Editing Fox hunting (section)

=== Horses ===
{{main|Field hunter}}
[[File:Mixed field.jpg|thumb|upright=.8|A mixed field of horses at a hunt, including children on ponies<!--Powderham Castle does seem over-represented in these images-->]]
The [[horse]]s, called "[[field hunter]]s" or ''hunters,'' ridden by members of the field, are a prominent feature of many hunts, although others are conducted on foot (and those hunts with a field of mounted riders will also have foot followers). Horses on hunts can range from specially bred and trained [[field hunter]]s to casual hunt attendees riding a wide variety of horse and [[pony]] types.  [[Draft horse|Draft]] and [[Thoroughbred]] crosses are commonly used as hunters, although [[purebred]] Thoroughbreds and horses of many different [[list of horse breeds|breeds]] are also used.

Some hunts with unique territories favour certain traits in field hunters; for example, when hunting coyote in the western US, a faster horse with more stamina is required to keep up, as coyotes are faster than foxes and inhabit larger territories. Hunters must be well-mannered, have the athletic ability to clear large obstacles such as wide ditches, tall fences, and rock walls, and have the stamina to keep up with the hounds. In English foxhunting, the horses are often a cross of half or a quarter Irish Draught and the remainder English thoroughbred.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Waitemata Hunt|title=Hunt Etiquette|url=http://members.tripod.com/horse_hunting/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/hunt_etiquette.pdf|date=October 2008|access-date=29 December 2010}}</ref>

Dependent on terrain, and to accommodate different levels of ability, hunts generally have alternative routes that do not involve jumping.  The field may be divided into two groups, with one group, the ''First Field,'' that takes a more direct but demanding route that involves jumps over obstacles<ref name=Independence>{{cite web|title=Information and Guidelines for Foxhunters in the Field|publisher=Independence Foxhounds|year=2007|url=http://www.independencefoxhounds.com/protocol.html|access-date=18 January 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080308004907/http://www.independencefoxhounds.com/protocol.html |archive-date = 8 March 2008}}</ref> while another group, the ''Second Field'' (also called ''Hilltoppers'' or ''Gaters''), takes longer but less challenging routes that utilise gates or other types of access on the flat.<ref name=Independence/><ref>{{cite web|title=Hunting Hounds and Polo Ponies |year=1998 |publisher=JoCo History |url=http://www.jocohistory.net/culture/11no3hunting.asp |access-date=18 January 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071025165931/http://www.jocohistory.net/culture/11no3hunting.asp |archive-date=25 October 2007 }}</ref>