This is the Fox Hunting Season’s true start…..

…..although we’ve been fox hunting since September…..

Opening Hunt Meet is the end to Cubbing season and the beginning of the formal Fox Hunting season…..

Cubbing season is the time for young fox hounds to get their “sea legs”…..

…..along with new or young mounted Fox Hunters to get their sea legs too…..

The heat and humidity here in the South has been absolutely sweltering…..

…..it’s only just beginning to cool down (just a little bit) in the mornings…..

There are other nuances that change from Cubbing season to Hunting after Opening Meet…..

…..scruffy horses need more primping/body-clipping/ & grooming…..

…..(my plow horses will be front and center waiting in THAT line)…..

Rider apparel changes too…..to more historically formal attire…..

…..with our Hunt Club…..

…..Saturday Hunts are reserved for complete formal attire…..

…..while Wednesday Hunts can still be more casual with polo shirts and field boots…..

Early on I found the reasons and the background for formal attire very interesting…..

…..(I may have mentioned this before) but the simple “stock tie & pin” can easily be used as a sling or a bandage along with the stock pin to secure the bandage in place…..

Boots change from the laced-front tall field boots to the formal tall riding boots…..

…..I really don’t know the reasoning behind that…..

…..other than it looks smoother and nicer…..

…..and well, more formal…..

Yesterday we had the blessing of the hounds given by our female/Huntsman’s husband…..

…..he gave a sincere/heart-felt prayer and blessing while the hounds lounged/rolled/or sat patiently at Devana’s horse’s hooves…..

…..I don’t know about the others…..but I teared up…..

Two members received their “colors” in our Hunt and yesterday they received their Saint Hubert’s medals…..

…..there’s a beautiful story behind Saint Hubert and the reasons why his medal is presented to members with their “colors”…..

*****Saint Hubert*****

…..I know my Saint Huberts medal means a lot to me…..

…..and I wear it when I ride…..

…..and maybe (Pascal…..I’m only telling you this) other times too…..when I feel a need for additional protection…..

You know…..there’s just so much more to write about Opening Hunt Meet…..

…..I haven’t even gotten to the pennies on the train track yet…..

…..or the best grits I’ve ever eaten (and I hate grits)…..

So…..I’m going to have to say…..

…..to be continued…..