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Visitors - Hunting Protocol & TurnoutVisitorsWe welcome visitors to hunt with Green Spring Valley Hounds. Individuals interested in hunting as a guest should contact one of the Join-Masters or the Hunt Secretary no later than the night before the hunt. Capping fees are $100 for weekdays and $150 for Saturdays and holidays. During cub hunting season, the capping fee is $50. The fee must be paid at the meet to the Hunt Secretary or, if absent, to a Joint-Master. A guest is permitted to hunt on a capping fee basis only three times per season. On Thanksgiving and Christmas, families of members are invited to hunt without paying capping fees.Release and WaiverAny person hunting with Green Spring Valley Hounds must sign a liability release and waiver form in order to protect the Green Spring Hounds and landowners against claims. Forms can be downloaded from this site, please print it, read it, and sign it, turn it in to the Hunt Secretary or, if absent, to a Joint-Master. Forms will also be available at meets, through the Hunt Secretary or, if absent, through one of the Joint-Masters.Green Spring Valley Hounds - Rules & ProtocolRules in the hunt are applied common sense and polite behavior. Most people who break them do so either through ignorance or through lack of courtesy. Primary consideration goes to the hounds, landowners, staff, fellow riders and your horse. Always do your best to arrive at the meet at least fifteen minutes early. Never ride through coverts on the way to the meet, even if it is longer to go around. Coverts constantly disturbed will not hold foxes. Never do anything that might harm a hound. Do not jump a fence before all hounds are clear. Turn your horse's head toward passing hounds to prevent kicking one. Never damage a landowner's property or allow his livestock to escape. It is much better for the hunt if you are left behind than for a landowner to be annoyed. If you have knocked a rail down and livestock are in the field and the fence cannot be fixed, you must wait until help arrives. The hunt has permission to ride over certain terrain-----you as an individual do not. Respect this by not hacking over country without the landowner's express permission even though you may have hunted there only yesterday. Stay to the edges of the of the fields ("headlands") and avoid unharvested crops and seeded ground. Always follow the field master, thus preventing overrunning the scent or damaging a landowner"s property. Stay two to three lengths behind the field master. 'Staff please' requires your immediate yielding of the right-of-way to the huntsman or whipper-in. Back your horse off the trail with its head to the passerby and remain until the staff member has passed. 'Back' or 'reverse please' is the signal for each member of the field to back off the path. Allow hounds, staff and those previously ahead of you to pass. When a warning ('ware wire' or 'ware hole', ect.) is passed back, it should be in a voice suitable to carry only to the next rider. Watch for the hazard and as you pass it, pass the warning and point to the hazard. Listening and watching hounds should be your main reason for hunting. Conservation while hunting should be very limited and softly spoken. 'Hold hard' signaled by a vertically raised forearm, requires that you stop where you are, standing still and quiet. Raise your own arm while stopping to alert riders behind you. Do not crowd the horses ahead of you. It is neither polite nor safe; it may result in a kick. Horses that are known to kick on provocation must wear a red ribbon in their tail. A rider with his arm held horizontally behind his back is warning you that his horse is annoyed and may kick. Do not lag behind. Please keep up with the field master. Do not follow a hunter who seems to take his own line or tries to cut corners. Foxes are headed by people taking short cuts. If you wish to leave the field, ask permission from the field master. The last hunter has the responsibility of closing any open gate or raising any bar that might have been let down. The nearest hunter should wait and assist him. Riders having difficulty with their horses should stay in the rear. If your ineptitude or your mount's misbehavior interferes or slows the rest of the field, ask permission to return to the stable. This courtesy to the other riders also saves you the embarrassment of being asked to leave. At jumps, jump in order and do not cut in front of another rider. Jump abreast only when safe to do so and do not swerve until clear. If your horse refuses an obstacle, go directly to the rear before making another try. If you view the fox, stand still, face your horse in the direction taken by the fox and hold your hat in the air. If the hounds have checked or are silent and are not hunting the line, try