Hound Excersise!!??

Mmm not too sure about this but mummy's latest thing is taking us out alongside the horses with a hunting whip! It is not a whip for 'hitting' its more as a guide. Today we started the new regieme.....

Apparently we are in training for the move to Suffolk. Mummy hopes to ride along the tracks in the woods and needs us to be under control. We are not supposed to go past the level of the horses shoulder and if the horse stops, so must we. Only problem is I have spent the summer doing my own thing, we have been used to charging off round the field and running ahead on the farm tracks. All this has changed now, with the shoot birds all out we have a different route and are not under orders to keep with the horse at all times or until mummy says 'Geddon' otherwise its Hoick Behind (in other words, get back!). I think this is 'pants!' Mouse told me to just get on with it and be grateful for the outing, we may not be foxhounds but this is a damn site better than being left behind!

We did very well for the first outing on 'hound excersise', mummy carries her whip (with a very long lash) in her left hand, Mouse and I have to trot along the left of the horse or behind but must not go in front of the lash or horses shoulder. Everytime I went too far forward mummny shook the lash at me an shouted Hoik back, she sounded really weird but from her tone, sounded like she meant it! I think she learnt to do this when she worked at the hunt kennels years ago, she used to go on hound excersise and learnt a lot off the huntsman. Only snag is, I am a terrier (generally a ratting dog) and Mouse is a Ponter-dor (for deer stalking), not that our breeding should affect our capacity to learn but we are definitely NOT foxhounds!

I am reserving judgement on this new way of going and mummy can stuff her hunt whip where the sun doesn't shine!

XX Pops!