You can bring a horse to water but you can’t stop it from going for a swim. A huntsman in Ireland found that out the hard way when he was thrown from a horse making an unscheduled detour through a canal. In the clip a group of men can be seen riding horseback alongside a canal near Lockside Farm and Stables in County Longford. Two riders approach an upturned boat and jump over it without a problem, but as the third rides towards it the horse puts on its brakes and veers left off of the path and into the canal. Trotting through the water the horse falls, sending its rider flying, and after re-emerging swims off back towards the bank. Meanwhile, people on the opposite bank – along with a couple of very excited dogs – greet the sopping man as he clambers his way out of the canal. Easy as jumping a boat: A member of the Longford Harriers shows how it is done as his horse leaps over the obstacle . Applying the brakes: The horse decides that it doesn't want to jump over the boat like the previous two horses . The hunt, which generally attracts around 70 to 80 people of all ages, is an event undertaken by the Longford Harriers – the group featured in the clip. The master horsemen and women, who wear green to stand out, manage the hunt by controlling the hounds with a bugle. Riding across farms, lanes and roadways, the horsemen and women do not hunt foxes but instead jump over a number of high hedges, drains, stone walls and gates for fun. Splash! Veering left the horse detours into the canal before slipping and throwing its rider into the drink . Dogs greet the sopping rider and the horse, who swims back around in front of the man and off towards the other bank . The horse and rider became the first pair from the group to end up in the canal situated alongside the Lockside Farm and Stables . According to one of the huntsman, this is the first time that a rider has ended up in the canal after falling from their horse. The hunts usually last for three hours and take place in different areas around the county. After the run the group meet for a well-earned drink and the horses are allowed to rest with some water and hay.
The clip shows the huntsmen riding horseback alongside a canal . Before one is thrown into the water by a horse who makes a detour . Video was recorded near Lockside Farm and Stables in Ireland .