The end of another hunting season brings with it feelings of sadness – what on earth are we going to do for the next few months? – and a little bit of relief to have made it in one piece. But before you turn your mind to less important pastimes, there are a few things you need to think about.
1. Take your tack to pieces properly, give it a thorough clean, check the stitching and make sure you get anything repaired that needs it.
2. Make sure your own kit is clean, mended and put away. It’s oh-so easy to forget that your boots need re-soling, you’ve lost a button from your hunting coat and that you didn’t clean your hunting whip – and discover all that at 10pm on the night before your first morning’s autumn hunting.
3. Write thank you letters to your masters and hunt staff. They work incredibly hard in difficult circumstances to provide you with your fun; the least you can do is show your appreciation.
4. If your hunter is having a holiday, give him an MOT first – if his back needs doing, get it looked at now, because it won’t magically correct itself in the field.
5. Have a lie-in.
6. Do all those things you’ve been planning to do all winter, but haven’t had time because hunting is more fun. DIY, paperwork, going to IKEA. You have no more excuses.
Horse & Hound Newsletter
Never miss out on the latest happenings in the equestrian world
7. See what help you can give your hunt this summer – is your hunt getting involved with the Countryside Alliance-supported Great British Spring Clean (28-29 March)? Do they need someone to help in the burger van at the pony show? Do they need a working party to help build and repair hunt jumps, or paint the kennels?
8. Go to a hound show, even if your own hounds aren’t showing. The Lycetts Festival of Hunting takes place on the East of England Showground at Peterborough on 22 July.
Would you like to read Horse & Hound’s independent journalism without any adverts? Join Horse & Hound Plus today and you can read all articles on HorseandHound.co.uk completely ad-free.
Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now
A St Andrews’ graduate, Catherine joined Horse & Hound in 2002 and stayed for 11 years in a variety of roles until she went freelance in June 2013. She rejoined the team part-time in November 2016 as hunting editor. She pretty much lives on the hunting field or at the racecourse, but also loves eventing, as a journalist, press officer and competitor. She was H&H’s sole accredited journalist at the London Olympic Games and has reported from major race meetings and eventing, showjumping and dressage championships and shows round the world, and has hunted all over Britain and Ireland.
