Mac

Unflashy and not always an easy ride, this chestnut huntsman's horse is, nevertheless, totally reliable, tough and adores the hounds

- Words by Octavia Pollock. Picture by Richard Last

In horses, as in humans, we are often drawn to the flashy, the arched neck and extravagant action, but it is the faithful "Mr Reliable" that deserves our respect and a place on this page. One such is Mac.

“He's an old sod to ride,” admits Essex and Suffolk huntsman Jack Henty. “I've never really enjoyed riding him, but he’s a good horse. He's always there, always reliable.”

Mac had experienced an unspectacular racing and point-to-point career with 23 starts before coming to Jack.

“A young lad trained and rode him. He won a maiden as an eight-year-old on heavy ground, but he was pretty useless after that,” reports Jack. “I got him when he was 11 for next to nothing!”

A SECOND CAREER