Carrie Reavis wears a lady's formal attire, worn on Saturdays and holidays during the Formal Season. Her horse's mane is braided for Opening Hunt.
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Mother and daughter Lisa (left) and McKenzie Millican are turned out in ratcatcher attire. McKenzie's jodphurs are appropriate for juniors. Ratcatcher is suitable for the cubbing season and weekday hunting during the formal season.
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YVH would like to accommodate anyone who wants to join the hunt field and makes an effort to be neatly turned out. Riders who are putting together hunt attire for the first time should discuss with a Master or Honorary Secretary any limitations in this regard. The following descriptions are recommended:
Formal (worn Saturdays, Sundays, and Holidays during Formal Season)
Black twill, wool or gabardine coat*; white shirt with white stock tie, properly tied and pinned with a plain gold stock pin; canary vest; buff or canary breeches;. black derby with hat cord, or black velvet hunt cap with or without harness; black boots; brown or tan leather gloves/white or yellow string gloves.
Evening attire for gentlemen is scarlet with forest green collars and gold facings.
*Staff and gentlemen with colors may wear scarlet coats with white breeches.
Informal (Ratcatcher) (worn during Cubbing Season and weekdays of Formal Season)
Hacking jacket of a subdued color in solid, check or tweed; ratcatcher shirt with tab collar, stock and pin, or shirt with tie; complementary vest is optional; brick, brown, buff or canary breeches; black or brown boots; hunt cap or derby, either black or brown; brown or tan leather gloves/white or yellow string gloves.
- Arrive at the fixture early enough to unload your horse from the trailer, tack up and mount by the appointed time.
- When hounds move out, follow behind the Field Master in this order: senior members with colors, senior members without colors, adult guests and their member hosts, junior members with colors, junior members without colors, junior guests and their member hosts.
- Always show all riders and guests every courtesy and assist them whenever you can.
- At the meet, bid the Masters “Good Morning.” When the day is over, thank the Master, Huntsman, and Field Master for the day’s sport.
- Do not crowd the Huntsman or the pack. Hounds are especially excitable at the start of a hunting day and should be given sufficient room. Remember that hounds always have the right of way. It is a cardinal sin to run over or kick a hound. If this happens, please report it to the Field master right away.
- Leave two (2) horse lengths between your horse and the one in front (give the person “room to fall.”)
- Always turn your horse’s head toward the pack, never his heels. Please make way for hounds and Hunt Staff at all times.
- Do not rate or speak to a hound unless requested to do so by a staff member. Do not try to help the staff unless specifically requested to do so by a staff member.
- When the cast is being made or a hunt is in progress, everyone must cease talking so that the Huntsman will have the full attention of the hounds.
- Defer to the staff—Do not get between a staff member and the hounds. Do not pass the Field Master.
- Ride around the sides of all fields and crop lands. Never gallop close to or through a herd or flock. Remember that you are the guest of the landowner and act accordingly.
- Do not lag behind. If you cannot keep up, move over and let the other riders pass. It is not fair to the riders following you to cause them to get behind and possibly lost, hence missing the remainder of the hunt.
- If you are riding in the Hilltopper Field and wish to jump, you must be at the end of the Field and you must make sure that all those who do not wish to jump have proceeded around the obstacle before you are free to jump it. You must not jump the obstacle at the same time the person in front of you is trying to go around it.
- When a warning is passed back, such as “ware hole” or “ware wire”, watch for the hazard and when you come along side of it, not before, pass the warning back and point to the hazard.
- Hold Hard, signaled by an upraised hand, requires that you stop where yo are, holding up your hand, afterwards standing still and quiet.
- If a rider has trouble, the nearest person should give assistance while the rest of the Field continues on. Do not leave someone in trouble. make sure that you know who is in front and behind you so that you can “keep an eye out” for that person. Report all falls to the Field Master.
- If someone has to dismount to open or close a gate (or any other reason), the nearest rider should remain with the dismounted person until he has remounted.
- Report any damage that you do to crops, fences, or panels to the Field Master or the Joint. Masters. Close all gates.
- A rider having any difficulty with his/her horse should stay to the rear.
- If the horse is a kicker, please have a red ribbon on its tail and keep it out of close quarters.
- Before approaching a jump, wait until the rider ahead has cleared the jump and gone on.
- Do not jump a fence if there is a danger of harming a hound.
- DO NOT JUMP UNNECESSARILY.
- If your horse refuses, permit all others to precede you. Do not hold up others in the Field because your horse is balking.
- If you view a fox from a distance, call “TALLY-HO”, and point toward him with your hat. If you view a fox that is close by, point only. Your voice might cause the hounds to lift their heads, losing the scent.
- No smoking in the hunt field.
- Brush by any branches or duck under them. Do not hold a branch as it will snap back in the face of the rider behind.
