited foxhunting-style jumps on a log/coop/rail theme. But it does. The fences are well-sited and they're reassuringly solid. They are not all "on the flat" but the ones at the tops of hills are not so huge and the ones going downhill ride way better than I thought they would and every single combination strode beautifully for my 14.3hh Arab who is NOT A FOXHUNTER and NOT REALLY A JUMPER. (We did the low optimum.) Seriously, if you are at an HCIB pace and there's a combination in front of you, just put some leg on and have at it. It'll be ABSOLUTELY FINE. Trust the course designer, who is doing their very best to make sure you have a good time out there.
It does not JUST give you several lovely canter opportunities on gently uphill terrain with good footing. But it does that and it does it reliably. Course designer is clearly aware that there may be some riders attempting the course who don't do a whole lot of outside-a-ring work. The course is designed, at every turn, to help all of the riders and their horses have a fun, safe trip.
Also, at every HCIB pace I have attended, after the last fence, the ground slopes uphill across an open field with excellent footing so that, if you want, you can canter (or gallop) to the finish with bravery. The course practically begs you to go ahead and open your horse up a little at the finish... and after a couple of miles and some twenty fences, probably you and your horse can manage a fairly brisk, nonsense-free canter on a gradual uphill slope. Everyone's a winner! You are Secretariat! (I'm only kidding a little. It is a very thoughtful course feature and one clearly included to enhance the fun factor.)
The HCIB paces do EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THESE THINGS, QUITE WELL, YEAR AFTER YEAR. All hunt clubs make a solid effort at putting their best foot forward for hunter paces and I appreciate every one we attend. I have never been to a "bad" hunter pace. All of them are great fun and I really enjoy doing them.
However, in a field of very fun outings, HCIB's effort continually stands head and shoulders above the others that I attend. There is such a thing as excellence in hunter pace course design and HCIB is totally hitting that mark, time and again. Whoever is in charge of the HCIB paces is doing a fantastic job in terms of overall organization, siting, course design, jumps, just everything. Their paces run like a finely-tuned machine designed to deliver to you a delightful outing that is confidence-building and fun for the extremely reasonable price of twenty five bucks a go.
The HCIB paces are a grand day out and I cannot say enough nice things about them. They are totally worth the drive. (We come down from Pennsylvania.)