to get word to the huntsman. Go tell him exactly where the fox crossed and where you last saw the fox. Only if you cannot get the huntsman, do you shout 'tally-ho' two or three times (still point with your hat). To raise your voice when hounds are hunting may cause them to raise their heads and cause a check. Be sure the fox is well past before you 'halloa' or you may head him. The huntsman decides whether your fox is the hunted fox. Smoking is not permitted while hunting. Turnout of Horse & RiderAs with other activities governed by custom and tradition, specifics can and do vary from hunt to hunt, not to mention from country to country. It is therefore the purpose of these paragraphs to describe for those hunting with Green Spring Valley Hounds what the Joint-Masters consider correct for the Green Spring Valley Hunt. Horse: Besides being scrupulously clean and groomed, there is little else to say about how horses should be turned out that common sense does not dictate. Braiding manes and tails, though appreciated for special hunts such as Opening Meet and Thanksgiving, is not required. Mud knots on tails, when conditions warrant, show good horse husbandry. Read MoreTack: Multicolored and patent leather bridle brow bands are not permitted. Brow bands should be the same color as the rest of the bridle. Saddle pads should be inconspicuous as possible. Rubber covered or braided reins are acceptable. Carrying a small flask in one¥s pocket is permissible but can be dangerous in case of a fall. Rider: During regular hunting season, beginning with Opening Meet formal dress is required on Saturdays, holidays and for Joint Meets. During the week, ratcatcher is permitted. Ratcatcher is worn cub hunting between Labor Day and Opening Meet. Prior to Labor Day, the dress may be informal. Formal Turnout Coat: Black or charcoal grey for men; black or dark navy blue for women. Black hunt buttons may be worn by members specifically granted that privilege by the Joint-Masters. Green collars and brass buttons may only be worn by former Masters. Members are permitted to wear pink coats on Opening Meet, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years. Waistcoat: Canary or tattersall. Britches: Beige, canary, or light grey. Never white (unless with a pink coat) and rust only in inclement weather. Neckwear White stocks should be neatly tied and pinned down to the shirt. Boots: Plain-topped black. Boot garters are always correct, though not required. If worn, they should be black (or white with white breeches/pink coat). Brown-topped black boots are reserved for staff, Masters, Ex-Masters, Hunt Secretaries, and ex-Hunt Secretaries. Gloves White string or light colored leather are preferred. Whip: Carrying a hunt whip is chiefly useful for closing gates. All riders are encouraged to carry either a crop or whip and to wear spurs as aids in managing their horses. Whips and crops should never be stuck in the top of boots. Hat: Bowler (with hat cord as suggested precaution), velvet-covered hunt cap (with Ribbons up) or black calientes are acceptable. Chinstraps are encouraged. Masters, ex-Masters, Hunt Secretary and Staff: Pink with green color and brass Green Spring Valley Hounds buttons. Black boots with brown tops. White breeches and gloves. Ratcatcher: A Ratcatcher is required for the field while cub hunting on Saturdays and is preferred on weekdays. Ratcatcher is the preferred turn out for juniors during cub hunting and during the regular season. It is defined as follows: Coat: A 'hacking jacket' of muted pattern and of a weight to suit the temperature; optional on very warm mornings. Breeches: Rust, gray or beige. Hat: Bowler (with hat cord as a suggested precaution), velvet-coverd hunt cap (with ribbons up) or black calientes are acceptable. Chinstraps are encouraged. Shirt and Neckwear: Necktie or colored stock for men and women preferred, though turtleneck or ladies' riding blouse with neck band (choker) is acceptable. White stocks should not be worn with hacking jackets. Informal: Informal dress may be worn when cub hunting before Labor Day; however, the following minimum standards should be met: General Notes Boots: There are now available on the market rubber riding boots which, when properly polished, are quite acceptable. Spurs: Spur strap should match the boot color. Rainwear: It is acceptable to wear a raincoat and hat cover. The raincoat must be a dark color. Juniors: Ratcatcher is the preferred turn out for juniors (riders up to 18 years old). Visiting: Tradition has it that members of one hunt do not wear colors/buttons of their hunt when visiting another. However, most foxhunters do not today maintain separate coats for visiting. When visiting, please ask permission of the other hunt's Master to wear your colors/buttons.
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