There are a number of books and pamphlets that lay out the correct dress, customs, language, and conduct expected of one who would follow hounds, and all of them are interesting and informative. Unfortunately, many were written long ago and are somewhat out of date, while others might be correct for hunting in England, but not necessarily reflect current usage in the United States. Whatever source one uses as an authority, it must be born in mind that all are general guidelines and subject to numerous exceptions among various Hunts. While I hope to accurately relate what is generally considered correct and acceptable in the hunting field, these notes are primarily for those interested in fitting-in among followers of the Woodford Hounds.
Dress
You will never be “incorrect” hunting, whether man or woman, if you wear a black hunt cap or velvet-covered helmet, black leather (dress, not field) boots, beige or other neutral color breeches, white shirt, white stock tie, plain gold stock pin, canary vest, and black hunt coat (three-button). This will get you by anywhere in the world where foxhunting takes place. Gloves “should” be either white string or natural pigskin, but almost anything is acceptable as long as it is some conservative color (brown, black, white, tan, etc.) A hunt whip, complete with thong and lash, “should” be carried as well. The lady’s is slightly smaller than the gentleman’s. In practice, while a hunt whip looks very dashing, any whip or bat, or none at all, is fine. Ladies should wear hairnets and dangling jewelry is unacceptable.
From the end of August to the Opening Meet of the formal season, usually sometime in November, is the “cub-hunting” season. At this time, the huntsman is getting the hounds born the previous year (new entry), introduced to hunting alongside the experienced hounds. Traditionally, this season belonged to the huntsman and the hounds, and hunt subscribers did not automatically have the right to go out with them. Nowadays this is generally not the case. Subscribers are welcome to come out just as in the formal season. They should bear in mind, however, that these are training hunts for young hounds, and their expectation of sport should be adjusted accordingly. During the cub-hunting (or “cubbing”) season, informal “ratcatcher” attire is worn. This is traditionally hunt cap or velvet-covered helmet (or hunting bowler – seldom seen nowadays), shirt and tie (or stock for ladies), tweed hacking jacket, neutral shade or rust-colored breeches, and brown or black boots (dress or field). In practice, if it is hot, we hunt in shirtsleeves, sometimes even polo shirts. Half-chaps are also often substituted for tall boots.
Once the formal season begins with the Opening Meet, formal hunting attire is worn. For both gentlemen and lady subscribers, this is the same as I outlined in the first paragraph in this section. There are many acceptable variations. Ladies may wear navy blue coats instead of black and either ladies or gentlemen may substitute a frock coat or “shadbelly” tailcoat for the standard hunt coat. Hunting bowlers may also be worn instead of hunt caps. If a gentleman wears a black frock coat or shadbelly, he should wear white breeches and tan- or brown-topped boots, and he may substitute a hunting top hat for his hunt cap (top hat is the only correct headgear with shadbelly). Although not “correct,” many lady subscribers now wear black field boots during the formal season.
Subscribers who have been awarded their “colors” by the Masters (the right to wear the hunt button and collar) are known as “members.” Gentlemen members wear a scarlet frock coat or shadbelly, white breeches, tan- or brown-topped black boots, canary vest, white shirt and stock, plain gold stock pin, and hunt cap or velvet-covered helmet. A hunting top hat may also be worn, but they are seldom seen these days and are impractical in our wooded country. Plain knob-end or Prince-of-Wales spurs may be worn as well with any appropriate dress. To be absolutely correct, members’ scarlet frock coats should have rounded skirts and three brass buttons on the front. Masters should have square skirts and four brass buttons, and Masters who hunt their own hounds, as well as all staff, should have square skirts and five brass buttons. In practice, these conventions are not strictly observed, particularly in the USA. In the Woodford Hounds, most scarlet frock coats have four buttons and square skirts.
Lady members wear the same dress as other lady subscribers who haven’t been awarded their colors, except that they wear the black hunt button with the design engraved in white, and they may wear patent-leather tops on their black boots.
Members of the Woodford Hounds, whether ladies or gentlemen, wear the hunt colors on their collars. Collars are hunter green with red piping. As a matter of personal preference, and for wear when a guest with another Hunt, some of our gentlemen members wear the black frock coat with colors and buttons as on the ladies’, with the same breeches and boot combination as would be worn with the scarlet coat. Both lady and gentlemen members may wear a Black Watch tartan vest with the brass hunt button if they wish. Tattersall vests may be worn instead of the canary or Black Watch vests in any of the above combinations.
For rain, you may wear a waxed or oilcloth raincoat or a traditional fawn riding mac, a clear plastic rain jacket, or no raingear whatever. Black rubber boots or black rubber boots with brown tops may be substituted for their leather counterparts. In cold weather, ladies may wear black ear warmers (no earmuffs or bright colors).
Some hunting folk wear an extra stirrup leather for a belt when hunting, in the event of one breaking in the field. It can save the day!
As a final note on dress, at the Woodford Hounds, guests and visitors are welcome and ratcatcher is always fine if you’re not a regular hunting person. We value a nicely turned out field as much as anyone, but please don’t let not having all of the correct items of apparel keep you from coming hunting!
Tack
Whatever saddle your horse goes well in is fine, providing it is an “English” saddle. Bridles should be plain without colored brow bands or colored piping. Either standing or running martingale is fine and hunting or polo breastplates are advisable. Saddle pads should be either white, black or brown, though one sees other dark colors such as hunter green and navy. Protective boots and bell boots are fine, but not colored. A leather case with wire-cutters may be worn on the off side of the saddle attached to the dees in front of the rider’s knee. A leather flask case with “bayonet” flask may similarly be carried on the near side of the saddle. A leather case with sandwich box inside may be carried by gentlemen on the off-rear dees of the saddle. A “hunting canteen” consisting of a leather case containing a rectangular flask and sandwich box may be carried by ladies in the same position. Many Kentucky hunting folk carry plastic hip flasks in locally available leather cases on the off-rear dees. Any of these are acceptable and all can be seen in the Woodford field. Staff carry radios and sometimes revolvers on their saddles as well. All tack should be clean.