Beagling on horseback

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For information on beagling on foot, see Beagling

This article describes the hunting of fox or other prey with a pack of beagles where the followers are on horseback, and is similar to foxhunting. At this time, only one beagle pack in the U.S. hunts fox and is followed on horseback: the Middleburg Orange County beagles, in Middleburg, Virgina.

Started in 19xx by Eve Fout, this particular beagle pack was initiated as a means to help teach children about foxhunting. In fact, adults are not allowed to participate unless they are there with a child.^[1] Kids learn the rules and traditions of foxhunting, along with other things such as land stewardship, animal care, and leadership. The participants often enjoy special privileges when beagling, such as whipping in, and are allowed to follow directly behind the huntsman (honors usually reserved for the Master of Foxhounds and other staff in traditional foxhunting).^[2]

Hunting beagles is similar to foxhunting in that the quarry is the same and often the territory is the same. It differs only in that the beagles are slightly slower than foxhounds, making the actual catching and killing of a fox highly unlikely. The purpose is to teach children and to allow them to practice before joining a traditional hunt.

Attire for beagling on horseback is casual during cubbing season (polo shirts and breeches), and ratcatcher (tweed jackets and light-colored breeches) for the formal season.^[3]

Kids who participate usually ride ponies, whereas adults will ride horses, but this is not always the case. The horses and ponies, as in foxhunting, must be suitably trained and well-behaved, especially if ridden by a child. Good hunt ponies are in high demand, and often ponies will go to another hunt family once its original rider gets too big.