|
Who let the hounds out?Our hounds are one of the many reasons we love this sport so much. Each of them, like our horses, have their unique personality. There are the hounds who love to get love, the hounds who have the best nose, the hounds that love treats, the hounds who love to play fetch, the lead hounds and the hounds that go at their own speed. Each of them special to Long Lake Hounds.
These well behaved hounds are trained and walked daily year round by the Huntsman, Jon Martinson or one of his whipper-ins. Jon and his staff work hard to reward the common commands that you might hear on the trail such as, "Get behind," "Get to him," or "Leave it." They are also trained and rewarded for responding correctly to the different horn blows. It's important that the hounds know and respond to these staff members so when we're hunting they know who to listen too and what we are asking them to do. They are kept in a kennel in Watertown that Long Lake Hounds moved to in the Fall of 2019. |
|
|
Photos by Shelley Paulson Photography and Deb Van de Ven
What does walking the hounds look like?
|
|
We take them out in the big open fields at the kennels and work with them on responding correctly to verbal cues and the horn, get them exercise and of course lots of pats and treats.
We watch each hound's personality shine. Who loves games and who would rather just stay back and get love. Walking hounds is a great way to see the pack work. And when the snow melts and the ground firms up, we'll be walking them on horseback and getting the hounds more into shape by running rather than just walking. Its also a great way to introduce your horse to the hounds in a low pressure environment. Click here to be added to our mailing list to find out more about mounted hound walking in the spring. |